Corey Call is the Founder and Managing Partner of R8 Holdings, a conscious private holding company that acquires majority stakes in health & wellness and consumer packaged goods companies with $1-5M EBITDA. With over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience and a deep commitment to conscious business practices, Corey brings a unique blend of financial acumen, operational expertise, and transformational leadership to his investments.

R8 Holdings focuses on acquiring companies in the $5-25M range within the health & wellness sector, partnering with existing leaders to enhance company culture and profitability. The firm provides comprehensive support through an in-house financing team, multiple equity partners, and a dedicated team of management consultants to optimize portfolio company performance.

Corey's diverse background spans 20 years in the event industry (producing over 400 events), 10 years in solar and construction development, and 10 years in the natural foods and supplement space. His financial expertise includes CFO work for over 50 small and medium enterprises, with deep knowledge in solar finance, real estate financing, fund management, debt strategies, private equity, and mergers & acquisitions.

Beyond his business acumen, Corey is a lifelong student of personal transformation and conscious leadership. He founded the Clarity Action Foundation, a nonprofit focused on trauma healing and transformation, creating environments where children and adults can live in harmony with nature. His investment philosophy is deeply rooted in supporting businesses that align with his values of conscious entrepreneurship, environmental stewardship, and human well-being.

Brian T. Franco is the founder of Meritage Partners, a premier M&A advisory firm with over 20 years of excellence in private capital markets. With more than 100 transactions completed across multiple industries, Brian has established himself as a trusted partner to entrepreneurs, family offices, and strategic acquirers seeking to maximize value and optimize deal structures.

As a seasoned deal strategist and M&A authority, Brian specializes in helping founders position their businesses for maximum valuation—even years before they're ready to sell. His expertise spans strategic exit planning, growth through acquisition, valuation optimization, and deal structure mastery, including complex equity rolls, earnouts, and strategic partnerships that maximize upside potential.

Brian's recent success includes helping a home services client achieve a 2x valuation increase in just three weeks, ultimately selling at 7x EBITDA while rolling 20% equity into a larger platform for continued upside. This demonstrates his ability to not only execute transactions but to structure deals that create lasting value for all stakeholders.

In the Impact Accelerator, Brian brings his deep understanding of capital markets and deal structuring to help founders understand how to build businesses worth buying. His investment philosophy centers on identifying companies with strong fundamentals, clear growth trajectories, and founders who understand the importance of positioning their businesses for optimal exits and maximum value realization.

Mike Lingle is the Managing Partner at Devolution Capital, a venture capital fund that backs early-stage founders building the next wave of technology for the decentralized revolution. With a unique blend of technical expertise and entrepreneurial experience, Mike brings a founder's perspective to venture investing, having successfully raised venture capital, launched multiple presentation startups, and achieved an exit.

Mike's diverse background spans multiple executive roles including CEO, CTO at a publicly traded company, fractional CFO, and Head of Sales. His operational experience gives him deep insights into the challenges founders face at every stage of their journey. In 2022, Mike helped other founders raise over $1B in capital, demonstrating his expertise in capital formation and strategic fundraising. He has served as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Techstars, Babson College, and Founder Institute, where he has mentored and guided hundreds of early-stage founders.

Mike's passion lies in helping founders launch and scale quickly. After nearly running his first startup into the ground, he realized the critical importance of mastering financials—an experience that inspired him to build Rocket Pro Forma, the tool he wished he had when starting his first company at 25. This firsthand understanding of the challenges early-stage founders face informs his investment approach and mentorship style.

At Devolution Capital, Mike focuses on backing founders who are rethinking identity, payments, data, privacy, and trust in digital systems. The fund invests early, stays hands-on, and helps companies scale real-world applications that push past today's bottlenecks. Devolution Capital's portfolio includes companies like Flash (Bitcoin payment solutions), AstraNav (M-GPS navigation technology), Anametric (quantum photonics for cybersecurity), HEALE (DePin network for supply chain logistics), Opt Health (preventive medicine), and MD ONE Ventures (defense and national security DeepTech).

Mike's approach to venture investing is collaborative and relationship-driven. Devolution Capital provides more than just financial backing—they build lasting partnerships with innovators, offering focused expertise in tech and Web3 sectors to help companies innovate with confidence and responsibility. Their mission is to accelerate extraordinary solutions and founders to success while promoting sustainable technologies that maintain value over time.

In the Impact Accelerator, Mike brings his expertise in emerging technologies and his passion for supporting purpose-driven founders who are shaping the future of digital systems—making them more open, secure, and user-first. He is particularly interested in connecting with founders who are building the next generation of decentralized infrastructure and digital trust systems.

Nery Gomez is a private equity and wealth management professional based in Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX. He is a Private Equity Investor, Fiduciary Financial Advisor, Financial Educator, published Author, Speaker, and Entrepreneur with a deep commitment to helping others achieve their fullest potential.

Mr. Gomez is the founder of BlackSun Private Equity, Inc., Manhattan Beach Advisors, LLC, Illumination Holdings, LLC, and Elevation Consulting Group. He serves as a Member of the Board of Trustees at Dean College in Franklin, MA, demonstrating his commitment to education and institutional leadership.

BlackSun Private Equity, Inc. is a diverse private equity fund that invests across multiple sectors including Sports, Media, Entertainment, Real Estate, and innovative Technology. The firm's technology focus encompasses Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Connectivity, Blockchain Technology, Software as a Service (SaaS), Financial Technology (Fintech), Health Care Innovation, Human Longevity, and Reverse Aging.

As an emerging global leader in alternative asset management, BlackSun specializes in providing stable and high-yielding returns for a diverse group of savvy investors including sovereign wealth funds, public and private pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, family offices, and high net-worth individuals. The firm invests in both acquisitions of interest and select start-ups that have the potential to transform the way we live and do business.

Nery's investment philosophy is deeply rooted in his personal journey, which began at age 15 when he first felt there was "more" to life, happiness, wellbeing, and peace. His approach to investing mirrors his life philosophy: helping clients begin well, move strategically through the middle, and end victoriously. He believes in finding satisfaction in the living and happiness in the present, applying this wisdom to both personal development and strategic investment decisions.

In the Impact Accelerator, Nery brings his unique perspective on strategic thinking, his extensive experience in diverse investment sectors, and his commitment to helping others achieve their potential. His background in fiduciary financial advising and financial education positions him as a valuable resource for founders seeking not just capital, but strategic guidance for long-term success.