A liquidity event instantly transforms a business owner into a high-net-worth individual, creating a narrow window where the need for financial planning is at its peak. For wealth management firms, engaging early can make a meaningful difference.
While advisors and sales teams use many signals to guide outreach, the sale of a sponsor-backed portfolio company remains one of the strongest and most time-sensitive, and it's often overlooked.
We track more than 2,000 private company transactions each month in Dakota Marketplace and map those deals directly to the key executives behind them. This gives firms a clear view into business owners who have recently gone through a buyout, sale, or recapitalization and may now be evaluating wealth planning and liquidity management decisions.
In this article, we'll review the top 10 sponsor-backed CEOs in Phoenix, highlighting recent transactions and the leaders behind each deal so you can prioritize timely, relevant outreach.
Top 10 Sponsor-Backed CEOs in Phoenix
1. Markell Staffieri – Rovin Capital
Recent Transaction: Strategic Acquisition | 2/3/2026 | Undisclosed
Rovin Capital, a fee-only RIA with offices in Lehi, Utah, and Mesa, Arizona, has been acquired by Boston-headquartered CW Advisors, bringing $849 million in combined assets under management and advisement onto the CWA platform. The transaction expands CWA's western U.S. footprint and positions Rovin to lead the firm's focused growth strategy in the region, with access to expanded resources and enhanced client solutions.
Markell Staffieri brings nearly two decades of financial industry experience and a client-first approach to his role as CEO and President of Rovin Capital, where he oversees all advisory and client services including corporate retirement plans. A Brigham Young University graduate who holds both the Certified Wealth Strategist (CWS®) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designations, he is well-positioned to drive Rovin's continued growth across the western U.S. as part of the broader CW Advisors platform.
2. Rafael Loureiro – Wealth.com
Recent Transaction: Venture Series B | 4/16/2026 | $65M
Wealth.com, the AI-powered platform modernizing how wealth management firms deliver estate and tax planning, has raised $65 million in an oversubscribed Series B round, with new investors including Titanium Ventures, Pruven Capital, The K Fund, and Dynasty Financial Partners alongside existing backers Charles Schwab, GV (Google Ventures), Citi Ventures, 53 Stations, Anthos Capital, and Alumni Ventures. The funding follows 664% year-over-year growth in AI-powered workflows and will accelerate AI and product development, support strategic acquisitions, expand enterprise and institutional distribution, and broaden the company's national footprint including a New York City office opening in May.
Rafael Loureiro brings over 20 years of technical leadership across startups, growth-stage companies, and Fortune 500 firms to his role as CEO and co-founder of Wealth.com, building on his prior success as CTO of Emailage, the global fraud prevention SaaS startup acquired by LexisNexis Risk Solutions in 2020. A Forbes Finance Council member and active leader in the Phoenix startup ecosystem, he is well-positioned to continue scaling Wealth.com's purpose-built AI engine across the more than 50,000 financial advisors now within reach through partnerships with the country's largest broker-dealers, banks, and custodians.
3. Sharon Green – Unical Aviation
Recent Transaction: Buyout / Private Equity | 5/11/2026 | Undisclosed
Unical Aviation, a leading global provider of aerospace aftermarket solutions and Used Serviceable Material (USM), has been sold by Platinum Equity to Satair, an Airbus company, in a successful exit following a comprehensive four-year operational transformation program. The transaction, which includes Unical's subsidiary ecube Solutions, follows initiatives that modernized technology platforms with new ERP, auto-quoting, and e-commerce systems, diversified inventory to include narrowbody and next-generation aircraft content, and optimized Unical's global footprint to position the company as a global leader in the USM market.
Sharon Green brings over 30 years of aviation operations, finance, and management experience to her role as Chief Executive Officer of Unical Aviation, where she has led the company through one of the most significant transformations in the aerospace aftermarket sector since joining in December 2021. A former CEO of GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) Materials and longtime GE leader who also served as CFO and COO at GECAS, she is exceptionally well-positioned to continue driving Unical's growth and global customer value under Satair's ownership.
4. Liz Stafford Ajello – E-Therapy
Recent Transaction: Buyout / Private Equity | 2/2/2026 | Undisclosed
E-Therapy, a pioneer in virtual and hybrid therapy services for schools with more than 17 years of experience serving school districts across 31 states, has been acquired by Edustaff, a national leader in educational staffing and workforce solutions partnering with districts in 14 states. The combination unites E-Therapy's well-established digital platform, experienced clinicians, and national footprint with Edustaff's staffing scale, enabling integrated on-site, virtual, and hybrid solutions that support both academic and student wellness outcomes nationwide.
Liz Stafford Ajello brings over 20 years of healthcare and education leadership to her role as Chief Executive Officer of E-Therapy, where she drives strategic planning and operational excellence in delivering specialized teletherapy services to PreK-12 schools across the United States. Her track record includes scaling HealthPRO Heritage's pediatric services from $1.5 million to over $70 million in revenue and co-founding HGI Healthcare, positioning her exceptionally well to expand E-Therapy's reach and impact alongside Edustaff in addressing schools' growing staffing and student-care needs.
5. David Walling – Axis Portable Air
Recent Transaction: Buyout / Private Equity | 4/8/2026 | Undisclosed
Axis Portable Air, a leading provider of temporary climate control and restoration equipment rentals for commercial and industrial customers nationwide, is the subject of a new single-asset continuation vehicle created through a partnership between Neuberger and Tailwind Capital, the established middle market buyout manager that holds Axis as one of its highest conviction portfolio companies. The transaction provides additional time and access to capital to support Axis's continued growth, while offering existing Tailwind fund investors options for accelerated liquidity or continued investment in one of the industry's fastest-growing climate control organizations.
David Walling brings extensive rental equipment industry leadership to his role as Chief Executive Officer of Axis Portable Air, where he has driven the company's 24/7, year-round customer-focused service model since its founding in 2019. His prior leadership as CEO of Apex Pump & Equipment LLC, combined with a track record of building strong employee alignment and a collaborative corporate culture, positions him exceptionally well to capitalize on Neuberger and Tailwind's continued backing as Axis pursues its goal of becoming the industry's most respected climate control organization.
Dakota Marketplace tracks more than 2,000 private company transactions each month, mapping every deal directly to the executives navigating new liquidity. Stop piecing together announcements from press releases and news alerts — see every sponsor-backed CEO, recent transaction, and contact detail in a single, continuously updated platform built for timely, relevant outreach and book a demo today!
6. Matthew Kozey – Arena Renewables
Recent Transaction: Strategic Acquisition | 4/23/2026 | Undisclosed
Arena Renewables, a leading distributed generation solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) developer with a pipeline of nearly 1 GW across select U.S. markets, has been acquired by Headwater Energy, a leading force in America's renewable energy transition with over 3.5 GW of active solar development. The combination pairs Arena's proven development capabilities with Headwater's financing and construction teams, providing enhanced access to construction financing, tax equity, and capital solutions that will shorten timelines from development to placed-in-service assets and accelerate growth for both companies in 2026 and beyond.
Matthew Kozey brings a unique combination of legal expertise and renewable energy leadership to his role as Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Arena Renewables, where he has built a disciplined, policy-led development platform delivering lower power bills and clean energy to communities across the United States. With prior leadership at Cypress Creek Renewables and a track record that includes Arena's first portfolio sale to Summit Ridge Energy in May 2025, he is well-positioned to scale Arena's distributed solar and storage strategy with the same culture and values that have defined the company since its founding.
7. Grant Siders – Helia Care
Recent Transaction: Venture | 2/12/2026 | $3M
Helia Care, an AI-enabled procurement platform that aligns clinical ordering with existing supplier contracts for bill-only medical device transactions, has raised $3 million from In Revenue Capital and Habanero Ventures to accelerate adoption across health systems and suppliers. The funding caps off a record growth year for Helia's two-sided network, which saves hospitals an average of $1.85 million per location and addresses a category that represents 50% of hospital supply chain spending and 60% of net patient revenues.
Grant Siders brings deep medical device industry expertise and an entrepreneurial track record to his role as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Helia Care, where he has built the Helia Connect™ platform into a trusted network spanning over 100 U.S. hospitals and more than 3,000 aligned digital contracts between health systems and suppliers. An Arizona State University graduate who previously founded Six Medical Solutions and served as a Spinal Consultant at 3D Spinal Solutions, he is exceptionally well-positioned to scale Helia toward its $10 billion savings milestone by continuing to align clinical workflows with contracted supplier economics across the country's largest health systems.
8. Drew Uher – HomeLight
Recent Transaction: Credit Direct Lending | 4/27/2026 | $40M
HomeLight, the AI-powered real estate technology platform, has secured $40 million in new debt financing from funds and accounts managed by BlackRock to scale EVA, the industry's first agentic AI escrow officer, nationwide. EVA automates the majority of the 120-plus discrete tasks required to close a real estate transaction, including opening orders, coordinating with lenders, HOAs, and government offices, and completing document ordering and fund transfers, addressing one of the most manual and error-prone segments of the residential real estate process.
Drew Uher brings deep technology and entrepreneurial leadership to his role as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of HomeLight, which he established in 2012 and has grown into a platform that has matched more than 2 million buyers and sellers with top agents and unlocked over $1 billion in home equity for clients nationwide. A Texas A&M and Stanford Graduate School of Business alumnus recognized by Inman News as one of the 100 Most Influential Leaders in Real Estate, he is exceptionally well-positioned to deliver on HomeLight's vision of making every real estate transaction simple, certain, and satisfying.
9. Mark Donohue – LifeGuides
Recent Transaction: Venture | 1/26/2026 | $1M
LifeGuides, the Tempe-based peer-to-peer support platform connecting individuals with trained "guides" to navigate caregiving, health, career, and emotional wellbeing challenges, has raised $1 million to scale its enterprise offering and expand within Arizona's growing health-tech ecosystem. The funding will support expansion of the commercial and client services teams, accelerated product development, enhanced data and analytics capabilities, and the thoughtful introduction of AI-powered features to improve matching, insights, and user experience while keeping human connection at the center of the model.
Mark Donohue brings over 30 years of entrepreneurial leadership and deep expertise in impact enterprises, conscious capitalism, and triple bottom line economics to his role as Founder and Executive Chairman of LifeGuides, which he established in 2016 to provide human-centered support at scale. A former Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Senior Fellow in Social Innovation at Babson College who previously founded a $100M+ cleantech venture fund and the first investment bank focused on the LOHAS space, he is uniquely positioned to scale LifeGuides as infrastructure within the modern workplace as demand grows for accessible, preventative mental health solutions.
10. Bryce Deeney – equipifi
Recent Transaction: Venture Series B | 5/14/2026 | $34M
equipifi, the Scottsdale-based developer of a native Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) and flexible payment platform for banks and credit unions, has raised $34 million in Series B funding led by Left Lane Capital with participation from existing investors including Curql and PHX Ventures, bringing total funding to $49 million. The company will use the capital to expand financial institution partnerships, deepen its core product capabilities, and double overall headcount with a focus on product and engineering, building on more than tripled consumer adoption over the past year.
Bryce Deeney brings deep payments and banking expertise to his role as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of equipifi, where he has built a white-label BNPL platform that integrates seamlessly into existing digital banking applications and enables financial institutions to offer personalized split-payment options under their own trusted branding. A former Vice President of Payments at Alaska USA Federal Credit Union and APS Payments (now REPAY), he is exceptionally well-positioned to accelerate equipifi's expansion across U.S. financial institutions and scale the company recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in the Valley for two consecutive years.
Where Liquidity Events Become Prospecting Signals
Finding prospects isn't always the challenge. Knowing when to reach them is.
Private company transactions are one of the clearest signals of imminent need, and yet most teams still struggle to track them systematically. They turn operating executives into newly liquid decision-makers almost overnight, and firms that align outreach to these moments gain a real advantage in timing, relevance, and conversion.
Dakota Marketplace delivers that edge.
We track 642,000+ private companies, 143,000+ sponsor-backed portfolio companies mapped to their GP, fund, and acquisition history, and 70,000+ verified transactions, growing at roughly 6,000 new deals every month. Every record is researched and verified by our team (not scraped from press release) and every transaction includes full participant visibility across buyers, sellers, lenders, advisors, and counsel. C-suite contacts are mapped directly to each deal so your team can move from market signal to outreach in a single platform.
The result: real-time private company transaction data, "likely to transact" signals, and verified executive contacts in one place, updated daily, so your team can prioritize outreach, engage with confidence, and convert at the right moment.
Book a demo of Dakota Marketplace to start prospecting around liquidity events today!
