A full-cycle program for aspiring and active acquisition entrepreneurs
ETA Hub begins with a structured 90-day cohort experience and continues with support throughout the search journey. It helps fellows prepare for, improve, and navigate the many decisions involved in entrepreneurship through acquisition.
We take a multifaceted approach: live cohort sessions, data-informed feedback, peer discussion, targeted mentor support, Searcher Circles, Deal Huddles, access to VAULT, and hands-on coaching as fellows speak with business owners. The Hub gives fellows a place to sharpen their pitch, pressure-test their plan, troubleshoot live search issues, and build the pattern recognition needed to move toward acquisition with confidence.
New for 2026: The cohort experience includes ETA PitchRef, our proprietary narrative evaluation system built specifically for ETA, together with a hands-on deal-sourcing experience through our partnership with Caprae Capital.
Enrollment closes Friday, October 15, 2026. Applications are reviewed during the enrollment window. Searchfunder members can use code SEARCHFUNDER for a discount.
New for 2026
From practice to performance
The 2026 cohort experience combines preparation, testing, and real-world application. Fellows can practice their positioning in a structured environment, apply that preparation in live conversations, and bring what they learn back into the Hub for reflection and improvement.
Practice in the Lab: ETA PitchRef
ETA PitchRef is our proprietary, AI-enhanced narrative evaluation system built specifically for entrepreneurship through acquisition. Drawing on patterns from more than 3,000 ETA-specific videos in VAULT and informed by real investor and operator experience, it helps fellows strengthen the 2–5-minute narrative they use with investors, lenders, and sellers. Fellows can test their positioning, clarify their story, and work out the kinks before important conversations.
Put It to Work in the Field: Hands-On Deal Sourcing
Through a new partnership with Caprae Capital, fellows apply their preparation in a live deal-sourcing experience. They develop a personalized buy box, receive verified acquisition targets, refine outreach messaging in their own voice, and participate in live calling sessions alongside experienced acquisition entrepreneurs.
As real conversations develop, selected opportunities can come back into the Hub in anonymized form. Fellows and mentors evaluate what they are learning, identify issues early, and refine their approach. See the press release here.
Practice in the lab. Test in the field. Learn from what happens. Improve the next move.
Overview
Entrepreneurship through acquisition is a complex and consequential journey. ETA Hub gives fellows a structured place to learn, practice, test, and improve alongside peers, mentors, and experienced practitioners.
The experience begins with a 90-day cohort program that helps fellows build traction through live sessions with guest mentors, practical frameworks, data-informed feedback, and direct access to experienced guidance. Fellows develop their narrative, plan, sourcing approach, and decision-making practices while gaining exposure to the major stages of the search journey.
The Hub also creates a feedback loop between preparation and real-world application. Fellows can refine their narrative through ETA PitchRef, put their preparation to work through hands-on deal sourcing with Caprae Capital, and bring what they learn back into the Hub for discussion and improvement.
The goal is to help fellows build the judgment, credibility, confidence, resilience, and support system they need to navigate the search and become successful business owners and CEOs.
Who It’s For
ETA Hub is designed for growth-minded professionals who are exploring, preparing for, or actively pursuing entrepreneurship through acquisition.
- Searchers who want better structure, stronger practices, and more traction
- Owners considering acquisition as a path to leveling up and growing their business
- Students and professionals trying to clarify which ETA path best fits their goals, resources, and life circumstances
- Acquisition entrepreneurs who value thoughtful guidance, community, and practical support in a fast-evolving ETA landscape
Fellows include operators, executives, business owners, attorneys, consultants, corporate leaders, and others preparing to pursue acquisition entrepreneurship with greater clarity and discipline.
What Fellows Build in the First 90 Days
The first 90 days are designed to create meaningful traction quickly while setting fellows up for long-term success. Fellows build the practical foundation, relationships, and decision-making habits needed to prepare for the search, improve what is already underway, and respond thoughtfully as new information and opportunities emerge.
Pitch
Develop a clearer, more credible 2–5-minute narrative you can use with investors, lenders, brokers, and sellers.
Plan
Develop a practical, personalized plan for your search model, finances, sourcing approach, and next 6–12 months.
Peers
Join a trusted cohort of searchers, mentors, and advisors you can continue learning from and leaning on long after the cohort ends.
Pattern Recognition
Improve your ability to ask better questions, recognize patterns earlier, pressure-test decisions, troubleshoot issues, and move through the search process with greater confidence.
Practice + Application
Use the ETA PitchRef lab to refine your narrative, then apply your preparation through live, hands-on deal sourcing with coaching through our collaboration with Caprae Capital.
Search, Acquisition, and Transition Support
Our full-cycle program means we do not stop at search preparation. We support fellows throughout the search, the dealmaking process, and the transition into the CEO role. See below for what’s included and ongoing support.
What’s Included
ETA Hub combines live learning, guest mentors, practical tools, expert feedback, peer support, and continued access to a broader acquisition ecosystem. The structure gives fellows a shared foundation for turning information into better judgment, clearer decisions, and practical next steps.
- Six live, interactive cohort sessions, three hours each, covering major phases of the search journey with guest mentors.
- The ETA Guidebook, a practical workbook designed to help you absorb the material, sharpen your thinking, and apply each session directly to your own search.
- Practical frameworks, tools, and materials to support traction, reflection, and decision-making.
- ETA PitchRef Labs using our proprietary narrative evaluation system for entrepreneurship through acquisition.
- Hands-on deal-sourcing experience through the Hub’s partnership with Caprae Capital, including personalized buy-box development, verified acquisition targets, outreach preparation, and live calling practice.
- Opportunities to reflect on real conversations and, where appropriate, evaluate anonymized opportunities with fellows and mentors inside the Hub.
- Access to VAULT’s repository of more than 3,000 ETA-specific videos, AI-enabled with Ziobot, plus curated field guides and checklists exclusively for Hub fellows.
- Direct guidance, structured feedback, and targeted mentor support in areas where fellows need additional perspective.
- Monthly Searcher Circles and weekly Deal Huddles for peer discussion, live troubleshooting, and decision pressure-testing.
- Slack and WhatsApp channels for real-time questions, support, and connection.
- Access to a community of peers, mentors, and advisors building from a shared language and common foundation.
- Ongoing support throughout the search journey, with continued perspective as questions, concerns, opportunities, and decisions evolve.
- Transition support as a new owner through our Challenge Point CEO Roundtable.
How It Works
We begin with fit, story, and positioning so fellows can better understand how to present themselves as future CEOs and acquisition entrepreneurs. From there, fellows are exposed to the major stages of the search journey, including search design, financing strategy, sourcing, negotiation, diligence, operating readiness, and pitch development.
ETA PitchRef provides the practice environment. Fellows use it to strengthen their 2–5-minute narrative, test their positioning, and prepare for conversations with investors, lenders, brokers, and sellers. They then put that preparation to work through the Hub’s hands-on deal-sourcing partnership with Caprae Capital.
The Hub is structured, but versatile and flexible. Fellows use the shared language, frameworks, and expectations from the cohort to have better conversations, receive more useful feedback, and troubleshoot the issues that arise in their own searches.
As fellows learn from real conversations and opportunities, they bring those lessons back into the Hub and refine their approach. The 90-day cohort creates the initial foundation and momentum. Ongoing support helps fellows keep pressure-testing their thinking, adapting their approach, and improving their decision-making as the search unfolds.
Ongoing Support
The cohort is only the beginning. Many important questions in entrepreneurship through acquisition emerge after the initial learning phase—when industry theses need pressure-testing, sourcing becomes more active, diligence gets complicated, or a promising opportunity requires a closer look.
That is why ETA Hub is designed as a broader support system, not just a short program. Through Searcher Circles, Deal Huddles, community channels, and targeted mentor support, fellows continue to have places to raise concerns, troubleshoot live search issues, stress-test decisions, spot problems early, and keep building traction throughout the search process.
The hands-on sourcing experience adds another layer to that feedback loop. Fellows can move from preparation to live outreach while they are still inside the cohort, with support as they refine their messaging, interpret seller responses, and think through what they are learning. Selected opportunities may also be brought back into the Hub in anonymized form for discussion and analysis.
Once a fellow acquires a business—whether that happens in two months, two years, or longer—we also provide six months of CEO Roundtable support after acquisition for eligible enrollment pathways.
The goal is not simply to help searchers save time or money. It is to help them build stronger judgment, greater credibility, and better readiness for the realities of acquisition and leadership.
Why This Approach Works
ETA Hub is entrepreneurial infrastructure for the journey from aspiring searcher to effective owner and CEO. It gives acquisition entrepreneurs the information, relationships, feedback, practice, and ongoing support they need to build influence, credibility, judgment, and confidence.
The program grew from countless conversations with acquisition entrepreneurs whose searches ended in an acquisition—or did not. We asked what they got wrong, what they regretted, and what they wished they had spent more time developing.
The answers were rarely about the mechanics of search. Finance, technology, and process matter, and the Hub covers those areas. But most capable entrepreneurs can learn to build a model, manage a CRM, and execute a system. The more difficult and consequential work is often relational: earning trust, building influence, communicating clearly, asking for help, and developing the relationships that make progress possible.
Searchers need credibility with sellers, brokers, investors, lenders, mentors, peers, employees, and customers. They need judgment when information is incomplete, confidence when the path changes, and the ability to bring people with them through uncertainty. Those capabilities are developed through repeated practice, useful feedback, and trusted relationships—not through information alone.
ETA Hub creates that infrastructure around the search journey. Fellows refine their narrative through ETA PitchRef, put their preparation into practice through hands-on sourcing with Caprae Capital, and bring what they learn back to peers, mentors, and experienced practitioners for reflection and improvement. Searcher Circles, Deal Huddles, VAULT, and ongoing support help them stay connected, make better decisions, and keep moving as the search evolves.
An acquisition is a transaction. Becoming an effective owner and CEO requires infrastructure for a much longer leadership journey. ETA Hub is built for both.
What Fellows Say
ETA Hub is built around practical guidance, useful relationships, and support that continues as the search evolves. Here is what members of the community have said about their experience.
“This is gold. Karen’s guidance was the difference between having a decent story and having a fundable one. Her real-time, actionable feedback helped me secure investor support and get the deal across the finish line.”
Mitchell Harris
CEO, Vertex Communication Group
“If you’re serious about buying a business, Karen’s programs deliver practical value fast. ETA Launch Hub gave me high-quality introductions to key people in the space—and once you’re in Karen’s network, the relationships and opportunities keep compounding. I got more out of the very first session than the $10K I spent on another program.”
Yvette Owo
Owner, CFO Professional Services PC
Managing Partner, YOLO Accounting
“She believed in me before I fully believed in myself, opened doors to her vast network that I didn’t know existed, and shared insights that fundamentally changed how I approach business challenges. Her desire to give back isn’t just admirable, it’s transformative for everyone fortunate enough to work with her.”
David Lovejoy
Founder & CEO, CoachFinder.ai
Founder & Managing Member, Horizon Search
“As my narrative improved, investors started coming to me. The transformation in how I presented myself and my vision was remarkable.”
Gina
ETA Hub Fellow
“Karen cultivates an open, inclusive community and goes the extra mile to guide past and current mentees, coordinating across time zones to support a truly global cohort.”
Andy B.
Full-time professional pursuing entrepreneurship
“If you’re running a business while also considering a purchase, I highly recommend Karen’s programs. The practical insights are invaluable.”
Garcon Morweh
Business Owner & Acquisition Candidate
Choose Your Path
For 2026, ETA Hub offers both full-cycle and modular pathways. You can begin with the most comprehensive level of support or start with the core 90-day cohort experience and continue into ongoing support when it makes sense for your search. Scholarship opportunities may also be available for eligible applicants.
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Modular Pathway
For applicants who prefer a step-by-step approach, ETA Hub also offers a modular pathway: begin with the core 90-day cohort, then continue into ongoing support when it makes sense for your search.
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Scholarships, Partner Opportunities & Payment Plans
Scholarship opportunities may be available for eligible applicants, including through partner organizations and special initiatives. If cost is a concern, we encourage you to reach out.
- ABEP
- Payment plans may be available.
If the listed payment options are a concern, please reach out to discuss options.
Common Questions
Who is ETA Hub for?
The Hub is for aspiring and active acquisition entrepreneurs who want a more structured, better-supported path into entrepreneurship through acquisition. Some fellows are still evaluating fit. Others have already started and want stronger practices, sharper positioning, and more grounded support.
Is the Hub a step-by-step program?
The Hub is structured, but it is versatile enough to allow fellows to dive deep where they need more support and move more quickly through areas where they already have a strong foundation. Fellows are exposed to the major stages of entrepreneurship through acquisition, but they apply the material to their specific goals, constraints, questions, and opportunities.
What is the time commitment?
The Hub begins with six live cohort sessions of three hours each over 90 days with guest mentors. We recommend allocating at least three hours on the off-weeks for practice labs and preparation for the next session. Following the cohort, the experience is highly flexible based on your stage of search, the deals you have in progress, and your needs as a new business owner.
What will I leave with at the end?
By the end of the initial 90-day cohort experience, fellows should have:
Pitch — a clearer, more credible 2–5-minute narrative
Plan — a practical, personalized plan for the next stage of the search
Peers — a trusted cohort and support network
Pattern Recognition — stronger pattern recognition and better decision-making
Practice + Application — the confidence that comes from practicing in a safe environment with supportive coaching
What is ETA PitchRef?
ETA PitchRef is our proprietary, evidence-based narrative evaluation system built specifically for entrepreneurship through acquisition. Integrated into the Hub, it helps fellows strengthen the 2–5-minute narrative they use with investors, lenders, brokers, and sellers through structured feedback, AI-enhanced analysis, and live review.
What is included in the hands-on deal-sourcing experience?
Through ETA Hub’s partnership with Caprae Capital, fellows develop a personalized buy box, receive verified acquisition targets, refine outreach messaging in their own voice, and participate in live calling sessions alongside experienced acquisition entrepreneurs. As conversations develop, fellows can bring their learning back into the Hub for discussion, reflection, and refinement. Selected opportunities may be evaluated in anonymized form.
What search models does the Hub support?
The Hub supports a range of ETA paths, including self-funded search, traditional search, partner-led search, and other acquisition models. The process is designed to help fellows better understand which path fits their goals, resources, experience, and circumstances.
What if I am still unsure whether entrepreneurship through acquisition is right for me?
That is exactly the kind of question the Hub is designed to help with. The process gives you a chance to evaluate fit, clarify your goals, and explore whether acquisition entrepreneurship is the right path before you commit more deeply.
Are scholarships available?
Yes. Scholarship opportunities may be available for eligible applicants, including through partner organizations and special initiatives. See Scholarships, Partner Opportunities & Payment Plans below.
If you have questions about fit or scholarship availability, please reach out before applying.
What if my goals change during the process?
That happens. Part of the value of the Hub is having the space and support to refine your thinking as you learn more. Depending on your situation, that may mean adapting your work inside the Hub, redirecting toward a better-fit path, or identifying the next best form of support within the broader ecosystem.
How much does it cost?
The full-cycle ETA Hub plan is $4,000 all-in and is our most affordable enrollment option. It provides the broadest level of support across the acquisition journey, while allowing you to preserve more of your capital for finding, purchasing, and operating your business. Searchfunder members can use code SEARCHFUNDER for a discount. Review the information above for the current pathway options.