As we kick off 2026, it’s a natural time to step back and reflect on what we built in the past year—so we can make plans to charge ahead.
In the spirit of Arthur Ashe’s reminder to start where you are, here’s my one-line summary of 2025:
We innovated the rails for entrepreneurial follow-through.
In plain terms: fewer entrepreneurs stuck in “learning mode,” and more entrepreneurs in doing mode—building momentum, strengthening their narratives, and getting higher-quality reps. Here’s what that looked like:
Next week, I’ll share what’s ahead for the coming year. In the meantime, you’ll find our calendar of events for the month below, along with a look back at a few of our biggest highlights from 2025.
Thank you for the many roles you play in this ecosystem—searcher, CEO, investor, lender, educator, mentor, supporter. I’m grateful to be building alongside you.
Warm regards,
Karen
More focus on what’s harder to teach: narrative, pattern recognition, and readiness
After a decade in this ecosystem, I’ve seen where searches and early CEO tenures most consistently break—not on desire or work ethic, but on readiness: the ability to spot patterns, communicate clearly, and use the tools available to solve problems and grow.
In 2025, I refined the Hub curriculum into a more repeatable operating system—and I tackled narrative head-on with a major innovation: ETA PitchRef.
Our proprietary, evidence-based, AI-enhanced narrative evaluation system is built specifically for acquisition entrepreneurs. Fellows can see strengths and blind spots earlier, focus their reps where they matter, and walk into key conversations with more clarity and confidence.
Early feedback has been tremendous, our fellows consistently rate its value at a 10/10. They are stunned by the progress they’re able to make.
More momentum and less isolation
This year reinforced what we already believed: aspiring and active acquisition entrepreneurs benefit from a focused kickstart and consistent follow-through support.
We go beyond the mechanics of buying a business; we focus on the knowledge and habits you’ll need to be an effective CEO from Day 1.
EtA Launch Hub continued to prove itself through a 90-day sprint followed by year-round support through monthly Circles and weekly Deal Huddles—covering topics like getting unstuck and the key struggles in due diligence.
As our community of CEOs grew, we launched the Challenge Point CEO Roundtable, which has become a place to gain skills and stay accountable in a high-trust peer community. Members regularly share how the sessions keep them focused on what matters—and give them a safe place to workshop decisions before they get expensive.
More ways to harness entrepreneurial stories
VAULT started from a simple insight: the best EtA knowledge often lives in stories—the lived experience of searchers, operators, investors, lenders, and advisors.
In 2025, VAULT became more than a repository. We expanded it into a more “learn as you live” experience with the soft launch of streaming, plus faster ways to extract practical value.
That includes ZioBot, built for the moments when you want the right nugget, right now—not an hours-long hunt. And because learning doesn’t always have to be serious, our crossword puzzles are just plain fun while reinforcing what you’re absorbing.
Hub fellows have had access to ZioBot for testing for several months, and we’re working through the final production details before releasing it to the broader VAULT community.
If you’re curious, start a free VAULT trial and do a quick check of our Quiver section on how it will work.
More access for more entrepreneurs
We continued our partnership with Live Oak Bank’s Search Fund Lending Center to provide scholarships for EtA Launch Hub fellows.
We also launched a partnership with the Association for Black Economic Power (ABEP) in Minneapolis to support more Minnesotans in buying and growing existing small businesses—keeping community anchors locally owned and building Black economic power.
And we introduced the VAULT Student Plan, making it easier for actively enrolled students to access VAULT at affordable rates. We’ll soon begin pilots with EtA clubs.