One day, two tracks, with interactive workshops.

November 7 brings together practical sessions, hands-on workshops, and the conversations that move acquisitions forward.

Date
Saturday, November 7, 2026
Venue
Limelight Boulder
Doors
8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
A full room of attendees seated at round tables during a session at the inaugural conference

Two tracks to meet you where you are.

Two tracks run in parallel through the middle of the day, with hands-on workshops alongside them.

Attendees watching a session titled Intro: What is ETA and why do people do it

Search Curious

For people interested in owning a business who have not started looking. Search 101, and the foundations you need before a search is worth beginning.

A view through open doors into an advanced session on building your deal team

Advanced

For people searching right now, running a company they bought, or advising the people who are. The same day, taken further into the detail.

Attendees working in small groups around tables during a workshop

The day itself

A full day of educational sessions, networking, and breakout workshops.

The workshops are the sessions people talk about afterwards. Real deal packets, mixed groups, and a room that gets loud.

Saturday, November 7

A full day of sessions, workshops, and networking across the Search Curious and Advanced tracks.

  1. 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

    Everyone

    Registration, breakfast, and networking

    Doors open. Coffee, breakfast, and the first hour of the day given over to meeting people.

  2. 9:00 – 9:15 a.m.

    Everyone

    Kickoff

    Opening remarks and how to get the most out of the day.

  3. 9:15 – 9:45 a.m.

    Opening keynote

    Ecosystem and Evolution

    Where entrepreneurship through acquisition stands today, how the ecosystem has changed, and what that means for the people entering it now.

    Jacob Hall, Managing Partner, Kando Capital

  4. 10:00 – 10:45 a.m.

    Search Curious

    Is ETA Right for Me? Preparing for a Career in ETA

    An honest look at what the path asks of you before you commit to it.

    Advanced

    Building Your Deal Team

    Who you need around a deal, when to bring them in, and what to ask of each seat at the table.

  5. 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

    Search Curious Workshop

    Conducting a Search: Tools and Tips for Finding a Deal Worth Pursuing

    Hands-on work on thesis development and the weekly rhythm of generating real deal flow.

    Advanced Workshop

    Small-Group Deal Review and Valuation

    Live deal packets worked through in small mixed groups: industry nuance, where a deal team earns its keep, and making a call quickly.

  6. 12:00 – 1:15 p.m.

    Everyone

    Lunch and networking

    Time to eat, and time with the professionals and vendors in the room.

  7. 1:30 – 2:15 p.m.

    Search Curious

    Getting the Deal Done: Search to Close

    What carries a deal from first interest through to the day you own it.

    Advanced

    Legal and Quality of Earnings Deep Dive: Working Smart with Experts

    Getting real value from counsel and accountants, and the detail that decides how a deal lands.

  8. 2:30 – 3:15 p.m.

    Everyone

    Funding the Deal: Debt, Equity, and the Path to the Upside Case

    How acquisitions actually get financed, and what each source of capital expects in return.

  9. 3:15 – 4:00 p.m.

    Everyone

    Operating Post-Acquisition: Blood, Bruises, and Bias for Action

    The part that lasts longest. Owners on what the first years of running the company actually took.

  10. 4:00 – 4:15 p.m.

    Everyone

    Closing remarks

    A close on staying well through this work, and on leaning on the community you just spent the day with.

  11. 4:15 – 6:00 p.m.

    Everyone

    Happy hour and networking

    Continue the conversations from the sessions on the Limelight patio under the Flatirons.

Keynote Speaker

Jacob Hall

Managing Partner, Kando Capital

Jacob Hall is deeply embedded in the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) ecosystem as an investor, educator, and mentor to aspiring business owners. He is the Managing Partner of Kando Capital, where he invests alongside searchers and independent sponsors pursuing lower middle market acquisitions. Jacob also teaches graduate-level Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition courses at The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, bringing his firsthand investing and operating experience into the classroom.

Jacob’s background spans investing, operations, engineering, and finance. Before founding Kando Capital, he led Decision Analysis at Chevron Technology Ventures, advising senior executives on venture investments, technology commercialization, and major strategic initiatives. Earlier in his career, he served as COO of Sooner B&B Energy, where he led an operational and financial turnaround, and held roles at O’Reilly Automotive. Jacob earned his MBA from UT Austin and holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, and Petroleum Production.

Jacob Hall

Meet the speakers.

Speaking at RMETA, or know someone who should be?

Get in touch
Four attendees standing together and talking after a session

Registration is open now.

Saturday, November 7, 2026 · Limelight Boulder · 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Register for RMETA