Anna Randazzo

The DVS Group

We help good people buy and sell good businesses—to do more good in the world. We work with passion, perseverance, and a people-first mindset, because we believe business ownership has massive potential to impact lives, communities, and the world for good. Our clients are 80 percent buyers and 20 percent sellers. Our transactions range from $2 to $50 million. (The average is around $5 to $6 million.) We are industry agnostic, with two exceptions: We tend to avoid deals with businesses that are dependent on ideas alone (intellectual property, software) or destination alone (real estate, hospitality). We close deals nationwide but are located in Kansas City (yes, we speak Midwestern). Our firm was founded in 2004 to cater to the underserved needs of experienced business people ready to become business owners—and make a positive impact. As a speaker for The Kauffman Foundation and Right Management, Kevin Lindsey often met expert executives who understood how much good well-run, community-minded businesses could do. They wanted to be owners, but there wasn't there wasn't a service to connect them to businesses that matched their goals and values. Kevin founded The DVS Group to bridge that gap. In the years since, our services have expanded. We work with the whole range of buyers—executives, corporations, family offices, nonprofits—and with business sellers motivated by positive social impact. To enable impact-driven deals, we also formed SISPE Capital Management to provide stand-alone investments to support business growth in specific communities. We're not like other merger and acquisition firms. We don't want to be. We take on clients with specialized interests and intriguing values. We like to say we're in the purple squirrel business: We love finding that so-perfect-you-can't-believe-it match for our clients. If you're dreaming of a particular kind of business or buyer, and everyone else is telling you to lower your expectations...don't. Call us instead.