Your Deal, Our Mission.
We help founders of middle market and Main Street businesses get the exit they've earned.
Tony Parisi
Senior Advisor
"We launched Founders Capital Network to help entrepreneur-owned companies get the exits they deserve. FCN advances my personal mission of leading by serving others - and we see an enormous, growing need in the middle market and Main Street segment, where founders too often have to choose between transactional brokers and firms that don't fit their scale."
Tony brings more than 35 years of experience across mergers and acquisitions, finance, business operations and business development - as an investment banker, lender, investor and CFO. He has worked across a wide range of industries, including manufacturing and distribution, professional services, technology and SaaS, healthcare, energy, cable and telecom, water, construction services and real estate. This breadth gives Tony a rare vantage point at the deal table, having been in seats to finance companies, operate them, advise on their sales and evaluate companies as a buyer. This means he understands not just how transactions get done, but how they get done well, and what separates a good outcome for a founder from a great one.
At Founders Capital Network, Tony works directly with business owners preparing for and navigating an exit. He believes the best deals are built long before they close - through preparation, positioning and relationships with the right buyers - and he brings that conviction to every engagement.
"Selling a business is one of the most consequential events in a founder's life. They've earned the right to a process that takes their work seriously and a partner who's done this from every angle. That's what we built FCN to deliver."
Tony is a graduate of Brown University, where he majored in Economics and History. He lives in the Greater Philadelphia Area with his wife and FCN co-founder, Michelle, and their family. He enjoys playing platform tennis and golf and is going to more live music shows these days.
Michelle Parisi
Co-Founder/Director of Strategy and Client Growth
"Decades of experience in strategy, growth and sales and marketing across industries, from multi-platform media and marketing to manufacturing, SaaS and professional and consumer services, have given me a front-row seat to understand what makes businesses valuable. My passion is helping owners see that value clearly and telling their stories with conviction and energy to achieve great outcomes."
Michelle has spent her career helping privately-held companies grow through a lens of strategy, sales and marketing, differentiated areas for which she has rare, multidisciplinary expertise. During her years in industry, Michelle performed as a salesperson and managed eight-figure P&Ls. She has served as fractional Director of Sales and Marketing and worked closely with business owners on corporate strategy. Michelle has worked with business owners and management teams across a wide range of industries, helping them define strategy, grow revenues and build the operational foundation that drives long-term value.
At Founders Capital Network, Michelle brings her hands-on experience to founders navigating the most important transaction of their careers - getting the exit they've earned. She is driven by impact that extends from the founder to the employees and teams whose opportunity depends on a good outcome.
"I've spent my career helping business owners build real value- growing revenues, strengthening teams and creating companies worth buying. Now I help them sell. I know how hard business owners work, and I take our responsibility seriously.”
Michelle lives in the Greater Philadelphia Area with her husband, Tony, and their family. She plays competitive and recreational platform tennis and golf and, as a proud Penn State graduate, is never too far from an opportunity to share a WE ARE with fellow grads and fans!
OUR APPROACH
How We Help Business Owners Like You
Selling a business you've spent decades building is not a transaction. It's the culmination of a career, often the continuation of a legacy. Your deal deserves more than a listing.
Most firms serving business founders are built for volume - list the business, process the transaction, move to the next deal. We are built differently. We engage early, understand and educate our clients, work with ownership and management with their priorities in mind and treat every engagement as an important, strategic project, not an inventory item.
Our work often begins with our Ready-Set-Sell Assessment — a structured deep-dive into the business that serves two purposes. For owners years away from a sale, it's an education and a roadmap: What drives value in your industry, where your business stands today and what to focus on now to maximize your exit when the time comes. For owners ready to go to market, it’s the foundation of our process – a deeper understanding of the business that shapes how we position the company for sale, which strategic buyers we cultivate and how we tell the story that gets the best outcome.
Either way, you get the benefit of clarity from the assessment – clarity about your business, your options and the path forward.
Your Deal. Our Mission.
Close the Best Deal
We handle the process from start to finish so you can focus on your next chapter.
Our Vision and Core Values
AT FCN, WE BELIEVE IN:
Advocating for our clients
We put our business owner clients first, getting them the best deal possible.
Earning trust and respect
Acting to earn the confidence and appreciation of our clients and partners is the heart of what we do.
Creating abundance
We structure deals that benefit everyone involved, sellers, buyers, partners, employees, stakeholders, families.
Work-life integration
We work hard, with balance and in ways we are proud to tell our family about.
Growth and improvement
We grow professionally and as a team to better serve our clients and partners and to be better teammates.
If our values resonate with you, then we are likely a great fit to work together.
