What we’re about
Welcome to the Charlotte Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) Meetup! This group is specifically tailored for anyone in the ETA space. It is hosted by The Charlotte ETA Group, a 501(c) nonprofit.
Wondering if this group is for you?
➡️ Are you an entrepreneur interested in acquiring and running a profitable business?
➡️ Are you an SMB owner looking to scale or sell?
➡️ Do you have expertise on the legal, financial, operational, or transaction side?
➡️ Are you just starting your journey and looking to learn from others?
All are welcome. Join us to discuss all things ETA, share past experiences, and connect with like-minded individuals. This meetup is the perfect platform to network, gain valuable insights, and build lasting relationships in Charlotte's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
As our group has grown, we're excited to begin to host panels, speakers, and more in addition to the networking.
Our Mission: To empower, educate, and promote the entrepreneurial ecosystem for the Charlotte of tomorrow through casual networking, high-quality programming, and practical member education.
*And of course, a huge shout out / hat tip to the Meetup OGs Rand Larsen (@RandBusiness) and Adam Markley (@AdamMarkleySMB) for the inspiration and playbooks to start, nurture, and support this community. There's always a 🍺 for both of you at our meetup, gents!
Upcoming events (4)
See all- Charlotte ETA Meetup: Featuring Reid Tileston of Grit It DoneNoble Smoke, Charlotte , NC
The Charlotte ETA Group is excited to host Reid Tileston, a leading expert in Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition. As an adjunct professor, investor, and award-winning keynote speaker, Reid has trained the next generation of entrepreneurial business owners. We’ll dive into his insights on ETA, SMB investments, and the business acquisition process, followed by a live Q&A.
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📆 The Charlotte ETA Meetup is held on the first Wednesday of every month. This is a casual and low-key event to get to know the Charlotte ETA community better. This is suited for those new to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition or seasoned investors. We discuss people's past experiences in acquisitions, startups, and the corporate world across various industries.
💪Collectively, the search community is a powerful one. Both the process of looking for a business and operating one post-acquisition can be an incredibly challenging road.
🥩I will arrive early at Noble Smoke and set up for us. We are so fortunate to have great partners with Noble Smoke who reserve the space for our purpose.
🤝 Networking, then a panel discussion or interview, followed by more networking. Acquisition entrepreneurship is a fabulous space.
Small Business. Acquisitions. And Entrepreneurship. - Charlotte ETA Meetup x HomegrownNoble Smoke, Charlotte , NC
The Charlotte ETA Group is excited to host Homegrown: Growth capital for the best neighborhood businesses. Homegrown is sponsoring the October Meetup (thank you!). Founder Michael Davis and team will be presenting on their unique value prop to support entrepreneurial business owners.
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📆 The Charlotte ETA Meetup is held on the first Wednesday of every month. This is a casual and low-key event to get to know the Charlotte ETA community better. This is suited for those new to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition or seasoned investors. We discuss people's past experiences in acquisitions, startups, and the corporate world across various industries.
💪Collectively, the search community is a powerful one. Both the process of looking for a business and operating one post-acquisition can be an incredibly challenging road.
🥩I will arrive early at Noble Smoke and set up for us. We are so fortunate to have great partners with Noble Smoke who reserve the space for our purpose.
🤝 Networking, then a panel discussion or interview, followed by more networking. Acquisition entrepreneurship is a fabulous space.
Small Business. Acquisitions. And Entrepreneurship.
- Charlotte ETA Meetup x Alan "The Stone Man" Lochridge of The Stone ManNoble Smoke, Charlotte , NC
The Charlotte ETA Group is excited to host Alan Lochridge of The Stoneman. Alan Lochridge is a successful self-funded searcher, the owner of The Stoneman, and an absolute athletic beast. (Find him Wednesday and Saturday monrings putting most of his F3 Brothers to shame.) We will be hosting a fireside chat with Alan, where we will go deeper into his search story (listen to his episode on Acquiring Minds here) and the ups and downs that come from being a business owner.
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📆 The Charlotte ETA Meetup is held on the first Wednesday of every month. This is a casual and low-key event to get to know the Charlotte ETA community better. This is suited for those new to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition or seasoned investors. We discuss people's past experiences in acquisitions, startups, and the corporate world across various industries.
💪Collectively, the search community is a powerful one. Both the process of looking for a business and operating one post-acquisition can be an incredibly challenging road.
🥩I will arrive early at Noble Smoke and set up for us. We are so fortunate to have great partners with Noble Smoke who reserve the space for our purpose.
🤝 Networking, then a panel discussion or interview, followed by more networking. Acquisition entrepreneurship is a fabulous space.
Small Business. Acquisitions. And Entrepreneurship.
- Charlotte ETA Meetup x Alex Smereczniak of FranzyNoble Smoke, Charlotte , NC
🎄 Special Guest Announcement! 🎄
We’re excited to welcome Alex Smereczniak, Charlotte-based serial entrepreneur and the co-founder & CEO of Franzy, as our featured speaker at this year’s Charlotte ETA Holiday Meetup!Alex previously co-founded 2ULaundry and LaundroLab, scaling the business from a college startup to a national franchise brand with over 100 units sold. Now, he’s building Franzy—a tech platform that’s been called the Zillow for Franchising—with a mission to help more people become business owners by making franchise discovery and funding more transparent, accessible, and aligned.
He’ll be sharing lessons from his own journey, why ETA and franchising are more connected than you might think, and how Franzy is helping the next generation of operators find their perfect fit.
🎁 Come for the insights, stay for the ugly sweaters, and don’t miss this chance to connect with fellow entrepreneurs and searchers!
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📆 The Charlotte ETA Meetup is held on the first Wednesday of every month. This is a casual and low-key event to get to know the Charlotte ETA community better. This is suited for those new to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition or seasoned investors. We discuss people's past experiences in acquisitions, startups, and the corporate world across various industries.
💪Collectively, the search community is a powerful one. Both the process of looking for a business and operating one post-acquisition can be an incredibly challenging road.
🥩I will arrive early at Noble Smoke and set up for us. We are so fortunate to have great partners with Noble Smoke who reserve the space for our purpose.
🤝 Networking, then a panel discussion or interview, followed by more networking. Acquisition entrepreneurship is a fabulous space.
Small Business. Acquisitions. And Entrepreneurship.
