From Insight to Exit: How EO Jumpstart Helped Me Sell My Company for 50% More

By Anne-Wallis Droter, EO Staff Writer

“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the valuation number on the unsolicited offer to sell my business,” said Steven Kapor, an EO Cincinnati chapter member, of his 2022 business exit. “Private equity truly made me an offer I couldn’t refuse!”

But just 18 months before, Kapor’s business had been at a standstill, struggling with market saturation and hitting a wall of diminishing returns. The growth rate had slowed significantly and the company had outgrown its capital structure. Kapor estimated that to put everything in place the right way for the company to function optimally, he needed to raise about US$2 million.

So, what changed? What initiated the spark that took Kapor’s company from struggling to selling for 50% more than he anticipated?

EO’s Jumpstart Series Provided The Spark

“The pivotal factor was EO Jumpstart January with Rita McGrath, a globally recognized expert on strategy, innovation, and growth,” Kapor recalled. “Her message inspired me to innovate.”

EO’s virtual Jumpstart Series is offered twice each year, free of charge, as a benefit of membership. Jumpstart offers three-week “learning labs” taught by subject matter experts who focus on helping EO members sharpen key business and personal skills with takeaways that can help take their businesses to the next level.

What McGrath suggested about the power of innovating your product line during EO Jumpstart changed the course of Kapor’s business — and life.

Kapor’s Aha Moment 

First, a bit of background: Kapor’s company, Fundriver Inc., provided a software platform to help educational institutions and other nonprofits track and manage major financial gifts.

After attending Jumpstart, Kapor had the game-changing idea to level-up his product offering by providing an innovative new way for clients to track major gifts.

“I read Rita McGrath’s books and dug pretty deep to come up with the idea,” Kapor explained.

“The strategy behind our new software product was that it's easier to ask for money from existing donors than it is to find new donors,” Kapor explained. “And, if you want to ask for more money from existing donors, you better be able to show them that you're doing good things with the money you've already received!”

The existing side of Kapor’s company focused on the business office side for his clients, helping clients track donations from an accounting perspective. 

The new software Kapor launched focused on the donor side, helping clients track exactly how the funds from each major gift were used, who benefitted, and how they benefitted. 

For example, the new software could track all of the students who received scholarships from a single donor’s gift, making it possible to “wow” each individual donor by organizing a lunch with all of the students their generosity impacted in the past year. As you might imagine, it was very popular with both clients and donors. 

In addition, the software also made glossy annual reports for each individual donor that highlighted the extent of their gift’s impact. With these new, detailed insights available through the software, donors enjoyed a comprehensive overview of how their gift was utilized — and Kapor’s clients were delighted with the insights and the results they provided.  

“It was a game-changer,” Kapor stated.

An Unsolicited, Unrefusable Offer

While he wasn’t actively looking to sell the company, Kapor got an unsolicited offer that he couldn’t refuse.

“It was a big number; it changed everything,” he said.

The new product had barely launched when Kapor got the offer. The private equity group he sold to verified that the new software with its groundbreaking functionality was the driving factor behind their substantial offer. 

“I estimate that we got about 50% higher valuation from the sale because of that new donor-focused software,” Kapor said.

Kapor credits attending EO’s Jumpstart January for planting the seed of innovation in his head that started the chain of events that led to his successful exit.

“I definitely recommend attending Jumpstart!” Kapor stated.

Register Now for EO Jumpstart July

Are you ready to jumpstart some aspect of your company? Then you’ll want to attend EO’s Jumpstart Series, which is offered twice each year in January and July.

Jumpstart July runs from 14 July to 3 August 2025. The virtual learning series is offered free of charge as a benefit of membership to EO members, spouses, life partners, adult children of EO members, key business executives, and EO Accelerator participants.

Jumpstart July registration opens on Tuesday, 10 June 2025. Registration closes on 9 July 2025.

Jumpstart July will feature three focused learning labs, each designed to deliver immediately applicable takeaways:

• The AI Kickstart Lab with Dave Talas
• The AI Integration Lab with Dave Talas
• The Parenting Lab with Dr. Michele Borba

Each lab includes one unique session per week, offered twice that day to suit multiple time zones. Sessions also include live Q&A and EO-facilitated breakout discussions to help participants reflect, connect, and apply what they’ve learned in real time.

With a total time commitment of just one to two hours a week for three weeks, Jumpstart empowers you to learn from experts — and you might discover the next big thing for your company!