WESTIN SOUTH COAST PLAZA, ORANGE COUNTY

A Conference For Entrepreneurs About Growth & Transition

Join us on November 13, 2025 in Southern California!

Presenting The BTF Experience

Discover Actionable Growth & Transition Strategies from Top Entrepreneurs

Since 2015, the Business Transitions Forum has been guiding entrepreneurs through comprehensive growth strategies and ownership transitions, including opportunities for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to enhance shareholder value.

Join top entrepreneurs and North America’s leading experts to:

Increase market share and shareholder value
Identify growth and scaling opportunities
Understand the acquisition and sale process
Assess if M&A is the right growth path for your business
Implement actionable strategies to elevate your business’s value at any stage in your transition journey

Full-Day Conference

VIEW PROGRAM

Entrepreneur Workshop

Add-On

MORE INFO

Mike Milani

2025 Conference Chair

Mike Milani is a seasoned investment banking professional with over 35 years of experience leading mergers and acquisitions. As a Principal with Baker Tilly Capital, he brings deep expertise from his previous roles as President and Senior Managing Director at a national firm’s corporate finance group, along with a strong foundation in commercial banking.

Mike Milani

Executive Managing Director & Principal

Baker Tilly Capital, LLC

Featured Speaker

David Dressler

Coach & Advisor to Founders & Execs
Dressler Holistic Advisory

David Dressler is a seasoned founder, executive, and leadership coach who helps growth-stage CEOs and executives navigate the next stage of leadership, without burning out the old one. Known for what clients call “laser-guided business therapy,” David blends the perspective of a $100M brand builder with deep expertise in emotional intelligence and leadership alignment.

David Dressler

Founder

Dressler Holistic Advisory (Sold Tender Greens)

Hear From BTF Alumni

What I love about BTF is that it’s really that one stop shop for an entrepreneur.

Celine Bacani

Owner & CEO, Lee’s Donuts

The Business Transitions Forum have really fostered that sense of let’s share, let’s learn, let’s grow together and let’s help each other.

Tom Shepansky

Founder, Rethink Communications

BTF is a great place for business owners to potentially find people to buy their business.

I know I made a lot of mistakes and I wish I went to something like this in the past.

Grant Findlay Shirras

Co-Founder, Hylo AI & Director, Startup Grind Kelowna

The earlier you can come to a conference like this in your entrepreneurial journey the better.

Katie Bennett

Master Certified Forum Chair MacKay CEO Forums

November 13, 2025 • Westin South Coast Plaza, Orange County

Early Bird Sale!

Save $500 when you purchase 2+ tickets!

Get your tickets now!

Explore the Latest Articles from The BTF Insider

Canada

Helping Businesses Transition

Businesses across North America are facing a huge transition these days and the coming years due to demographics as well as mergers and acquisitions. But this is nothing new – although it may be at a greater scale today. “It’s always been a state of transition and that can be for a variety of different reasons,” said Dana Rosenberg, Managing Partner/Co-Founder of CQL Capital, based in Manhattan Beach, California.

read article

Canada

Looking At Your Business Like It’s A Family

Chris Grant, President of IHT Group, epitomizes resilience and seizing opportunities, influenced by his parents’ enduring mantra: “If you are not happy, make a change.” Grant, who is based now in Toronto, has built a career at multinational plastics manufacturers in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. His journey reflects a steadfast commitment to embracing change, navigating diverse challenges, and investing in himself and his employees.

read article

Canada

The Importance Of Bringing The Family To The Table In A Business Transition

In today’s world, the number of business transitions taking place, and about to take place, is staggering across North America. If you are a business owner thinking of moving on, Rachael Fisher-Doak has one simple piece of advice: Don’t forget the family.

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USA

Time For A Business Transition? The Right Connections Can Guide You To A Win

Are you contemplating a transition for your business? How well, or not, that process might play out could depend upon the quality of your connections, according to Nick Olsen, managing director of the M&A practice, Green Bay, Wisc.-based Cornerstone International. Olsen would know about making the right connections as Cornerstone averages 150 M&A deals a year.

read article

USA

Been There, Done That: The Banker Who Was Also Founder & Seller

Entrepreneurs who work with investment bankers for their business transition can benefit from what that key piece of growth, or the actual exit, can bring to the table. Even better: working with someone who has actually been in their shoes. “I started and sold businesses before I got into banking, so I have that perspective in my approach with clients,” said Steve Laver, managing director at Santa Monica, Calif-based investment banking firm Montminy & Co.

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USA

Hey Gen-X: Instead Of Moving On, Bolt-On

Is the spirit of “business transition,” from a generational perspective, best aimed at business owners in their 50s? That thinking would currently put Generation X entrepreneurs in the sweet spot. “Baby Boomers are exiting, and retiring,” said Nicolas B. Biancamano, managing partner of San Diego-based Pacifica Advisors. The market hasn’t fully transitioned into the next generation,” he said. “They don’t want to give up everything ꟷ they want to keep working.”

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