Barry Swihart
LinkedIn Copy
Hey Barry — saw we both ended up on the investing side, though from different directions. been thinking a lot about real estate origination lately. would be good to connect.
Hey Barry, we both ended up on the investing side from pretty different directions — I came through banking at CS & Greenhill in London into growth equity. origination was always the same story for me — clear thesis, decent relationships, but no proprietary system of record tying anything together. every deal virtually sourced from scratch, nothing compounding over time. curious if that's still how most funds operate or if I'm behind the times? — Russ
Hey Barry, looks like we both landed in PE, though from pretty different paths — I came through IB at Credit Suisse & Greenhill in London into growth equity, not through edtech sales leadership into real estate investing like you. the pattern I keep seeing with most funds is weirdly consistent — strong thesis, solid network, but no proprietary system of record. the people, tools and ideas are never really connected, so every deal is virtually sourced from scratch. nothing compounds on itself. curious if that resonates or if you've built something different at Sojourners Capital? — Russ
hey Barry — no worries if the timing's off. most funds I talk to have tried some version of building origination in-house — analyst pulling lists, maybe using AI to help qualify, dumping it into a spreadsheet. each piece kind of works, but there's no system of record tying it together. the people, tools and ideas are all disconnected, so there's tonnes of wasted energy and everything ends up out of sync. been helping a few funds like Mentmore Capital work through that. curious if you've run into the same thing at Sojourners? — Russ
totally get it if origination infrastructure isn't top of mind right now — most funds have 10 things ahead of it on the priority list. the funds I've seen crack it early just tend to compound deal flow in a way that's hard to replicate later. if it ever moves up the list, I'm easy to find. — Russ
Email Copy
Barry — We've been building deal sourcing infrastructure for PE funds acquiring founder- and family-owned businesses, and Sojourners came up while i was poking around. One of our clients, Backer Group, uses a bespoke system we built to source owner-operated businesses → score them on acquisition fit and owner readiness → then run personalized outreach across email, LinkedIn, and letters. They're a small team, so origination just runs in the background while they focus on the portfolio. Given the overlap with what you're doing at Sojourners (and the fact that you're clearly juggling this alongside your day job at Seesaw), I wondered if you wanted to take a look under the hood and see if any of it's relevant. I'm fairly free this week and next, just let me know a time that suits. Russ searchloop.ai linkedin.com/in/russellt23
Prospect Research
## PROSPECT INFORMATION: Name: Barry Swihart Title: President Fund: Sojourners Capital, LLC Background: Barry Swihart is the EVP of Global Sales at Seesaw Learning, based in Gilbert, Arizona. His current focus is leading global GTM strategy and cross-departmental collaboration for a platform that empowers elementary educators and students. He has a deep background in EdTech sales leadership, having held executive roles at BASE Education, Journeyage, and Glynlyon Inc. (OdysseyWare). He also serves as President of Sojourners Capital, LLC, a real estate investment firm. Key Skills: EdTech, Sales Process, Leadership Development, Strategic Planning, GTM Strategy, Consultative Sales, and CRM Implementation (HubSpot). Professional Background & Achievements: - At Seesaw Learning, he transitioned from Head of Sales (July 2023) to EVP (starting 2025), focusing on shifting sales motions from transactional to consultative. - At BASE Education (2021-2023), he increased Gross Retention Rate (GRR) by 7% and positioned the company for a 5x multiple acquisition by 7 Mindsets. - At Journeyage (2020-2021), he built a $3M pipeline within 12 months and established the company's "Wayfinder" sales team. - At Glynlyon Inc., he managed a team of over 50 members, increasing new business by 40% in 18 months. LinkedIn Activity & Direct Quotes: - March 9, 2026: Shared a post about a leadership panel on K-5 achievement, commenting: "What a great opportunity to hear from those 'doing the work’!" - November 21, 2025: Celebrated a major milestone: "Seesaw Instruction & Insights has been named THE 2025 CODiE Awards WINNER for Best Education Platform!" - May 10, 2025: Promoted hiring at Seesaw, describing the environment: "Looking to join a passionate team, guided by inspiring leadership, in a positive, purpose-driven culture?" - April 16, 2025: Shared news of a global expansion: "Seesaw has acquired Little Thinking Minds, the leading Arabic language K–12 edtech company in the Middle East!" - February 12, 2025: Reshared a post about a partnership in Saudi Arabia with TALEMIA to achieve Vision 2030 goals. - January 15, 2025: Commended his internal team's efforts, noting: "Jaime Boyette, M.Ed It’s great to see what you’re doing with our Inside Sales team!" - November 1, 2024: Reflected on his tenure: "It’s been 15 months since I was blessed with the opportunity to join the Seesaw Learning team!" - October 25, 2024: Endorsed a former colleague: "If you’re looking for a hustler in #edtech, Spencer Stooksberry... is one of the finest! I had the honor of being his hiring manager when he first came out of the classroom and he set the bar... very high." - January 19, 2023: Celebrated the acquisition of his former company: "It’s a big day at BASE Education! We’ve been acquired by 7 Mindsets... There has never been a more complete SEL solution!" Fund details: - Description: Sojourners Capital, LLC offers private equity funds designed for investing in the Midwest corridor of the United States. Our specialty is in single family and multi-family properties that have been undervalued and are in need or renovation and repositioning. - Website: https://www.sojournerscapitalllc.com - Location: Chandler, Arizona, United States - Lead qualification: Research: - Query: =Sojourners Capital, LLC Barry Swihart recent investments fund thesis - Answer: Barry Swihart's recent investments focus on real estate and consumer-branded companies. Sojourners Capital, LLC specializes in private equity funds for real estate, while Sojourner Consumer Partners invests in high-potential consumer brands.