Chanel Alexander
LinkedIn Copy
Hey Chanel — similar path (JPM → Wharton → PE). been thinking a lot about lower middle market origination lately. would be good to connect.
Hey Chanel, looks like we share a similar IB → PE path, though I was at Greenhill in London not JPM in New York. 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 Chanel, looks like we came up through a similar IB → PE path, though I was in London doing growth equity at Treis not in New York building a search fund focused on owner-operated buyouts 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 Orchid? — Russ
hey Chanel — no worries if the timing's off. most funds I talk to have tried some version of building origination in-house — analyst pulling from Pitchbook or Grata, maybe using ChatGPT 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 everything ends up out of sync. been helping a few funds like Mentmore work through that. curious if you've run into the same thing at Orchid? — 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
Chanel — hope you're having a good Tuesday. wanted to reach out for two reasons: a) jealous of what you've built at Orchid. though we share a PE background (you at LaSalle, me at Treis in London), I hope to one day launch my own fund and acquire a great established business. b) in the meantime I've been building highly bespoke deal origination engines for investors like you — just finished one for Backer Group in the UK also acquiring founder-owned established businesses. It takes your thesis, maps targets across various data sources incl. google maps, and runs the full engagement cycle (email/linkedin/whatsapp) — connected live to the crm. Given we've already built this out, I wondered if you wanted to jump on a quick call and take a look under the hood? very best, Russell searchloop.ai linkedin.com/in/russellt23
Prospect Research
## PROSPECT INFORMATION: Name: Chanel Alexander Title: Founder & Managing Principal / CEO Fund: Orchid Capital Background: Prospect Overview: Chanel Alexander is a Sales, Marketing, and Operations Leader, SMB Investor, and Business Strategist currently based in New York. Since October 2022, she has served as Managing Principal at Orchid Capital, a financial services firm focused on SMB investing. She concurrently holds the roles of CMO and CEO at Brandboostr (since 2019) and operates as a Digital Marketer at The Digital Side Hustle (since 2015), where she specializes in SEO, content creation, and brand strategy. Background: Chanel has a strong foundation in high-level finance and corporate strategy. She spent nearly six years as an Associate at J.P. Morgan (2011–2017) before completing her MBA at The Wharton School (Class of 2019). Her career includes strategic roles at LaSalle Investment Management and Up&Up, as well as real estate advisory at HFF. She holds a B.S. from Temple University and is proficient in Spanish. Key Skills: Her expertise bridges the gap between traditional finance and modern digital growth. Key competencies include: - Financial Analysis, Modeling, and Valuation. - Digital Marketing, SEO/SEM, and Content Strategy. - Operations Management and Business Development. - Real Estate Financing and Asset Management. - Investor Relations and Project Management. Post Activity and Quotes: - January 6, 2022: Shared a hiring post: "We’re #hiring. Know anyone who might be interested? 👋😊" - June 20, 2017: Posted a major career milestone regarding her MBA: "I am excited to share that I will be pursuing my MBA at The Wharton School this fall! Woohooo! Class of 2019!... After spending 6 amazing years at JP Morgan surrounded by the best minds in the industry, I am leaving knowing that I am fully prepared to take on this next challenge in my life." - June 7, 2016: Shared a motivational post about competition: "Thus is the truth.. need to stay ahead of the game.." - June 6, 2016: Shared a productivity resource: "17 Great Apps That'll Make Your Life Easier" - May 17, 2016: Reshared a post regarding company culture and people-first hiring, stating: "Agree!" Volunteering and Mentorship: Chanel is highly active in career development and mentorship, currently involved with Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) and having previously served as a career coach for Sponsors for Educational Opportunity and a mentor for New York Needs You. Fund details: - Description: Orchid Capital is a New York based private equity firm focused on buyouts of privately held, owner-operated companies in the US lower middle market. We are industry focused and actively manage the businesses that we acquire. We invest in US lower middle market businesses within the following industries: Information Technology, SAAS, Business Professional Services, Sales & Marketing, Media and Logistics. Prime targets have strong free cash flows, and opportunities for follow-on acquisitions. We look for opportunities to assist owner-operators in their succession planning, opportunities to professionalize management teams and processes, and businesses that have strong barriers to entry. - Website: https://orchidcapital.co - Location: New York, New York, United States - Lead qualification: Research: - Query: =Orchid Capital Chanel Alexander recent investments fund thesis - Answer: Orchid Capital focuses on acquiring and growing established businesses, led by Chanel Alexander. Orchid Capital Collective invests in reproductive and economic justice, targeting underserved communities. Chanel Alexander is the founder and managing principal of Orchid Capital.