Richard (Rik) Goodwin, Ph.D.
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Hey Rik — we both ended up in PE from pretty different directions. been thinking a lot about origination in industrials & tech lately. would be good to connect.
Hey Rik, we both ended up in PE from different paths — I came through IB at CS & Greenhill in London rather than consulting and tech like you. 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 Rik, we both landed in PE though from different angles — I came through banking at CS & Greenhill in London into growth equity, not through Big 4 consulting and building tech ventures 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 Ducat? — Russ
hey Rik — 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 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 stay disconnected so there's tonnes of wasted energy. been helping a few funds like Mentmore work through that. curious if you've hit the same thing at Ducat? — 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
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The prospect responded with "what can I do for you?", which indicates openness to engage and learn the purpose of the outreach.
The prospect responded with "what can I do for you?", which indicates openness to engage and learn the purpose of the outreach.
Prospect Research
## PROSPECT INFORMATION: Name: Richard (Rik) Goodwin, Ph.D. Title: Operating Partner Fund: Ducat Capital Partners Background: Richard (Rik) Goodwin, Ph.D., is the Managing Director of impact42 and a transformational change leader who specializes in the intersection of business strategy and high-stakes technology. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, he currently holds multiple leadership roles, including acting CTO at Taylor Integrated Services 3 (TiS3), Operating Partner at Ducat Capital Partners, and former CEO of Sheridan Partners. His expertise involves operationalizing innovation, particularly in IIoT, M2M, embedded RF, and supply chain integration within the aerospace, defense, and industrial sectors. He holds a Ph.D. and a Master’s in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Tulane University, and a BA in Psychology from Clemson University. His background includes Big 4 consulting at KPMG and PwC, alongside founding multiple technology ventures. Key Skills: Business Transformation, Strategic Change, IoT/M2M Systems, Strategy Formulation, Intellectual Property Commercialization, Supply Chain Integration, Organizational Effectiveness, and Decision Science. Recent Post Activity: March 9, 2026: Rik shared a post regarding the Strategic Capital Initiative, adding the hashtag #worthsharing and quoting: “Through a formal Request for Information (RFI), we’re inviting industry #leaders, #investors, and #innovators to help us design the financial and partnership models that will attract investment and drive enduring success.” March 8, 2026: Commenting on autonomous defense and a post by Mrinal Wadhwa (CTO of Autonomy), he quoted: “Human-speed defense is officially dead.” He noted his interest in the "autonomous immune system" metaphor, describing it as “swarms of thousands of agents that detect, respond, and remediate on their own.” March 4, 2026: Rik highlighted the importance of decision-making pedagogy, quoting Warren Powell: "Better decision making 'should be taught to every student to prepare them for a career of making decisions... No math skills or technical training is needed.'" February 28, 2026: He shared insights on the field of decision science, noting that Dr. Warren Powell and Adam DeJans Jr. "bring decision making theory and practice together in terms that are accessible to mathematicians and non-math people as well." February 28, 2026: Reflecting on entrepreneurship, he quoted: “So to everyone who's been asking: your first customer doesn't come from cold outreach or paid ads. It comes from solving a problem you understand for someone you already know.” February 27, 2026: He shared a white paper by John Cavedo on military logistics, quoting the specific pain point: “And nobody owns the problem.” He added his own summary: “Batteries, electrification, and the battlefield.” February 20, 2026: Supporting the team at Teradar, he mentioned working with Gregory Charvat, PhD, calling their work a “category-defining solution” and used his signature hashtag #keepdoing. February 8, 2026: He praised Purdue University’s space initiatives, quoting: “Purdue University is expanding the scientific footprint of 2027’s all-Boilermaker suborbital flight mission with the addition of onboard autonomous experiments in quantum technology and in-space chip manufacturing.” Fund details: - Description: Ducat Capital Partners ("Ducat") is a private equity firm that invests in privately owned middle market companies with sound management and great growth potential. We seek exceptional value creation opportunities in lower mid-market to mid-market space. Ducat is a trusted capital partner to growth minded entrepreneurs and business owners planning exit strategy. The foundation of our success rests on our ability to align mutual interests and our firm conviction in our partnerships. Our diverse and multidisciplinary team of former corporate executives has vast experience working with some of the fortune 500 companies and big-5 consulting firms in areas like enterprise growth strategy, strategic advisory, corporate finance, investment banking, corporate restructuring/ turnaround & transformation, management consulting, supply chain management, and managing digital transformation and technology initiatives. They add tremendous value to our portfolio companies offering them an opportunity to capitalize on our sound industry experience. 👉 Our ideal investment target characteristics include: ✅ INDUSTRY FOCUS ~ Technology, Business & Industrial Services, Manufacturing, Logistics, Warehousing & Distribution, Specialty Chemicals, Food & Beverages, Consumer goods, & Packaging ✅ EBITDA ~ $2MM - $40MM ✅ HEADQUARTERED ~ US Only ✅ INVESTMENT POSITION ~ Minority, Majority, Complete Buyout ✅ INVESTMENT TYPE ~ Growth, Roll-ups, Liquidity Event, MBO, Recapitalization, Divestiture, Full sale 📧 info@ducatcp.com | ☎️ (310) 800-1410 | 💻 https://www.ducatcp.com - Website: https://www.ducatcp.com - Location: Los Angeles, California, United States - Lead qualification: Research: - Query: =Ducat Capital Partners Richard (Rik) Goodwin, Ph.D. recent investments fund thesis - Answer: Ducat Capital Partners recently invested in blockchain and cryptocurrency ventures, focusing on innovative tech startups. Dr. Richard Goodwin, an operating partner, leverages his expertise in technology and strategic change. No recent fund thesis details are available.