BUILDING VALUE
IN FOUNDER-LED COMPANIES
Flexible pathways to partnerships
Founder-to-founder conversations
Hands-on leadership, not passive capital
IT STARTED WITH A LEMONADE STAND
Most businesses start small.
What begins as a bet on yourself turns into a real company — real revenue, real payroll, real impact.
But as it grows, so does the weight of it.
Decisions still run through you.
The team still looks to you.
The future still rests on your shoulders.
At some point, growth isn’t the challenge.
Structure is.
That inflection point is where I step in.
WHAT I LOOK FOR
PROVEN PROFITABILITY
From $1M+ EBITDA with strong cash conversion
DURABLE ADVANTAGE
Clear positioning, pricing power, or operational edge
SCALABLE STRUCTURE
Will benefit from improved systems and capital allocation
HISTORY OF PERFORMANCE
3+ years of consistent operating results
OWNER TRANSITION HORIZON
Founders considering transition within 2-5 years
OPERATIONAL LEVERAGE AVAILABLE
Opportunity to increase value through leadership and structure
I HELP FOUNDERS BUILD VALUE
Think of me as a partner who works alongside you — not just someone writing a cheque. I get directly involved in the business to help strengthen operations, improve profitability, and build a company that doesn’t rely entirely on you.
My focus is simple:
• Grow profits in a sustainable way
• Bring clarity to the numbers
• Put simple systems in place that make decisions easier
• Strengthen the team so everything doesn’t run through you
• Be more intentional about where cash is going
• Take pressure off the founder
Sometimes that leads to a sale down the road. Sometimes it turns into a longer-term partnership or gradual ownership transition.
The goal is straightforward:
Build a stronger business and give you real options for what comes next.
get to know me
collaboration, not just capital
I want to understand your vision and goals first. Whether that is looking for an exit now, or needing a partner to help scale your business, let’s work together on a deal that meets your needs.
PRINCIPAL
PAUL SHAW
I want to understand your vision and goals first. Whether that is looking for an exit now, or needing a partner to help scale your business, let’s work together on a deal that meets your needs.
PRINCIPAL
PAUL SHAW
I am a former private equity investor turned founder-operator with 15 years of experience investing in small and medium sized businesses. In the fall of 2019, I made the leap to full-time entrepreneur founding a distribution business in the home healthcare sector. I successfully exited that business in 2024 and subsequently founded Lemonade Ventures as a Solo Capitalist.
I obtained my Chartered Accountant (CPA) designation in 2009 and Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) designation in 2012. I am a guest lecturer for topics surrounding SMB investing and entrepreneurship at post-secondary institutions and business panels across Canada.
I reside in Edmonton with my wife and spend most of my free time designing play forts with my four young children.
IT TAKES MORE THAN FUNDING TO BUILD A COMPANY
Expect highly responsive, one-on-one attention from me.