Shawna Chen

Shawna ChenShawna ChenShawna Chen

Shawna Chen

Shawna ChenShawna ChenShawna Chen

What happens to businesses that don't have an obvious next owner?

I'm a professor, researcher, and ecosystem builder. Southern Ontario's lower middle market is full of businesses built over decades that don't have an obvious next owner. I'm studying that problem — how profitable, owner-operated businesses find their next owner, what gets in the way, who benefits, and who gets left out. I want to understand the ecosystem from the people already in it, so that what gets built actually fits them.


In a market where everyone knows everyone, selectivity isn't caution — it's how trust compounds.

Operators & Searchers

Operators & Searchers

Operators & Searchers

Your experience matters.


Whether you're mid-search, post-acquisition, or still figuring out the path, your story shapes what I research and build.

Students

Operators & Searchers

Operators & Searchers

Get real deal exposure.


Gain hands-on experience in how businesses are bought and sold not in a classroom but where actual deals happen.

Investors & Advisors

Investors & Advisors

Investors & Advisors

Let's exchange perspectives.


I'm researching how capital flows into Southern Ontario's lower middle market and who gets left out. If you're active in this space, I'd like to understand how you see it.

Business Owners

Investors & Advisors

Investors & Advisors

Thinking about what's next?


I'm interested in how Southern Ontario business owners think about succession. What you want for the people you've built the business with, and what a good transition looks like to you.

Let's Talk

Your perspective matters more than you might think.

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