3 Family Offices Investing in Minority or Woman-Owned Businesses

As a leading family office database provider, we continue to see these private wealth groups accumulate the assets and skills required to allocate capital directly into the private capital markets. In utilizing the FINTRX family office data and research platform, which provides intel into thousands of direct deal transactions made by 3,090+ family offices worldwide, we explore three family offices directly investing in minority or woman-owned businesses. 

1. Patriarch Partners (Tilton Family Office)

Founded in 2000, Patriarch Partners is a New York City, NY-based, single-family office acting as the private investment arm for Lynn Tilton. Tilton is well-known for the creation of collateralized loan obligations. Throughout her career, she worked for several companies, including Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, as an investment banker. Today, Patriarch Partners leverages proprietary and patented investment models, which monetize distressed portfolios of financial entities and funds and take the same investment approach regardless of the market conditions.

The firm takes on a generalist approach to investment focusing specifically on the domestic production of goods in the U.S. With this in mind, Patriarch holds investments in some of the following industries: automotive and aerospace, consumer, industrials, manufacturing, technology, and home/fashion. Lynn Tilton’s platform is one of the largest woman-owned businesses in the country, and while portfolio companies vary in check sizes, Patriarch puts emphasis on the acquisition of underperforming and undervalued companies.

Past investments include Dura Automotive, Performance Designed Products, Universal Instruments, Spiegel Catalogs, MD Helicopters, Rand McNally, and Stila Cosmetics. Geographically, the firm focuses primarily on businesses domiciled in the United States. All investment decisions are first reviewed by Lynn Tilton.

2. Nima Capital (Said Single Family Office)

Established in 2013, Nima Capital is a single-family office based in New York City managing the investments of Suna Said and her private and public equity investing platforms. Ms. Said serves as Founder and CEO of the firm. Nima Capital uses a global approach in identifying companies with first-mover, winner-take-all characteristics that use technology to disrupt larger industries. The firm has a flexible mandate to invest across the capital structure, investment stage, and in any industry vertical. Nima Capital has made investments in such companies as Rubicon, Palantir, and HyperLoop.

Former investments have ranged anywhere from $5M - $58M, including a recent Series C round of funding in Rubicon Global. They focus mainly on making direct investments into private companies. Nima is also very active in allocating capital to minority-owned and women-owned companies. Nima handles all new investment opportunity research in-house and is a strong prospect for FINTRX users who are seeking private capital. The group does not disclose its AUM. 

3. SkyOak Financial 

Founded in 2010, SkyOak Financial is a multi-family office based in Newport Beach, California. The firm has several offices in California, Nevada, and Oregon. SkyOak is a woman-owned independent registered investment advisor. Founded and led by Jennifer A. Davis, a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of experience within the wealth management industry. As wealth management advisors, the firm provides investment and planning solutions for individuals, families, corporations, endowments, and foundations. They invest in both private and public equity across a range of sectors, regions, and asset classes.

SkyOak Financial provides customized services based on each client’s financial circumstances, current and future income needs, and investment objectives. The firm requires clients who want active investment management to place a minimum of $250,000 under management with the firm. SkyOak’s self-directed IRA services are led by Tracy Ronningen, who specializes in self-directed IRAs and specialty assets for over 16 years. Tracy offers services to IRA account holders who need help in facilitating non-traditional investment transactions, such as purchasing investment real estate, securing loans, such as trust deeds or personal loans, or investing in a non-publicly traded stock or closely held company.

SkyOak’s expertise in wealth management allows them to provide exceptional customized financial solutions for elite athletes and celebrities. Investment management services include philanthropic management, life management, budgeting, wealth transfer, training and education, reporting and record-keeping, administrative services, as well as succession planning.

With complete coverage of over 3,090+ family offices, 15,800+ family office contacts, and 19,600+ tracked investments, FINTRX ensures direct access to accredited investor intelligence. The FINTRX platform is an essential tool in understanding the family office landscape in the U.S. and abroad, while also empowering users to uncover commonalities with these family offices for effective, personal outreach.

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