Chris Kern Business Broker

Bio

Mr. Kern has over 25 years as a technology investment banker, entrepreneur, senior executive, investor and advisor to a wide range of public and private companies covering the telecommunications, software, SaaS, FinTech and blockchain industries. Since January 2012, Mr. Kern has been the managing partner of Windstream Partners, a diversified private holding company focused on high tech investments in both private and public companies. During the years of 1995 – 2000, Mr. Kern was the executive Vice President and CFO of a leading internet network service provider to small businesses and enterprise clients, Lightning Internet Services, which he grew from the startup phase to becoming a Deloitte and Touche Fast 50 Fastest Growing Companies two years in a row in 1998 and 1999. During 1993 – 1995 and from April 2000 through August 2011, Mr. Kern was a technology investment banker and financial consultant that worked with several hedge funds, investment banks and boutique M&A firms, including Fisher Francis Trees & Watts, Lehman Brothers, Maximum Ventures, Gunn Allen Financial and New Century Capital Partners during which he completed over $650 million in financing and M&A engagements.

 During January 2015 through July 2018, Mr. Kern was the founding Vice President and a board member of the Arizona Business Council, a not-for-profit organization focused on developing resources, education and connectivity for small businesses to foster job creation, new business development opportunities and growth for its membership and the greater Arizona business community.  Mr. Kern also currently serves on the board and is an investor in Boon Networks, a private telecommunications consulting firm serving small business to enterprise sized clients. Since January 2018, Mr. Kern has worked with Website Closers as an M&A advisor to technology companies primarily in the eCommerce, SaaS, Internet Media, and Digital Marketing industries. Since 2015, he has also been an investor and advisor to a wide range of FinTech and Blockchain companies including Latium, RadJav, FogChain and ClickIPO to name a few.

 Mr. Kern Graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1991 with a B.S.B.A. having dual majors in Finance and Management Information Systems.