On the ground at the McGuireWoods Conference

Join the team at Minds Capital as they debrief the first day of the McGuireWoods Independent Sponsor Conference at the Fairmont in Dallas. The MWIS Conference is the premier meeting place for independent sponsors and capital providers (such as Minds Capital, an equity fund). On the first day, Max, Will, and Niklas had 1-on-1 speed dating sessions with more than 30 independent sponsors, many of whom will appear on this podcast in the coming months.

Dallas. Mid-October. The week in the fall when Dallas is not too hot and not too cold. McGuireWoods, one of the leading legal firms in the deal-by-deal private equity system, hosts their venerable annual independent sponsor conference. From humble beginnings in 2018 at their offices to a more than 2,000-strong rendezvous of dealmakers, the conference has established itself as the premier destination for meeting like-minded people.

Niklas attended the conference as an independent sponsor from 2019 to 2023, and as a capital provider representing Minds Capital for the last couple of years. "It's a lot more fun to be a capital provider," he says, pointing to the fact that your conference schedule is filled with inbounds from independent sponsors raising capital. "I learned the hard way that as a sponsor you get the most out of these speed-dating sessions when you actually bring a live deal to the table," he recounts of his previous experiences.

"This conference is a monster," says Will Smith, who regularly is on the circuit for the events in the EtA space. "My voice is barely functioning any longer," he complains, well aware that his livelihood relies on it. Well, keep it up, Will, because you have another full day of speed dating sessions today (Wednesday), followed by Minds Capital's annual Investor Day on Thursday.

This episode was recorded from the Fairmont Hotel at 6pm on Tuesday night, at the end of Day 1 of the 2025 MW ISC. Listen in to hear what we've learned, observed, and experienced.