It's not an exaggeration to say my professional life can be divided into two chapters: before knowing Karen Spencer and after knowing Karen Spencer.

As a participant in her EtA Launch Hub and current member of her CEO Roundtable, I've experienced firsthand how Karen transforms leaders. She brings an extraordinary background spanning politics, law (Harvard), business (Stanford), chemical engineering (MIT), and experience from Silicon Valley to Nike. But what truly sets her apart is how she channels all this expertise into one mission: uplifting, empowering, and educating others.

Karen's growth mindset and spirit of generosity create profound impact. She believed in me before I fully believed in myself, opened doors to her vast network that I didn't know existed, and shared insights that fundamentally changed how I approach business challenges. Her desire to give back isn't just admirable, it's transformative for everyone fortunate enough to work with her.

Whether through her programs, a roundtable discussion, or even a single conversation, Karen will expand your thinking, strengthen your leadership, and accelerate your growth. I recommend anyone and everyone find a way to connect with and learn from Karen Spencer. Your professional journey will never be the same.

- David Lovejoy, Recommendation on LinkedIn

I joined the EtA Launch Hub cohort bootcamp (managed by Fetch Strategies) as an early-stage searcher seeking information and insight. I found a community that’s constructive and welcoming. The sessions helped me tighten my thesis, understand accelerator paths, and prepare for real investor conversations. As my narrative improved, investors started coming to me. If you want momentum and a thoughtful peer group, this is a good place to start.
Nygina Mills, LinkedIn recommendation.

I met Karen through her work at Searchfunder and later took her intensive Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (EtA) course. She brings sharp legal and strategic insight, along with practical tools, that clarified my path and enhanced my understanding of this complex area. Karen cultivates an open, inclusive community and goes the extra mile to guide past and current mentees, coordinating across time zones to support a truly global cohort. I recommend Karen to any aspiring or current entrepreneur looking for momentum, clarity, and candid support

Andrew Brady, Scotland, LinkedIn Recommendation

I joined Karen’s CEO Roundtable while leading my own company and exploring Entrepreneurial through Acquisition (EtA). The experience provided me with the clarity and practical direction I needed. I gained real strategies, a clear understanding of the various EtA paths (independent, traditional, and investor-backed), and a better insight into buyer perspectives, which significantly improved how I track and manage my own finances.

The community is open, diverse, and genuinely welcoming, making it easy to share openly and learn from my peers. The program structure,VAULT, the EtA Launch Hub, one-on-one sessions, and the roundtable itself, fostered accountability without ego and saved me valuable time by clarifying the next steps.

If you’re running a business while also considering a purchase, I highly recommend Karen’s programs. They offer the clarity, operational benefits, and support you need to move forward with confidence.
- Garcon Morweh, LinkedIn Recommendation

If you’re serious about buying a business, Karen’s programs deliver practical value fast. I participated in her EtA Launch Hub program. I got fantastic introductions to a lot of key people in the space and once you're part of Karen's network, there are many more introductions and amazing people that you can meet through her for later stages of your journey, after you buy your business.

Karen hosts circles, Whatsapp group, & other events that keep you connected to new opportunities, ways of thinking and people.

Also recommend just spending some time with her 1/on-1 to get to know her. She is super kind and generous.

And when you can, you know, serve her up and intro or something to add value. She's really dedicated to the ETA community.

Yvette Owo, LinkedIn Recommendation.

“Thank you, Karen! It has been a real pleasure and privilege to participate in this program. I had my mind blown at least once every session. From the amazing guest speakers you brought in to my impressive classmates, my understanding of what’s possible and what’s required has fundamentally changed. This was like a mini MBA/accelerator. Fingers crossed for our cohort to have a couple of acquisitions this year!”

“Ya'll this program rocks. I was paid nothing to say this! I was not asked to post. The program is great. The community is great and Karen as your fearless leader is a shinning star. It's the type of group you join then want to give back to because you gain so much value from the experience.”

I still find myself referring to your notes from Nuts and Bolts [the predecessor to EtA Launch Hub, and I am grateful for that experience.

Our initial conversation was incredibly helpful—the starting point I needed for this journey. I used Karen’s analysis framework to define the types of businesses I have the right to win and can successfully run. That foundational work has been invaluable and now directly informs my approach and criteria. https://fetchstrategies.com/realadvice/

“Karen is a fantastic leader and changemaker.  She is mission-driven and values-based and has used her lifelong learnings to help foster opportunities for others.  If you are looking to learn more about Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, I can’t think of a better mentor than Karen.’

– Ron Wexler, NextGen

The Hub is designed for serious, growth‑minded people who are:

• Exploring acquisition entrepreneurship as a possible next path and want a structured, supportive way to learn, or  

• Already committed to EtA or actively searching and looking to refine their strategy, gain traction, and sharpen their conversations with investors, lenders, and sellers.

We accept applicants from all backgrounds and from across the globe. We routinely work with people from sales, operations, legal/HR, non‑profits, corporate roles, finance, the military, and others who want to become strong, thoughtful business owners—even if they did not grow up around dealmaking.

We especially welcome women, people of color, and others underrepresented in EtA who are looking for both rigorous preparation and a community that believes they belong in the CEO seat.

• Step 1: Submit your application (2–3 minutes)

• Step 2: Secure your seat by purchasing the course (early, regular, late enrollment; 3–6 month installments)

• Step 3: Get your onboarding checklist, VAULT access and more.
  
  Your spot isn’t guaranteed by the application alone. We hold your seat once you enroll (upfront or monthly plan), then review applications on a rolling basis. Accepted applicants are confirmed into the cohort; if we’re full, you’ll be placed on a priority waitlist.
  
  If you are not accepted, we'll suggest next steps (e.g., future cohort, CEO Roundtable, or 1:1 coaching). If any payment was take, it will be refunded minus non-refundable processor fees.

Over 90 days, you’ll work toward three core outcomes—our Pitch / Plan / Peers framework:

• Pitch – A 2–5 minute narrative suitable for investors, lenders, and business owners, sharpened with our proprietary, evidence‑based, AI‑enhanced narrative evaluation system, ETA PitchRef.  

• Plan – – A practical, personalized plan for your search model, finances, sourcing approach, and next 6–12 months that you can start executing immediately.

Peers –A diverse cohort of searchers and mentors you can continue to learn and grow with long after the program ends.

Graduation Day is your opportunity to present your narrative to a supportive group of investors, lenders, and service providers, receive live feedback, and leave with clear next steps for your search.

Plan for at least 2 hours per week in addition to the class sessions. That time includes readings, reflection exercises, working on your pitch and search plan, and engaging with your cohort.

The more fully you engage, the more you will get out of the program—and the faster you will move. This is designed to be doable for people who are working full‑time and/or have families, but it still requires consistent, focused effort. We want you to succeed, so this is a guided, high‑engagement experience—not a “watch a few videos and hope for the best with the biggest financial investment of your life” course.

We support multiple pathways that fit within the EtA framework of buying a stable, profitable, enduring business, including:

• Traditional search

• Incubator / accelerator / entrepreneur‑in‑residence

• Self‑funded search

We walk through the pros, cons, and common pitfalls of each and help you understand which models are most aligned with your skills, goals, risk tolerance, and life circumstances—so you can make intentional, informed choices rather than defaulting to whatever you happened to hear about first.

ETA PitchRef is our proprietary, evidence‑based narrative evaluation system that uses AI to analyze entrepreneurial pitches. It was originally developed for startup founders; we’ve adapted it specifically for acquisition entrepreneurs and informed it with the data inside VAULT (3,000 videos and transcripts from the EtA ecosystem).

The Lab does not write your pitch for you. Instead, it:

• Accelerates your learning by showing you how your narrative is likely landing today

• Surfaces strengths and blind spots you might not see on your own

• Helps you present your story, thesis, and plan with more confidence in a way that still feels authentic to you.

Before Graduation Day, you’ll deliver a 2–5 minute draft pitch (spoken or read). As part of the Lab, you will:

• Receive immediate verbal feedback from Karen  

• Receive a written PitchRef report tailored to you and benchmarked against a multi‑part, evidence‑based rubric for EtA

Your PitchRef report focuses on:

• How you’re currently showing up as a searcher  

• Where your narrative can be strengthened, with structured, practical guidance you can apply immediately  

• A short set of prioritized next steps

You can then review the results with Karen and translate that feedback into a sharper, more confident EtA pitch for investors, lenders, and business owners.

We offer a comprehensive 90‑day program with structured support during your search and ongoing access to community and resources across your journey:

• Learning:  6 live course sessions (3 hours each) on Zoom, with structured curriculum and exercises inside the Pipeline Prep Student Portal

• Support: Mentors from the EtA community, plus 1:1 guidance upon request

• Growth: Monthly Mentoring Workshops with peers and guest experts to deepen your learning and expand your network

• Access: Student Portal, Kumo, Private Market Insights for curated EtA‑relevant information and tools

• Knowledge & Media:

  • VAULT: AI-powered streaming and on-demand channel with 3000 videos and transcripts

  • Live Events: Sessions on timely industry issues, emerging trends, and real‑world case

• Community: Student‑only Slack & WhatsApp channels for real‑time questions, support, and connection

• Guidance:  

  • ETA PitchRef evaluation: Your pitch is reviewed with our proprietary, evidence‑based, AI‑enhanced narrative evaluation system built for acquisition entrepreneurs. You’ll receive a written report with feedback and prioritized next steps, giving you clear, practical guidance to feel more confident and prepared with investors, lenders, and business owners.

  • EtA Guidebook: in digital and audio; print sold separately, regularly updated and customized for your cohort

  • Mentors are available upon request for targeted conversations on finance, deals, search strategy, and next steps.

  • Fetch Strategies’ News & Insights: 

    • Daily News within VAULT, curated for EtA‑relevant developments

    • "Taking the Drop" Blog

    • Media: YouTube Channel

• Alumni Benefits: 

  • Our monthly Searcher Circle and weekly Deal Huddles are complimentary for alumni.

  • Challenge Point CEO Roundtable: All graduates are automatically enrolled—complimentary—for at least 6 months into the CEO Roundtable once they acquire a business.

Because this is a specialized, personalized course with limited seats, enrollment is a final sale. That said, our goal is for you to feel well‑supported and to make real progress.

If you are not thoroughly satisfied after completing the sessions and pre‑work, we will offer a one‑on‑one coaching sessions free of charge within 60 days to help you close any remaining gaps.

If, during the program, you decide that buying a business is not the right next step, we will pivot to coaching you on your next entrepreneurial or career adventure. Our goal is for you to successfully navigate your journey, even if that takes a different form than you originally imagined.

Yes. We occasionally partner with aligned organizations to offer scholarships for searchers from specific geographies or underrepresented backgrounds, such as:

• Live Oak Bank offers scholarships for SBA‑loan‑eligible searchers seeking to purchase a U.S. company. 

• Association for Black Economic Power (ABEP) is our newest partner, currently seeking to provide scholarships to at least three Minnesotan fellows who plan to purchase a Minnesotan business.

As part of the application process, all applicants are required to submit payment for the course, even if they are applying for a scholarship. Scholarships are awarded once we have received and reviewed all scholarship applications. This process helps ensure that recipients demonstrate the financial discipline required to buy a business and are committed to completing the program.

Active participation is vital for gaining the most from the course—for you and for your cohort.

• Please notify us in advance of emergencies or unforeseen circumstances.  

• Missing more than two sessions will affect your course completion status.  

• The six core sessions are held on Saturdays at 9 am Pacific / Los Angeles time (see detailed calendar for global times). Please be mindful of any time changes in your state or country.  

• We also offer an optional orientation (meet‑and‑greet) before the formal sessions begin and an optional ETA PitchRef sessions prior to Graduation Day (our sixth session).

• We record select portions of sessions (e.g., guest mentor presentations) for future Fellows to view.

• By attending the sessions, you agree to be recorded. Your image and audio from guest speaker sessions may be used by us (for example, in VAULT or future trainings).

• Collaborative student working sessions are not recorded, live-streamed, or shared.

We typically run an optional Orientation in late January. Sessions 1–6 take place February through late April/early May, with exact dates adjusted for religious holidays, school spring breaks, and major search fund conferences. Final dates are posted each fall for the upcoming cohort.

For the 2026 cohort, regular tuition for EtA Launch Hub remains $4,000. This includes two optional EtA PitchRef diagnostic sessions.

Based on what we’re already seeing, I believe the program creates on the order of $50,000–$100,000 of expected benefit for a serious fellow —whether that shows up as getting funded when you might not have, getting funded months sooner, or walking into key rooms with a different level of clarity and confidence.

I’m choosing to keep the 2026 cohort at the previously announced price while we’re still in the early cycles of integrating the ETA PitchRef evaluation system.

Otherwise, our pricing is based on your enrollment window (Early Advantage, Preferred, or Extended). All options are kept affordable. Searchfunder members: use code SEARCHFUNDER for a discount.

Pricing Policy

Upfront

Apply and enroll by Friday, October 20 at 11:59 pm PT to secure Early Admission pricing with an upfront payment of $1,999.99. This is our best offer and is limited to the first 10 accepted enrollments.
Standard or preferred tuition is $3,995.

Extended or late enrollment begins on Friday, January 16 at 12:01 am PT. Tuition is $4,995 and includes a 1:1 onboarding session with Karen to help you catch up quickly.

Installments

• Early Advantage: $229 per month for 9 months

• Preferred: $465 per month for 9 months

• Extended: $575 per month for 9 months

Journey Plan

(subscription with contractual commitment)

Terms: By selecting the Journey Plan, you agree to a minimum 12‑month contractual commitment. Payments are due monthly for at least 12 consecutive months. After the 12th payment, you may continue monthly for as long as you wish or cancel at any time. If you cancel, access to the training, community, and ongoing support ends at the close of the current billing period. No refunds are provided for this program.

Policy notes

• The Upfront option is the best value, representing up to 50% savings over the life of your entrepreneurial journey from starting your search to acquisition. Please see our Thoroughly Thrilled guarantee.

• All options include our full 90‑day program, weekly Deal Huddles, monthly Searcher Circles, VAULT access, and the post‑acquisition CEO Roundtable pathway for at least 1 year.

• The Journey Plan is contractual for at least 12 months. You may continue your subscription for the life of your search and entrepreneurial journey. There is no cooling‑off or satisfaction period.

• Access: Cohort materials remain available for at least 24 months from enrollment.