Partnering with family businesses for the long term
A long-term alternative to private equity for families and founders building something meant to last
Who We Are
Kanbrick is the partner we wanted for our own family businesses.
We grew up working in our families’ businesses in Kansas, then spent years leading companies at Berkshire Hathaway.
Both experiences taught us the same lesson: great businesses are built brick by brick, through strong people, clear choices, disciplined execution, and time.
We created Kanbrick to help other owners and leaders build the same way.
Tracy Britt Cool
Brian Humphrey
Co-Founders, Kanbrick
Think in decades
We think in decades, not quarters. The best businesses compound, and compounding needs room to run.
Build together
We’ve run companies and work shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners. We do the work, not just give advice.
Focus on people
We believe in relationships over transactions, people over spreadsheets, and a business rooted in community.
7
Partner Companies
2,000+
Employees
4,400+
Community Members
What We Do
Build with us.
Whether you’re weighing what’s next or building right now, there’s a place to start.
Partner with us
For owners weighing what’s next
We build flexible, long-term partnerships around the goals of the owner, family and business, whether those goals include growth, liquidity, succession or some combination.
Join the Community
For leaders building right now
The Kanbrick Community offers a peer network, trusted playbooks, and world-class programs to over 4,400 leaders looking to build better businesses together.
How We Partner
For owners who want more than capital
The right time to bring in a partner is different for every owner and every family. Some are years away; some are ready now. Whenever that time comes, we’d be glad to show you what partnering with Kanbrick looks like.
Kanbrick’s focus on partnering with family-owned businesses and creating long-term value makes them the ideal fit for our business… while honoring our 40-year legacy and company values.
Brandon McVaugh
CEO, Laboratory Testing
01
Understand your goals
Every partnership starts with what you want, for the business, your family, and yourself.
02
Align for the long term
Structure follows the goals. Ownership, timeline, and role are built around you, not a fund model.
03
Win together
Meaningful ongoing ownership means we succeed the same way you do.
Partners we’re building with
Kanbrick
Business System
How We Build
Business builders,
not financial engineers.
Lasting value comes from building better businesses. We are a team of operators who have built businesses before – and we work shoulder-to-shoulder alongside our partners, not through advice from a distant boardroom.
We do that through the Kanbrick Business System (KBS), a practical approach built for the challenges of growing midsize companies, rooted in our own experience. We start every partnership by listening and learning, then align on the priorities, people, and investments that matter most, before rolling up our sleeves to tackle the future together.
Kanbrick Community
Building better businesses together
The Kanbrick Community brings together more than 4,400 CEOs and owners to learn and grow together – through Masterclasses, KBS playbooks, in-person events, and more. No cost, no catch.
Family businesses have always been built in community and we learn right alongside our members.
