Starting Gate Partners

John G. Danhakl serves as managing partner and directs all investment decisions. He previously spent more than two decades at Leonard Green & Partners, rising to managing partner and overseeing over $75 billion in committed capital across flagship buyout funds. His track record includes board roles at Whole Foods Market, Shake Shack, and The Container Store.

Danhakl relies on a proprietary network of intermediaries, transaction attorneys, and wealth advisors who structure ownership transitions for closely held businesses. The firm does not participate in broad auction processes. Instead, it positions itself as the first-call partner when a founder or family seeks a liquidity event, succession plan, or growth recapitalization outside the competitive bid environment.

Neither. Starting Gate operates as a permanent-capital investment vehicle funded by Danhakl's personal capital alongside select family office co-investors. There is no blind-pool fund with a fixed deployment window or a mandated liquidation timeline. This structure allows indefinite hold periods that align with multi-generational business compounding rather than fund-cycle exits.

The firm pursues control and significant minority investments in companies with $10–50 million of EBITDA, writing equity checks of $25–75 million. Target situations include founder succession, growth equity for established businesses, and buyouts where the existing ownership seeks a permanent-capital partner rather than a sponsor with a three-to-five-year exit mandate.

The firm concentrates on enterprise software, healthcare services, and industrial technology — sectors where Danhakl has multi-decade investing experience. It explicitly avoids industries with high regulatory volatility, consumer discretionary businesses dependent on fashion cycles, and pre-revenue venture-stage companies that require venture-style portfolio math rather than single-asset compounding.