We Are Barney - creative thinkers relentlessly disrupting a tired industry.
Amanda Dixon
Entrepreneur, disrupter, and mom on a mission to crack that paradigm wide open and show you the gold inside. The harder I work, the luckier I get. Go-to's are grit, gratitude, joy, and white-wine spritzers. I'm the only woman in the world who hates chocolate and loves football. I'm a staunch advocate for women's equality and communicating in .gifs whenever possible.
The Barney team mirrors the founders whom we help: hungry overachievers with a deep-rooted need to win.
Cally Carbone
This isn’t Kansas anymore! I'm a traveler, fashionista, proud mom, and skyline sunset connoisseur who's never been more at home than in the lush canyons of Manhattan. Every day is a new day and every chocolate chip cookie is a stab at greatness. Passionate about helping entrepreneurs live their best lives and make the world better one business at a time. I’ll surprise you on karaoke night.
Nick Verderosa
Native Nutmegger and new media aficionado. I take my Old Fashioned with a touch of innovation. When I’m not chasing my two amazing kids around, I’m connecting with entrepreneurs and visiting my favorite local businesses. I’m a hometown hero who loves meeting new people from near and far. I run Fantasy Football leagues and real-life Disney 5Ks.
Liza Cohen
I am a solution-oriented go-getter, with a knack for improving how our business operates, and a goal to get things done. Deep relationships with colleagues and clients are at my core - my love of people is almost as strong as my addiction to sushi. Family, friends, and a healthy lifestyle are what drive me, and although part perfectionist, I try not to sweat the small things!
We share the same DNA: ambitious, hard-working, make-it-happen types who live for the big wins we get for our clients.
Mathew Cybul
At first glance I might come off as a bit dry and unapproachable, but beneath that false facade is your soon-to-be best friend, like it or not. According to one anonymous source I am one of the top 2 funniest people they’ve ever met. Thanks, Mom! I’m a dog person without a dog and a licensed boat captain without a boat, but there's one thing I have in spades: dedication to helping our clients crush their goals. What else? Global banking veteran, mass transit enthusiast, Jersey boy. If I schedule a call with you during a Mets or Giants game, it means I like you. A LOT.
We're not typical, and neither are you. We're always looking to work with smart, interesting and forward-thinking people.
Clara Stedman
Part fitness, part retail, all entrepreneur. I am a people person, former fitness studio manager and pageant queen who's always ready to point you to the nearest TikTok recipe. I've got a Bloody Mary in one hand and a Bacon, Egg & Cheese in the other, ready to watch the Packers. You can find me in Central Park after my morning workout, pretending I have a dog. Whatever this is, I'm ready to do it.
For us, it feels so energizing to work on something you care about, with people you enjoy spending time with.
Ben Engvall
A little work and a lot of leisure make life liveable and loveable – like a walk on the West Side Highway. If I’m not making friends or memories, I’m watching college hoops or dreaming of running the NYC marathon. There’s no pain like that of a Minnesota Vikings fan and no fun like a good board game. If you’re going to fly, go global. I’m happy just to be here!
Molly McCartan
Go-getter, globe-trotter, new mom, and native New Yorker who has lived in 4 countries. I love saying goodbye to my comfort zone and hello to new cultures, flavors, and adventures. You can give your memories to me for safekeeping – I never forget. I adore my dog, my Peloton, nighttime routines with my sweet boy, and movie nights with my husband. The most magical big screen of all: the Big Apple!
Anthony Costanzo
I’m a soccer player, plant whisperer, meditator, music appreciator, foam roller aficionado, and future NYC marathon runner who loves to get lost in the farmer’s market. If it’s Pilsner today, it’s IPA tomorrow – but every day was made for coffee and crossword puzzles. I’m up before the alarm clock and already mystified by life’s magic.
Esther Townell
Chinese-born finance professional and M&A specialist with an entrepreneur’s heart. When I’m not playing hard with my 2-year old daughter, I’m working hard on your next deal or snapping photos for fun. With drive like mine, who needs coffee? I refuse to end my day until all my clients are happy.
We believe work is more than a list of to-dos. Work for us empowers a better life.
Lauren Dolik
Curious soul, tastemaker, and over-eager extrovert with big love for the finer things—and by that I mean family, friends, travel, and food (blue cheese olives, anyone?)! I love flexing my brand messaging muscles to make dream deals happen even more than color-coding closets and refrigerators, and that’s saying something. What button does M&A NOT push?!?
We believe that relentless innovation is the most powerful force of success in an attention economy.
Ashley Kaika
Every day I live the dream. NYC is my adventure and laughter is my medicine. I’m a mediator, a meditator, and above all the author of my own story. My insatiable curiosity coupled with a thirst for self-development consistently bring forth new opportunity and perspective. My lens on life magnifies the good and the true. Give me a pen and I’ll create the calligraphy of your imagination.
We’re big enough to make an impact and small enough to actually pay attention to our clients. (Crazy, right?)
Alex Cappelli
Fun, dedicated, and optimistic is my MO and helping awesome entrepreneurs is what I do. A New Yorker through and through, I’m a self-proclaimed chef who seasons Italian family recipes with a pinch of TikTok. Also: pizza lover, Yankees loyalist, Bravo TV binge-watcher, Citi-biker, coffee-drinker, and curious human who’s 100% in your court.
Vania Aksentijevich
Night owl, Legal Eagle, and loyal Hoya who’s all about the nitty gritty. I'm an artist at heart, lawyer by trade, and perfectionist by nature. I gravitate toward extremes: If you're pizza, be salty; if you're a cookie, be chocolate chip; if you're an M&A deal, be 7+ figures. Don't ask how many sisters I have or how many languages I speak – just color-code those to-do's and dance like nobody's watching.
Maddie Hansen
I’m a musical soul who’s either at a concert or planning a trip to one. I slide straight out of bed into my headphones, spending my morning commute charting my path to M&A greatness to the soundtrack of New Music Friday. I can be on team sushi and team Barney at the same time. Florida raised, but NYC will always have my heart.
We do great things for the founders we love, and we’d love to love you too.
Jake Rogers
Surf’s up, and so am I. Breakfast and coffee fuel me, but building relationships fulfill me. I seek fresh air, knowledge, and inspiration on the way to becoming the best version of myself. I never miss an opportunity to work with the most inspiring, hard-working entrepreneurs and businesses in the world.
Schuyler Sanford
Life without friends is like a garden with no flowers. I’m a psych major, big sister, and empathetic leader who loves to stop and smell the peonies. When I’m not discovering new digital agencies, I’m finding things, people, and places that spark joy.
Emily Murphy
Let the good times roll! My love of New Orleans jazzes up Barney’s buy side and brings some much-needed Big Easy to the Big Apple. I’m a language learner, night owl, crime show connoisseur, and owner of the city’s sweetest kitty. When I’m not at a Spin class, I’m in line at Tompkins Square Bagels or scoping out sample sales.
Taking care of our people is just as important as taking care of our clients.
Emily Zekonis
Traveler at heart – but wherever I go, I’m in a New York State of Mind. Need an oddly specific playlist? I’m your girl. What else? Early riser, coffee enjoyer, outdoors lover, Sunday adventurer—you can find me wherever there’s good music, good food, and good friends. Who says a trip needs a destination? Just give me an iced coffee and I’m ready to roam.
Sophie Kaldenhoven
The grass is green—but only where you water it! I love hard-to-get reservations in NYC, dogs, iced coffee, pickleball, and tirelessly advocating for female founders throughout the M&A process. Think spicy mezcal margaritas are good? Try this mixed drink: two parts travel and one part music, served with a slice of sunshine!
Samantha Kelly
Patient, kind, charismatic, and oddly good at memorizing song lyrics—that’s me (just add coffee)! Upper East Side, here we come! Early riser, team player, fashion finder, marketer, and merchandiser—my feet can fly on the dance floor, but when it comes to serving my clients, I’m as grounded as they come.
Kyndal Thomas
When I’m not coming up with new designs for content, you’ll find me spending too much time picking an outfit, making a very frothy latte, and/or mediating conflict between my dog and my cat. I’m an empathetic, textbook libra who is secretly competitive about everything. I care deeply about a few causes - supporting small BIPOC run businesses, protecting access to abortion, and creating the best content in the M&A market. I love taking Sunday morning walks to my local bagel shop and can't wait to design my next sweatshirt.
The "Barney World" revolves around keeping our employees happy, and our clients even happier.
Johanna Gundlach
It’s only noon—and I’ve already done 50 things! My secret: slow afternoons and early bedtimes. I’m resourceful and animated and I’m here to help. I love clean green space, waterways, and Dolly Parton (because who doesn’t?) and I can always find the good. Give me Spanish lessons and another stamp on the passport. I’m a certified Master Naturalist in two states—ask me about birds!
Henry Guida
My family is big and so is my love for it, Johnny Cash and Villanova basketball. My go-to’s include empathy, diligence, and spikeball in Central Park. I’m from Las Vegas, but I don’t count on luck for success — don’t wish for it, work for it!
Hannah Sibel
I’m a Baltimore-native always trying to be better than I was yesterday. I love the energy of the city, especially in the fall, and that means long walks discovering new bakeries and bookstores. Most days you’ll catch me walking to work with an iced-coffee in hand, listening to my favorite podcast and stopping to pet any cute dog that walks by. I’m a huge fan of Grey’s Anatomy, spicy margaritas, chocolate covered gummy bears and good playlists.
We understand just how important what we do is in the lives of founders.
How It All Started
We started Barney because we couldn’t find competent M&A advisors to sell our own agencies. They were either way too out-of-touch or had no understanding of the space. We fixed it.
Now we’ve expanded our playbook and will help hundreds of founders go through an exit this year.
How We Fixed It
We set out to build the best acquisition experience in the world, and we made it the core of what we do. Barney is now one of the leading boutique M&A advisory firms – with a database boasting more than 85,000 buyers; offices dotting the globe from Los Angeles to London; and a dynamic portfolio saturated in small and medium agency acquisitions. We have expanded our roots, while maintaining our core competencies as a true advisor dedicated to our client’s goals.
A Team of Trailblazers
The Barney Team mirrors the founders with whom we guide through this process: hungry overachievers with a deep-rooted need to win. Many come from humble backgrounds. Many formed or built companies of their own before joining Barney. Each shares the mindset of an entrepreneur, and knows what it means to walk that path.
A Better Experience
We are much more than a M&A partner that helps guide founders through exits when the timing is right for them. We are trail blazers and game changers, challenging ourselves to disrupt the way it’s always been done.
Barney in the press
The (media) worldis watching.
Who We Serve
No matter where you are in your transaction journey, we’re here to help.
Sellers
Unparalleled, real-world agency acumen, the largest pool of ready & willing buyers across the world and a uniquely effective approach to marketing.
Buyers
Scalable deal-flow & sourcing that allows buyers to leverage the experience, resources & man-power of our acquisition team to find the perfect acquisition.
Our Purpose
We’re on a mission to change the way you buy and sell agencies.
With a fire in our belly, marching to the beat of our own drum, we’re changing the way entrepreneurs buy and sell agencies.
Our Team
Feeling Inspired? Come Join Us.
We believe work is more than a desk or to-do list. We believe work can empower a better life. It feels so energizing to work on something you care about, with people you enjoy spending time with. That’s how we feel at Barney and it’s what we want to spark for entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.
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