Built by builders.
We spent our careers running and growing businesses before we ever invested in one. That history shapes how we partner, from the first conversation on.
Why we do this
A franchised brand is akin to a family. And every family has a heritage, traditions, and an origin story. For most founders, it's decades of their life: the early risk, the first franchisees who took a chance, the culture that grew up around all of it, the fun conferences, the camaraderie. We think a partner should treat that heritage with care, protect it, and build on it.
So that's what we do. We pay a healthy price for franchisors when we truly believe we can help, then we work with founders and their teams to build their next chapter with intention, together. When customers win, franchisees win. And when franchisees win, the brand wins. This is the fun part. We live for this.
Who's behind Pioneer?
Eight values, lived daily
Abundance
Generosity, with time, ideas, and resources, is how we do things.
Recognition
Encouragement can power success, and winning together is a lot of fun.
Creativity
We love a proven playbook, and we love creatively improving on one even more.
Focus
Less is more. Less leads to happier teams, franchisees, and overall brand velocity.
Breakthrough Thinking
The best growth usually starts with somebody asking the key question: "What if?"
Servant Leadership
Our franchisees serve customers, our brands serve their franchisees, and we serve our brands.
Integrity
We focus on taking the "high road and the long view."
Having Fun
The truth is… we're actually goofballs. No, really.
The faces behind the firm
We take the work seriously and ourselves a good deal less so.
Graham P. Weihmiller
Nearly thirty years of building and buying businesses, including decades in franchising. Was recently the CEO of BNI, a global franchisor and the world’s largest referral networking organization, and before that leading a 150 location homecare franchisor. Harvard MBA, IFA board member, three-time Ironman, ultramarathoner and he’s climbed Kilimanjaro.
Kyle Patterson
Kyle leads origination and deal execution, and walks every deal from the first hello to the finish line. He's been a KPMG Director helping companies run better, an operator leading a global manufacturer, and a founder himself. UCLA Anderson MBA, Penn State engineer, Big Ten champion on the soccer field, and aspiring chef.
Austin Ohlwiler
Austin brings an entrepreneur’s eye, having founded and scaled clothing brands that reached an audience in the millions before joining Pioneer. He holds a master’s in entrepreneurship from the University of Florida and remains today a devoted Gators fan.
Jessica Hobday
Jess leads communications across everything Pioneer touches, after seven years in financial services marketing, most recently leading strategy for a top ranked national lender. Lifelong bookworm, 21 countries stamped in her passport, and a soft spot for shelter dogs.
Maura McCarthy
Maura runs the firm’s operations engine, with a foundation built at Deloitte, J.P. Morgan, and Wells Fargo, plus a certified coach’s knack for building great teams. Villanova grad, proud mom of three, and a fierce advocate for breast cancer awareness.
Joshua Drewno
Joshua brings years of leading operations and financial strategy in the property management world, pairing a sharp analytical eye with people-first leadership.
Laura Haid
For more than twenty years Laura has built her career around people: developing their skills, connecting them with each other, and creating communities they want to stay part of.
Ben Smith
Ben has spent more than thirty years leading franchise brands through growth and turnarounds: COO of Restore Hyper Wellness, CEO of Card My Yard, and operations chief for Anytime Fitness across 2,600 locations. He’s been a franchisee himself, building a 120-plus location portfolio across 17 states. Emory grad, avid fisherman, and loyal to his yellow Lab, Kimber.
More than a firm.
Pioneer is a community where everyone plays a role: a team that runs the work, advisors who know franchising inside and out, and investors who back it all with judgment earned over long careers. Our Advisory Board keeps us sharp on franchising, and our Investment Council keeps our judgment honest.
Investment groups we collaborate with
World-class investment groups who share our ethos.
Advisory Board
Catherine Wang
CEO and co-founder of Alden, an AI-native coordination platform for home-based care. She has spent her career building tools for operationally complex healthcare teams.
Dan Monaghan
A future-oriented entrepreneur with a unique ability to see patterns before others and build the models and frameworks to bring new opportunities to life.
David Baiada
CEO of BAYADA Home Health Care, a $2.1 billion global industry leader with a clear strategic vision of home as the stable center of the health care continuum.
David Humphrey
Has served the franchise industry in a number of different ways throughout his career, having lived and worked in Latin America, Europe, and Canada.
Edith Wiseman
President of FRANdata, a leading franchise market research and advisory firm based in Arlington, Virginia, with over 24 years in the franchising industry.
Evan Hackel
Founder of Ingage Consulting after twenty years at CCA Global Partners, where he was responsible for four business divisions with over 2,000 units.
Jeff Dudan
Entrepreneur, angel investor, and business builder in the franchise industry who has founded and scaled multiple franchise brands over his 30-year career.
Joe Tagliente
Managing Partner of Tage Capital Partners, a private real estate investment group with a portfolio value of over $400MM, and former Partner and CEO of The Lenrock Management Group.
Kebbie Sebastian
Founder and CEO of Merge, a London-based fintech that transforms cross-border payments by integrating instant payment systems with stablecoin networks.
Laura Roberts
Founder and CEO of Lali Ventures, a franchise advisory firm that supports emerging brands in building sustainable and scalable franchise systems.
Robert Skrob
For more than two decades has helped hundreds of membership programs launch and grow from start-ups into some of the world's largest membership and subscription companies.
Steve Hockett
Retired CEO of Great Clips, Inc. He started in franchising in 1988 as a Great Clips franchisee, operating salon 150.
Todd Recknagel
With acumen in strategy, finance, and deal-making, Todd has consistently elevated the companies he's engaged with to market leadership, in roles spanning CEO, board member, and investor.
Investment Council
Larry Dunn
An accomplished financial professional who has generated substantial value in high-growth environments.
Dr. Martin Lautman
A distinguished business career spanning corporate leadership, venture capital, and private equity.
C. Richard Reese
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Iron Mountain Incorporated.
Porter Schutt
Partner at Brown Advisory, serving as a portfolio manager and head of the Delaware office.
Rafael Somoza
Most recently the Co-Founder and CEO of VIU Media, Puerto Rico's largest locally-owned media company.
Jim Southern
Co-founder of Pacific Lake and a longtime leader in the search fund model, of which he was once himself a beneficiary.
Jose Stella
Most recently the Co-Founder and President of VIU Media, Puerto Rico's largest locally-owned media company.
Chris Stradling
Co-head of Lincoln's Consumer Group in the U.S., leading the firm's consumer product initiatives.
A.J. Wasserstein
The Eugene F. Williams, Jr., Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Management at the Yale School of Management.