Smart Business Dealmakers

What Smart Business Dealmakers does

Smart Business Dealmakers is the M&A-focused media and events division of Smart Business Network LLC, a privately held national events, media and marketing company founded in 1989 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Operating as a multi-platform intelligence network, the company delivers middle-market M&A news, insights, and conference programming across 25 U.S. metropolitan markets including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Central Florida, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, D.C. Capital Region, Houston, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, South Florida, and St. Louis. Core products include a city-tagged content website, two podcast series (DealTalk and SmartTalk), the Middle-Market M&A Newsletter, the annual Smart Business Dealmakers Conference held in each market, the Dealmaker of the Year Awards with Hall of Fame inductions, and the Rising Stars recognition program.

The company monetizes through three primary revenue streams: conference registration fees, corporate sponsorships from banks and advisory firms, and newsletter subscriptions. Its go-to-market is event-driven, with annual in-person conferences serving as the primary monetization and community-formation mechanism, supplemented by always-on digital distribution through website, podcast, video, and email. It serves four primary persona segments — middle-market entrepreneurs and CEOs, private equity and venture capital investors, M&A advisers and intermediaries, and family business owners — addressing their demand for local dealmaking news, deal flow sourcing, client acquisition, and succession planning intelligence. Sponsors include Old National Bank and Merrill Lynch, and venue partnerships such as Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown support the city-by-city conference rollout.

Underlying technology is a conventional digital media publishing stack (website CMS, podcast hosting, video, and email newsletter) with no proprietary AI, mobile app, or public API disclosed. The company is privately held under Smart Business Network LLC with no venture capital or private equity ownership disclosed in the source data. A small executive team — Chief Content Officer Dustin S. Klein and Managing Director Lee M. Koury — oversees expansion of the Dealmakers conference series nationally, with Koury explicitly responsible for expanding the Dealmakers Conferences throughout the U.S. and developing long-term strategy and growth plans.

Name

Smart Business Dealmakers

Legal name

Smart Business Network LLC

Website

https://smartbusinessdealmakers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Smart Business Dealmakers is a Cleveland-based media and events company that publishes middle-market M&A news and hosts annual Dealmaker conferences and awards across 25 U.S. cities, serving entrepreneurs, investors, advisers, and family business owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Media and Events (Middle-Market M&A)

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Financial & Trade News Publishers (MPAJADAC)

Keywords

• Middle-market M&A news
• Dealmaker conferences
• M&A podcast content
• Dealmaker awards program
• Business networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Registrations: Revenue from tickets and attendance at the Smart Business Dealmakers Conference held in multiple U.S. cities, connecting local dealmakers through educational content and networking.
2. Newsletter Subscription: Free newsletter providing M&A news, deal insights, and trends directly to subscribers' inboxes.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at conferences featuring banks, advisory firms, and other financial services companies as sponsors of dealmaker events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Smart Business Dealmakers is a media and events brand of Smart Business Network LLC that publishes middle-market M&A news, insights, podcasts, and a free newsletter across approximately 25 U.S. cities, and produces an annual Dealmakers Conference series in each market along with Dealmaker of the Year Awards and a Rising Stars recognition program. Its offerings target middle-market CEOs, investors, lenders, and M&A advisers seeking local deal flow, education, and networking.

Product overview

Smart Business Dealmakers is a media and events company operating a multi-platform M&A intelligence network. The core offering consists of a content website delivering regional M&A news and insights across 25+ U.S. cities, complemented by in-person conferences, two podcast series (DealTalk and SmartTalk), annual Dealmaker of the Year Awards with Hall of Fame inductions, a newsletter subscription, and a Rising Stars program. The company connects entrepreneurs, investors, and advisers through dynamic content and networking events covering the full M&A lifecycle including raising capital, buying, selling, liquidity events, deal prep, and post-deal integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered venue partner, sponsor and content partner.

• Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtownvenue partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026Conference venue host for the Pittsburgh Smart Business Dealmakers Conference on February 19, 2026 at Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown.
• Old National BanksponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial bank of the Big Ten Conference, sponsors the Smart Business Dealmakers Podcast featuring interviews with dealmakers and business leaders.
• Merrill Lynchcontent partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerWealth management firm that co-hosts podcast episodes with Smart Business Dealmakers, featuring conversations with business leaders on dealmaking topics.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• PitchBook: PitchBook is a leading data platform for private capital markets covering M&A, PE, and VC deal data. Overlaps in audience (dealmakers, advisers) but competes from a data/analytics position rather than editorial events, making it a broader incumbent rather than a direct competitor.
• CB Insights: CB Insights provides market intelligence and deal data for corporations, investors, and advisers. Comparable audience overlap but operates as an enterprise research/SaaS business rather than community-driven events and content.
• Crunchbase: Crunchbase is a platform for discovering companies, deals, and funding data across the private market ecosystem. Overlaps with Smart Business Dealmakers on middle-market deal intelligence, but operates as a global data SaaS rather than an events-led community.

Direct peers

• The Deal (Dealogic): The Deal is a media platform covering M&A, activism, and private equity with a long-running newsletter and events. Comparable as an M&A-focused news and events brand targeting dealmakers and advisers.
• PE Hub: PE Hub is a media brand covering private equity dealmaking, fundraises, and exits with newsletters and events. Comparable as a dealmaker-focused media + events business, though more PE-centric versus Smart Business Dealmakers' broader M&A scope.
• Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A Magazine): Mergers & Acquisitions is a long-running trade publication covering the middle-market M&A industry, including a journal, events, and rankings (e.g., M&A Advisor Awards). Closely comparable as a content + awards + events business serving middle-market dealmakers, with greater international footprint.
• Mergermarket (Acuris): Mergermarket (now part of Acuris) is a subscription-based M&A intelligence platform providing news, deal data, and events for the global M&A community. Directly comparable as a media + events + data business serving M&A professionals, with broader international reach and deeper data products.
• Association for Corporate Growth (ACG): ACG is a global network for middle-market dealmakers operating chapters across U.S. cities, hosting events, awards programs, and content focused on M&A and corporate growth. Closest direct peer given the shared model of local-chapter conferences, member networking, and middle-market M&A focus.

Emerging players

• M&A Community (Allvue / Axial): Axial is a private deal network for lower-middle-market M&A, connecting buyers, sellers, and advisers. Comparable in serving middle-market M&A professionals but operates as a software/marketplace rather than media-and-events.
• Privcap: Privcap is a media and events platform covering private capital, including PE, VC, and private credit. Comparable as a niche media/events brand serving the same dealmaker audience but with narrower geographic and segment focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SBDealmakers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLiDo-QbAxQRmFF6NcXC8NofoT3Y2xN4pB
• Facebookfacebook.com/smartbusinessdealmakers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smart-business-dealmakers
• Instagraminstagram.com/sbdealmakers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smart Business Dealmakers