M&A for the Rest of Us: What No One Ever Told You About Buying a Business
Kari Doherty, Impact Acquisition Partner, Up & Over Advisors
What if the biggest opportunity in business is the one nobody ever taught you?
In this episode of Ethical Exits, Hannah sits down with Kari Doherty to unpack one of the most overlooked paths to entrepreneurship: buying a business.
Most people are taught there are only two options—start something or work for someone else. But there’s a third path hiding in plain sight, and it’s becoming more important than ever.
Because right now, millions of small businesses are approaching a transition point… and most won’t sell—they’ll simply close.
Not because they aren’t viable.
But because the system isn’t built to support what happens next.
What You’ll Learn
The Third Path to Ownership
Why buying a business is more accessible than people think—and why most people never consider it
The Coming Wave of Business Transitions
What the “Silver Tsunami” means for founders, employees, and local economies
Why Good Businesses Disappear
The real reasons most businesses never sell—even when owners are ready to move on
What No One Explains About Deals
A simple breakdown of how acquisitions actually work, including seller financing
The Bottleneck No One Talks About
Why buyers are ready, sellers are tired, and still… deals don’t happen
M&A as a Tool for Impact
How acquisitions can preserve businesses, create jobs, and shift ownership into more diverse hands
About Kari Doherty
Kari Doherty is an impact entrepreneur, operator, and advisor with over a decade of experience supporting mission-driven businesses. She has built and exited her own company and is deeply embedded in the impact ecosystem through her work with B Local PDX, Accelerate Women, and Portland State University’s Impact Ventures Fund.
👉 To learn more about Kari’s work check out Up & Over Advisors, or connect with her, reach out on LinkedIn.
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At Ethical Exits, we champion profit-for-purpose capitalism—leveraging business as a force for scaling philanthropy and meaningful change.
In each episode, we ask guests to highlight a cause close to their heart. For Kari, she highlights Xcelerate Women a Portland-based organization supporting women and gender-expansive entrepreneurs through coaching, mentorship, and community-driven business growth.
🔗 Learn more or support their work: xceleratewomen.org
