Hero Partners: changing America one startup at a time.

AuthorSutherland, Spencer
PositionManagements of Rob Ryan

Rob Ryan knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. In the late 1990s, he sold his company Ascend Communications, which developed the connectivity infrastructure behind the modem internet, for $23 billion--the largest tech sale in the United States up to that point. Ryan has since helped four more companies reach billion-dollar exits and led many others to multi-million dollar sales.

Despite his long history of working with both hi-tech and forward-thinking companies, Ryan still believes in doing business the old-fashioned way--the right old-fashioned way. "An entrepreneur can do it the old-fashioned way, which is cold calling, or the other old-fashioned way, which is having someone facilitate a connection and help you along the way. The second approach is by far the preferred methodology."

For years, Ryan has used the preferred methodology to help young businesses accelerate their growth. Recently, he launched a new venture called Hero Partners with the Hyde-Norton Group, a boutique strategic planning firm consisting of Justin and Cody Hyde, Tyler Norton, Douglas G. Smith, Randy Gam and Scott Carlisle.

Invaluable Relationships

"At Hero Partners, we look for companies with hero potential," says Justin Hyde, a founding partner and president of the Hyde-Norton Group. "These are companies that are transformative--that transform those they work with, the communities that they serve and the industries that they're a part of."

Hero companies are also those that have a marketable idea, cash flow and the potential to reach a valuation of at least a billion dollars. "When we find a hero company, we use our strengths in strategy formulation and strategic relationships to help it accelerate their growth," Hyde explains.

The relationships that the Hero Partners bring to the table go far beyond contact cards or email addresses. "We are able to put entrepreneurs in front of CEOs and decision makers of major companies," Justin Hyde says. "We can do this because of the relationships that have been built through shared experiences over years and years. These are people we've spent time with on hunting and fishing trips, not just someone we sat by on an airplane."

In fact, it was this focus on relationships that first interested Rob Ryan in working with the Hyde-Norton group. "When I'm mentoring and working with entrepreneurs, I help them to develop a good strategy. Then the next phase is testing the strategy on real he accounts," Ryan says. And that's where the expertise of his new partners kicks in.

"The Hyde-Norton Group has invested years and years in creating a vast network of CEOs, politicians--you name it. It's like a contact list on steroids,"

The Hyde-Norton Group credits its hefty rolodex, in part, to its experience working across so many industries. Justin and Cody Hyde manage the firm's partnership interests in auto dealerships, health clubs, resorts, ranches and hotel properties. He also works closely with nonprofit organizations, serving on the board of trustees of a community center benefitting disabled individuals in Salt Lake City and a...

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