About Me - A Founder's Letter
None of Us Is as Good as All of Us
I have always believed that opportunity is meant to be expanded, not hoarded. I come from a legacy of business, service, and leadership, and my work is a continuation of that foundation.
But I also know that having a legacy doesn’t mean you automatically know how to transition it. I learned that lesson firsthand when my family exited our McDonald’s franchises. We built something great, but we didn’t have a clear post-sale plan. That journey wasn’t easy, but it shaped my mission: to ensure other business owners don’t face the same uncertainty.
At SylKi Management, I help entrepreneurs and business owners navigate one of the biggest transitions of their lives—whether they’re acquiring, optimizing, or exiting a business. I quarterback the transition, assembling the right team to make sure your next move is the right one.
“You make choices, and your choices make you.”
The best transitions don’t just happen—they are designed.
My Journey: From the Ground Floor to the Boardroom
I didn’t just study business —
I grew up in it. My career started inside my family’s McDonald’s franchise organization, where I learned what it takes to operate, scale, and eventually transition a business successfully.
I worked every role—from Lot & Lobby to Training Manager, ensuring new leaders understood the fundamentals of running multi-unit operations. I later took over a struggling McDonald's location in Baldwin Park, turning it around into one of our highest-performing stores. That success led to overseeing multiple locations and later helping manage our family's 16-unit portfolio.
But running a business and exiting one are two different skill sets. When my family sold our franchises, we faced challenges that many entrepreneurs encounter:
- How do you prepare your business for sale without disrupting operations?
- How do you structure a deal that protects what you've built while maximizing value?
- And most importantly—what happens
after the sale?
“Failure is more difficult than success.”
Selling isn’t the hard part—navigating what comes next is.
Building a Framework for Smarter Transitions
After exiting McDonald's, I knew I wanted to help other business owners navigate transitions with greater clarity and confidence. While at Webb Investments, our family office, I put my experience into action—leading acquisitions, evaluating businesses, and structuring strategic deals to ensure we made sound, long-term investment decisions.
Looking back, I realize that every step of my journey had prepared me for this work. My background in business operations, finance, and governance gave me the perspective to not just run businesses, but to assess, optimize, and transition them effectively.
My expertise includes:
- Finance & Strategy Education – Morehouse College (Finance), USC Marshall (MBA), and Wharton (Advanced Finance).
- Exit & Acquisition Experience – Led $100M+ in acquisitions and divestitures.
- Family Business Leadership – Managed 16 McDonald’s franchises, driving operational and financial growth.
- Governance & Legacy Planning – Currently quarterbacking my family’s estate, ensuring long-term wealth preservation and succession
During this time, I refined my proprietary Fit, GRiT, and Risk framework—a methodology that came out of a Venture Capital course at Wharton, where I amended my professor’s VC investment framework to align to my thinking about due diligence valuing businesses. Today, I use this framework to help business owners assess opportunities, structure transitions, and maximize value at every stage.
- Fit: Does this business align with the market, portfolio, and ownership?
- GRiT: Is there sustainable Growth, ROI, and Team Fit?
- Risk: Are the competitive, regulatory, and operational risks understood and mitigated?
This framework became the backbone of how I evaluate businesses —and how I help clients make data-driven, strategic transitions today.
“All money ain’t good money.”
Whether you’re buying or selling, the goal isn’t just to make a deal—it’s to make the right deal.
Legacy, Family, and the Work That Matters Most
Business transitions don’t just impact owners—they affect families, employees, and entire communities. That’s why my work is about more than numbers; it’s about ensuring that transitions are handled with strategy, integrity, and vision.
Today, I am not only leading SylKi but also quarterbacking my family’s estate management—a role that has intensified since my father transitioned. That responsibility has only deepened my understanding of succession planning, legacy preservation, and the importance of financial clarity.
And just as I’ve worked to ensure my own family’s foundation remains strong, I am committed to expanding opportunities for others.
That’s why I serve as Chair of the USC Black Alumni Advisory Council, working to achieve Parity—a world where success and leadership are proportional to the communities we serve. It’s why I’m on the Board of Bright Prospect, helping first-generation college students gain access to education and economic mobility.
“If you accept less, you’ll get less.”
I'm here to raise the standard of what’s possible for business owners, communities, and families.
Who I Am Outside of Business
At my core, I’m a husband and father. My wife, Amy, and I are raising two amazing kids, Kemet and Nile, and they remind me every day that legacy is about more than business—it’s about the impact we leave behind.
In my free time, I bring my creative side to life through writing and world-building, working on a graphic novel series that merges history, fantasy, and storytelling. And because I believe that strong networks build strong communities, I host monthly community brunches and dinners—spaces where business, culture, and connection thrive.
“None of us is as good as all of us.”
Success is best when it is shared.
Whether you’re acquiring, optimizing, or exiting a business, I’m here to quarterback your transition—helping you structure a plan that protects what you’ve built and prepares you for what’s next.