In the past few years, private equity firms have been providing investors with a boosted profit. Today, private equity firms are skilled at selling businesses by finding buyers who are willing to pay a good price, for financial or strategic reasons, or by launching successful IPOs. Moreover, they have developed an exit strategy for each business during the acquisition process. This rise has been facilitated by private equity firms' well-known ability to significantly raise the value of their investments. 

An early-stage growth equity firm, Rellevant Partners’ investments leverage the founders’ unique skills and network to bring a competitive advantage to premier concepts in various sectors like restaurant, restaurant technology and food and beverage. The company was co-founded by Jessica C. Kates (Managing Partner) along with her partner Janice Meyer for multiple reasons. Looking around the equity industry, where women hold a small minority of senior positions globally, Jessica found it important to start a female-founded private equity firm and help change this statistic. “Hopefully, we can serve as role models and inspiration for other women beginning their finance careers. When we attend conferences, there are still only a handful of women in rooms full of hundreds of men, and we are hoping to help change that,” she adds. 

In Jessica’s opinion, combined expertise sets Rellevant Partners apart from more traditional private equity investors in the space. The company aims to become the go-to investor for the lower middle market of the restaurant industry and is inclined towards working with entrepreneurs, founders and early management teams as strategic partners to add value and help them achieve their objectives. 

 

Redefining Conventional Industry Standards

 

Over the span of her career, whether as a junior investment professional or serving senior executive positions at other private equity firms, Jessica had memories of sitting across the table as a leader and feeling just like a ‘suit’ giving advice to her members without most of the people on her side of the table having sat in their shoes. She felt as if the messaging being conveyed was not relevant but a typical private equity investor with money that adds no real value. 

With Rellevant, Jessica, along with her team, is trying to change that concept. The company establishes itself as relevant with its combined 40+ years of experience related to the industries it invests in. In fact, Jessica herself has 8 years of operating experience as CEO and CFO of consumer-facing businesses and has sat in the seat of the partnering entrepreneurs.  Rellevant Partners are strategic and patient investors who aim to create meaningful value for all parties involved. 

 

Emphasis on Needful Aspects of the Industry 

 

Rellevant makes investments in the food & beverage, ResTech, restaurant, and food technology sectors. Different things are meant by innovation throughout our focus industries, but it would involve some of the following, either separately or together. We would need the answers to these questions in order to find a decent investment opportunity. Has the idea produced something distinctive and enticing? Exists a clear competitive advantage? Is the positioning of the brand unique? What ways do they support society? Is the value proposition compelling and being communicated in a distinctive manner? What problems are they addressing? Are they causing an industrial disruption?

Rellevant Partners stands out in the market in multiple ways. Today, finding funding for new restaurant concepts with great growth potential is getting harder and harder in the current economy. In addition, due to Covid and a change to online ordering, we have seen an increase in the number of ResTech businesses that have formed in recent years. These businesses are looking for partners with experience in the restaurant and hospitality industries as they have usually only had access to traditional tech VCs that offers little strategic value outside of their digital skills. With that being said, Rellevant Partner’s extensive knowledge of the sectors it invests in sets it apart from the competition.

 

Spearheading with Zeal and Intellect 

 

Being at the helm, Jessica spearheads the company with her leadership skills and intellect. She hails from a unique hybrid background that combines over 15 years of private equity experience with almost 10 years of C-level operating and management experience. Jessica also serves as the Interim CFO and Strategic Financial Advisor to companies in the consumer and biotech industries.

Jessica holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a BCom with Great Distinction/Dean’s Honor List from McGill University. Jessica serves on the Board of RASA, an Indian fast-casual restaurant based in DC that is one of Rellevant’s portfolio companies. Previously she was on the Board of Rosa Mexicano, Yardbird, and Stacked, as well as the Harvard Business School Women’s Association of New York.

As the leader, she has always prioritized an open-door policy. Jessica ensures that employees and peers look upon her as an approachable and collaborative leader and are never afraid to ask questions or admit to having made a mistake. She has worked with various types of people and believes that leading by far is “just plainly not a leader at all. I try to lead by example while being open-minded and learning from those around me.” Moreover, she has high expectations but tries to deliver her messaging in a calm manner. 

 

“Our view of what makes for a successful restaurant company is shaped by a deep and broad understanding of the industry, honed from years of experience.  It is not limited by sector, size of the company, or operating structure.”

 

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