Pagurian advisors and operating partners hold diverse industry expertise and the skillsets to provide value beyond capital to achieve investment & operational success in today’s fast evolving landscape.
COMPANIES WE’VE WORKED WITH…
OUR APPROACH IS UNDERPINNED BY AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT & TRACK RECORD OF ORGANIZING CAPITAL & EXPERTISE TO CAPTURE WORTH WHILE OPPORTUNITIES.
TARGET FINANCIAL METRICS…
$3M-$100M SALES
$1M-$10M PROFIT
INHOUSE CAPABILITIES &
VALUE CREATION LEVERS…
Entrepreneurs + Data Scientists + Investment Professionals
DATA REVIEW & TRANSFORMATION
We work with management to identify sources of underutilized data within the organization which can be leveraged to drive improvements across the operation channels: sales & marketing, profitability, logistics, and back office.
SOCIAL MEDIA
We have expertise working directly with some of the highest level influencers, managers, and agencies to generate priceless impressions through the use of creative story telling, unique placements and authentic content.
OMNI CHANNEL DISTRIBUTION
We have started DTC only brands which subsequently achieved distribution in retailers across the world.
It is more important than ever to meet the customer where they are. We have some limited warehouse capacity in the US and maintain key 3PL & retailer relationships throughout the world.
AI / ML AUTOMATION
We identify high volume and low-skill areas where automation can free up human capital to be redeployed in higher ROI activities, then we provide the expertise and tools to realize the value post implementation.
ADVERTISING & MARKETING
We have in-house teams and external consultants who work with portfolio companies to identify, monitor, and take advantage of arbitrage opportunities across all platforms and channels.
LONG-TERM & ACTIVE PARTNERS
We are investing our own capital (alongside our friends and partners) to bring a truly differentiated hands-on approach to micro-cap consumer brand investing.
We would rather own 5 brands for 20 years than have 20 exits in a 5 year time horizon.
AI / ML AUGMENTATION
Even in areas where full automation is not possible we have been able to help augment human capital so that jobs can be performed more effectively.
AFFILIATE NETWORK
Depending upon the niche and vertical we have experience working directly with large affiliates and leading tracking, attribution and fraud prevention software to generate growth that is both low risk and highly scalable.
RELATIONSHIPS
We stand here today with the experience, networks and track record from what has come before.
This is our next chapter, you (portfolio companies and founders) are our new family and we look forward to building something special with you.
ORIGINS…
Founded by James Wright after several years under the tutelage of Jim Downey, a titan of industry and one of Orange County’s wealthiest self-made entrepreneurs. While in his early-twenties James helped Downey’s Family Office acquire and build two manufacturing companies which grew to more than 500 employees and over $300M in enterprise value: C&D Aerospace — sold to Zodiac Safran, (2) EnCore Composite Structures — sold to PE, (3) EnCore Aerospace — sold to Boeing). This early experience proved formative, unlocking the doors of entrepreneurship and a passion for starting, acquiring and building companies.
In 2016 with the economy stabilizing and interest rates at historical lows, Pagurian became focused on self-storage and other CRE assets with business operations that benefit disproportionately from active management (CarWash, Self-Storage, RV Parks, Etc). Since then our CRE investment/development company PAGURIANPARTNERS has been involved in the financing and operation of more than $150M of assets including 23 self-storage facilities, car washes, and NNN retail properties. In late 2022 we launched NOMADSTORAGE — our self-storage property management company.
TODAY…
Pagurian invests on a long-term ownership basis across two main areas: real estate, where we continue to develop, manage and own real estate assets in the United States through our Pagurian Partners & Nomad Storage platforms; and private equity, where we structure long-term private partnerships around unique business opportunities. We’re pursuing investments in lower middle market companies in the following verticals: manufacturing, software, niche services, eCommerce and branded CPG.
We prefer to acquire a controlling stake that gives us decisive influence over company strategy, but do not rule out minority investments, particularly in growth opportunities where existing owners retain an interest going forward.
JAMES WRIGHT | Founding Partner
James is an accomplished entrepreneur and investor with over 15 years of experience that began with the private family office of Jim Downey, a titan of industry and one of Orange County’s most successful self-made entrepreneurs. Over the years, James has worked with a variety of companies to execute acquisition and implement new strategic initiatives, providing expertise, capital, and partnership during periods of significant transformation — rapid growth, minority stake sales, exit/succession for legacy planning, and turnarounds.
Hobbies: Golf, Cycling, Health, Art, Architecture & Design.
MBA UCLA Anderson School of Management
BA, Materials Engineering Western Washington University (WWU)
DAN MORRIS | Entrepreneur DTC & Ecommerce
Dan is a successful entrepreneur and early innovator in social media and influencer marketing for consumer brands. In 2015, Dan co-founded SugarBear Hair, which quickly became one of the fastest-growing single SKU DTC brands. By focusing on operational efficiency and reinvesting into the business, he and his co-founder grew via DTC & retail channels and achieved profitability and a nine-figure valuation before taking on outside capital.
In 2021, Dan made a partial exit from SugarBear Hair, selling a portion of his interest to Meaningful Partners and Nexus Capital Management. Since then, he has transitioned into private investing, focusing on consumer brands and commercial real estate, while his co-founder continues to lead the day-to-day operations of SugarBear Hair through its next phase of growth.
EMAD HASAN | Technical Advisor (CTO —AI/ML)
Emad is a seasoned entrepreneur and AI/ML leader with over six years of experience founding and scaling venture-backed SaaS platforms. Notably, Emad built a 50+ person company that served Fortune 500 clients like Capital One and Nestle, leveraging data and AI to enhance ad performance on Meta and Google Ads.
In addition to hands-on leadership, Emad has advised several $1B+ eCommerce startups, driving significant revenue growth through personalized AI strategies. He’s led high-impact AI training for over 75 CEOs and U.S. Congress members, and is the YPO AI/ML sub-network Vice Chair. Past roles include driving marketing operations and analytics at Meta, where they developed revenue impact tools, and at PayPal, where they used machine learning to identify valuable customer segments.
MBA UCLA Anderson School of Management
Masters, Electrical Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
LIZ ELERT | Chief Brand Officer & Marketing Consultant
Liz is a branding expert with a track record of shaping some of the most recognizable brands over the past 25 years.
She has led creative departments and spearheaded brand strategies for major companies, including SugarBear Hair, The Honest Company, Target, Victoria’s Secret, Limited Brands, Gap, and Old Navy.
With her strategic vision and knack for innovation, Liz has consistently driven these brands to capture market share and elevate their identities in competitive spaces. Today, Liz consults as a Chief Brand Officer, bringing her wealth of experience to emerging and established brands alike, helping them refine their brand presence and connect authentically with their audiences.
