Discover Jesse’s Story

Early Life: “A Rough Start”

Jesse’s childhood was marked by instability and loss. Spending most of his early ​years in York, Pennsylvania, he became a ward of the state at a young age, ​facing challenges stemming from poor parenting and acting out in school as a ​cry for attention. Living with his aunt brought some stability, but after her ​passing, his uncle returned him to the state.

He was then forced to lived with his biological mother, only to experience that ​same year one of his most traumatic memories—waking up to a police officer ​escorting him to a courthouse, where he learned that his mother had been ​brutally mugged and left for dead near railroad tracks. She passed away later that ​year from cirrhosis of the liver, a result of her lifelong battle with alcoholism.

Adolescence to Early 20s: “Bad Decisions & Hard Lessons”

In his teens, Jesse was adopted by his cousins, who he now calls mom and dad.

Despite this newfound family support, the emotional, physical, and psychological scars ​from his early life led him down a path of poor decision-making.

He dropped out of college and lost two of his four best friends to drug overdoses before ​the age of 25—a painful reminder of the destructive path that had claimed many in his ​family, including all of his grandmother’s children.

Jesse found work in construction, starting as a union carpenter hanging drywall and ​eventually becoming a project manager for several companies focused on commercial ​tenant improvements. However, after a DUI, he realized it was time to reshape his life.

During this time, Jesse met Army Ranger and Special Forces Operator (SOF) Mark ​Drake, who served in the 101st Airborne Division with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. ​While traveling their bond deepened as Jesse saw parallels between his struggles and ​those faced by veterans dealing with PTSD. Mark's insights shed light on the challenges ​veterans experience, helping Jesse to understand the unique difficulties and ​environments they faced.

Turning Point: “Building a New Foundation”

Jesse’s turning point came when he decided to redefine his ​values, beliefs, and habits. He launched Zigr, a consulting firm ​inspired by the principles of Zig Ziglar: "

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to ​start to be great."

"You can have everything in life you want if you ​will just help other people get what they want."

Through Zigr, Jesse taught himself essential business skills, from ​coding and website development to building business models ​and scaling companies. His perseverance and dedication paid off, ​leading him to work with startups and help them go to market.

Right at the end of 2019 he started to look at mergers and ​acquisitions (M&A) as a sector of focus with the skills he ​developed running Zigr.

Overcoming Obstacles & Wearing Many Hats

In the midst of his entrepreneurial journey, he faced yet another challenge, an 80-mile-per-hour motorcycle accident that left him with a torn meniscus ​and ACL. Forced to learn to walk again, he used this time to rethink his life ​and goals. He accepted a consulting role with a prominent real estate group, ​managing multi-million-dollar projects while working behind the scenes to ​close the acquisition of a defense contractor.

During this consulting time, Jesse was once again influenced by a veteran, ​Michael Dailey, a retired 23-year veteran of both the U.S. Army and Air ​Force, who served as a Green Beret in the 5th Special Forces Group, with ​combat deployments in Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom ​and a career spanning in DHS Office for Bombing Prevention Counter-IED ​Training and Awareness program.

Through a two-day personal mentor session, Michael helped Jesse find ​purpose by asking tough questions, breaking him down and building him up.

As the owner of Invictus Legacy Builders, Michael coaches entrepreneurs ​through a no-excuses coaching environment, motivating leaders of small and ​medium-sized businesses to conquer challenges that impede their company's ​growth, including inefficient sales and marketing strategies, as well as limiting ​beliefs and success habits that hinder early-stage expansion.

Success Against All Odds: “The Phoenix Group Acquisition”

In July of 2023, Jesse successfully acquired Phoenix Group, raising $750,000 from ​a small family-owned private equity firm. Despite having no prior experience in ​defense or private equity, Jesse found the deal, negotiated the terms of the ​purchase, and secured an SBA loan by partnering with a veteran that had 20+ ​years in the Navy. Within 30 days, he relocated to Virginia to lead the company, ​just in time to return to California to marry his wife, Kathy, in September.

By Q3 of 2024, Phoenix Group had grown to 68 employees and secured over ​$180 million in new DoD contracts, including a $75 million SBIR Phase 3 Sole ​Source Contracting Vehicle, a milestone achieved by a small percentage of ​companies, in an already complicated and highly regulated sector.

Under Jesse’s leadership, alongside the CEO he chose, the company generated ​over $12 million in annual revenue, doubled its EBITDA, and returned 55% of ​the initial capital in the first year. They are on track to return the principal plus a ​30% preferred return by Q2 of 2025. His success has enabled the private equity ​firm to reinvest in their portfolio and continue to scale.

A Passion For Serving Others

Jesse’s journey is a powerful example of how drive, perseverance, and the ​ability to adapt can lead to incredible success, even from the most challenging ​beginnings. Today, he continues to give back by helping veterans acquire ​companies through the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) ​model. Despite facing adversity, death, and addiction, Jesse has reshaped his ​environment and outcomes from within, proving that it’s possible to turn ​even the most difficult circumstances into a life of purpose and achievement.

“While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy ​enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” - Steve Jobs