Why Chose Columbiad Capital Advisors
Deep Experience and Industry Agnostic
Successful Operators—Not Just Financial Experts
Deep Experience and Industry Agnostic
Columbiad Capital Advisors brings a distinguished track record of successful transactions across a broad array of industry sectors. Our team of seasoned senior operating executives has executed deals spanning both emerging and mature markets, demonstrating our ability to adapt and deliver results in a wide range of business environments.
We are proudly industry-agnostic, having completed transactions in sectors including—but not limited to—Information Technology, SaaS and XaaS, Logistics & Distribution, Mechanical Services, HealthTech, FinTech, Financial Services, Professional Services, Industrials, Telecommunications, Transportation, Specialty Construction, Forest Products, Textiles, Chemicals, and Energy.
This expansive experience equips us with the strategic insight, operational acumen, and executional rigor necessary to drive value creation across virtually any industry vertical.
Managing Partner Focus
Successful Operators—Not Just Financial Experts
Deep Experience and Industry Agnostic
Every Columbiad Capital Advisors engagement is personally led by one of our Senior Partners. From initial strategy development through final execution, our Managing Partners remain deeply involved throughout the entire transaction process—ensuring continuity, clarity, and excellence at every stage.
Our clients benefit directly from the experience, judgment, and commitment of our most senior professionals. We don’t delegate success; we lead it. With our reputation aligned with each client’s outcome, we are fully accountable and relentlessly focused on delivering results that exceed expectations.
Successful Operators—Not Just Financial Experts
Successful Operators—Not Just Financial Experts
Successful Operators—Not Just Financial Experts
At Columbiad Capital Advisors, we bring more than financial acumen to the table—we bring firsthand operational experience. Every member of our Advisory Team has held senior leadership and C-suite roles, giving us a deep understanding of the real-world challenges business owners face.
We have successfully run companies ourselves, so we understand the nuances of decision-making, risk management, and growth execution from the inside out. Our team has delivered value not only as strategic advisors in buying, selling, and financing businesses, but also as proven operators who have built and led companies through complex transitions and growth phases.
This dual perspective—operator and advisor—enables us to deliver practical, results-oriented guidance tailored to each client’s unique goals and realities.
Transform Your Business with Columbiad Capital Advisors
FINRA/SEC Registered Investment Bankers
FINRA/SEC Registered Investment Bankers
FINRA/SEC Registered Investment Bankers
Columbiad Capital Advisors operates with the highest standards of regulatory compliance and professional integrity. Our professionals are registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) through our affiliation with Walnut Creek Capital Advisors LLC.
This registration underscores our commitment to ethical conduct and client protection, while enabling us to offer a comprehensive suite of investment banking services. These include:
- Sell-side and buy-side advisory
- Majority recapitalizations
- Minority capital raises
- Exit strategy planning
- Debt restructuring and refinancing
- Strategic advisory for mergers and acquisitions
Our regulatory credentials, combined with decades of transactional and operational expertise, empower us to deliver trustworthy, high-impact solutions tailored to our clients’ strategic objectives.
Lower Middle Market Focus
FINRA/SEC Registered Investment Bankers
FINRA/SEC Registered Investment Bankers
Columbiad Capital Advisors is purpose-built to serve the unique needs of lower middle market companies—particularly founder-led and rapidly growing businesses preparing for transformational change.
We understand the challenges and opportunities that come with scaling operations, attracting strategic partners, or planning for ownership transition. Our engagement model is deliberately designed to reflect the complexity and individuality of each client situation: discreet, comprehensive, and highly customized.
With a proven process and a personalized approach, we help our clients navigate critical inflection points and position their companies for lasting success.
Meet the Team
Jim Bryja - Managing Partner
Jim Bryja serves as Managing Partner at Columbiad Capital Advisors, where he is responsible for leading client engagements, delivering strategic financial and operational advisory services, and sourcing third-party investors within the firm's M&A Advisory practice. With over 35 years of extensive experience in executive management and advisory roles, Mr. Bryja has held senior positions including Division President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Vice President of Sales. His expertise spans the complete M&A lifecycle, including transaction negotiation, acquisition integration, and business unit operations.
In addition to his advisory role, Mr. Bryja actively participates on the Board of Directors for multiple client organizations and businesses in which he has personal investments. These include Midtown Consulting Group in Atlanta, Georgia, and Commercial Interiors Manufacturing, Inc. in Jasper, Georgia.
Mr. Bryja began his career at Georgia-Pacific Corporation, progressing through roles in corporate finance, marketing, and ultimately leading a global sales team for a $400 million business unit. His experience also includes executive leadership positions with private equity-owned manufacturing entities, such as Chief Operating Officer at Universal Fiber Systems LLC in Bristol, Virginia, and Vice President of North American Sales & Marketing for Propex Fabrics, Inc. in Atlanta.
Before his tenure at Columbiad Capital Advisors, Mr. Bryja co-founded Frontline Capital Partners and led that business for 9 years and held leadership roles in professional services and consulting firms. He served as Vice President of Private Equity Solutions at Orion Technology Services, LLC, and Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Midtown Consulting Group, both located in Atlanta. Additionally, he co-founded the Houston office of The North Highland Company. Mr. Bryja also served as President of Interra Food Marketing LLC, a division of Interra International LLC, where he led North American market operations.
Mr. Bryja earned his MBA in Finance from The University of Michigan in 1983 and holds a BBA degree, graduating Magna Cum Laude, from The University of Georgia. He has passed have passed the Series 63, Series 79 and SIE exams.
Don Shapleigh
Don Shapleigh has more than 45 years’ experience as a banker and financial services entrepreneur in the Atlanta/SE marketplace. For the past 5 years he has worked as an Advisor to several Atlanta firms. Prior to his work as a Consultant, he served as an Executive Vice President with Crescent Bank, a billion-dollar community bank located in north Metro Atlanta. Prior to Crescent he was a Founding Director and Senior Lender with Futurus Bank which sold to Crescent in 2005.
Mr. Shapleigh began his career with Bank South, where he spent 20 years in various executive positions, culminating in his elevation to Senior Group Vice President. His ability to manage rapid growth and profitability in excess of budget while restructuring was rewarded by various leadership opportunities which included Correspondent Banking, Retail Banking and Small Business Lending, and finally all Commercial Banking. In 1992 Don moved to SouthTrust Bank as Commercial Lending Manager for the Georgia Bank. In 1995 Don became a Co-Founder and Director of NetBank. He was part of the management team that raised over $250 million in public offerings and grew the Bank to over $1 billion in assets while achieving profitability.
A graduate of The University of the South (Sewanee) with a BA in Economics, Mr. Shapleigh also earned an advanced degree in Banking from the Louisiana State University School of Banking.
Mr. Shapleigh has been active with the Georgia Bankers Association, United Way, Georgia Habitat for Humanity, Little League Baseball, Dunwoody Country Club Board of Governors and the Sewanee Alumni Association. He is currently serving as a Board member of the Atlanta YMCA (Cowart Branch) and a Director of Prostaware, a prostate cancer awareness non-profit organization.
Senior Operating Advisors
Daveenia Beller
With over 16 years of leadership at the intersection of technology, business strategy, and innovation, Daveenia Beller serves as a Senior Operating Advisor to Columbiad Capital Advisors and is a recognized advisor to high-growth companies, Fortune 500 enterprises, and stealth-mode AI ventures.
As the founder and operator of a multi-service national firm, Daveenia has built and scaled businesses that support CIOs and executive teams across industries in navigating digital transformation, enterprise architecture, and cost optimization. Her work includes leading complex technology implementations, structuring gain-share models, and driving measurable ROI through emerging tech adoption and vendor negotiation strategies.
Daveenia’s advisory impact extends to the investment and venture capital landscape, where she provides strategic counsel to technology and AI startups in stealth mode. She partners with founders and investors to shape go-to-market strategies, refine product-market fit, and position platforms for high-growth scaling and long-term enterprise value.
Known for her ability to connect innovation with execution, Daveenia has led national initiatives in workforce development, created high-impact training programs, and built strategic roadmaps that fuel growth for Fortune 500 companies. Her influence spans procurement, cybersecurity, cloud transformation, AI governance, and efficient service delivery with cutting-edge solutions.
A sought-after advisor, Daveenia brings a unique blend of operational insight, boardroom credibility, and deep connections across the technology ecosystem to accelerate results and reduce costs. Daveenia's areas of management expertise includes staffing/recruiting, SalesTech, HRTech, Consulting and Professional Service, Information Technology verticals.
Darren Rodgers
Darren Rodgers serves as a Senior Operating Advisor to Columbiad Capital Advisors, bringing strategic insight and operational expertise to the firm’s healthcare-focused investments. With over three decades of experience spanning virtually all aspects of the health insurance industry, Darren is a proven leader known for his deep understanding of healthcare delivery, payer operations, and stakeholder engagement.
Formerly President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and Chief Marketing Officer for Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), Darren has overseen large-scale corporate divisions and led high-impact strategic initiatives across organizations with thousands of employees. His leadership was instrumental in driving digital transformation, streamlining customer onboarding, and aligning multi-state marketing operations to enhance performance and speed to market.
He is widely recognized as a trusted advisor and expert in the industry, having served as a spokesperson and witness to state legislative bodies, governors, and national congressional leaders. Today, Darren works closely with healthcare innovators such as Carrot Fertility, Carrum Health, Hinge Health, Spring Health, Virta Health, and Waya Health, providing advisory support as they scale and disrupt traditional healthcare models.
Darren has served on a number of influential boards, including Blue Health Intelligence (BHI), Texas Health Services Authority (THSA), the Texas Health Institute (THI), and the Caring for Children Foundation of Texas. In these roles, he has guided data policy strategy, charitable health initiatives, and the secure exchange of healthcare information at state and national levels.
He holds a Master of Dispute Resolution from Southern Methodist University, an MBA from Tulane University, an MA from Duke University, and a BA from the University of Georgia. In addition, he is a Certified Health Insurance Executive (AHIP) and Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (Wharton/IFEBP), and has mentored emerging leaders through formal executive programs.
Based in Dallas, Darren continues to shape the future of health and benefits through board leadership, operating partnerships, and advising forward-looking healthcare enterprises.