Brian O'Connor, Booth '08, is the founder and managing partner of NextGen Growth Partners ("NGP"), a lower-middle market private equity firm that partners with talented entrepreneur-operators to acquire and build great companies in growing industries. The firm was founded in 2015 on the belief that there is significant opportunity for value creation when fundamentally sound small businesses are led by the best and brightest entrepreneurial-minded operators.

Prior to founding NGP, Brian served as co-CEO and head of business development of Innflux, a hospitality-focused IT service company, where he oversaw sales/marketing, business development, M&A and investor relations functions. Innflux was sold to strategic buyer Thing5 in January 2015, after 3.5 years of significant growth. Brian became involved with Innflux after acquiring the business, through his search fund Fellowship Capital Partners ("FCP") in 2011.

Prior to founding FCP, Brian was a vice president with Equity International, a middle market growth private equity fund. Brian was responsible for sourcing, evaluating, underwriting and closing new investment opportunities, as well as working closely with portfolio companies post-acquisition on operations and business strategy. Additionally, Brian currently teaches entrepreneurship through acquisition at his alma mater, Chicago Booth, as an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship. Brian also serves as board member and treasurer for Distinctively College Bound, a non-profit focused on creating opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular activities that cater to their individual talents and interests and promote continued education. Brian is a graduate of Miami University (Ohio) with a double major in finance and management information systems. Brian also holds an MBA from Chicago Booth with concentrations in entrepreneurship, finance, accounting and international business.