A Home for Businesses That Matter

Jeff graduated from Harvard (we won’t hold it against him…) in 2003, torn between going to seminary, taking his band on the road, or getting into “business”. He ended up pursuing the latter, starting at Home Depot and then joining Roark Capital as one of their first employees, investing in franchisors like Arby’s, Moe’s, and Orange Theory Fitness.

A decade later, however, a side project brewery Jeff co-founded in his back year had turned into one of the nation’s fastest growing breweries. Long envious of the founders and operators he worked with, Jeff decided to join Monday Night Brewing full time as CEO in 2016.. Under his leadership, Monday Night has grown across the Southeast, employed hundreds, and won numerous awards for both quality and culture.

Like Jeff, John started his career with the best training he could find, working in the Private Equity Group for Bain in Atlanta. While a great training ground for data analysis and strategic thinking, the distance from hands-on work and the people with the companies felt lacking. And so, he decided to test the waters by working for a “real business,” joining Jeff for a 5-month project at Monday Night Brewing.

That project began in March of 2020, a turbulent time for any small business, let alone one so dependent on supply chains and frontline labor. During these challenging months, Jeff and John worked closely together, forging not only a way ahead for Monday Night but also a deep friendship and shared view of work.

Since then, Jeff and John dreamt of working together again and combining their love of   investing with their experience in small business operations. Through their time on both sides of the table, they saw the need for a new type of investment firm that brought together patient capital; deep operational experience; and a helpful, collaborative approach.

In 2024, the dream finally came to life with the launch of Southstone Holdings – a long-term holding company designed to invest in some of the Southeast’s greatest small businesses. The firm acquired their first company in 2025 and continues to look for great founder and family-owned companies searching for the right partner to steward their companies’ next chapter.

Our paths have been anything but conventional –  but we think they’re uniquely suited to stewarding family and founder-run companies.

We both began our careers in the fast-paced world or large private equity – an industry we admit can be a mixed bag with a well-earned reputation. Few people leave investing to start and run a brewery, but that’s exactly what Jeff did in 2013. As CEO, he scaled Monday Night into a nationally award-winning brewery with hundreds of employees and multiple locations across the Southeast.
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It was here at the brewery where we became friends, deepened our love for small business, (admittedly took some licks), and began dreaming about investing alongside other companies like Monday Night – hand’s on, essential businesses where people make the difference.