Great Hill Partners proudly hosted its third annual Growth Summit, welcoming more than 110 leaders from its portfolio of innovative companies to Nashville, Tennessee. This year’s theme, “Growth Agents: The Profitable Growth Imperative,” focused on how operators can scale efficiently while sustaining long-term value creation at their companies.
Over three days, the summit delivered a robust program with participants joining keynotes, workshops, and breakout sessions spanning functional areas of Product and Technology, Go-to-Market, Finance, and Human Resources and Talent. The program, led by Great Hill’s Growth Team, featured a mix of industry experts and executives from across the portfolio.
Key Sessions and Highlights
The summit opened with a fireside chat featuring David Doctorow, CEO of Custom Ink, who shared candid lessons on strategic focus and leading with operational excellence.
The second day saw a packed agenda, beginning with the legendary Marty Cagan, Partner of Silicon Valley Product Group, who explored the shift toward the Product Operating Model and the opportunities it unlocks, particularly with generative AI.
Informational sessions consisted of:
- Q&A on Bringing the Product Model to Life in Product & Technology with Marty Cagan (Partner, SVPG)
- A Guide to ABX Success led by Keith Hall (Vice President of Digital Marketing & Demand Generation, One inc.)
- A CFO’s Perspective on Navigating Private Equity Exit Strategies
- Organizational Design as a Growth Catalyst with Avneet Jolly (Consulting Leader, Insightory)
Attendees also heard from a cross-functional panel featuring Greg Bond (SVP, Customer Operations, Enumerate), Kristen Bryant (CMO, Clearwave), Arthur Chapin (Chief Product, Design, and Technology Officer, Custom Ink), and Ben Litvinas (Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Custom Ink). The discussion spotlighted how AI is helping non-technical functions succeed and shared lessons on leading effective change management to drive the adoption of new, innovative tools.
Afternoon breakout sessions covered topics such as:
- A CTO’s Perspective on Navigating Private Equity Exit Strategies with Erik Bengtsson (CTO, Today Tix Group)
- AI and its Impact on Go-to-Market with Dave Boyce (Managing Director, Winning by Design)
- How CFOs Balance Growth Ambitions with Financial Discipline
- Creating a Strategic Hiring Brief with Stacey DeVoe (Head of Talent, Great Hill Partners)
The summit concluded with an engaging fireside chat featuring Carey O’Connor Kolaja, CEO of Versapay, who discussed leadership in today’s hybrid workplace, cultivating talent, and driving company-wide change.
Outside of formal programming, attendees networked at ice cream socials, evening dinners, and live music outings that reflected the spirit of Music City. Leaders took the opportunity to exchange ideas, build new partnerships, and provide direct feedback in an open, energetic environment. The high levels of engagement throughout the summit and positive attendee feedback highlight the importance of bringing our portfolio community together to share knowledge, drive innovation, and find new ways to navigate evolving challenges.
The Growth Summit reflects Great Hill’s ongoing commitment to empowering portfolio leaders to scale effectively and sustainably. By convening peers across industries and disciplines, the event fosters candid conversations, shared insights, and actionable strategies that seek to help companies thrive in dynamic markets. Thank you to all attendees, speakers, and organizers for contributing your expertise and enthusiasm. We look forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead!
