By: Jay Jung – Founder | Managing Partner
The goal of Emabrc Advisors is twofold:
#1 Bring the McKinsey, and Goldman level of advisory to startups and the middle market.
Upon graduating from college Jay co-founded a network security startup in the early 2000s, shortly after the dot-com bust. He raised capital from Softbank and other VCs but ultimately closed the company down after a few years. It was tough.
He went on to join McKinsey & Co., to learn about management, strategy, growth, and corporate finance. Jay experienced the exuberance of 2007 and also the Armageddon of 2008.
Subsequently, Jay joined Goldman Sachs as an investment banker. While McKinsey has a strategic perspective, he found that M&A execution expertise came from investment bankers. At Goldman, he worked on over $50 billion in transactions across technology, industries, and natural resources.
Upon leaving Goldman, Jay found a passion for working with entrepreneurs (VC-backed and bootstrapped). With these companies, it became increasingly clear that it was an underserved market and there was a lot of opportunity to add real value as an advisor.
Jay’s father was an academic turned biotech entrepreneur, who rode the biotech boom all the way up, and saw it crashing down. He jokes that if Embarc Advisors was around for this father’s company, he would be living a very different life right now.
This is the goal and motivation for Embarc Advisors – to drive value and deliver success to founders, such that they may have a better outcome.
#2 Create a corporate finance advisory firm where people enjoy their work.
Many years ago, Jay’s wife, who works at a large tech company, finished a call with her teammates. He jokingly asked, “Does everyone on your team actually enjoy their jobs?” his wife replied, “of course. Why else would we be doing it”. Well, Jay can tell you that many investment bankers may have a different answer there.
This inspired Jay to create an M&A advisory firm that is differentiated on the outside, but also on the inside. There is constant complaining at an investment bank from the junior ranks.
Perhaps even more difficult than the first goal is to create a firm where people enjoy their work. To achieve this Jay set out to strive for:
- Exceptional Colleagues: We recognize that it all begins with the people we bring on board.
- Engaging and Intellectually Stimulating Projects: We actively avoid repetitive tasks, understanding that monotony breeds boredom.
- Continuous Learning and Career Development: We are committed to supporting our team members’ growth and progression.
- Enhanced Work-Life Balance: Acknowledging the demands of advisory work, we strive ti improve the status quo.
Achieving this goal is far from effortless; it demands unwavering dedication and hard work. However, he hopes that by blending the right elements, Embarc team members will confidently declare their enjoyment of both their work and their interactions with colleagues. This objective, while challenging and enigmatic, is our ultimate pursuit.
