We're back from this year's Exit Planning Institute Summit and we're beyond inspired by the energy and engagement we saw!

Now that we're settling back in and pushing forward into this next phase of building as we get closer to our beta launch., we've had a bit of time to think about what we experienced - especially as first-time conference attendees. Here’s what stuck with us:

1. This community holds a true passion

From casual hallway conversations to standing-room only resource labs and breakout sessions, we were surrounded by people who live and breathe exits.

With this crowd, networking didn’t take the usual effort; it felt like a meaningful community rooted in shared goals and mutual respect. Everyone connected right off the bat.

This year’s award winners—Joe Seetoo (Exit Planner of the Year), Renee Russo (Thought Leader of the Year), and Rick J. Krebs (Member of the Year)—each demonstrated what it looks like to lead with intention, generosity, and innovation.

Joe Seetoo was recognized for his empathy-driven approach and commitment to meeting business owners where they are, making the exit process less daunting and more strategic (a great example of using co-creation to build advantageous exits with business owners!). Mixing EOS with exit planning, Renee Russo brings a systems-level perspective to exit planning, translating operational excellence into community-building mentorship for newer advisors. Rick J. Krebs is a consistent advocate for collaboration within the exit team; generously sharing insights and helping others in the advisor ecosystem grow stronger together.

Hearing from, and talking to, them and the many others in our community was in incredible window into the passion shared by advisors, including both those  who have been respected advisors for decades and those who are just starting out in their exit planning career.

2. Excellence is the common thread.

Advisors are actively investing in their craft and you could feel it in every breakout session and conversation. From navigating how to use their CEPA credentials early in their journey to creating their own specific competitive flavor of exit planning, the people at this Summit were focused on mastery, not just being a cog in the advising industry.

3. Cross-industry insights can be found everywhere we look.

Power Sessions like Tim Weerasiri’s take on VC and Carrie Kerpen’s experience in marketing and navigating M&A as a female founder reminded us that exit planning doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The best advisors are cross-pollinators—pulling wisdom from across disciplines and applying it in ways that resonate with owners.

4. Growth fueled much of the excitement.

From DriveValue.com’s debut to new partners joining the ecosystem, it’s clear: this field is growing quickly. EPI has an ambitious vision and the advisors and partners showing up here are aiming to both support and benefit from the increased interest in this space.

5. Advisors are hungry for tools that match their mindset.

When we shared ideas about malleability and designing around trust, not transactions, the response was electric. Advisors don’t want rigid software. They want something that adapts to how they think, how they work, and who they serve. For the many advisors we connected with in a meaningful way, they expressed massive interest in following along through our final phases of development as we move towards our beta launch and co-creating functionality that is malleable and adaptable even after we launch.

Looking forward

To everyone we met at the Summit: thank you for the energy, the curiosity, and the shared belief that small business exits can (and should) be better. We’re building ELLA for you—and we left the conference more convinced than ever that the market is ready for something new.

Let’s make exits work better—for owners, for advisors, and for the communities where they exist.