Advisory Board/Faculty

Ryan Kaczka

Ryan Kaczka is a seasoned private equity investor, investment banker, and operator with a specialization in initial public offerings, leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, and de-novo companies. With a primary focus on behavioral health, Ryan also spearheads investments in digital health, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and banking. With extensive experience in operations and leadership, he has served as CEO, COO, and board member of numerous companies. In 2018, he was recognized as the Tampa Spotlight CEO and named NJBIZ's 2023 Healthcare Innovator of the Year.

Mr. Kaczka is a prominent figure on various boards, including portfolio companies, the Rutgers University Center for Addiction Studies, the White House/ONDCP Opioid Litigation Abatement Advisory, an international bank, and an international healthcare non-profit. He also serves as a personal advisor to numerous federal, state, and local leaders, including Senators, Congressmen, Committees, Governors, and Department leaders. With a passion for Muay Thai fighting, astrophysics, and advocating for national healthcare and banking reform, Mr. Kaczka brings a unique perspective to his work in the field. His expertise and accomplishments make him the go-to choice for private equity and M&A expertise.

2026 Sessions

Valuation Expectations vs Market Reality: Bridging the Gap Between Owners and Buyers

<strong>Session Description</strong>: This panel tackles one of the biggest sources of friction in today’s market: valuation expectations that don’t hold up under scrutiny. We’ll cover misaligned assumptions, add-backs that survive diligence versus those that don’t, risk-adjusted EBITDA, and why different buyers price the same asset differently. We’ll also discuss how buyers increasingly evaluate the “operating system” behind the numbers—data quality, revenue cycle visibility, outcomes measurement, and tech-enabled scalability—and when technology strengthens valuation versus when it’s discounted as unproven. Attendees will leave with a clearer, market-realistic view of value drivers and how to avoid disappointment at the LOI and diligence stages.

Moderator

Panelist

Tuesday, December 15 12:30–1:15 PM
Advisory Board/Faculty

Ryan Kaczka

Ryan Kaczka is a seasoned private equity investor, investment banker, and operator with a specialization in initial public offerings, leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, and de-novo companies. With a primary focus on behavioral health, Ryan also spearheads investments in digital health, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and banking. With extensive experience in operations and leadership, he has served as CEO, COO, and board member of numerous companies. In 2018, he was recognized as the Tampa Spotlight CEO and named NJBIZ's 2023 Healthcare Innovator of the Year.

Mr. Kaczka is a prominent figure on various boards, including portfolio companies, the Rutgers University Center for Addiction Studies, the White House/ONDCP Opioid Litigation Abatement Advisory, an international bank, and an international healthcare non-profit. He also serves as a personal advisor to numerous federal, state, and local leaders, including Senators, Congressmen, Committees, Governors, and Department leaders. With a passion for Muay Thai fighting, astrophysics, and advocating for national healthcare and banking reform, Mr. Kaczka brings a unique perspective to his work in the field. His expertise and accomplishments make him the go-to choice for private equity and M&A expertise.

Faculty

Watch Here for Additional Panelists .

Faculty

Robert D'Annibale

Vice President of Growth & Corporate Development
Crossroads

Robert D’Annibale is Vice President of Growth & Corporate Development at Crossroads Treatment Centers, where he leads growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, business development, marketing, and community engagement. Since joining Crossroads, he has helped drive the organization’s expansion through strategic acquisitions and integration efforts that have increased access to addiction treatment services across multiple states.

Prior to Crossroads, Robert served as Head of Corporate Strategy & Development at Forge Health, leading corporate strategy, M&A, business development, and growth initiatives. Earlier in his career, he worked in healthcare investment banking at Jefferies, advising healthcare organizations on mergers and acquisitions and strategic transactions.

Robert holds a B.A. in Economics with a Minor in Financial Economics from Johns Hopkins University and regularly speaks on healthcare growth strategy, behavioral health, and M&A.

Faculty

Carrie Singer

Psy.D.
Founder
Orchard Mental Health Group

Dr. Carrie Singer is a licensed psychologist, healthcare entrepreneur, four-time Inc. 5000 founder, and former CEO of a multi-site, family office-backed behavioral health platform that grew to more than 150 clinicians across ten locations.

Following the transaction, Carrie remained actively involved in platform growth, helping source, negotiate, and integrate acquisitions, improve payer economics, and scale operations across portfolio companies. Having participated in deals as a founder, operator, seller, buyer, board member, and minority equity holder, she brings a unique perspective on how value is created, measured, and realized in behavioral healthcare.

Today, Carrie advises healthcare founders nationwide on growth, succession planning, and M&A strategy while leading the largest online outpatient behavioral health M&A community in the country, connecting more than 2,000 founders with capital and advisory services. She is currently focused on founder-aligned investment, acquisition, and partnership opportunities within healthcare services.

Service Line Cycles: What Worked, What Broke, and What’s Next (2026–27)

<strong>Session Description</strong>: Behavioral health has seen multiple “hot” service lines surge—then cool—often driven by changes in payer behavior, regulation, referral dynamics, and reimbursement reality. This panel takes a candid look at the last decade of service line cycles (what scaled well, what became fragile, and what operators wish they had seen sooner), then pressure-tests what may be next in 2027—from stabilization models and specialty tracks to newer demand areas and emerging modalities.<br>
You’ll hear perspectives across operations, revenue cycle, and payer strategy on the real drivers behind profitability and durability: network participation, medical necessity and utilization management, documentation standards, outcomes expectations, and the operational infrastructure required to sustain performance as the market tightens. Attendees will leave with a clearer framework for evaluating “next big” opportunities—what to pursue, what to avoid, and what signals to watch before placing a bet.<br>

Moderator

Panelist

Tuesday, December 15 1:30–2:15 PM
Advisory Board/Faculty

Ryan Kaczka

Ryan Kaczka is a seasoned private equity investor, investment banker, and operator with a specialization in initial public offerings, leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, and de-novo companies. With a primary focus on behavioral health, Ryan also spearheads investments in digital health, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and banking. With extensive experience in operations and leadership, he has served as CEO, COO, and board member of numerous companies. In 2018, he was recognized as the Tampa Spotlight CEO and named NJBIZ's 2023 Healthcare Innovator of the Year.

Mr. Kaczka is a prominent figure on various boards, including portfolio companies, the Rutgers University Center for Addiction Studies, the White House/ONDCP Opioid Litigation Abatement Advisory, an international bank, and an international healthcare non-profit. He also serves as a personal advisor to numerous federal, state, and local leaders, including Senators, Congressmen, Committees, Governors, and Department leaders. With a passion for Muay Thai fighting, astrophysics, and advocating for national healthcare and banking reform, Mr. Kaczka brings a unique perspective to his work in the field. His expertise and accomplishments make him the go-to choice for private equity and M&A expertise.

Faculty

Watch Here for Additional Panelists .

Faculty

Tom Britton

PhD
CEO
Britton and Company Consulting

Dr. Britton's career journey in the mid-1990s began in the behavioral health sector, focusing on assisting patients with mental illness, substance use, and developmental disabilities. With a relentless pursuit of knowledge, Dr. Britton holds two master's degrees and a Doctorate in Public Health, specializing in executive leadership and strategy. His dedication and expertise propelled him to his first senior leadership position at the age of thirty-one. Over the past 24 years, he has overseen progressively larger organizations, notably serving as Division President of a prominent addiction treatment provider and holding four CEO positions in leading national behavioral health care organizations. In his most recent role as the owner and founder of Britton + Company Consulting, Dr. Britton serves as a partner to private equity-backed, privately held, and not-for-profit businesses. Britton + Company Consulting supports businesses in navigating the rapidly changing and dynamic landscape of healthcare, with a specialization in behavioral healthcare. Specifically, he partners with organizations to create and execute strategic plans that drive growth, profitability, and clinical excellence. Services include operational analysis, mergers and acquisition, talent management, strategic planning, and board support including operating partnerships.

Faculty

Greg Keilin

Co-Founder and Strategic Growth Advisor
Prosperity Behavioral Health

Greg is a co-founder of Prosperity Behavioral Health with 15+ years of experience in finance and corporate strategy. He has assisted in the evaluation, execution and integration of multiple behavioral health M&A transactions while implementing plans for data-driven revenue cycle to help customers grow.

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