ACG Detroit | Scaling Success: Lessons from a PE Growth Engine

Mike is a Co-Founder and Partner at Shore Capital Partners ("Shore"), a lower middle market private equity firm based in Chicago. Shore’s strategy is to support management partners to grow faster with less risk, through access to capital, world-class board and operational resources, and unmatched networking, development, and shared learnings across the portfolio.

Mike is responsible for all activities of the firm including deal and executive sourcing and evaluating and enabling the growth of Shore investments. Prior to co-founding Shore, Mike worked at Wind Point Partners ("Wind Point"), a Chicago-based private equity investment firm that partners with top caliber executives to acquire middle market businesses where Wind Point can establish a path to value creation. Prior to joining Wind Point, Mike worked at UBS Investment Bank in both Chicago and New York, where he provided mergers and acquisitions advisory services and debt and equity financing for companies across a diverse set of industries.

Outside of the office, Mike is a member of the Young Presidents' Organization ("YPO"). Mike is also actively involved in fundraising on behalf of the Nicole Cooper Foundation. Mike is also a member of the Board of Advisors for University of Detroit Jesuit High School & Academy, his high school alma mater.

Mike received a B.S.B.A., summa cum laude, in Finance and Management from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.

Carrie Schochet is the Founder and CEO of Purple Squirrel Advisors, a boutique executive search firm based in Troy, Michigan. With a passion for helping companies grow by building exceptional leadership teams, Carrie has spent the past 20+ years identifying senior-level talent for small to mid-size businesses, with a strong emphasis on Private Equity-backed companies. Her expertise spans connecting C-level and senior executives to leadership roles in finance, accounting, human resources, operations, sales, and marketing.

After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, Carrie began her career in Chicago, spending over a decade climbing the ranks at one of the nation’s leading recruitment and staffing firms. In 2012, she returned to her hometown of Rochester to be closer to family. By early 2015, she launched Purple Squirrel Advisors with the mission of creating a consultative, “white glove” recruitment process tailored to each client. Carrie’s team combines an expansive network with proactive direct sourcing to connect PE-backed, family-owned, and entrepreneurial companies with top-tier candidates, solving even the most challenging searches.

Beyond recruitment, Carrie’s compassion and values fuel her dedication to philanthropy and community leadership. She co-founded 100 Businesses Who Care, an organization uniting business leaders to create a significant impact across Southeast Michigan. In 2013, she launched CFO Next, a networking group designed to support transitioning or unemployed senior financial executives. Carrie also serves on several boards, including the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), where she chairs the Women’s Forum Committee, and the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), where she is Learning Chair and President-Elect for the 2026/2027 program year.

When she’s not working, Carrie loves spending time outdoors with her husband Blake, their three children—Brendan, Nick, and Mia—and their Bernese Mountain Dog, Chloe. Whether hiking, skiing, or exploring new destinations, she brings her enthusiasm for life to everything she does. Carrie is also an avid traveler and hobbyist photographer, always seeking inspiration in the beauty of the world.