Our Story
Phoenix Business Collective was founded with a singular purpose.
To harness the collective strength and buying power of an exclusive network of top-tier business leaders. Designed specifically for members of YPO, Vistage, EO, Titan 100, and Tiger 21, we operate like a modern-day co-op — leveraging our combined influence to unlock unparalleled value, exclusive opportunities, and strategic advantages.
Our mission is simple.
Empower our members to achieve more together than they could alone. By uniting some of the most dynamic and accomplished leaders under one collective, we create efficiencies, negotiate better terms, and deliver access to premium services and resources that drive real business growth.
Beyond just purchasing power, The Phoenix Business Collective fosters a trusted environment where collaboration, innovation, and shared success thrive.
Together, we’re redefining what it means to be part of an elite business community.
Words from
our founder
At Phoenix Business Collective, this isn’t some kumbaya leadership circle—it’s a powerful crew who own their lanes and don’t miss.
Duane Nelson runs Parcel, which means we control the FedEx and UPS game. He’s got 35+ years of strategic firepower and turns logistics into a profit weapon.
Thomas Kane owns the payments rails—think Fiserv and beyond. He’s raised over $300M, played in the deep end of capital markets, and knows exactly how to tear inefficiencies out by the roots.
Bret Novey is the guy who helped build the legal cannabis industry from scratch. As CEO of PharmaCann, he scaled it to $425M in revenue, $65M in EBITDA, and over $600M in M&A. Peak valuation? $1.8B. He builds fast, exits hard, and now he’s weaponizing that same playbook inside Phoenix.
Brian Adam is the culture beast. He leads 250+ people across four cities, built the country’s top mascot manufacturer, and runs Olympus Group like a damn championship team. His culture isn’t fluff—it’s fuel.
Andrew Haag runs ERA and heads up contracts, audit, and vendor takedowns. He’s the scalpel. 10+ acquisitions deep, EOS to the bone, and the guy you want reading the fine print when money’s on the line.
Ashley Maher-Widen is the ops assassin. Built out startups inside a Fortune 200, holds more designations than most CFOs, and sees around corners operationally. If Phoenix runs smooth, it’s because she wired it that way.
This isn’t a team—it’s a tactical unit. No politics. No fluff. Just elite operators who move fast, fix what’s broken, and extract every ounce of value for business owners. This is what happens when winners stop competing and start building together.
Meet our Founders
CEO & CRO
Entrepreneur. Operator. Father of Five. Beard guy.
Dan Buehrle is the founder of Phoenix Business Collective, a company built on a simple idea: business owners shouldn’t be overpaying for stuff just because no one’s watching the invoices. With a background in finance, leadership, and what can only be described as a lifelong tolerance for chaos, Dan created Phoenix to bring data, trust, and collective buying power to the people who actually run the world—entrepreneurs.
Before launching Phoenix, Dan built and led Union Financial, served as Senior Regional Managing Director at Principal Financial Network, and co-founded Elevate by Principal, where he scaled a national advisory platform while still remembering most of his kids’ names on a daily basis.
A longtime member of YPO, Dan served 8 years on the Wisconsin Board and was Regional Champion for YPO Mid-Americas, where he learned the fine art of herding Type A visionaries. He also spent 8 years on the Children’s Hospital Board, and currently co-chairs the Children’s Wisconsin Foundation for Mental Health Awareness—because changing the world requires more than spreadsheets and Zoom calls.
Dan has a degree in Organizational Communication and Business Management from UW–Whitewater, where he started as an art major before realizing that business majors also get student loans. He splits his time between Milwaukee and Madison, and his heart between his five incredible kids, R&B playlists, heavy lifts, wild birds, and even wilder ideas.
If you can’t find him, he’s probably deep in a Google Sheet, halfway up a trail, or explaining gain share economics to a ten-year-old.
President & CFO
Chief Executive Officer | Business Builder | Health & Wellness Industry Leader
Brett Novey is a dynamic, results-driven CEO with a proven track record of scaling operations and driving sustained growth in highly regulated industries. As the chief executive of one of the largest privately held, vertically integrated companies in the U.S. health and wellness sector, Brett led the organization from a pre-revenue startup to a $425 million revenue enterprise with $65 million in EBITDA—establishing it as a national category leader.
Renowned for his strategic vision and operational discipline, Brett has raised over $500 million in capital, including a $110 million strategic investment from a Fortune 200-affiliated partner. He has executed over a dozen M&A transactions totaling more than $600 million, expanded the company’s footprint to 10 retail locations and 10 manufacturing facilities across 8 states, and led transformative restructuring initiatives to drive positive cash flow and long-term sustainability. Under his leadership, the company reached its peak valuation of $1.8 billion.
Before assuming his current role, Brett served as Global Head of Financial Planning and Analysis at GSC Holdings, where he played a key role in GETCO’s $1.4 billion reverse-merger acquisition of Knight Capital Group. He implemented enterprise-wide re-engineering strategies that generated $30 million in annual savings and led the development of the company’s capital management plan.
Earlier in his career, Brett held senior finance roles at Sears Holdings, where he oversaw $2 billion in annual merchandise operations, and at Denali Capital, where he managed a $350 million leveraged loan portfolio during the financial crisis. He began his career in corporate restructuring with Arthur Andersen and KPMG.
Brett holds an M.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and a B.S. in Finance and Accounting, magna cum laude, from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.
Managing Partner – COO
Ashley has 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, specializing in holistic financial management solutions for individuals and strategic solutions for business owners. She helps clients navigate insurance, investing, retirement plans, executive benefits, and group and voluntary benefits.
Ashley holds designations that bring deep expertise to both individual and business financial planning including: Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF), Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC)
Ashley's career spans sales, sales leadership, and operational leadership, focusing on driving growth and efficiency in financial services. In recent years, she has been part of an innovation effort focused on developing a platform that combines technology with human support to serve business owners better.
Ashley has an undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa, majoring in Spanish, Portuguese, and Inter-American Studies. She holds a Master's in Management with an emphasis in Leadership and Training from the University of Phoenix.
Managing Partner – CGO
Brian Adam is the President and Owner of Olympus Group, a leading large-format printing company specializing in large format graphics for tradeshows, events, sports teams, and amusement parks. Under his leadership, Olympus Group has grown to employ approximately 250 team members across production facilities in Milwaukee, Orlando, Las Vegas, and Denver. The company also operates two distinct divisions: a graphic design agency in Grand Rapids and the nation’s largest mascot costume manufacturing operation.
A passionate leader with a strong focus on workplace culture, Brian was recognized as one of Glassdoor’s Top 25 CEOs to Work For in 2017. In 2020, he authored Rules of Engagement, a book exploring best practices for employee engagement and has delivered a dozen keynotes on corporate culture.
Beyond his role at Olympus Group, Brian is actively involved in industry and leadership organizations. He serves as an Executive Committee Member for Printing United Alliance, Vice President of YPO-Graphic Source, held numerous YPO-Wisconsin Chapter Leadership positions, contributes as an Advisory Council Member for Big Picture Magazine and an Advisory Board Member for Briohn Building Corporation and volunteers at Junor Achievement and as a Little League coach.
Brian resides in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, with his wife Cindy and two children Chase & Maya. A proud University of Wisconsin alumnus, he has a unique connection to his alma mater—having donned the fur of Bucky Badger as the university’s mascot.
Managing Partner – Audit & Assessment
Andrew Haag is an executive leader with over 20 years of experience delivering value in the manufacturing and distribution industries. He strives to connect people with the right opportunities to help optimize their success. Before ERA, Andrew was a Managing Partner at Lube-Tech & Partners and EVP at Lubrications Technologies, a Minneapolis - based lubricant distribution, packaging manufacturing, and equipment & vehicle wash installation company.
A few of Andrew's professional achievements include:
Served in a leadership role at a company that placed as a "Top Place to Work" from 2011-2021.
Brought EOS "Traction" to two companies, which created focus and alignment, and outcomes that generated results above plan.
Led or was an instrumental part in integrating 10+ acquisitions in 8 years.
Andrew holds an EMBA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a B.B.A. from Western Michigan University. He serves on the Lubrication Technologies and Atlas World Sports board and has held past board positions at Froedtert Hospital, Best Buddies of Wisconsin, United Way, and Rotary – Downtown Milwaukee. Andrew is active in YPO (Young Presidents Organization) and has held regional and local chapter roles.
Andrew strives to connect people with the right opportunities to help optimize their success. In his spare time, he speaks to groups on Succession Planning in Family Business.
Managing Partner – Payments
Thomas Kane’s career has spanned the intersecting worlds of finance, consulting, and real estate, shaped by more than two decades of experience in capital markets and strategic advisory. With leadership roles at Infinium Capital Management, KLR Group, Kane Capital Group, and Clay and Company, he brings a disciplined, data-driven approach, grounded in institutional experience.
He began his career in proprietary trading, managing risk across fixed income, commodities, and equity markets. As the industry shifted, so did his focus—toward consulting and capital strategy for early-stage and growth companies, raising over $300 million in equity and debt capital from a wide range of investors, including family offices and institutions. His work extended into payments infrastructure and digital asset markets, giving him insight into both traditional and emerging sectors.
At Clay and Company, Kane applied this experience to real estate—sourcing investment opportunities, conducting due diligence, and advising buyers, sellers, and investors on complex transactions. Today, at Sotheby’s International Realty, he brings the same strategic mindset to residential real estate, providing clients with thoughtful guidance informed by deep market knowledge and financial fluency.
He holds an MBA in Finance & Investment Management from DePaul University and a BBA in International Business from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. His background in valuation, deal structuring, and asset management gives clients a clear advantage in Houston’s competitive real estate market.
Outside of his professional work, Kane is active in the local community. He has volunteered for nearly ten years with West University Little League, including eight years as a coach and continued service on the board. He and his wife, Jennifer, a private wealth manager at Merril Lynch Bank of America, are involved parents at St. John’s School, where their children, Teddy and Vivienne, are students. They spend time outdoors, travel often, and enjoy hosting friends and family at The Big Easy Ranch in Columbus, Texas.
Managing Partner – Parcel
With a B.S. in Finance, a B.A. in Economics, and an M.B.A., Duane Nelson brings nearly 35 years of strategic leadership, guiding public and private companies to achieve extraordinary results. His expertise spans corporate strategy, business development, and financial management, with a proven track record of driving sustainable growth and operational excellence.
A rare ENTP personality, Duane thrives in fast-paced, complex environments where creativity and adaptability are key. His curiosity and analytical mindset enable him to uncover unique solutions that propel organizations forward, resulting in hundreds of millions in first-year growth for domestic and international companies. His ability to connect vision with execution has made him a sought-after leader in transforming businesses across industries.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Duane values time spent with his wife, Meg, and their three adult children. An avid learner and adventurer, he actively pursues a wide range of hobbies, always seeking new challenges that inspire innovation and personal growth. Whether in business or in life, Duane is committed to pushing boundaries and creating meaningful impact.