Zack Knight
Partner, Patriot Growth Capital
Zack Knight is a former Army Special Forces officer — Green Beret — whose career was built on operating in austere environments with minimal resources, building indigenous partner forces, and achieving mission objectives conventional forces could not. At PGC, he leads the veteran operator pipeline and the firm's partnership with ATLVets, connecting transitioning service members with the ETA ownership path. He writes on veteran leadership, military-to-civilian career transition, and how Special Operations discipline maps to business ownership.
Areas of Expertise
Articles by Zack Knight
Veteran business grants: what's real in 2026
June 6, 2026
Most veteran business grants are smaller than advertised. Here is what SBIR, VBOCs, and federal contracts actually offer and where to focus your energy.
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Search fund SBA loan: how the 7(a) finances your close
June 6, 2026
SBA 7(a) can finance up to 80% of your acquisition. Here is what the 2025 rule changes require, where deals stall, and what the personal guarantee means.
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Preparing to sell your business: what PE buyers check
June 5, 2026
Most sellers fail PE due diligence on day one. Here is exactly what private equity buyers verify in lower-middle-market acquisitions and how to be ready.
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Search fund target industries: what the data shows
June 3, 2026
Stanford tracked 681 search funds. Healthcare and B2B services each take 25% of acquisitions. Here’s where operators focus their search and why.
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Veteran-owned business government contracting: the $32.8B opportunity
June 1, 2026
The federal government awarded $32.8B to SDVOSBs in FY2024. Most veteran founders have never accessed it. Here is the real contracting playbook.
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Hiring veterans: tax credits and the business case
May 30, 2026
WOTC for veterans expired December 31, 2025. Operators who stopped screening made a mistake. Here's what to do now.
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Search fund operator: what the job actually demands
May 30, 2026
What makes a great search fund operator? Seven skills that determine whether an ETA acquisition succeeds or fails, with 2024 Stanford data.
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Search fund acquisition criteria: 7 filters
May 26, 2026
What makes a business worth acquiring? The 7 criteria that define the search fund buy box, backed by Stanford 2024 data and practitioner frameworks.
Read MoreVeteran business loans: what the SBA offers
May 24, 2026
The SBA runs three veteran loan programs worth knowing. What each covers, who qualifies, and where the ceiling is for operators who want to scale.
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How to find a business to acquire
May 21, 2026
Most acquisition searches fail at target selection. Apply SF precision-criteria thinking to find the right business to buy before the competition.
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Veteran small business grants 2026: what's available
May 20, 2026
Grant funding for veteran-owned businesses in 2026 is real, but it's scattered. Here's what's available, who qualifies, and how to apply.
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Military discipline in business
May 19, 2026
How military SOPs, after-action review, and commander's intent translate directly to lower-middle-market business ownership.
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SDVOSB certification: the rule change you can't ignore
May 18, 2026
Self-certification for SDVOSBs ended in 2024. Here's how VetCert works—and why getting certified protects both your contracts and your exit multiple.
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Whether you're an investor, veteran family, or business owner — there's a place for you at Patriot Growth Capital.