Our Mission
Acquire one exceptional American business, relocate our family to the community it serves, and build that business sustainably through a lifetime of thoughtful stewardship
Who We Are
Pavel Tamas
Pavel has spent the first decade of his professional career working for and alongside independent business owners in a variety of capacities. This direct exposure to entrepreneurs is what inspired Big Dipper Partner’s mission of entrepreneurship through acquisition of one great American business.
Most recently, Pavel led business development efforts for Thrive Physical Therapy Partners, focusing on helping private therapy owners transition ownership of their practices. Before Thrive, Pavel worked in strategy and finance for Forefront Dermatology, the nation’s largest dermatology practice, and started his career at Houlihan Lokey advising both small and large businesses through M&A processes. Pavel brings deep deal experience, having worked on transactions totaling over $1 billion in aggregate value throughout his career.
Pavel holds dual BS degrees in Accountancy and Finance and minor in History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He comes from a family of immigrants that broke into the American middle class through entrepreneurship in the fields of real estate and outdoor power equipment.
Kathryn Tamas
Kathryn’s career has focused on working both as and alongside operators in real estate management and senior living. With hands-on experience integrating companies, deploying technology, and leading people-first business transformation, Kathryn thinks and operates like a small business owner everyday.
Kathryn currently works as a Director of Business Optimization at Ventas, Inc., one of the world’s largest owner of senior housing, where she owns and oversees relationships with dozens of facility operators. Prior to her current role at Ventas, Kathryn worked in portfolio operations at Green Courte Partners, a Chicago-based private equity fund with $1.5 billion invested. She also held earlier roles in portfolio management at Ventas and started her career as CPA and auditor at Ernst & Young, a leading accounting and advisory firm.
Kathryn holds BS and Masters degrees in Accounting from The Ohio State University. She comes from a family made up of independent business owners, including her mother Julie, a second-generation owner/operator of a family paving business founded by Julie’s father.
Our Values
Pragmatism & Empathy
We strive hard to understand why you value what you do and then create a solution that shows it
The standards we aim to hold ourselves to and what we hope to find in people we work with
Entrepreneurial Urgency
Time and attention are amongst the most precious resources; we have no intention of wasting anyone’s
Integrity
Trust should be earned, rewarded only to those who have a history of doing what is right
Mutual Success
Good business should leave all parties feeling fairly treated and better off
Stewardship
We plan to make preserving and growing the legacy of a single business our life’s work
