“The strength of the Wolf is the Pack, and the strength of the Pack is the Wolf.”
 – Rudyard Kipling

What We Do

Accelerated Partners is a Direct Investment Firm located in Birmingham, AL and Philadelphia, PA.  Our core focus is identifying, partnering with, and accelerating privately held companies that show unique capability for growth.

Leadership

Chris Hussar
 Managing Partner

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Chris is a native of Philadelphia, PA and has spent the past 20+ years in asset management and business development, working primarily with privately held companies and advising clients on public and private investment opportunities.

In 2000, he began his career in Philadelphia with Northwestern Mutual, building a large practice with business owners and health care professionals over 9 years.

In 2011, Chris and his family moved to Birmingham AL, to join a 500 million asset management practice of private wealth and 401k clients. In 2016, Chris joined Regions Financial to manage 4.5 Billion in Institutional assets.

In 2020, Chris co-founded Accelerated Partners (AP), in order to build a platform that could invest into and significantly scale early-stage through lower-middle market companies. His mission for AP is to give business founders and operators a highly strategic and trusted growth partner.

Chris’ primary focus at AP is deal sourcing, due diligence, and partner company acceleration. Chris is also a Managing Partner at Navigate 401k, an AP partner company.

Chris, his wife and three children reside in Homewood, Alabama and they are active members at Third Presbyterian church.
Jeff Gale
 Partner

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Jeff earned his BA from Columbia University before returning to his hometown of Birmingham, AL to found TicketBiscuit, a leading provider of ticket sales and event marketing software.

Following his successful exit from TicketBiscuit in late 2017, Jeff launched Santosha Capital to formalize his angel investing, and The Santosha Foundation to support his commitment to philanthropy. In 2019, Jeff spent six months in Ecuador and Argentina, some of the most enjoyable, educational, and enlightening months of his life.

After returning to the States in early 2020, Jeff served as the Entrepreneur In Residence for the inaugural class of the TechStars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator, where he both mentored and learned from ten inspiring startup teams.

Jeff's greatest strengths are devising strategy, recruiting talent, and raising capital; key skill sets as he sources, vets, and helps scale partner companies at AP. Always happy to offer advice and share startup war stories, Jeff welcomes new contacts from interesting startups and ambitious entrepreneurs.
Darryl Talley
 Partner

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Darryl Talley, CPA, CGMA, CRE, has been in public accounting since graduating from Samford University in 1986, becoming a licensed CPA in 1991. While in public accounting, he served companies in the role of Controller, VP of Finance and Treasurer/CFO.

He started his own CPA firm in 2007 and has been a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) since 2012. Something unique to only a few CPAs in Alabama, Darryl is also a Certified Revenue Examiner (CRE), with expertise in local taxation issues. He wrote a continuing education course on local taxation issues and taught it at both Auburn University and University of Alabama.

From his vantage point inside public accounting firms and as an in-house finance executive for companies, Darryl has experience in many different industries, including, but not limited to: software, collections, molecular laboratory, core laboratory, medical, dental, and a pharmacy benefits organization.

A number of his engagements have been with early-stage companies, of particular interest to Darryl. His professional expertise includes accounting, income taxation, local taxation, and business consulting.

As a partner in Accelerated Partners, Darryl provides financial due diligence and deal support services in connection with APs business activities. Where applicable, He provides additional finance and tax consulting work to AP partner companies.

Darryl and his wife have the pleasure of living at Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama.
Art Balzereit
 Strategic Partner

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Art has over 25+ years experience in finance, acquisition, and operational management working in various industries including beverage, cosmetics, real estate, manufacturing, and plastics primarily in the CFO or General Manager role. He has increased EBITDA at every company under his oversight.

He also has significant interim CFO experience in turnaround companies that were both privately owned and private equity owned.

Currently, Art is owner and President of Applied Acoustical Group, a noise abatement company.

He has an MBA in finance from La Salle University, is a graduate of the General Electric FMP program and has passed the CPA.

As a strategic partner to Accelerated Partners (AP), Art oversees the AP Philadelphia office and is active in deal sourcing, due diligence, and partner company acceleration in the North East.

Partners

 
Raymond
Harbert, Jr.
John
Burdett
Graham
McConnell
Chris
McConnell