Bend Advisors | Resourcing

Resourcing

Currently connecting capital to growth.

How We Do It

Clarity is not enough if you cannot act on it. Leaders BEND works with usually discover a need for resources to move forward with strength.

That is why resourcing is part of BEND. Currently, we generously connect you to capital for growth and campaigns. You get more than advice. You get practical support that makes strategies real. With the BEND Partner Fund launching in 2027, you will also gain structured access to capital and partners who further your impact. Mirroring BEND’s board-backed approach, the Bend Partner Fund will be board-backed to collectively impact the leader’s and organizations we back. This is the robust arm of coaching and advising where our money will be where our mouth is with clients.

Get Started Now

The Partner Fund

Launching in 2027.

Growth capital, succession solutions, and operational resources for profitable companies at inflection points.

Early backing for founders who are building outsized impact.

(Currently active through our DAF) Select support of nonprofit capital campaigns that align with Bend’s mission to further impact.

OUR ADVISORS

Board-backed

The most impactful leaders don't rely on a single voice, but on a council of proven wisdom.

Kelly Fort

Operations & Engineering Leadership

Kelly spent 36 years at Dow Chemical, serving as Engineering and Maintenance Global Operations Director, with 6,000 personnel across eight countries functionally aligned to his division. Kelly stewarded an annual operations budget of $400M and $2B in capital reporting. A certified Master Black Belt in DMAIC and DFSS, he built global systems for staffing, quality and project execution that helped Dow deliver complex engineering programs. Married to Jeanne, father of three, and grandfather of ten, he brings disciplined operational insight shaped by decades of leadership in global integration efforts.

Will Blackman

Revenue & Personal Design

Will was VP of Sales at a SaaS company when Blackstone acquired it for $1.7 billion. Under his leadership, they grew revenue from $95M to over $780M+ in 7 years and built the sales playbook that made it all possible. He's a Dallas Theological Seminary grad, dad to 4 grown men, and has been married to Laura for 24 years. Will also created our "Process Your Purpose" framework which we use with clients.

John Cole

Family Enterprise & Marketing

John and his wife Karen opened their store in 1977, rebuilding the Walker Brothers name that his grandparents had started in 1903. After turning around their struggling business, he successfully passed it to his youngest son in 2024. He's a marketing instructor at the University of Arkansas who really understands complex family dynamics and retail expertise. With 11 grandkids and nearly 50 years of marriage, he's seen it all when it comes to family business challenges.

Tod Barrett

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Tod invented the ONEBLADE high-end straight razor after spending over $1M in R&D. His company hit 40% year-over-year growth from 2017-2019. Before that, his Manufacturing Modes Inc. made the 1993 Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies list. He’s a former elder at Austin Ridge Bible Church, a grandparent to 3 kids, and has been married 38 years.