Matt Ridenour
25+ years building and leading high-growth companies
Matt Ridenour is a chief executive, board director, and investor with over 25 years of experience building and leading high-growth companies. He currently serves as a Partner at Ascendant Advisory Group, a boutique investment banking and advisory firm working with middle-market companies on strategy, capital structure, governance, and M&A.
His most notable operating role came as Chairman and CEO of ZEV Technologies, a premium aftermarket parts manufacturer for firearms. He first invested in the company as an angel investor, then joined as CEO to professionalize operations, rebuild the leadership team, and raise three rounds of institutional capital — growing the company from $3 million to more than $40 million in revenue, an average annual growth rate of roughly 40% over six years.
Earlier in his career, Matt built a track record as both an operating CEO and an early-stage investor: running portfolio companies for a family office, co-founding an interim-executive and investment firm featured in the Wall Street Journal, leading turnarounds, and founding a venture capital firm that raised $60 million in its first six months. He began his career at Bain & Company and, before attending Harvard Business School, served as a cabinet-level official for the City of Indianapolis on a nationally recognized government efficiency initiative.
Experience
- 2021 – PresentPartnerAscendant Advisory Group
- 2014 – 2021Chairman & Chief Executive OfficerZEV Technologies, Inc.
- 2010 – 2014Operating PartnerThe People Fund
- 2004 – 2010Managing Director & Co-FounderMomentum Venture Management
- 2003 – 2004Chief Executive OfficerPowerFile
- 1999 – 2003Founder & Managing Director (also CEO, UNX, Inc.)Gazelle TechVentures
- 1996 – 1999PrincipalBlue Capital
- 1995 – 1996ConsultantBain & Company
- 1992 – 1993Cabinet-Level OfficialCity of Indianapolis
Academic background
- MBA, Harvard Business School1993–1995 · Baker Scholar, Top 5%
- BA, Economics, Dartmouth College1986–1989
- Former Lecturer, UCLA Anderson School of ManagementBusiness Plan Development · Entrepreneurial Finance
How I help owners and CEOs
I work with owners and CEOs in four connected ways: helping them grow their businesses successfully to scale, helping them deploy the operating systems and technology that make growth durable, helping them plan well ahead of a sale to maximize value and align it with personal goals, and directly leading the M&A process itself once they're ready to transact.
Growth & Scale.
Working alongside owners and CEOs to sharpen strategy, build the right leadership team, and put in place the operating discipline needed to grow a business through its next stage.
Operating Systems & AI Tools.
Helping leadership teams implement proven frameworks such as the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), and deploying practical AI tools and custom AI software that improve decision-making, efficiency, and competitive position.
Transition & Sale Planning.
Preparing owners well ahead of a transaction: optimizing the business, positioning it to achieve maximum value, and aligning the sale with personal wealth, tax, estate, and succession goals.
M&A Execution.
Running the sale process itself as lead advisor once an owner is ready to transact: managing buyer outreach, negotiations, due diligence, and deal structuring through to a successful close.