Collective 54 Selects Mariner as Partner for AI-Native Professional Services Firms

Mariner joins the Collective 54 Ecosystem Partner Program, giving member founders direct access to investment banking expertise for exits.

DALLAS, TX, UNITED STATES, June 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Collective 54, the mastermind community for founders building AI-Native professional services firms, today announced that it has selected Mariner as the newest member of its Ecosystem Partner Program. Collective 54 is the first community exclusively for founders of boutique professional services firms in NAICS 54. Its members have completed 60 successful firm sales representing more than $3.5 billion in transactions across North America. The addition of Mariner brings sell-side M&A advisory expertise into the curated ecosystem Collective 54 makes available to members.

Collective 54 is built for founders of boutique professional services firms with $5 million to $100 million in revenue, headquartered in North America. Members span management consulting, IT services, marketing agencies, accounting and finance, legal services, architectural and engineering services, design, and software development firms.

Collective 54 exists to help members make more money, making scaling easier and make an exit achievable. They do this as they build AI-Native firms; reengineering how their businesses deliver services, so they are less dependent on billable hours and headcount, alongside peers who share the same economic model, the same constraints, and the same ambitions.

The exit is a defining moment of the founder’s journey, and the area where the stakes are highest. A founder builds a firm once and sells it once, and the outcome of that single transaction determines whether years of work pay off. Mariner exists to get founders the exit they want: the right buyer, on the right terms, at the maximum value. Operating as a middle-market M&A advisory firm since 1993, Mariner (formerly Woodbridge International) has closed more than $2 billion in client transactions over the past five years, running a structured auction process backed by a proprietary database of more than 450,000 buyers worldwide. Members who engage Mariner gain an investment bank focused on running their sale and getting them the best possible outcome.

“Our members spend years building firms worth selling, and everything comes down to the exit. We are deliberate about which partners we bring into the Collective 54 ecosystem, and for an exit, there is no room for guesswork. Mariner doesn’t just find a buyer, it creates a market of buyers, which is how a founder gets full value and the right fit rather than the first reasonable offer. Adding Mariner gives our members a trusted advisor for the most important transaction of their careers.” Jeff Klaumann, President, Collective 54

“When years of work come down to a single deal, the process makes the difference between a good outcome and a great one. It’s easy to leave value on the table without the right deal. After three decades guiding owners through that moment, we know what separates the founders who walk away with full value from the ones who settle. Collective 54 members are building exactly the kind of firms buyers compete for, and we are looking forward to helping them prepare early and exit on their terms.” Larry Reinharz, Managing Director, Mariner

About Collective 54
Collective 54 is the first community exclusively for founders building AI-Native professional services firms. Designed to help these founders make more money, make scaling easier, and make an exit achievable, the Collective 54 community has six key features.

Network – A curated community of founders who apply and are admitted based on strict criteria, ensuring every member is a peer worth knowing.

Content – Actionable learning content with proven best practices, proprietary methodologies, practical tools, pre-configured templates, and on-demand courseware tailored to scaling professional services firms.

Data – Insights based on data to value the firm and guide key financial decisions.

Coaching – Personalized support through one-on-one sessions, small-group coaching, and structured mentor-protégé relationships.

Events – Impactful weekly virtual sessions, monthly deep-dives, local workshops, and the annual flagship event, The Reunion. All designed for real-time learning and connection.

Software – Purpose-built member portal featuring a searchable directory, event calendar, meeting archives, and a business exchange for member-to-member referrals.

Collective 54 serves NAICS 54 which includes consulting, IT services, marketing agencies, accounting and finance, legal services, architectural and engineering services, design, and software development firms. With a few hundred members across North America, the community continues to fuel growth and success stories throughout the professional services sector.

About Mariner
Mariner (formerly Woodbridge International) is a leading middle-market M&A advisory firm specializing in sell-side advisory services, known for its innovative global auction process. In 2024, Woodbridge joined Mariner Wealth Advisors, a national comprehensive wealth management firm with over $577 Billion in AUA offering adding estate planning, tax, and wealth management services to its M&A advisory work. Larry Reinharz has served as Managing Director since 2005 and brings more than 30 years of experience advising entrepreneurs and middle-market business owners on strategies to maximize their company’s value. Learn more at mariner.com.

Jeff Klaumann, President
Collective 54
contact@collective54.com
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