Cornell Johnson ETA Summit: A Night on the Future of Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition

This past Monday (5th May), Owais Aslam and the Aslam Capital team hosted the Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management ETA Summit - an evening centered on the future of entrepreneurship through acquisition and the realities of building through buying.

The summit brought together a strong group of students and practitioners to discuss what actually happens between interest and ownership: how to source opportunities with discipline, navigate the closing process, and operate real businesses once the deal is done. Owais expressed particular appreciation for the operators who shared a firsthand perspective - Tanatsa Kamhunga and Jana Revallova - grounding the conversation in practical lessons rather than theory.

More than anything, the evening reinforced a simple idea: ETA is not just a path to ownership - it’s a craft. The most successful searchers and operators combine judgment, persistence, and humility with an ability to learn quickly in the field. By creating space for candid discussion, the summit aimed to support that learning curve and strengthen the community around it.

A recording of the summit can be found here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv91e3MdFCc

Takeaways:

• ETA success is won in the details: sourcing quality, closing execution, and operational follow-through.

• Communities like Cornell Johnson’s ETA network accelerate learning through shared experience.