Cari Kenzie

I advise women founders at inflection points — growth, transition, or exit — where clarity, leverage, and experience matter more than motivation. I’ve built and exited companies. I’ve sat inside founder-led businesses that worked — and ones that quietly trapped their owners. I know the difference between a business that runs because of the founder and one that can run without them. My work begins with enterprise value — not hustle, not burnout, not guesswork. We assess the business as buyers and investors do, identify the structural gaps suppressing value, and advise on the strategic moves required to create optionality. Through KINZA, I work founder-to-founder alongside a vetted collective of fractional C-suite operators with real experience in scaling, M&A, and private equity. Together, we help founders reduce dependency, professionalize leadership, and design businesses that can scale, sell, or evolve — intentionally. Many founders come to me thinking they want out. What they usually want is choice. I help them build it.