Confident leadership through Transition and growth
LEAP partners with owners and leadership teams to execute strategy, prepare for succession, and lead through change with experience.
10,000
Boomers retire
every day
According to recent Forbes research
19%
of them own
small businesses
That's 2,000 businesses a day looking for new owners.
90+%
are without
successors
The vast majority of the next generation do not want to run the business…
Our Mission
LEAP embeds shoulder-to-shoulder with leadership teams to create strategy, execute with discipline, and ensure leadership continuity through transition.
The Reality Leaders Face TodayOwners and leadership teams are navigating growth, transition, and succession in an environment where execution matters more than ever. Vision alone is not enough. Sustainable performance depends on a leadership team that is aligned, accountable, and capable of carrying the business forward.The organizations that succeed through transition focus on three critical outcomes:Building and retaining a capable, aligned leadership teamPreserving key customer and stakeholder relationshipsExecuting with discipline to protect and grow profitabilityToo often, these priorities are placed at risk during periods of change—when roles evolve, decision rights blur, and operating cadence breaks down.
About making the leap
The LEAP Program
(3) core offerings built for private business owners operating in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments, whether scaling, transitioning, or optimizing performance. Choose the option(s) that fit your needs.
Business Succession Planning
LEAP approaches succession planning through a structured framework. Our Succession, Transition & Execution Program (STEP) ™ ensures clarity, alignment, and execution, not just good intentions on paper. We act as the central liaison, coordinating across leadership, ownership, and external advisors to move succession from concept to reality.
Strategic Planning
We work with owners and leadership teams to help create vision where needed, then turn that vision into a clear, prioritized, and executable operating plan. The outcome is not a static deck. It is a living plan that leadership teams actively run the business against, driving margin improvement, predictability, and long term value creation. Our strategic planning process aligns strategy, people, and execution so the business can scale with confidence.
Fractional Chief Operating Officer (COO) & Chief Transformation Officer (CTO)
Embedded, hands-on operational leadership focused on enterprise transformation and execution. We partner directly with the CEO and leadership team to translate strategy into results, close execution gaps, and lead complex change across people, processes, and systems without adding full time executive overhead. This role is designed to enable the CEO, strengthen operating cadence, and build durable capabilities that persist long after the engagement ends.
Testimonials
"LEAP coaching has taught me how to flex my management style so that I can work more effectively with key leaders, especially within my own company. This is paying tremendous dividends for me as I look to develop 3 key areas: growing profits, becoming a more connected leader, and empowering my leaders with the autonomy they need for their own development.What I appreciate most about our partnership with LEAP is that they establish trust and connections with people, leading to more genuine insights and tangible impacts.I just really like these guys".
– Scott Jones,
President, The Air Purification Company
"LEAP has had a profoundly positive impact on my leadership journey! His encouragement of frequent open conversations with my employees, has built a foundation of trust and understanding that can hopefully prevent more difficult crucial conversations down the road. This shift has been helpful in cultivating a supportive and communicative work environment".
– Ann Schipper,
Principal, Data Power Technology Group
"Since our initial owner’s meeting that you conducted with us about a year and half ago, we have had a 19% increase in sales YoY. Your meetings with our leadership team have allowed us to streamline and sharpen roles so that we could focus on driving continued growth across and into our organization.More importantly, your support and coaching helped us continue to grow through what could have been a perilous time with two key members (President and Vice President) of the leadership team retiring within a 15-month period".
– Owner,
Multi-Generational Industrial Sales Firm
LEAP Business Advisors CEO
Kurt Zelch
Kurt is the Founder and CEO of LEAP Business Advisors, a Boston-based business transition advisory firm. Kurt specializes in guiding owners of closely held businesses and their senior executives through periods of change, focusing on enhancing team performance and executive alignment. He has over 18 years of experience in business transition advising from his time spent as an insurance broker in the Boston area, to his many years assisting private physician groups with succession planning in Northern Worcester County. Kurt takes a humanistic, psychology-based approach to solving business problems. His work as a business transition advisor addresses key areas of management and operations, such as mastering communication with 4 generations in the workforce, mastering organizational capability, and facilitating mutual gains negotiations.Kurt graduated from Bryant University with a BS in Marketing and continues to be a lifelong learner. He has gained professional certificates in Executive Leadership Principles and The Trinity of Management (TOM) ™ from the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Sirolli Institute.He works predominantly with high-profit industries such as commercial HVAC manufacturer's rep firms, industrial equipment value added resellers, modular construction, and healthcare services. Kurt's approach involves deeply understanding his clients' priorities, building trust, and delivering exceptional value through his 1-1 advising and leadership accountability meeting facilitation.
Partners
Bo Luong
Head of Business Development at LEAP Business Advisors, Bo lives by the philosophy, "There is always a move." Specializing in franchise development, increasing ROI, and business growth, Bo is committed to treating all stakeholders fairly.Known for his high energy and ability to quickly generate momentum, Bo also brings an unfiltered approach to disarming business tensions, coupled with a playful attribute that enhances team dynamics. He has successfully bought and sold his own franchise business, achieving a 500 percent return on investment. Bo's expertise extends across the fitness, real estate, healthcare, and financial sectors, making him a versatile and invaluable asset.
Nick Lupoli
Nick Lupoli is a seasoned manufacturing and operations executive who drives performance, operational excellence, and strategic growth across complex industrial businesses.With extensive multi-site P&L leadership and a history of transforming manufacturing operations, improving profitability, and scaling capabilities, he brings a pragmatic, results-oriented perspective to leadership teams.Nick partners closely with founders and executives to sharpen execution, unlock operational leverage, and build resilient, high-performing organizations. His experience in operational strategy, cross-functional execution, and large-scale transformation helps companies grow with clarity and confidence.
Jim Henderson
Jim's work strategy encompasses combining proven industrial/systems engineering techniques with innovative practices and tools to uncover and address profitability. Killing profit vampires; engineering programs and business 'engines' so they are profitable; and ensuring the capital needed is there.Read More
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Did you know that we've already helped over 75 companies to transitional success and increased profitability?Join them and benefit from our expertise working with them.