Jason Pananos & Jay Davis
President & CEO
,
Vector Disease Control International
Search Type
Partner
Search launch
2008
Investment year
2011
“The value of the search fund community is really helpful, both the investing side and relationships with fellow entrepreneurs. The learning and lifelong relationships don't end when you sell and move on.”
“The value of the search fund community is really helpful, both the investing side and relationships with fellow entrepreneurs. The learning and lifelong relationships don't end when you sell and move on.”
Partners Jason and Jay worked closely with Pacific Lake throughout their search fund journey. To this day, they still very much enjoy being part of the search fund community — and have an even deeper appreciation for everyone involved.
Why Jason and Jay chose to search
Jason and Jay met in their first year at Harvard Business School. They both had aspirations of owning and building a small business some day. When they discovered the search fund model during their second year of business school, they realized the path forward was much closer than they originally thought. Jay and Jason loved the balance of support and freedom that search offered: "It's the journey of running a business, going through the struggles, not sure if it's going to work or not. Then you get your feet under you and really start running the company." After connecting and learning from several members of the search fund community, they decided to take the leap of faith and launch a search of their own.
Why we backed Jason and Jay
At Pacific Lake, we talk a lot about being "fiercely collaborative" - before, during, and after a search. This is especially true of Jason and Jay, who were among the earliest search funds Pacific Lake backed. Having now completed the full search cycle culminating in the successful exit of their business Vector Disease Control, both Jason and Jay remain actively involved in the search fund community. Its a privilege to collaborate with them as they pay forward the lessons they learned during their own search fund experience.
