Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Kimberly Pollack was passionate about figure skating, writes Michael Schoeck. When she arrived in Los Angeles in 2001, world-famous Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan was in the news winning medals.
The Midwesterner still finds time to skate, not just for exercise but for peace of mind, which she likens to meditation. It’s a helpful respite from her demanding career as a founder and senior executive at Charger Investment Partners, which she helped form in 2020 along with Aaron Perlmutter and Chris Boyle.
“I think the most surprising thing about me is that I still figure skate,” Kimberly says. “Growing up in Chicago, it was just a thing to do in winter.”
“Beans & Brews portrayed elements that I had found successful in past deals: a founder-owned business with a very strong culture internally”
Pollack started her career in mid-market private equity at Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP). During her tenure at the established firm, Pollack pursued numerous consumer and franchising deals, including Wetzel’s Pretzels. In that deal, LLCP in 2007 partnered with company management.
The deal represented LLCP’s third transaction in the franchise sector after casual eateries Quizno’s and CiCi’s Pizza. Levine Leichtman sold Wetzel’s in 2016 to CenterOak Partners.
In 2020, Pollack joined LLCP alum Perlmutter and Boyle, formerly of American Industrial Partners, in forming Charger Investment Partners, a lower mid-market PE firm with about $545 million in assets under management. The firm launched its debut fund in 2020.
Charger prides itself for hiring and retaining female investment professionals at each echelon of the career track, from junior-level associates to senior-level managing directors, Pollack says. The Los Angeles-based investor also is involved with PEWIN and Girls Who Invest, two organizations that promote the hiring of and networking opportunities for females in PE investing roles.
In late 2020, Charger acquired Beans & Brews, a family-owned coffeehouse chain based in Sandy, Utah, with less than 50 locations across the Rocky Mountain region. As Charger’s first consumer market deal, Beans & Brews built on Pollack’s deep franchise experience and supported the coffeehouse business in growing its franchise base outside of Utah.
“Beans & Brews portrayed elements that I had found successful in past deals: a founder-owned business with a very strong culture internally and a great product offering driving customer loyalty,” she says.
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