Our Story
Mason Jackson went to Silicon Valley. His cousin Dakota went to the Bakken shale fields of North Dakota. One built technology. The other ran drilling operations. They grew up in families on opposite ends of the American economy — but spent summers together, arguing about everything.
They reunited in Austin and realized something unexpected: the same operating principles that optimize a drilling operation can scale a DTC brand. The same discipline that ships software on time can restructure a supply chain. The playbook is the same. The industries are just the canvas.
They brought in TJ Smith, Tanner Dawson, and Charles "Chuck" Rainey Jr. — and named the firm for Chuck's family connection to Austin's iconic Rainey Street. It's not a branding exercise. It's a statement about roots, about place, and about building something with personal meaning.
Rainey Street in Austin was once a quiet residential block. Then it became one of the most vibrant streets in the city — without losing its character. That transformation, organic and intentional at once, is exactly how we think about building companies.
Investment Philosophy
Most private equity firms define themselves by sector. We define ourselves by operating thesis. We look for defensible businesses in industries that institutional capital overlooks — companies with real revenue, real customers, and real operational complexity that creates a moat.
Then we deploy a cross-sector playbook: data-driven operations, modern go-to-market strategy, disciplined capital allocation, and executive talent that can operate in ambiguity. The playbook travels. The sectors are just where we apply it.
Sector diversity isn't a lack of focus — it's the strategy. When you operate a drilling tech company and a pet wellness brand simultaneously, you see patterns that pure-play investors miss. Logistics insights from agriculture inform defense supply chains. Brand-building frameworks from DTC apply to industrial B2B.
We call it cross-pollination. Others might call it eclectic. We think it's where the alpha lives.
Home Base
Austin isn't just where we live. It's a strategic advantage. Central time zone, direct flights to both coasts. A talent pipeline fed by UT Austin, Texas A&M, and a tech ecosystem that keeps growing. Business-friendly environment without the cost structure of the coasts.
More importantly, Austin has a culture of independence — of doing things differently and not apologizing for it. That ethos runs through everything we do. We're not trying to be a coastal fund with a Texas address. We're building something that could only come from here.