CONN QUEST at JW Marriott L.A. Live: Why Readiness Is the New Networking

Readiness Is the New Networking

Most business owners don't miss opportunities because they lack talent.

They miss them because they weren't ready when the right conversation finally happened.

That idea sits at the center of CONN QUEST, an evening gathering hosted tonight at JW Marriott L.A. Live by Kyra Renel and Kimberly Evans of Renel Evans. The theme on the invitation is simple and sharp: "Connecting our Ecosystems. We build Readiness into every transaction."

I'm Damien L Halliburton, and I'll be in the room tonight for Ventry Group. Here's what CONN QUEST is, who is behind it, and why a readiness-first approach matters for anyone doing business in the Los Angeles business ecosystem.

CONN QUEST Lands During NMSDC Week

CONN QUEST lands during a busy week for business in downtown LA. The 2026 NMSDC Annual Conference & Exchange is running October 25–28 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, just steps from L.A. Live.

That means owners, suppliers, advisors, and corporate partners from across the country are in the same few blocks this week. An evening built around connecting ecosystems fits that moment well.

Three Connected Areas of Work

The firm's website lays out three connected areas of work:

• 1. Valuation & Advisory. Helping owners understand what their business is worth, where value is being lost, and what needs to change to close the gap. As the site puts it, "Highest achievable EBITDA is built, not discovered."
• 2. Deal Team Sourcing & Support. Bringing legal, transaction, diligence, and integration professionals together around one coordinated strategy, so the deal team isn't assembled too late.
• 3. Executive Leadership Coaching. Reducing founder dependency and preparing leaders and successors for what comes next. In their words, "Buyers don't buy founders. They buy systems that survive founders."

A Note on History

Renel Evans is a young firm. Public profiles show Kimberly Evans serving as Co-CEO since roughly 2025. We could not find a published founding date, past CONN QUEST editions, or event history, so we are not listing any. What is well documented is the experience of the two founders behind it.

Kyra Rénel Hardwick

Kyra Renel (Kyra Rénel Hardwick, MBA) is the founder and CEO of The Kyra Company, LLC, an operations, business development, and supplier success consulting firm she founded in 2015. Her published bio describes more than two decades of experience in strategic planning, operational management, and organizational development, built on a "people, process, and profitability" model.

A few highlights from her public record:

• Smart CEOs. She leads TKC Smart CEOs, an ecosystem of accelerators, roundtables, trainings, summits, and podcasts, including the Smart CEO™ Roundtable and Smart Talk Podcast.
• Smart CEO Summit. In September 2025, she curated the inaugural Smart CEO Summit in Houston under the theme "Collaboration is Capital."
• Community. In 2008 she founded Imagine Excellence, Inc., a youth leadership nonprofit focused on leadership, character development, and STEAM programs.
• Media. She is a co-founder of Black Women Are Media (BWA).

Kimberly Nicole Evans

Kimberly Nicole Evans is Co-CEO of Renel Evans and founder of Seismic Transformations and BeckEvans & Associates. Before launching her own firms, her career included roles in corporate and commercial banking at J.P. Morgan and middle market banking at PNC, plus a CFO role at a supply and services company.

In April 2025, she announced her move from corporate life into entrepreneurship with Seismic Transformations, which helps mid-career professionals become founders. Through BeckEvans & Associates, she advises companies on alternative capital, growth strategy, and financial risk.

Why "Readiness in Every Transaction" Matters

Every owner says they want growth. Fewer are ready for what growth asks of them.

Readiness shows up in many forms:

• Supplier readiness. Can you deliver at the volume and compliance level a large buyer needs?
• Capital readiness. Are your financials clean enough for a lender, investor, or buyer to say yes quickly?
• Leadership readiness. Can the business run without the founder in every decision?
• Exit readiness. If the right buyer called tomorrow, would your business hold up in diligence?

Why the Los Angeles Business Ecosystem Needs This

Los Angeles is a city of ecosystems. Entertainment, healthcare, logistics, construction, tech, professional services, and public sector buyers all work side by side. They don't always talk to each other.

L.A. Live sits in the middle of it. With the NMSDC conference nearby this week, downtown is full of suppliers, corporate buyers, and advisors. A gathering focused on connecting those groups, and on helping them be ready to transact, is useful for the whole region.

For local owners, that means:

• Meeting advisors before you need them. Valuation, legal, capital, and leadership help work best when they're lined up early.
• Meeting peers who've done it. Owners who have scaled, sold, or landed corporate contracts can shorten your learning curve.
• Meeting partners across industries. The best opportunities often come from outside your usual circle.

These Connect Directly to Readiness

These connect directly to readiness.

Systems that survive founders. Renel Evans says buyers purchase systems, not founders. Automated intake, follow-up, scheduling, and reporting are exactly the kind of systems that make a business less dependent on any one person.

Leadership depth. Reducing key-person risk often starts with the right hire. Executive search and fractional leaders help owners step back from daily operations without losing momentum.

Clean data and fast response. Suppliers chasing corporate contracts need to respond quickly and track every conversation. A well-built CRM and AI follow-up make that possible at scale.

Tonight, I'm going to CONN QUEST to learn, connect, and support. I want to hear what owners, advisors, and partners in the room need to be ready for their next transaction, and share practical ways AI and the right people can help them get there.

Let's Connect

If you're at JW Marriott L.A. Live tonight, come say hello. If you're not, the conversation doesn't stop at the event.

Whether you're getting ready for a corporate contract, building a leadership bench, or putting AI to work so your business can run without you in every seat, Ventry Group can help.

• Get a quote: ventrygroup.com/get-quote
• Learn more about Ventry Group: ventrygroup.com
• Book Damien to speak: ventrygroup.com/speaking