About Rainy River Partners

The second home for founder-led businesses.

The Partnership

Established to provide a thoughtful succession option for founders.

We founded Rainy River Partners to be a long-term capital and operating partner for family and founder-led businesses. Our backgrounds building, investing in, and supporting these companies have shaped our approach to ownership: respect for what has been built, focus on people and culture, and commitment to steady, purposeful growth. We aim to provide the continuity of a long-term home with the entrepreneurial energy required for the next chapter.

Our Founders

Patti Wang

Co-Founder & Partner

Patti has spent her life in and around family-owned businesses. She grew up in her family’s real estate development business, where she saw firsthand the persistence required to build a company from the ground up. She later spent nearly a decade advising founder-led businesses across North America and Asia on succession planning and formalizing their operating procedures. Prior to Rainy River Partners, Patti founded several businesses, including Birchbury Canada, which members of her family continue to operate today.

Originally from Canada, Patti has lived across the globe and is now proud to call the United States home. Outside of her business ventures, she is an aspiring historical fiction author. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Will Stewart

Co-Founder & Partner

Will has spent his career advising and investing in small private businesses. Prior to Rainy River Partners, he was an in-house operating executive at American Securities (formerly the investment office of the Rosenwald family), where he worked with business founders to plan, finance, and execute their next phase of growth. These experiences shaped his appreciation for the care and judgment required to build an enduring company.

Born and raised in Chicago, Will has since moved several times across the country. Outside of work, he enjoys playing soccer, hiking with his wife, and spending time outdoors. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an A.B. from Harvard College.

Our Summer Interns

Pavan Anoop

Pavan Anoop is an intern at Rainy River Partners and a Finance and Data Science student at New York University. He is from the Greater Seattle Area and interested in the intersection of Finance and Entrepreneurship. During his time at NYU, he co-founded an education startup that helps teach extracurriculars to K-12 students, growing it to 6-figures in revenue. Fun Fact: Pavan has generated over 300k views through Instagram Reels he created, bringing creativity, persistence and charisma to the Rainy River Team!

Sahithi Karusala

Sahithi Karusala is an intern at Rainy River Partners and a Finance student at Rice University, minoring in Data Science and Environmental Studies. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Sahithi is passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation. On campus, she balances organizations such as the Rice Undergrad Marketing Association and Rice DECA with DJing for the student-led radio station, KTRU, and playing IM flag football. She brings a vibrant, hands-on drive to the Rainy River team and an entrepreneurial energy sparked at a young age when she launched a slime business in the fourth grade.

Jackson Dorazio

Jackson Dorazio is an intern at Rainy River Partners and a student at Brown University studying Applied Mathematics and Economics. Originally from Massachusetts, Jackson is especially interested in how AI and technology are reshaping investing, business operations, and the way companies scale. Outside of work, Jackson enjoys his time weightlifting alongside various intramural sports. In high school, he was a two-sport captain, competed nationally in track & field, and helped lead his soccer team to a Division I state finals appearance.

Hank Ze

Hank Ze is an intern at Rainy River Partners and a student at Brown University studying Applied Math–Economics. Originally from London, he is especially interested in businesses with strong customer loyalty and recurring revenue models, and how strategic decisions can shape long-term growth. Outside of finance, Hank wrote a dessert cookbook and hopes to continue building it into a broader culinary series. He also enjoys playing soccer and supporting Chelsea FC.

Esther Lee

Esther Lee is an intern at Rainy River Partners studying Finance and Mathematics at New York University. She has lived in Singapore, China, and the US, and is always interested to learn about new businesses. Outside of school, Esther enjoys running, playing guitar, and watching ice hockey. Fun fact: Esther attended several different schools growing up, which helped her adapt quickly to new environments and connect easily with people from different backgrounds.

Origins of the name

A symbol of connection and continuity.

Rainy River runs along the boundary between the United States and Canada, a quiet waterway linking the two countries. It is a fitting namesake for our partnership: Patti was raised in Canada and Will in the United States, and the river reflects the steady continuity we seek to provide to the businesses, teams, and communities we are fortunate to support.