How I Built a $12M HoldCo Through Chaos, Grit, and Two Acquisitions | Mark Rossano Interview

My guest today is Mark Rossano, Co-Founder & CEO of C6 Capital Holdings, a firm focused on building real-world solutions in energy and agriculture infrastructure.In this episode, we explore Mark’s journey from Morgan Stanley and global oil trading to building a holding company that owns hydroelectric power plants and sustainable fertilizer companies.In Today’s Episode We Discuss:00:00:00 - Intro: meet Mark Rossano00:01:06 - From Wall Street to Oil Trading & Global Energy00:03:18 - Launching a Fund & Personal Tragedy00:05:45 - Why Energy & Agriculture Infrastructure00:08:00 - How Mark Met His Partner Fernando00:10:15 - The Early Pain: Fundraising & Doubters00:13:09 - Power Prices, Fertilizer & Macro Contrarian Views00:15:02 - First Close: Winning Investors Over with Track Record00:16:50 - Structure & Scale of the Portfolio00:20:56 - Why Sulfur Is the Hidden Commodity Crisis00:22:25 - Deal Sourcing: How They Find Hydroelectric Assets00:24:50 - Why Mark Buys Minority Stakes & Not Full Control00:26:09 - Their “Anti-Private Equity” Approach00:29:04 - Why Engineers Partner with Mark’s Firm00:32:07 - Lessons from Running Real Businesses vs. Modeling00:36:17 - Macro Insights That Drive Capital Allocation00:40:56 - How Mark Avoids Bad Investments00:44:16 - Big Mistakes Founders Make (Sales, Leverage, Assumptions)00:50:17 - Fund Structure & Deployment Strategy00:54:00 - The Psychological Side of Building During Chaos00:58:03 - Making Tough Calls & Turning Off Emotions01:02:15 - Best Investment Advice & Favorite Books----------------------------------------------Follow Mikk/PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: ⁠⁠https://x.com/PrivatEquityGuy⁠⁠Mark on X: https://x.com/markfnyThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.