![Karl Stark headshot](https://www.yos.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/karl.jpg)
As a serial entrepreneur, Karl is the co-CEO and founder of Avondale, a strategic advisory firm focused on building value-creating partnerships with growing companies. Mr. Stark leads Avondale’s partnerships with investors and management teams across three areas: strategic advisory, M&A advisory and principal investing. Karl is also the recent CEO of Policy Ninja, a digital life and health insurance distribution platform. This is the next generation spinoff of Elagy, Karl’s insurance distribution platform founded in 2015.
Mr. Stark is also a frequent columnist for Inc.com, the website for Inc. Magazine, where he writes a column with Bill Stewart on strategic and financial issues for growing companies. Karl holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Northwestern University.