KANBRICK PROGRAMS
Build on the frameworks. Our Masterclass Series offers practical, operator-led sessions that help leaders go deeper on specific disciplines that drive lasting business value.
4+
MASTERCLASS TOPICS
~10
SEATS PER COHORT
9/10
AVERAGE RATING
CEO
LEVEL CURRICULUM
THE DEPTH DIFFERENCE
GO DEEPER ON WHAT MATTERS MOST
Build with Kanbrick introduces a practical playbook for building an enduring business. The Masterclass Series builds on that foundation, offering focused sessions designed to help leaders strengthen specific capabilities inside their businesses.
Led by operators who have built and run businesses themselves, each masterclass is intentionally small and highly interactive. Sessions draw on the tools and thinking behind the Kanbrick Business System and are grounded in the practical realities of leading midsize businesses.
3
WEEKS PER CLASS
Live
SESSIONS + Q&A
Small
COHORT SIZE
Practical
APPLICATION
TWO PROGRAMS, ONE COMMUNITY
FIND THE RIGHT PATH FOR YOU
Both programs are built on the Kanbrick Business System and grounded in the operating disciplines that help businesses reach their full potential.
BREADTH
BUILD WITH KANBRICK
A free, three-month accelerator covering the full Kanbrick Business System. Work alongside a cohort of CEOs and build the complete operational foundation for your company.
- Full business system diagnostic across all functions
- Weekly workshops on key topics from strategy to operations
- One on one sessions with the Kanbrick team
- Access to templates, tools, and the Kanbrick Community
- Cohort of 5–7 CEOs working through similar challenges
DEPTH
MASTERCLASS SERIES
Focused deep dives into a single discipline, led by operators who have built and run businesses. Designed for leaders who want to develop real fluency, not just familiarity.
- One subject, explored fully over 3 focused weeks
- Small cohorts of ~10 for real engagement and dialogue
- Practical discussion and direct access to experienced operators
- Applicable frameworks built for midsize business realities
- Alumni access to recordings and ongoing Kanbrick events
THE CURRICULUM
CURRENT & UPCOMING MASTERCLASSES
Each masterclass is a standalone program. Take one or take several every session stands on its own and compounds with the others.
Applications closed
MARCH · PEOPLE & LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPING & ENGAGING TEAMS
Strong leaders multiply the effectiveness of everyone around them. This Masterclass focuses on building executive team effectiveness, developing leaders at all levels, and equipping managers with the skills to drive clarity, accountability, and engagement. Participants leave with actionable ideas to build more resilient organizations.
Now Enrolling
JUNE · STRATEGY
STRATEGY
Clear strategy is the foundation for long-term growth. This Masterclass helps leaders make thoughtful choices about where to compete and how to win covering market. positioning, prioritization, and resource allocation. Participants gain a framework for strategic decisions that position their businesses for sustained, competitive advantage.
Upcoming
SEPTEMBER · PERFORMANCE
KPIS
High-performing businesses measure what matters. This Masterclass focuses on
building effective KPIs that drive alignment and accountability, establishing a clear operating cadence, and using a structured problem-solving approach to identify root causes and deliver measurable results.
Upcoming
NOVEMBER · TALENT
HIRING
Great companies are built by great people. This Masterclass covers how to define success in a role, build a disciplined hiring process, develop hiring scorecards, and structure interviews that consistently identify strong candidates. Participants leave with practical tools to improve hiring decisions and build stronger teams.
THE EXPERIENCE
WHAT EVERY MASTERCLASS INCLUDES
🎓
OPERATOR LED
Taught by operators who have led these functions at scale not academics. Every session connects theory to the real decisions you face each week.
💬
LIVE SESSIONS & Q&A
Weekly live sessions with direct access to instructors. Bring your actual challenges, work through real cases, and get answers that matter to your business.
🛠️
TOOLS & FRAMEWORKS
Walk away with templates, diagnostics, and frameworks you can implement immediately built specifically for companies doing $10M–$500M in revenue.
🤝
PEER COMMUNITY
Learn alongside a small cohort of CEOs and owners at similar stages. The relationships formed in these rooms often outlast the program itself.
THE RIGHT FIT
WHO THIS IS FOR
-
CEOS & FOUNDERS OF MIDSIZE COMPANIES
You lead a company doing $10M–$500M in revenue and want to sharpen a specific functional area that’s become a constraint to growth. -
OPERATORS WHO WANT TO GO DEEPER
You understand the concepts. Now you want to build judgment through practice, feedback, and real operating experience.
-
BUILD WITH KANBRICK ALUMNI
You’ve built the foundation. The Masterclass Series is where you go deeper on the one or two areas that matter most to your next stage of growth. -
LEADERS PREPARING FOR A STEP-CHANGE
You are approaching a significant inflection point, such as an acquisition, a period of scaling, or a leadership transition, and want to strengthen a critical discipline before you get there.
HEAR FROM ALUMNI
WHAT PARTICIPANTS SAY
The session on mission-critical roles was particularly valuable. The discussion around distinguishing truly critical roles from those that just lack redundancy, and treating succession planning as a living document, was especially insightful.
The material on the CEO’s role in communicating vision, purpose, and strategy was immediately valuable. I left knowing I needed to do better here, and with the frameworks and communication templates to start doing it.
All sessions were excellent. The real-life examples made every concept concrete and directly applicable exactly what you need when you’re running a business and don’t have time for theory alone.
BUILD WITH KANBRICK ALUMNI
FAQ
The Kanbrick Masterclass is a focused, three-week program designed to help CEOs and owners build a specific capability within their business. Each cohort brings together a small group of leaders for weekly live sessions that dive deep into a single topic, such as strategy, hiring, or KPIs. Participants will engage in practical, operator-led discussions, apply proven frameworks to their own businesses, and leave with clear, actionable next steps. Masterclass participants also gain exposure to Kanbrick’s tools, resources, and broader Community of CEOs and operators.
No. All costs are covered by Kanbrick. That said, we are investing time into you and your company’s growth during the program, and in turn each participant should expect to invest around two hours per week.
We’ve seen first-hand the unique challenges midsize businesses face, especially in the current environment. We developed the Masterclass series based on our experience building and growing businesses at Berkshire Hathaway, Pampered Chef, and here at Kanbrick. Our goal is to share practical insights that help leaders strengthen a specific area of their business and drive meaningful progress over a short period of time.
As a participant, you will dive deep into one core topic alongside a small group of peers, learn where your business can improve, and identify clear, actionable steps to move forward. Each Masterclass is designed to help you build capability and momentum in areas like strategy, hiring, KPIs, and team development through:
- Kanbrick Business System – Deep dives through group sessions and workshops to learn how to apply our proprietary business system that is specifically tailored to mid-sized companies.
- Templates and Tools – We have spent 5+ years building the Kanbrick Business System, which is a detailed and integrated way of managing a business. We will share some of our most valued tools and templates to help you in your business.
- Networking – You will have the opportunity to build strong relationships with your fellow cohort members and the Kanbrick team. Additionally, you will have access to the Kanbrick Community – an immediate group of mentors and guest experts to help you with your business. And, upon completion of the program, you will have ongoing access to our Kanbrick Community events and exclusive content.
The Kanbrick Business System (KBS) is our proprietary value-creating playbook developed from our time driving results at a number of companies. KBS is a long-term approach to building a strong foundation, empowering and developing people, and driving growth by delivering for customers. We have a proven track record of delivering meaningful results. There are four key pillars to KBS:
- Operating system: Set a clear strategy and rigorously measure performance
- People: Attract, develop, and engage world-class talent
- Operational Excellence: Improve efficiency to invest in growth
- Growth: Build core and enter attractive adjacencies
Masterclass alumni will become members of the Kanbrick Community, an intimate group of CEOs and business leaders who we admire, have worked with, and continue to learn from. The Kanbrick Community will also have continued access to exclusive events and content.
We are also members of several business organizations and have benefited from the access to strong networks and high-level idea sharing. At the same time, we know that real progress requires more than perspective, it requires a clear plan and practical tools you can apply directly to your business.
The Masterclass is designed with that in mind. Rather than broad discussions across a range of topics, each session focuses on one critical area and goes deep. You will work through practical frameworks, apply them to your own business in real time, and leave with specific actions to move forward. It is a more focused, hands-on experience built to drive tangible progress over a short period of time.
The program is currently set up as weekly Zoom calls to allow for efficiency and enables CEOs from across the country with busy schedules to participate. We do have in person connect opportunities during the year for our Masterclass alumni and broader Kanbrick Community.
APPLICATIONS
We are looking for great businesses and motivated founders and CEOs who are interested in partnering to grow long term. While we welcome all interested companies to apply, businesses that meet the following criteria will be the ideal candidates:
- Headquartered in North America
- Family- or Founder-owned
- Revenue of $50 to $500 million and EBIT of $5 to $50 million
If you have questions about whether your company would be a good candidate, please reach out to us here.
When will I hear back about my application?
You will hear back from us within a week of applications closing for a given cohort.
If you know of a company that would be a great fit for the Masterclass program, please reach out or invite them to fill out the application to be considered for the program.
KANBRICK
Tracy Britt Cool and Brian Humphrey are Co-Founders of Kanbrick, an investment partnership focused on buying, building, and growing great companies for the long term, making 1-2 acquisitions per year. Kanbrick has partnered with JM Test Systems, Marine Concepts, Alchemy Analytical Group, LTI, Keep Supply, and Depatie.
Prior to co-founding Kanbrick, Britt Cool spent 10 years at Berkshire Hathaway, including 5 years as Financial Assistant to the Chairman and 5 years as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway-owned Pampered Chef. Britt Cool has also served as Chairman of four Berkshire Hathaway companies and on the boards of several public companies. Humphrey began his career as an investor and served as Chief Financial Officer of Pampered Chef. Together, Britt Cool and Humphrey turned around Pampered Chef after a decade of decline, doubling earnings and meaningfully growing sales.
No, there is no investment component to the Masterclass program. The primary goal of the program is to build strong relationships and add long-term value.
Kanbrick is an investment firm focused on buying, building, and growing great companies for the long term, with a focus on privately-held midmarket businesses in the consumer, industrial, and business services sectors.
We love meeting founders, owners, and CEOs whenever given the chance, and the Masterclass program ensures that we regularly meet interesting leaders and build meaningful relationships. We also enjoy learning about new industries and the program allows us to see how aspects of our Kanbrick Business System apply to different business models and industries. Lastly, Kanbrick is guided by our purpose of empowering people and organizations to reach their full potential and the program is an extension of our approach to building a strong foundation, empowering people, and driving growth.
The Kanbrick Community is an exclusive, highly curated network of CEOs and founders who we admire, have worked with, and continue to learn from. This includes our Masterclass alumni but also other leaders we have gotten to know. The Kanbrick Community will also have continued access to exclusive events and content, the Kanbrick team, and perhaps most importantly, one another.
Didn’t find the answer you were looking for? Send us an e-mail and we’ll get back to you shortly!
READY TO GO DEEP?
APPLY TO THE MASTERCLASS SERIES
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Classes fill quickly. If you’re considering it, the right time to apply is now.
Questions? Reach us at community@kanbrick.com