Taylor Hess is the founder of StoneBridge Business Advisors, known for combining analytical discipline with practical, hands-on judgment, earned from years of working directly with business owners. His path to M&A wasn’t linear—it grew out of a curiosity for how things work, an early entrepreneurial streak, and a front row seat to how financial systems operate from the inside.  

Taylor began his career in the public markets as a broker with E*TRADE, then was recruited into wealth management by a Forbes Top Advisory team at Merrill Lynch. Working within Bank of America ecosystem gave him a close-up look at how large financial institutions think, communicate, and ultimately make decisions that experience shaped his deep respect for business owners, who often succeed not because of complexity, but in spite of it.

During the pandemic, Taylor stepped into private investment and M&A at a multi-family office in Atlanta, managing alternative investments and leading transactions across a wide range of industries. As he sourced and closed deals—beginning with an $18M sell-side transaction in the Pool & Spa industry—he noticed a theme in the lowe-middle market: owners who had built impressive companies were often underserved, underinformed, or outmatched when it came time to sell. Many were brilliant operators yet had a little visibility into how buyers evaluate deals or how much leverage they truly had. 

Recognizing this gap, Taylor founded StoneBridge with one simple mission: give business owners a genuine advocate in a process that’s often stacked against them. StoneBridge is built on the belief that owners deserve clarity, honest guidance, and someone truly sitting on their side of the table—not just another financial professional pushing a deal across the line. 

Taylor grew up in Roswell, Georgia, and now lives in Summerfield, Florida, with his wife and two young daughters. He enjoys being around good people, building straightforward solutions to complex problems, and helping entrepreneurs exit on their own terms.