Empowering Colorado Trade Businesses
Our Expertise
Ground Up Enterprises (GUE) is dedicated to helping Colorado trade business owners transition their companies to employee ownership. With a focus on preserving business legacies and promoting long-term success, we specialize in valuation, deal structuring, tax-free capital gains through ESOPs, and financing solutions. Our tailored services make the complex transition process straightforward and supportive for both owners and employee-owners.
Mission
Rewarding Ownership
At Ground Up Enterprises, our mission is to empower Colorado trade business owners by providing strategic guidance in transitioning their companies to employee ownership. We aim to maximize their potential and facilitate growth through our specialized services, ensuring local ownership and rewarding employees.
Team
Meet Our Experts
Matthew Mayer
Mr. Mayer is the co-founder of Ground Up Enterprises, where he helps guide the acquisition and long-term development of established trades and manufacturing companies in Colorado. His career spans building and scaling organizations in regulated and technical industries, from early-stage ventures to major national firms.
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Before launching Ground Up Enterprises, he co-founded Helios Medical, a remote physiologic monitoring advisory and services group serving healthcare providers and health systems. He later sold the company to Diasante in 2024. He also led AVEX LLC as co-founder and CEO, overseeing the development of FOOTBEAT, an active compression technology designed to support lower-extremity circulation. Earlier in his career, he served as President and CEO of SMR, a software and utility data management company, and began his professional path at McKinsey and Company, advising growth-stage firms on strategy and operations.
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Mr. Mayer holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and earned bachelor’s degrees in Business and History from the University of Colorado.
Matthew Breman
Mr. Breman is the co-founder of Ground Up Enterprises, where he works closely with business owners and employee teams to strengthen operations and support sustainable growth during and after transition. With more than twenty-five years of experience in operations, marketing, and organizational leadership, he brings a practical approach to helping companies improve performance and unlock new opportunities.
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His background includes founding a marketing agency recognized for creative excellence and later leading strategic growth efforts for a geospatial technology company as it expanded and matured into a publicly traded organization. He has also consulted with well-known global brands, including MTV/Nickelodeon, Disney Resorts, and Microsoft, focusing on programs that connect strategy, execution, and team engagement. His work centers on aligning people and process to build durable systems that support revenue growth and stronger employee ownership.
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Mr. Breman holds an MBA with concentrations in international finance and marketing from the Crummer Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in Technical Theatre from the University of South Florida.