About Alden capital Advisors

At Alden Capital Advisors we’re not just brokers, we're your strategic partner—here to help you make the smartest move of your career.

At Alden, we work with small and mid-sized companies, family businesses, and even start-ups to guide high-stakes transitions with clarity and confidence. Whether you’re planning to sell your company, scale it for growth, or merge with a competitor, we’re here to help you get it right—and get it done.

We approach every deal with vision, precision, and a clear sense of what’s possible. Because no two businesses—or people—are the same, we don’t do cookie-cutter anything. Every engagement is tailored, every strategy crafted for the individual behind the business. We bring sharp thinking, real experience, and total discretion to every step of the process—because your legacy deserves nothing less.

 Kevin Heslin is the Founder and Managing Partner of Alden Capital Advisors, where he leverages decades of experience across mergers & acquisitions, brand strategy, and entrepreneurship. Alden Capital Advisors works closely with leading private equity firms across the country, helping them identify, evaluate, and acquire companies aligned with their strategic investment objectives.

Before launching Alden Capital, Kevin served as Senior Partner and Co-Founder of Cynergy Capital Partners, a Connecticut-based M&A firm. In that role, he led and closed numerous transactions, guiding founders and business owners through successful exits to high-net-worth individuals, investment groups, and private equity sponsors.

Having built and sold businesses of his own, Kevin brings a deeply informed, operator-level perspective to each transaction. He is known for his disciplined deal execution, sound judgment, and a trusted network cultivated over decades in the middle-market M&A ecosystem.

Sam Markle is a seasoned sales leader and entrepreneur with a diverse background spanning across tech, sports and startups. Sam is also the founder of SDM Business Partners, a consultancy based firm in Branford, Connecticut, focused on driving sales, marketing and business development strategies for emerging companies. With prior sales management roles at InsideTracker, a data-driven wellness platform, and medical technology giant Zimmer Biomet, Sam has built a track record of success across multiple industries. 

Before entering the business world, Sam recieved a full scholarship to play basketball in college and continued to play professional basketball in Europe. Sam has a BA from Stonehill College. He was also awarded a full scholarship to earn his Master's degree in Global Brand Management from Griffith College in Dublin, Ireland. Sam now coaches basketball through local nonprofit organizations. He also enjoys traveling and playing golf and tennis in his spare time. 

Rob Cottle has spent the majority of his professional career in Secondary and Higher Education. He has held senior management positions in Undergraduate Admissions, Alumni Relations, Annual Giving, Corporate Relations, Development, Principal and Major Gifts. Amoung his experience, Rob had held positions as Executive Dir. of Enrollment & Engagement at Elizabeth Ann Seton School, VP for University Advancement at University of Bridgeport, VP for Advancement Principl and Major Gifts at Fairfield College Preparatory School, and Assistant VP for Development at Fairfield University.

A seasoned fundraising professional, Rob is a leader in helping institutions realize their aspirations and has personally raised more than $200 million in support of strategic priorities throughout his career. These are highlighted by building relationships that led to two separate eight figure commitments-$25M and $10M among many more.

 Kristine Heslin is a Business Advisor who has led businesses on value creation, transaction readiness, and liquidity events. She brings a rare dual perspective as both a long-tenured operating executive and a recent seller to private equity.

Kristine spent over 27 years as Owner and Managing Partner of Family Vision Center, where she led all aspects of strategy, operations, marketing, and growth. During her tenure, the practice scaled into a multi-location platform, developed one of Connecticut’s largest eyecare practices, and built the infrastructure, reporting discipline, and management depth necessary to support institutional ownership. In 2024, the business completed a successful acquisition by a private equity sponsor.

Having personally navigated diligence, valuation negotiations, and post-close transition, Kristine offers practical insight into what drives buyer conviction and sustainable enterprise value. She works with founders to align operational performance, governance, and growth narratives with investor expectations, while helping them prepare for the emotional and structural complexities of a sale process.

Kristine’s advisory work is informed by deep operator empathy, disciplined execution, and a clear understanding of both sponsor and founder objectives—allowing her to effectively bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and institutional capital.

 Kristine is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University with a degree in Communications. She also competed as a Division I tennis player and continues to play competitive USTA tennis at the 4.5 level.

Pete DeBona is a seasoned corporate leader and strategic advisor with over 37 years of hands-on experience across the personal products and defense industries, complemented by 20 years of distinguished service in the Army National Guard. As a retired Sergeant First Class, he led a platoon post-9/11 in providing critical security support at two major military installations in New York, demonstrating proven command, discipline, and crisis management skills that translate directly to navigating complex business transactions and stakeholder environments.

In the corporate sector, Pete has spearheaded multi-million-dollar projects, delivering essential services to businesses and customers while driving operational excellence. He has extensive expertise in leading large-scale non-disclosure agreements, mergers, and integrations—successfully incorporating new products and services into established operations to enhance value and efficiency. Equally adept on the divestiture side, he has managed seamless separations and asset transfers, ensuring smooth transitions to new owners while providing robust post-execution support to maintain continuity and performance.

Pete also brings entrepreneurial insight from successfully owning and operating multiple annual and vacation rental properties in Myrtle Beach, where he oversees leasing, maintenance, and ongoing asset management—skills that align closely with capital deployment, real estate optimization, and long-term value creation in advisory contexts.

Pete resides in South Carolina and is passionate about supporting businesses in achieving strategic objectives through thoughtful capital advisory.