Overview
Elliott Holland is an American entrepreneur and due diligence professional who founded Guardian Due Diligence in 2017.[6] The Atlanta-based firm has evaluated over 1,500 deals totaling more than $600 million in transactions, providing Quality of Earnings reports and financial due diligence for small business buyers and independent sponsors.[6]
Holland brings nearly two decades of deal experience across private equity, self-funded search, and due diligence to his work.[3] Before founding Guardian, he worked as a private equity investor and self-funded searcher, and currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of Collab Capital, a growth solution for Black founders.[7] He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and engineering degrees from Georgia Tech and Morehouse College.[1]
Early life and education
Holland is originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and describes himself as a "reformed engineer turned businessman."[1] He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in General Science from Morehouse College.[1]
After working as a consultant at Accenture from 2007 to 2009, Holland enrolled at Harvard Business School, where he earned his MBA in 2011.[1] During his time at Harvard, he was inspired by the story of Reginald Lewis, the first Black billionaire, and developed his philosophy on success and persistence.[1]
Career
Early Finance Career (2011–2014)
Following his MBA, Holland joined The Watermill Group as a Senior Associate in 2011, working at the Boston-based private equity firm.[6] He then moved to Workday, where he worked in sales strategy and operations from 2012 to 2014 during the enterprise software company's growth phase.[6]
Independent Sponsor Work (2014–2017)
In 2014, Holland transitioned to independent sponsor work, founding Ellsworth Partners with a mentor and focusing on deals with $1-5 million in EBITDA.[6] He later established Spartan Capital Partners in 2016, an independent sponsor focused on smaller deals in the $500,000 to $2 million range.[6] During this period, he gained extensive experience as a self-funded searcher before recognizing the need for specialized due diligence services in the small business acquisition market.[2]
Guardian Due Diligence (2017–present)
Holland founded Guardian Due Diligence in 2017 to address the gap in affordable, high-quality due diligence services for small business acquisitions.[6] The firm specializes in deals under $5 million and offers fixed-fee pricing with QoE Light reports at $20,000 and full Quality of Earnings reports at $25,000.[4] Guardian has since evaluated over 1,500 deals totaling more than $600 million in transactions.[6]
The company has been recognized by ETA Orbit as one of the most recommended Quality of Earnings providers in 2025.[8] Holland has appeared on over 100 podcasts discussing deal strategy and due diligence best practices.[3]
Recognition and public engagement
Holland has been recognized as one of the most recommended Quality of Earnings providers by ETA Orbit in 2025.[8] He is a frequent speaker and podcast guest, having appeared on over 100 podcasts to discuss deal strategy, due diligence, and small business acquisitions.[3]
He maintains an active presence in the entrepreneurship through acquisition community, sharing insights on deal evaluation and the systematic approach to business buying.[5] Holland describes himself as a "process person" who systematizes complex deal workflows to help buyers make informed decisions.[2]
Public statements
Success is 50 percent setting the right goals, 25 percent persistence and 25 percent dealing with the adversity that will come en route to your goal.
On defining success — Rolling Out, 2011[1]
Perfect is the enemy of the good and that knowledge — and actually closing a deal — only comes from putting in the reps.
On business acquisition approach — Acquiring Minds, 2024[5]
I encourage people to think of each failed attempt not as oh my gosh, that failed, but as one less failure en route to success.
On mindset and learning from deals — Acquiring Minds, 2024[5]
References
- Elliott Holland, Black Harvard Graduate, Talks MBA — Rolling Out, August 2011
- A Due Diligence Professional Shares His War Stories with Elliott Holland — Quiet Light
- Navigating Today's Investment Landscape with Elliott Holland — Money Tree Podcast
- Strategies for Buying a Business with Elliott Holland, Guardian Due Diligence — Beyond 8 Figures
- What You Don't Understand About Buying a Small Business — Acquiring Minds
- About Guardian Due Diligence Expert Team — Guardian Due Diligence
- Collab Capital — Faith Driven Investor
- Guardian Due Diligence — ETA Orbit