Ryan Jaffe

Founder

ryan@bluegulfpartners.com

(239) 233-5528

Ryan founded Blue Gulf Partners to be a thoughtful, long-term home for owner-led truck and fleet service businesses.

Earlier in his career, Ryan worked in corporate development at TravelCenters of America, where he spent significant time alongside operators and service teams, gaining firsthand exposure to how essential, people-driven businesses are built and maintained. That experience shaped his belief that durable businesses are built on continuity, culture, and respect for the people running them day to day.

At Blue Gulf, Ryan partners directly with founders and operators, focusing on long-term ownership rather than short-term outcomes. He works closely with business owners to understand what they want from the next chapter and to design partnerships that preserve what already works while providing stability and support over time.

Ryan is personally involved from the first conversation onward and believes these decisions should move at the founder’s pace. He is deliberate and transparent, and mindful of the responsibility that comes with stepping into a business someone else has spent years building.

Outside of work, Ryan values time with family and is a lifelong drummer. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago.

Schedule a Call with Ryan

Our Board Advisors

Blue Gulf Partners is supported by a senior advisory group with deep experience across private equity, multi-site operations, industrial services, and Fortune 500 leadership. Their insight reinforces our investment discipline, operational rigor, and long-term platform vision.

Our advisors guide us on M&A, operational improvement, talent strategy, governance, and industry partnerships — helping ensure that Blue Gulf scales with clarity, consistency, and respect for the operators we work alongside.

CEO, ANDMORE
Former CEO, TravelCenters of America
Jon was CEO of TravelCenters of America (TA), a Fortune 500 company, where he led the organization through a period of growth and transformation ultimately earning recognition as one of Newsweek’s “Most Trustworthy” large travel and leisure companies. Prior to his role at TA, Pertchik served as CEO of InTown Suites and ST Residential, in addition to holding leadership roles at WCI Communities and The Staubach Company.
Jon was recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of “The World’s Most Influential Decision Makers” (2022 and 2023), Haute Living Magazine’s “100 Most influential People in Naples, FL (2023), and Crains, “Power 150” top Cleveland area leader (2023). He has been a regular contributor and speaker for Fox Business, Squawk on the Street, Yahoo Finance and Milken.
He holds a Master of Laws from Georgetown University Law Center, a Juris Doctorate from the University of the District of Columbia, and a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University. He is on the Board of Directors of Nikola Corporation and has sat on the Boards of Lenkbar and AV Homes. Jon and his wife Shannon have been married for 24 years and have two children.

Founder & CEO, Granite Point Partners
Kent has invested in over 75 middle-market companies as an individual investor and with Granite Point. Kent has partnered with entrepreneurs to build successful businesses such as VRI (remote patient monitoring), Discover Outsourcing (HR outsourcing), Fieldedge (field technician software), mTab (database tool), Neuro International (brain trauma residential), Integra (health provider network), and CALO (teen mental health), among many investments.
In addition to Granite Point, Kent is currently Executive Chairman and former CEO at a Northern California-based home health care company acquired using a self-funded search fund model. Previously, Mr. Weaver held executive positions in marketing and product management for a VC-backed marketing automation startup, as a regional CFO and business analyst in Pepsico’s Pizza Hut Division, and as a management consultant at Ernst & Young. He received his MBA at the University of California, Los Angeles and BS in finance from the University of Southern California.

Co-Founder, The Nashton Company
Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School
Prior to co-founding Nashton, Jason served as the Co-CEO of Vector Disease Acquisition, a holding company that provides vector-borne disease prevention programs and lake management services. Under Jason's leadership, the company made 14 acquisitions and grew at a CAGR of 43%. Vector Disease Acquisition was acquired by Rentokil Initial (FTSE: RTO) in November of 2017.
Jason is a Senior Lecturer at The Harvard Business School, where he teaches a course on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition. Jason obtained a Master in Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School and a BBA in finance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Jason and his wife Danielle have four children and live in Longmeadow, MA.