Dallas · Texas · Est. 2007

Capital that
accelerates
exceptional
companies.

Skyline Merchant Partners is a Dallas-based independent sponsor of high-growth investments in education, healthcare, and real estate — backed by 25+ years of principal experience and a deep network of operators and capital sources.

Dallas, Texas
25+
Years of Experience
3
Core Sectors
4
Portfolio Companies
∅
Conflicts of Interest
Investment Focus

Three sectors.
One thesis.

Our investment approach →
01

Education & Workforce

Growth-stage platforms in postsecondary and professional education, with deep expertise in institutional operations, accreditation, and enrollment growth.

02

Healthcare Services

Differentiated healthcare services businesses where operational expertise and capital deployment drive scale and margin improvement.

03

Real Estate

Strategic real estate investments tied to our operating thesis — including luxury residential development and essential-use commercial properties.

How We Work

Built to create
shareholder value.

As an independent sponsor, Skyline operates with the agility of a boutique and the credibility of an established institution. We source proprietary opportunities, structure bespoke capital solutions, and work shoulder-to-shoulder with management teams through every stage of value creation.

I

Proprietary Sourcing

Decades of sector relationships generate off-market deal flow that institutional funds rarely access.

II

Bespoke Capital Structures

We tailor growth equity, buyout, and recapitalization structures to each company's unique situation and trajectory.

III

Operating Expertise

Our network of operating executives and board members work alongside management to accelerate growth and build institutional quality.

IV

Capital Network Depth

Deep relationships with debt and equity capital sources allow us to move decisively and close with certainty.

Portfolio

Selected investments.

Full Portfolio →
American College
of Education
Active
Academic
Partnerships
Divested
Hidden Woods
Active
Voyager Sopris
Learning
Divested
Dallas, Texas

Let's build something exceptional.

Whether you're a founder exploring capital options, an operator seeking a strategic partner, or a capital source looking for co-investment — we'd like to hear from you.

717 N. Harwood Street, Suite 500 · Dallas, Texas 75201
tevans@skylinemerchantpartners.com
Our Approach

What We Do.

Skyline sponsors growth capital, buyout, and recapitalization investments across education, healthcare, and real estate — bringing both capital and conviction to each partnership.

The Model

Independent sponsorship done right.

As an independent sponsor, Skyline combines the speed and flexibility of a boutique with the credibility and network of an established institution. We identify compelling opportunities in our target sectors, structure the right capital solution, assemble the right team — and then roll up our sleeves alongside management to execute.

Our founding partner has spent over 25 years building, investing in, and successfully exiting companies across the education and healthcare landscapes. That experience informs every investment thesis we pursue and every operating decision we make post-close.

Investment Types

How we deploy capital.

Growth Capital

Minority and majority investments in high-growth companies seeking a strategic partner to accelerate expansion, build infrastructure, and enhance enterprise value in preparation for a future event.

Buyout

Control acquisitions of businesses in our target sectors, where Skyline's operating expertise, board relationships, and capital network can meaningfully improve performance and position the company for long-term value creation.

Recapitalization

Structured capital solutions designed to provide liquidity for owners while retaining the operational leadership and organizational momentum that made the business successful in the first place.

Sector Focus

Where we invest.

Education & Workforce

Sector Overview

Skyline has deep roots in the education sector dating to the firm's founding. We have invested in and operated postsecondary institutions, online program management companies, K–12 curriculum and services providers, and ed-tech platforms. Our track record spans the full lifecycle — from launch through successful divestiture — and our network of education executives, accreditation specialists, and institutional investors is unmatched in the independent sponsor market.

Healthcare Services

Sector Overview

We target differentiated healthcare services businesses where operational expertise and capital deployment create meaningful competitive advantage. Our focus includes clinical services, healthcare staffing, and businesses at the intersection of education and healthcare — particularly in nursing and allied health, where our relationships with accredited institutions provide a proprietary sourcing edge.

Real Estate

Sector Overview

Our real estate investments are grounded in our operating thesis — we focus on luxury residential development and purpose-built communities in high-growth Texas markets, where we can apply hands-on development expertise and our local capital network to create distinctive assets. Active projects include Hidden Woods, a luxury single-family residential community in North Texas.

Our Network

The infrastructure behind every deal.

Debt Capital Sources

Longstanding relationships with senior lenders, mezzanine providers, and specialty finance firms enable Skyline to source and structure debt efficiently across deal types.

Equity Partners

Family offices, institutional co-investors, and sector-focused funds that have partnered with Skyline across multiple investment cycles and geographies.

Operating Executives

A curated bench of proven operators across education, healthcare, and real estate who can step into CEO, CFO, and COO roles post-investment.

Board Members

Experienced directors with sector-specific governance expertise, accreditation knowledge, and public company experience who add credibility and strategic depth.

The Firm

About Skyline.

Skyline Merchant Partners is a leading independent sponsor of innovative, high-growth companies in education, healthcare, and real estate — built on a foundation of principal experience, sector depth, and a genuine partnership approach.

Leadership

The principal is the firm.

Thomas B. Evans
Thomas B. Evans
Founder & Managing Partner

Tom Evans

Founder & Managing Partner

Tom Evans has for over 25 years been involved in the creation, development, growth, and successful divestiture of a multitude of investments. He is an experienced investment professional skilled in capital markets, corporate development, mergers & acquisitions, growth investing, and corporate governance.

Skyline Merchant Partners is a leading sponsor of innovative, high-growth education, healthcare, and real estate companies. Tom has been deeply involved in the K–12 and higher education markets for more than two decades, with a track record spanning the full investment lifecycle — from company formation and launch through institutional scale and successful exit.

Tom also serves as a Trustee and Chairman of the American College of Education, a regionally accredited higher education institution delivering online degree programs and graduate certificates to educators and healthcare professionals nationwide. He additionally serves on the board of iDesign, a leading online program management and instructional design firm, and is actively engaged with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio.

MBA Finance, The Ohio State University – Max M. Fisher College of Business
BA Ohio University
Based Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex
View on LinkedIn
What We Believe

Principles that guide every decision.

Alignment First

We structure every partnership so that Skyline's success is inseparable from our portfolio companies' success. No hidden agendas, no conflicts of interest — just aligned incentives from day one.

Operators, Not Just Investors

We've built and run companies, not just invested in them. That operating perspective shapes how we underwrite deals, how we support management, and how we think about sustainable value creation.

Relationships Over Transactions

Our deal flow comes from relationships built over 25 years — with management teams, intermediaries, and capital sources who trust us to be the right partner for the right situation.

Investments

Our Portfolio.

We have sponsored the launch, acquisition, capitalization, growth, and successful exit of businesses across the education, healthcare, and real estate sectors.

Skyline's portfolio reflects our conviction that the best investments are built on deep sector knowledge, trusted management teams, and the right capital structure for each company's unique stage and trajectory.

American College
of Education
Higher Education

The American College of Education (ACE) is a regionally accredited institution based in Indianapolis, Indiana, delivering online bachelor's, master's, doctorate, and specialist degree programs — as well as graduate-level certificates — to educators and healthcare professionals in the U.S. and around the globe. ACE is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Tom Evans serves as Trustee and Chairman.

Active ace.edu ↗
Hidden Woods
Real Estate · Residential

Hidden Woods is a luxury single-family residential community in North Texas. Skyline served as the development sponsor for this distinctive community, bringing together capital, land expertise, and operational oversight to deliver a high-quality residential product in one of the nation's fastest-growing markets. The development is active and under continued development.

Active
Academic
Partnerships
EdTech · OPM

Since 2007, Academic Partnerships (AP) helped universities expand their influence through the online delivery of instruction. At exit, AP served more than 60 universities and assisted in the transition of nearly 5,400 courses into an online format, serving 270,000+ students along their higher education journey. Skyline was an early sponsor, playing a foundational role in the company's capital structure and governance prior to its successful exit.

Divested academicpartnerships.com ↗
Voyager Sopris
Learning
K–12 Education

Voyager provides innovative, evidence-based instructional solutions and professional development services to pre-K–12 students and their teachers. Voyager works in collaboration with schools and school districts to provide a full range of services — from implementation to online and on-site support services. Skyline invested in Voyager's growth phase, contributing to a successful divestiture following meaningful enterprise value creation.

Divested voyagersopris.com ↗
Get in Touch

Let's Connect.

Whether you're exploring a capital partnership, seeking a board member or operating advisor, or looking to co-invest alongside Skyline — we'd like to hear from you.

Who Should Reach Out

We partner with exceptional people.

If you're a founder or owner-operator in education, healthcare, or real estate exploring your strategic options, Skyline offers a differentiated alternative to traditional institutional capital — flexible, experienced, and deeply aligned.

If you're an intermediary with a situation that fits our thesis, we move quickly, communicate clearly, and close with certainty.

If you're a capital source — family office, institutional co-investor, or debt provider — looking for a sector-focused independent sponsor with a proven track record, we'd welcome the conversation.

Address 717 N. Harwood Street, Suite 500
Dallas, Texas 75201
Email tevans@skylinemerchantpartners.com
LinkedIn Thomas B. Evans

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