The TUSK Team
Our team is composed of industry experts and leaders in the healthcare and investment banking industries. With over 125+ years of combined experience, we’ve positioned ourselves as industry leaders in healthcare practice sales.

Kevin Cumbus
Founder & President, Partner

Ryan Mingus
Managing Director, Partner

Alex Cherniavsky
Managing Director, Partner

Elizabeth Macready
Director

Connor Jorgensen
Director

Kevin Sauer
Director

Josh Swearingen
Director

Austin Truitt
Director, Partner

Yazen Abusad
Director

Sam Lupton
Associate

Zac Zielinski
Associate

Tyler Gross
Analyst

Mariana Alvarez Gonzalez
Marketing Manager

Kevin Cumbus
Founder & President, Partner
Kevin has worked in the healthcare industry for close to two decades. He has valued and sold over 200 dental practices, worked in operations and business development for one of the world’s largest DSOs, Affordable Dentures, successfully founded and exited a dental practice, Mundo Dentistry, and today is the President of TUSK Practice Sales. TUSK is the premier Healthcare M&A Advisor helping owners maximize the value of their life’s work. He earned his BA from Washington & Lee University and MBA from Wake Forest University.

Ryan Mingus
Managing Director, Partner
Ryan has 12+ years of sales and leadership experience in the dental and healthcare industry, most recently as Business Development Director for Strategy and Optimization at Align Technology, Inc. Mr. Mingus earned his BA in Economics and Business from the Virginia Military Institute and his MBA from the University of San Diego. He also held the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army National Guard.

Alex Cherniavsky
Managing Director, Partner
Alex Cherniavsky has over 6 years of experience in the M&A space. Alex previously served as a Senior Financial Analyst for Wendy’s Corporation and valued over $750M of M&A transactions before joining Galt & Company where he co-developed innovative valuation models that supported a $10B dollar re-franchise sale of a Fortune 100 company’s production and distribution businesses.

Elizabeth Macready
Director
Elizabeth has over 15 years of sales and leadership experience in the dental and healthcare industry, notably as a Sr. Sales Manager at Align Technology. Elizabeth has consulted and represented hundreds of healthcare practice owners across the US to maximize the value of their practice in a sale. Mrs. Macready earned her BA in Organizational Development from La Salle University, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

Connor Jorgensen
Director
Connor Jorgensen has over a decade of experience in the dental industry focused on growth strategies and value creation. Most recently, he was the Director of Business Development at a national DSO focused on organizational growth. He earned his B.S. in Marketing from the Ivy School of Business at Iowa State University.

Kevin Sauer
Director
Kevin Sauer has nearly two decades of experience in the dental industry. He has served in leadership positions for four DSOs that range from $30MM to over $1B in revenue. During his tenure, he built out Pacific Dental Services’ Doctor Recruiting Department, was VP of Operations and responsible for over $135M in revenue, and most recently served as the COO for a regional DSO with $30M in revenue. Kevin received his BS and MLOS from Azusa Pacific University.

Josh Swearingen
Director
Josh has over 15 years of leadership experience in the dental and healthcare industry, most recently serving as the CEO for Vesper Alliance, a DSO located in Cincinnati and Columbus, OH. Prior to that Josh was Director of Corporate Development for American Dental Partners and quarterbacked several of their largest transactions during his tenure there. Josh received his B.S from THE Ohio State University.

Austin Truitt
Director, Partner
Austin has over 5 years of experience in the digital marketing space. In his previous role at Husqvarna Group, he assisted with branding the Battery and Consumer Robotics product division. Currently, he is responsible for the execution of all marketing efforts at TUSK. Austin attended Western Carolina University’s Forsyth School of Business, where he earned his BS in Marketing and Business Administration.

Yazen Abusad
Director
Yazen Abusad helps lead TUSK M&A advisory engagements, allowing clients to achieve full value of their businesses and identify new opportunities for growth. Prior to joining TUSK Partners, Yazen was a Vice President at Generational Group, the leading middle-market M&A investment banking advisory firm in North America. At Generational Group, Yazen was a key member of the deal team, where he had extensive involvement in developing and executing exit strategies on numerous sell-side transactions. Yazen received a Master’s in Finance and a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry from Southern Methodist University.

Sam Lupton
Associate
Sam has 3 years of experience in the data analytics industry. He has previously served as an intern with the University of Oklahoma’s Sports Analytics department. Sam has been with TUSK since 2021 and plays a role in the firm’s data analytics team. He earned an MS in Sports Data Analytics from the University of Oklahoma and his BS in Business Administration from Western Carolina University.

Zac Zielinski
Associate
Zac Zielinski has over 5 years of broad experience in the finance industry, including 2 years as an Analyst at Houlihan Lokey, where he supported middle-market organizations through their acquisitions via sell-side advisory services and analysis. Zac earned a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a minor in Entrepreneurship from Queens University of Charlotte.

Tyler Gross
Analyst
Tyler has four years of experience in analytics with a robust background in Science and Mathematics. In his prior role as an Analyst at US Bank, he specialized in combating external fraud using data trends and triggers, as well as forensic accounting. Tyler graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.S. in Actuarial Science and Risk Management.

Mariana Alvarez Gonzalez
Marketing Manager
Mariana has 3 years of experience in the digital marketing space, with a focus in social media marketing. As a previous intern with Iconic Heroes, she assisted with the development of social media management and strategy for athletic collections. She has also previously interned at Red Ventures where she focused on the creation of materials and solutions in areas such as paid social and customer experience. Mariana attended Meredith College, where she earned her BA in Communication.
Start Your Journey with TUSK
We believe that success is driven by the dedication and talent of our team members. We’re always on the lookout for passionate individuals who embody our core values and are eager to learn and grow with us. Join our dynamic team and become a part of an industry-leading M&A advisory firm that values honesty, perseverance, and personal development.
View Our Openings