The Exit Planning Institute (EPI), a leading authority on exit planning for advisors, business consultants, and business owners, announced a strategic partnership with SkillStacked Strategies on September 18, 2026. The alliance aims to bolster support for advisors navigating the complex exit planning process.
SkillStacked Strategies, founded by Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) Skylar Dean, offers an on-demand team of specialists designed to help advisors deliver advanced planning without expanding internal staff. The firm’s bespoke Fractional Family Offices include experts in finance, operations, marketing, artificial intelligence, estate planning, and personal planning.
Josh Koza, director of strategic relationships at EPI, welcomed the partnership, stating, “We are excited to welcome CEPA-founded SkillStacked as a member of our Alliance Partners. Skylar’s background as a CEPA gives him a firsthand understanding of what advisors need to deliver Value Acceleration well, and that shared foundation makes this partnership a natural fit for our community.”
Dean explained the motivation behind founding SkillStacked: “As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) and financial planner, I founded SkillStacked to serve as a fractional advisory ‘bench’ of specialists for financial professionals working with main street business owners. Our goal is to work with CEPAs on both sides of our business—some as the specialists that we connect with financial advisors and other as advisors, who are looking for a team of experts to support their clients.”
The partnership falls under EPI’s Strategic Alliances program, a group of trusted collaborators that work closely with EPI to support advisor development, member engagement, and the broader EPI community. Through educational content, programming, events, and collaboration, alliance members provide valuable resources and expertise that help advisors and business owners navigate the exit planning process.
This collaboration matters because it addresses a critical need for advisors serving main street business owners, who often require specialized expertise across multiple domains to effectively plan for business exits. By integrating SkillStacked’s fractional specialists into EPI’s network, advisors can access a broader range of services, enhancing their ability to deliver comprehensive exit planning solutions. The partnership also underscores EPI’s commitment to equipping advisors with the tools and resources necessary to meet the evolving demands of business owners.
EPI was formed in 2005 to serve the educational and resource needs of professional business advisors. Its Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) credential program is the most widely endorsed professional exit planning program in the world, providing advisors with the content, tools, and training needed to engage business owners and become their most valued advisors. For more information, visit exit-planning-institute.org or follow EPI on LinkedIn.
Learn more about EPI’s Strategic Alliances by visiting the EPI website.
