WE BUY, BUILD, &
GROW EXCEPTIONAL
BUSINESSES
OUR STORY
Founded by Louis Dargenzio and Jeff Stotland, Zello Growth is an investment firm specializing in growth-oriented businesses in the media, entertainment and leisure markets. We met in early 2021, when Louis sold his company, Zio Studio Services, to the studio business that Jeff was leading - a joint venture between Blackstone (NYSE: $1 Trillion for BX) and Hudson Pacific Properties (NYSE: $9B AUM for HPP). We partnered early on to acquire, integrate and operate a growing studio business. We invested in aggregate ~ $1 Billion and, in the process, realized that our philosophies, ethics and passions are very much aligned. Prior to their partnership, Louis and Jeff have done over 40 deals totaling $2 billion of transaction volume.
The next chapter in our story is to invest in fantastic businesses. We are entrepreneurs ourselves, but uniquely also have a substantial amount of experience in publicly-traded corporations, and our partnership is born of our shared passion to partner with other owner-operators and entrepreneurs to grow and evolve their business in a world that is increasingly challenging to navigate.
OUR BELIEFS
TIME
We believe that building exceptional businesses takes time, so we are committed for the long run. We fully understand that most “overnight” success stories take years, not months.
ALIGNMENT
Alignment is critical. We work with leadership teams to align on a vision, identify the necessary resources, gather the right people and assets, and put in the work to achieve our goals.
PEOPLE ARE THE MAGIC
Anyone with money can buy a group of assets and acquire a warehouse. The true magic happens when the right people come together with a shared vision and collaborate to achieve their goals.
UNICORNS
We understand that successful businesses are created in the real world through building relationships, hard work, and determination, not behind a computer.
OUR FOUNDERS
LOUIS DARGENZIO
A seasoned entrepreneur and executive in the entertainment industry. Louis is the Founder and former CEO of Zio Studio Services, a company he started from scratch in 2007 and sold to Hudson Pacific Properties (NYSE: HPP) in 2021. During his ownership, Louis established Zio as a leading force in California’s production services sector, including the origination, execution and integration of 13 bolt-on acquisitions. His nearly 15-year tenure as CEO is distinguished by a legacy of expertise and innovation.
After selling Zio, Louis became the President of Sunset Studios, a multi-billion- dollar studio platform. In his role, Louis played a pivotal role in overseeing sales, operations and the integration of all the strategic acquisitions.
Louis earned over 100 credits for film and TV productions and has collaborated with major studios such as Warner Brothers, Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, A24, and Universal – most notably on large scale features such as ‘King Richard,’ ‘Space Jam,’ ‘Lady Bird,’ ‘Promising Young Women,’ and ‘Marriage Story.’
Aside from his extensive experience in the entertainment industry, Louis is an active investor and developer of real estate and has built a substantial real estate portfolio, focusing on immediate income and long-term growth. His specialization in industrial and multi-family properties in the Los Angeles area includes over 7 million square feet of real estate.
Louis plays an active role in well-recognized leadership networks such as EO, YPO, and Tiger 21, where he is recognized for his leadership and industry expertise.
JEFF STOTLAND
An executive with 30 years of investing, strategic planning and operating expertise, Jeff has had a diverse business career that spans entrepreneurship, private equity and corporate management. Jeff structured and executed transactions to acquire, grow and sell multiple companies, building businesses from the ground up and transforming small “mom and pop” operators. Most recently, Jeff led the Global Studios & Services business in a joint venture between Blackstone and Hudson Pacific, a public REIT. In this role, Jeff was responsible for establishing and executing the vision for the business. For the service business, Jeff executed and oversaw the integration of multiple acquisitions (Variety’s Dealmakers of 2023 (https://variety.com/lists/variety-dealmakers-2023-top-hollywood-negotiators/). Jeff also spearheaded studio real estate development with projects in LA, NYC and London.
Jeff currently serves on the Board of Directors of Jacob Stern & Sons, a commodities trading and distribution firm that generates in excess of $1 billion in annual revenue and in its 6th generation of family ownership.
Prior to leading Sunset Studios, Jeff was a key executive in Strategy & Global Development at The Walt Disney Company, where he focused on identifying, evaluating and developing large growth opportunities for existing and new lines of business in domestic and international markets. Prior to Disney, Jeff acquired and ran SEMCO Aerospace, an aviation maintenance company, which he purchased in 2003 and sold in 2014 for 3.5x multiple of invested capital. During this time, Jeff acquired and oversaw The Craft-Art Company, a specialty countertop manufacturer in Atlanta, which was sold for a 5x multiple of equity invested. Jeff earned his MBA with a concentration in Finance & Strategic Management from Wharton and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University.
Let’s grow together
Interested in working with us? We are excited to hear from you.