About Northway Partners
Searching for a great business to buy and operate​
Northway Partners is a married team of two entrepreneurs dedicated to acquiring and growing an existing business. We focus on working closely with the current owner to ensure a smooth transition, preserving what makes the business successful while identifying new opportunities for growth. Our goal is to build on your legacy and take the company to its next chapter with care and integrity.
​In addition to being business partners, Brynn and Nicolay are married and have been together for 8 years. They met at Northwestern University, where Brynn majored in Organizational Change and International Studies and Nicolay in Industrial Engineering. After school, they managed their long-distance relationship between Chicago and Oslo, Norway, with Brynn eventually moving to Oslo where they lived together for almost five years. They currently live in the Midwest.
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Brynn has operational expertise in marketing, strategy, change management, and project management. She’s worked in the healthcare, travel, telecommunications, and finance industries. Nicolay has a wealth of experience in the finance sector and has led several business acquisitions, partnering with founders to accelerate growth.
Brynn McKenna
Co-founder and Managing Partner
Brynn hails from Cincinnati, Ohio where she grew up as one of four girls and the daughter of a small business owner. It's been her dream to be a CEO and own her own business.
Brynn brings a robust background in organizational strategy, commercial operations, and change management. She has an MBA from Harvard Business School. Brynn previously served as a Commercial Director at Hurtigruten, where she led marketing, sales, and product initiatives that substantially increased revenue and optimized customer engagement across global markets. Prior to that, she worked as Chief of Staff at LINK Mobility, a telecommunications company, where she worked with the CEO to redevelop the company's strategy and IPO before moving into a marketing role. Brynn started her career at Northern Trust in their leadership development program, focusing on change management. Brynn is a graduate of Northwestern University.
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Brynn loves spending time with family and being out in nature, including hiking, skiing, and walking her and Nicolay's dog, Sadie. She also enjoys cooking new recipes, playing tennis, crafting unique cocktails, and traveling.
Nicolay Dahl
Co-founder and Managing Partner
Nicolay is originally from Oslo, Norway, where he grew up with a serial entrepreneur dad and non-profit CEO mom. Since childhood, his dream has been to own and run his own business.
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Nicolay is a seasoned finance professional specializing in private company investing, M&A, and operational improvements. A Northwestern University graduate, Nicolay has worked across lower middle-market private equity and investment banking, most recently with BRG and Credo Partners. His expertise includes leading buy-and-build strategies, managing multi-million-dollar transactions, and implementing growth strategies. Known for his analytical precision and collaborative approach, Nicolay enjoys working with strong teams to reach ambitious goals.
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Nicolay loves to play tennis with Brynn and being out in nature with the family, especially grouse hunting with his brother, dad and their German shorthaired pointers. Weekend mornings are spent watching Liverpool and other Premier League games, and he is particularly fascinated by wine and good food.
Sadie
Family Mascot
​Sadie is our wonderful Bernese Mountain Dog and Leonberger mix. Originally from Sweden, she is now 5 years old and loves to hang out with the family wherever we go. She's a fan of swimming, snow, sticks, and squirrels.
