The Exit Planning Institute (EPI), a leading authority on exit planning for advisors, business consultants, and business owners, has announced a strategic partnership with SkillStacked Strategies. The collaboration, revealed on September 18, 2026, positions SkillStacked as an Alliance Partner within EPI's Strategic Alliances program, a network of trusted collaborators that supports advisor development and member engagement.
SkillStacked Strategies, founded by Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and financial planner Skylar Dean, offers advisors an on-demand team of specialists to 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. This model aims to serve as a fractional advisory "bench" for financial professionals working with main street business owners.
Josh Koza, director of strategic relationships at EPI, emphasized the natural fit of the partnership: "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 echoed this sentiment, stating, "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 others as advisors, who are looking for a team of experts to support their clients."
This partnership matters because it addresses a critical need in the exit planning industry: access to specialized expertise without the overhead of full-time hires. For financial advisors, particularly those in the Long Beach, California area and beyond, this means they can offer comprehensive exit planning services to business owner clients more efficiently. The collaboration also strengthens EPI's mission to provide educational and resource support to professional business advisors.
EPI, formed in 2005, offers the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) credential program, which is the most widely endorsed professional exit planning program globally. The program equips advisors with content, tools, and training to engage business owners effectively. Through this alliance, SkillStacked will contribute to EPI's educational content, programming, events, and collaboration efforts, helping advisors and business owners navigate the complex exit planning process.
The impact extends to main street business owners, who often lack access to sophisticated exit planning resources. By enabling advisors to bring in fractional specialists, SkillStacked and EPI are democratizing advanced planning services, potentially leading to better outcomes for business transitions. This partnership reflects a growing trend of collaborative, flexible advisory models that leverage specialized expertise on demand. For more information about EPI's Strategic Alliances, visit the EPI website.
