“I had money and success,” he says. “ But I didn’t have freedom. I was still chasing something — and I wasn’t even sure what.”
Improv, Investing and
the Art of Thinking
Differently:
The Founder Who Built a Fund
in Funny Pants
If you landed here expecting pinstripes and pie charts, you might be wondering what the heck is going on. Purple sunglasses. Quirky outfits. A founder making funny faces in a photo shoot. This isn’t your typical private equity firm — and that’s exactly the point.
Clotine Capital was built to be different. Not just in how it looks, but in how it thinks. We believe investing should be serious, but not sterile. That capital can be smart without being stiff. And that the best way to build something meaningful is to start with people who are living authentically — including the guy in the purple shades.
From Tools to
Tech to Theater
Dan didn’t set out to be a fund manager. At 14, he was working in his father’s tool and die shop in Chicago — learning firsthand what it meant to run a small business, manage cash flow, and solve problems with whatever tools were on hand. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was real. And it planted the seed for everything that came next.
By 15, he was at DePaul University, studying philosophy and business. Not because he wanted a fast track to Wall Street, but because he was curious — about systems, people, and how things worked. That curiosity led him to launch a tech company while still in school, which he later sold and used to buy and redevelop a building in New Mexico. Most people would’ve taken the money and run. Dan opened an improv theater.
"I’ve always believed that business should be creative,” he says. “If it’s not fun, what’s the point?”
Dan’s next chapter looked more like a highlight reel than a résumé. Between 2003 and 2013, he acquired and sold eight companies, diving deep into tech, consolidation, and process optimization. The wins stacked up. So did the wealth. But something was missing.
Building Clotine
from Conversations
So he pivoted. Moved to Florida. Became a consultant and investor. Joined entrepreneur groups not to pitch, but to listen and to offer expertise. He started investing in micro-private equity, looking for models that could scale without losing their soul. Most didn’t. But the conversations stuck. The connections grew. And slowly, a new idea began to take shape.
It wasn’t about building another empire. It was about building something that worked — for him, for others, and for the kind of life he actually wanted to live.
Dan didn’t build Clotine in a boardroom. He built it by walking and talking — literally. Conversations with entrepreneurs, investors, and friends turned into ideas. Ideas turned into deals. And deals turned into a fund that felt less like a financial institution and more like a community.
COVID erased geographic barriers, but it also clarified something deeper: success isn’t just about money. It’s about time. Freedom. Relationships. Dan realized that happiness should define success — not the other way around. And so Clotine was born, named after the street of its first real estate acquisition: a portfolio of group homes for individuals with special needs. The investment worked. The impact was real. And the name stuck.
Smart capital can create both financial and human value,” Dan says. “That’s the whole point.”
Serious About Returns,
Not About Suits
Clotine Capital now offers accredited investors access to de-risked, alternative investments through three focused verticals: hard money lending, land development, and tax-advantaged strategies. The deals are complex — but the experience isn’t. Clotine simplifies, securitizes, and structures each opportunity so investors can earn consistent returns with clarity and confidence.
Dan’s not trying to impress anyone. He’s trying to build something that works — something that gives people the freedom to spend their time how they want, with the people they love. That’s why Clotine looks the way it does. It’s not branding for branding’s sake. It’s a signal: this is a place where you can be serious about your investments without being serious all the time.
The purple sunglasses? They’re not a gimmick. They’re a reminder that you don’t have to dress up to show up. That you can be sharp, successful, and still have a sense of humor. That authenticity isn’t just allowed — it’s expected.
A place where smart capital
meets real people
Clotine is built on that idea. It’s a fund, yes. But it’s also a community. A place where smart capital meets real people. Where deals are structured with care, and returns are earned with clarity. And where the founder might be making a funny face in a photo — but he’s also the one who’s done the work, built the systems, and surrounded himself with the kind of people who make it all run.
At Clotine, we believe everyone has a little quirk — a spark, a story, a way of seeing the world that doesn’t quite fit the mold. And that’s not just okay — it’s powerful. Because when you bring together people who think differently, you don’t just get better ideas. You get a better way of doing business.
So if something about this feels familiar — if you’ve ever felt like the only one in the room asking “why not?” instead of “why?” — you’re in the right place. This is a community for the curious, the creative, the quietly rebellious. For people who want to build wealth without losing themselves in the process. We are building something real here. And if you’ve ever felt like you didn’t quite fit the mold — good. Neither did we.
So bring your ideas. Bring your quirks. Bring what makes you tick. Because the future of investing isn’t about blending in — it’s about standing out, together.
We’re just getting started. In the days, months, and years ahead, you’ll see more of what makes Clotine different — and more of the people who make it work. We hope you’ll join us.