10 Founders Club Members Earn a Place on the Inc. 5000

Growth is easy to celebrate from the outside. What people do not always see are the years of decisions, risk, hiring, problem-solving, setbacks, and execution that sit behind it.

That is why seeing ten Founders Club members recognized among America’s fastest-growing private companies is worth more than a quick congratulations.

These founders are building across technology, manufacturing, construction, financial services, sports equipment, software, roofing, gemstones, and strategic consulting. Their companies look very different from one another, but they share something important: they are growing at a level that demands discipline, adaptability, and a willingness to keep raising the standard.

Here are the ten Founders Club members who earned a place on the Inc. 5000.

Yash Daftary, Commas — No. 2

Yash Daftary and Commas earned the No. 2 position, backed by an extraordinary 353,929% three-year growth rate. Commas has built infrastructure that supports online sellers and creators, operating in a space that continues to evolve quickly as more business moves online.

Reaching the second spot on the Inc. 5000 is not simply a sign of momentum. It reflects the scale at which the company has grown in a relatively short period of time.

For Yash and his team, this is an exceptional milestone and one of the standout achievements across this year’s Founders Club members.

Tyler Simmons, Elevate Sports Equipment — No. 13

Tyler Simmons is building Elevate Sports Equipment around a clear idea: athletes should be able to train in ways that more closely reflect real competition.

The company develops durable, game-like training equipment designed to help athletes prepare smarter. That focus has helped Elevate Sports Equipment secure the No. 13 spot on the Inc. 5000.

It is a strong example of what can happen when a business identifies a specific problem, builds around it, and continues improving the product for the people who use it.

Louis Breskman, ZTechnologies Corporation — No. 27

Louis Breskman is carrying a third-generation family business forward at ZTechnologies Corporation.

The company manufactures industrial paints and coatings, placing it in a very different category from many of the technology-led businesses often associated with high-growth rankings. That is exactly what makes its No. 27 position so interesting.

Growing a family business comes with its own responsibilities. There is an existing reputation, history, and way of operating to respect while still finding new opportunities and pushing the business forward. Louis and ZTechnologies Corporation are showing that legacy and growth can work together.

Ryan Patten, Arcadia Builders — No. 93

Ryan Patten is building at the high end of the construction market through Arcadia Builders.

The company creates one-of-one luxury estates across Arizona, where the standard for detail, execution, and client experience is naturally high. Arcadia Builders earned the No. 93 position.

Scaling a company built around highly customized projects is very different from scaling a standardized product. Growth cannot come at the expense of the quality that made the business successful in the first place. That balance makes Arcadia Builders’ recognition particularly notable.

Joshua Azran, MMV Family Office — No. 119

Joshua Azran is helping founders and families deal with a challenge that tends to grow alongside success: complexity. MMV Family Office helps coordinate areas including tax, wealth, insurance, and estate strategy.

As a founder, executive, or family builds greater wealth, those decisions become increasingly connected. What happens in one area can affect another, which makes coordination more important. MMV Family Office’s growth has earned it the No. 119 spot on the Inc. 5000.

It is another example of a company growing by solving a problem that becomes more significant as its clients become more successful.

Taylor Speirs, Veterans Roofing — No. 130

Taylor Speirs is building Veterans Roofing around accountability, integrity, and service to the local community. The veteran-owned roofing company earned the No. 130 position on the Inc. 5000.

Service businesses often grow on reputation. Customers remember whether a company did what it promised, communicated clearly, and stood behind its work. That makes the values behind the company more than branding. They become part of the operating model.

For Taylor and the Veterans Roofing team, this recognition reflects the progress they have made while continuing to build around those standards.

Andrew Rustemeyer, The Software X — No. 155

Andrew Rustemeyer is helping organizations improve how critical work gets done through The Software X. The company focuses on transforming important processes and helping organizations work more effectively.

That has helped earn The Software X the No. 155 position. As companies grow, inefficient processes become more expensive. A workflow that was manageable with a small team can quickly become a bottleneck at scale.

Businesses that can help organizations simplify, improve, and rethink those processes are solving a problem almost every growing company eventually faces.

Jay Donda, Rainbow Gems — No. 168

Jay Donda is growing Rainbow Gems in one of the most specialized markets represented on this list. The company brings rare natural diamonds and uniquely shaped gemstones to collectors and jewelers around the world.

Rainbow Gems earned the No. 168 spot. In a business like this, expertise, relationships, access, and trust matter enormously. Customers are often looking for something unusual rather than something mass-produced.

Growing while maintaining that specialist positioning is an achievement in itself. Jay and Rainbow Gems have managed to do exactly that.

David DiPaul, Growth — No. 199

David DiPaul is helping organizations navigate areas where business strategy and the external environment meet. Through Growth, his work focuses on government, policy, and strategic growth.

The company earned the No. 199 position on the Inc. 5000. Businesses do not operate in a vacuum. Policy decisions, government relationships, regulation, and changing markets can all affect how and where an organization grows.

Helping companies understand that environment and make stronger strategic decisions has created a clear need for the work David and his team are doing.

John Green, Pinnacle — No. 258

John Green is scaling Pinnacle with the kind of disciplined execution that turns growth into something sustainable. Pinnacle earned the No. 258 spot on the Inc. 5000.

There is often a lot of attention placed on ideas, vision, and ambition in entrepreneurship. All three matter. But growth eventually comes down to execution.

Teams have to deliver. Systems have to improve. Decisions have to be made consistently. Opportunities have to be evaluated rather than simply chased. John’s recognition reflects that kind of disciplined approach to building.

Ten Founders, Ten Very Different Businesses

One of the most interesting things about this group is how little the businesses have in common on the surface. 

• Commas operates in the online economy. 
• Elevate Sports Equipment serves athletes.
• ZTechnologies Corporation manufactures industrial coatings. 
• Arcadia Builders creates luxury homes. 
• MMV Family Office works with wealth and financial strategy.
• Veterans Roofing serves homeowners and communities.
• The Software X helps organizations transform the way they work.
• Rainbow Gems operates in rare diamonds and gemstones.
• Growth works across government, policy, and strategy.
• Pinnacle continues to scale through focused execution.

There is no single industry or business model behind the recognition. And that is part of the point. High-level founders can learn a great deal from one another even when they are building completely different things. The details change, but many of the questions do not.

How do you hire better people?

How do you maintain standards while growing?

Where should you invest next?

When should you move faster?

When should you say no?

How do you build a company that becomes stronger rather than simply larger?

Those are the kinds of questions founders continue facing regardless of whether they are working in software, construction, manufacturing, financial services, or another industry entirely.

The People Around You Matter

Being surrounded by founders building at this level changes the conversation. You are no longer only talking about what you hope to build someday. You are sitting beside people actively working through growth, leadership, hiring, expansion, execution, and all the complications that come with success.

That is a big part of what Founders Club is about. Different industries bring different perspectives into the room. One founder’s experience can help another see a problem differently. A lesson from manufacturing may apply to software. A leadership decision in construction may sound surprisingly familiar to someone running a financial-services company.

The value is not in everyone having the same experience. It is in everyone bringing meaningful experience to the table.

Congratulations to Our Inc. 5000 Members

Congratulations to Yash Daftary, Tyler Simmons, Louis Breskman, Ryan Patten, Joshua Azran, Taylor Speirs, Andrew Rustemeyer, Jay Donda, David DiPaul, and John Green, as well as the teams behind each of these companies.

Earning a place on the Inc. 5000 is a major achievement. Doing it while continuing to build, lead, and push the company forward is even more impressive. We are proud to have all ten as part of the Founders Club community.

Build Around People Who Are Building Too

The level you are operating at changes the kind of conversations you need and the people you need around you. Founders Club brings accomplished entrepreneurs together so the person sitting beside you understands what it means to build at a high level.

If you have already built something substantial and want to be surrounded by founders doing the same, apply to join Founders Club.

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