
Steven Adragna
Founder, OperatorX Capital
I’ve spent more than two decades inside automotive retail, leading stores, developing operators, building high-performing teams, and working with dealer groups, capital partners, and OEMs. Those experiences gave me a rare vantage point into how ownership actually happens, why opportunities stay hidden, and what prevents even the strongest operators from stepping into ownership. OperatorX Capital exists to change that.
My Background & Mission
I’ve spent more than two decades inside automotive retail, leading stores, developing operators, working with dealer groups, and sitting in the rooms where ownership decisions are quietly made. Over the years, I saw a problem this industry has never truly addressed.
Exceptional operators — the ones who can actually run stores at the highest level — kept hitting ceilings that had nothing to do with performance. The ownership path wasn’t blocked by ability. It was blocked by succession plans, closed networks, and opportunities that were already spoken for long before most operators even knew they existed.
At the same time, I worked with private investors and family offices who wanted into automotive retail but couldn’t access the right operators or evaluate leadership. The disconnect was obvious: strong capital wanted in, strong operators deserved a shot, and there was no structure bringing the two sides together in a real, credible way.
I experienced that gap personally early in my career. I had the performance, the leadership, and the operational track record, but there was no pathway, no access, and no advocate connecting operators with capital. That experience shaped how I saw the industry and the limitations talented people faced.
I built OperatorX Capital to solve that problem.
Today, my work is focused on evaluating operators, aligning them with private capital, supporting dealers through succession, and creating structured, operator-led ownership pathways that simply didn’t exist before. This isn’t recruiting. It isn’t traditional M&A. And it isn’t theory. It’s real access, real alignment, and real execution, built by someone who has lived every angle of this industry.
OperatorX Capital is the system I wish existed 15 years ago. Now I’m building it for the operators who refuse to wait their turn and for the investors who want into this industry with the right operator — and the right capital — behind every acquisition.
Emily Langell
Operations & Systems Manager, OperatorX Capital
I manage the systems and workflows that support the daily operations of OperatorX Capital, from intake processes to CRM structure. My work centers on creating organized, scalable processes that keep the ecosystem moving smoothly. This foundation ensures clarity and a seamless experience for every group we serve.
