ZAIHUA HU

Daniel Hu is a bilingual Business Broker, Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), and Capital Strategy Advisor based in Los Angeles. He brings a unique combination of corporate leadership, entrepreneurial experience, cross-border business development, M&A advisory, financing knowledge, and community leadership to his work with business owners, buyers, sellers, and investors.

Born and educated in China, Daniel earned a master’s degree in Industrial Automation before later earning his MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business. His background combines technical discipline, business strategy, operational execution, and capital market perspective.

Daniel’s professional journey includes leading product and revenue teams at a publicly traded e-commerce company in North America with more than $300M in annual revenue, launching and managing consumer brands, negotiating exclusive distribution relationships, and building cross-border business channels between the United States and Asia.

Today, Daniel focuses on helping small to mid-sized business owners grow, transition, or exit their companies. Through Crestory Capital, he provides business brokerage, exit planning, M&A advisory, capital strategy, financing coordination, and IPO readiness support for qualified companies.

As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, Daniel helps owners look beyond a single transaction. A successful exit is rarely just about finding a buyer. It often requires understanding the true value of the business, improving transferability, reducing owner dependence, preparing financial records, evaluating buyer financing, protecting confidentiality, and aligning the owner’s personal, financial, and business goals.

Daniel works with owners who may be considering retirement, succession, partner buyout, strategic sale, acquisition growth, recapitalization, or a future public market strategy. For some clients, the right path is a confidential business sale. For others, the better path may be strengthening business value, expanding through acquisition, obtaining growth financing, or preparing for a future IPO readiness evaluation.

Daniel’s brokerage and advisory approach is practical, confidential, and owner-focused. He helps clients assess market value, organize financial information, prepare buyer-facing materials, screen qualified buyers, coordinate NDA and proof-of-funds processes, assist with LOI and due diligence, and support the transaction through escrow and closing. He also helps buyers and investors evaluate acquisition opportunities, deal structure, financing feasibility, and transition risk.

For growth-oriented companies, Daniel provides capital strategy and IPO advisory coordination. Qualified companies may benefit from IPO readiness assessment, pre-IPO positioning, capital structure review, business model optimization, and coordination with audit, legal, investor relations, capital markets, and strategic advisory teams. His focus is to help owners evaluate whether they should sell, grow, recapitalize, acquire, or prepare for a future public market path.

Daniel is licensed in real estate and mortgage lending, allowing him to provide integrated support when business transfers involve commercial leases, real estate considerations, acquisition financing, SBA loan coordination, or commercial lending needs. His bilingual English and Chinese capabilities, combined with strong ties in U.S. and Chinese business communities, allow him to support clients who need local execution with cross-border understanding.

What sets Daniel apart is his ability to connect business goals with real-world execution. He combines business brokerage, exit planning, valuation perspective, buyer and seller negotiation, financing coordination, and capital market strategy to help business owners make informed decisions and pursue long-term value creation.

Outside of business, Daniel is an active community leader. His service includes:

• Subchapter President, Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Light Association, White Tower Subchapter
• Board Member, Chinese American Professional Association
• Former President, Chinese American Parent Association, Suzanne Middle School
• Cubmaster, Cub Scouts Pack 777, mentoring youth in leadership and service

Daniel bridges East and West with cultural fluency, financial insight, transaction experience, and a long-term commitment to helping business owners create, protect, and transition value.