Our Story
Built by Operators. Driven by Mission.
Nostra is a possessive adjective in Italian — one of four words meaning “Our.” The name is intentional. We built this firm around a simple idea: that the best outcomes happen when investors and founders share genuine ownership of what comes next.
Nostra Group is a veteran-led independent sponsor focused on acquiring and operating mission-critical physical services businesses. Our mission is to build a resilient, positive feedback loop for our founders, our operators, and the communities they serve — one essential business at a time.
Why We Built This
We've been the operator trying to hit growth targets with limited resources. We've built the systems, hired the teams, and made the hard calls. We've also been on the other side of the table — evaluating hundreds of acquisition targets and seeing firsthand how traditional PE approaches destroy value in the name of creating it.
Founders of essential businesses deserve better than a financial engineer with a playbook. They deserve a partner who has lived what they've lived — who understands what it took to build the thing, and won't carelessly dismantle it in pursuit of a multiple.
That's why we built Nostra.
What We Believe
Operators First
We bring operational reality to investment decisions. We've built the systems, made the hard calls, and lived the consequences. That experience sits at the center of everything we do.
Technology as a Force Multiplier
Deliberate technology implementation — including AI — that solves real operational problems without creating new ones. We've done the work ourselves and know the difference between a tool and a distraction.
Long-Term Ownership
We're not optimizing for a quick flip. We acquire businesses we're proud to own and operate for the long term. That changes how we underwrite, how we engage with founders, and how we make decisions post-close.
Our Team
Dominick Blue
Managing Partner
People and Systems
I've spent my career asking one question: how do complex systems fail, and what does it take to make them resilient. Marine Corps officer managing critical infrastructure protection across the Asia-Pacific, software engineer at Salesforce, program manager for data center construction, and senior advisor on M&A value creation in energy and critical infrastructure. Distinguished Fellow at EPRINC researching AI, data centers, and energy security. Marine and UCLA Anderson MBA with a conviction that technology, deployed correctly, changes what's possible for essential businesses.
LinkedIn
Bill Tabino
Managing Partner
Operations & Strategy
I spent seven years scaling SOFLETE from a five-person startup to a profitable exit — no outside capital, 55% CAGR, and margins that made traditional operators take notice. Before that I founded and exited a fitness business, led U.S.-made apparel operations, and evaluated hundreds of acquisition targets as an independent sponsor. Former Marine and UCLA Anderson MBA with a simple belief: the businesses that keep society running deserve better than the standard PE playbook.
LinkedInOur Vision
To build the world's best veteran-led private investment and advisory company.
We're direct. We move fast when it makes sense and take our time when it doesn't. If we're interested in your business, you'll know quickly. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you that too — and try to point you toward someone who might be.