A.J. Schaeffer

Founding Partner

  • 20+ years as entrepreneur and advisor
  • J.D. University of Kentucky; BA Thomas More University

AJ@FoxholeEquity.com

“A.J. is a person of highest character, with a gift for both strategy and leadership. For more than 20 years, I have witnessed firsthand A.J.’s extraordinary impact as an entrepreneur, advisor and friend. I trust him, and value his commitment to genuine partnerships. He is among the most talented, genuine and committed leaders with whom I have ever worked.”

“A.J. understands people and partnerships with greater clarity and depth than anyone I know. He is a leader among leaders, with the vision and capacity to enroll others in the cause. He brings out the best in me, and in those with whom he surrounds himself – both personally and professionally.  I place absolute trust in his judgment and value his transparency. There are few people for whom I have greater respect.”

Andrew J. (“AJ”) Schaeffer is an entrepreneur and investor focused on profitable businesses and exceptional leaders with the potential to positively transform their industries and communities.

A.J. is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Foxhole Equity, a private investment firm with interests in lower middle-market companies and real estate opportunities across the Midwest U.S.

In the Firm’s portfolio, A.J. is Managing Member of Tufco Flooring LLC, an award-winning provider of premium industrial products and services to global-brand food, beverage and manufacturing companies.   He is the Operating Partner and Co-Founder of Professional Pallets LLC, a leading manufacturer and recycler of wood pallets, crating and related logistics support concentrated in the greater metropolitan areas of Cincinnati, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky.    He is Co-Founder of brightSTAR Communities, an acquirer and redeveloper of high-quality affordable housing communities in the U.S. Midwest and Southeast; and he is Co-Founder of Diatom Aviation LLC, a trusted equipment repair, maintenance and assembly service partner to DHL, UPS and other global, air cargo carriers in hub locations including Cincinnati and Louisville.

A.J. is also the Managing Member of Culture Index Cincinnati LLC, a thriving licensee of the Culture Index management program that optimizes behavioral analytics for strategic growth in companies across the United States and around the world. A.J. is an expert in human capital, and he advises directly a select group of CEOs, owners, board members and senior executives of private companies, including several $1B+ enterprises.

Earlier in his career, AJ led business development for a startup pharmaceutical venture, and as an attorney, was the youngest elected Partner in a large regional law firm where he counseled public companies and private clients in litigation and strategy.

A.J. is committed to serving the communities in which he lives and works. A.J. began his public service in the Burlington Fire Protection District as a volunteer firefighter at age 16, in response to the line-of-duty death of a family friend. By age 21, A.J. had led incident responses ranging from structure fires to motor vehicle accidents involving entrapment and extrication. Following A.J.’s service as an active firefighter, he was publicly elected as Vice-Chair of the Burlington Fire Protection District Board of Trustees, on which he served two terms.

As an attorney, A.J. was elected as the statewide Chair of the Kentucky Bar Association (KBA) Young Lawyers Division, and served as a member of the KBA’s governing Executive Committee. Nationally, A.J. became a director and officer in the American Bar Association (ABA) Young Lawyers Division, where he led the implementation of public service and pro bono legal projects across the United States.

A.J. has served as Board Chair for a many non-profit organizations. He presently serves as a Trustee on the fiduciary Boards of St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Thomas More University, and he has been formally honored by the American Bar Association, Kentucky Bar Association, Boy Scouts of America, Kentucky House of Representatives, City of Covington, Kentucky, and Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, among others.

A.J. received his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law.  He is a graduate summa cum laude of Thomas More University, from which he holds bachelor of arts degrees in Economics and History, with distinction as a St. Thomas More Scholar, St. Thomas More Fellow, and recipient of the Thomas E. Ries Medal for public service. A two-term Student Government President, A.J. twice captained the Thomas More University varsity (NCAA MIVA) men’s volleyball team as its Most Valuable Player. In law school, A.J. was an award-winning member of U.K. Law’s Moot Court team, represented clients pro bono through the College of Law Legal Clinic, and coached U.K.’s men’s volleyball club team.  He was selected as a finalist in Kentucky for the Rhodes Scholarship.

A.J. resides in Burlington, Kentucky, with his wife, Dr. Erin Schaeffer (DNP), and their four children on the family’s working farm.