Derek Sorrells

About Derek Sorrells

Entrepreneur. Brand Builder. Customer-Obsessed Operator.As Founder and Managing Partner of Scion Capital Partners, I lead a growing portfolio of eight original brands with 10+ locations across retail, hospitality, and entertainment—none of which are franchises. Each concept is independently built, community-driven, and customer-first by design.My background spans launching high-performing startups, scaling location-based experiences, and executing successful business exits. I focus on creating brands that feel personal, memorable, and unmistakably different from the chains and cookie-cutter concepts that dominate the landscape.What sets our ventures apart? We don’t just sell products—we design moments. From dirty soda shops to vintage arcades to whiskey bars, every location reflects bold vision, operational discipline, and deep attention to customer experience.Whether growing from a single location or developing new markets, I’m driven by one question: How do we build something people love coming back to?

Experience

1. Founder & Managing Partner

   Scion Capital Partners, Llc

   Dec 2017 — Present · Wichita, KS, US

   Working with startups in all phases from initial idea to funding and assisting them with realizing their full potential - refining their positioning and go-to-market strategy, scaling their operations and mapping out their capital, infrastructure and technological needs.

Education

• Friends University

  BS, Computer Information Systems

• California Southern University

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Business Intelligence and Data Analytics

• Friends University

  MS, Management Information Systems