West Lake Legacy is a Texas-based family-backed acquirer committed to building and growing high-quality HVAC and other essential-service businesses. We partner directly with owners who want to transition their life’s work to a trusted, hands-on successor—someone committed to preserving what they’ve built and continuing to serve their customers and employees with care.

Founded and led by Jake Wang, West Lake Legacy brings a disciplined, people-first approach to business ownership: combining financial and operational rigor with deep respect for the skilled trades and the communities they support.

Jake is the Managing Principal at West Lake Legacy, a Texas-based family-funded acquirer focused on acquiring and operating a high-quality HVAC and mechanical business in Texas. MIT-trained in finance, grounded in technology and operational excellence, and committed to the HVAC industry, Jake's mission is to operate and grow enduring local businesses that serve their communities for decades to come.

His decade-plus professional background spans technical sales, finance, and operations—from helping enterprise clients translate complex technology into measurable business outcomes at Amazon Web Services (AWS) to leading analytics and sales functions at high-growth VC-backed startups and global enterprises like Walmart and Deloitte Consulting. Across these experiences, Jake has learned that durable businesses are built on fundamentals: great people, disciplined operations, and a clear value proposition. 

He aims to apply that same systems mindset to small business ownership: finding durable companies, partnering with owners during succession, and building on their legacies through disciplined operations, people development, and thoughtful modernization. That’s what draws him to HVAC and essential services—industries that combine craftsmanship with operational excellence and real community impact.

In parallel to his search, Jake is pursuing an A.A.S. in HVAC Technology at Austin Community College to deepen his trade-level understanding, prepare for contractor licensing, and engage directly with the next generation of technicians and field operators. 

Jake holds a B.S. degree in Computer Science and Finance from Washington University in St. Louis and a M.S. degree in Finance from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).