CHAPTER II
How Icelaven came to this work.
Icelaven did not begin as a holding company.
It began by founding and operating real businesses — close to payrolls, customers, regulations, and the consequences that follow decisions made in the real world and not just on paper.
Those early years were defined less by strategy and more by responsibility. Progress was earned slowly. Mistakes were felt quickly. Experience accumulated through staying involved the work.
Over time the scope expanded. New ventures were launched. Existing businesses were supported through growth, constraint, and transition.
Staying close long enough revealed patterns.
How incentives shape behavior.
How patience disappears under the wrong ownership structures.
The People Behind the Work
James Galyean
FOUNDER & OWNERJames Galyean is an attorney and founder of Icelaven. Earlier in his career he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and later as a partner at the South Carolina law firm Nexsen Pruet, where his work focused on complex regulatory and legal matters.
That experience shaped his perspective on responsibility, governance, and how institutions function under pressure — lessons that continue to influence Icelaven’s approach to ownership and stewardship.
James holds degrees from Furman University and the University of South Carolina School of Law. He and his wife Jenna live in South Carolina with their five children.
Pete Palermo
Chief Operating Officer & IntegratorPete Palermo brings more than three decades of operational experience working alongside founders and leadership teams navigating growth, transition, and complexity.
His career began inside a Fortune 100 consumer goods company and later expanded into advisory and operational leadership across manufacturing, technology, sports and entertainment, and government-related industries.
Pete is known for helping organizations clarify operations, strengthen leadership alignment, and build systems that support sustainable growth. He holds degrees in Economics and English and an MBA from the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business. He and his wife live in South Carolina.