So, you are basically hiring people who have a skill-set your business needs? That is called employment.

You attach an emotional story to the 'why' you hired them, but I am not sure that has anything
to do with your growth. As of the term 'partner', if he does not have any financial obligation
to the business he is 100% not a partner. I would use caution in allowing him to think it so.

Bill Gates says he would have never got to where he was without surrounding himself
with talented people. Whether they are hired guns you swipe from another business or
someone down on their luck, they must have an attribute your company needs.

It is a nice bonus if there is a love story behind it, but many billion dollar businesses
got there cold and hard.