December 9, 2022 (Arlington, VA/San Diego, CA) – Ellis Carr, the president and CEO of Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance, has been named “Nonprofit Leader of the Year” by the Washington Business Journal.
The Washington Business Journal’s annual CEO of the Year awards highlight top leaders in the area that have demonstrated great innovation, strength and perseverance while also maintaining a commitment to the community.
“I am honored to be recognized on behalf of the important and innovative work that my colleagues do in the Washington Metro area and throughout the country,” said Mr. Carr. “What we do is really about giving someone a fair opportunity to fulfill their dreams for themselves and their community, an opportunity to build a life for their family, in a community that has the resources they need to thrive. That’s the work that we’re doing here, and that’s our reason for being, and that’s what we should always be striving for.”
In 2022, Mr. Carr oversaw the launch of the Momentus Capital branded family of organizations – which includes Capital Impact Partners, CDC Small Business Finance, and Ventures Lending Technologies, among other independent companies.
Mr. Carr has been the president and CEO of Capital Impact Partners since 2016 and was also named the CEO of CDC Small Business Finance in 2021.
By bringing these companies together with one shared vision and mission, they will be able to achieve much more, and much faster, than they could working as separate entities.
The financial sector can play a greater role in helping build strong communities – by providing people with access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. Under the Momentus Capital umbrella, the branded family of companies will work holistically, and more deeply, to drive significant change that can help communities achieve the visions they have for themselves.
“The biggest shift there is we don’t come in with a prescription of what communities need. We adopt a servant-leader mentality by going in and asking questions, being humble and empathetic and actively listening to support the communities’ visions they have for themselves, not necessarily our view,” Mr. Carr said. “We have built an organization all about listening, understanding, and building partnerships with communities and entrepreneurs that best serve their needs.”
To achieve that shared vision and mission, Momentus Capital is uniquely positioned to provide entrepreneurs and local leaders at every stage of their growth with a continuum of capital and opportunities under one roof. These key resources that address the challenges of — and support the solutions for — underestimated communities include:
- Financial capital: a range of flexible debt and equity products to meet Momentus Capital’s partners’ needs, as well as access to new markets and potential investors
- Knowledge capital: business advising, assistance, and training to develop the skills and insights that can help partners advance their enterprises
- Social capital: connections to networks and people that can help Momentus Capital’s partners succeed
In D.C. and nationally, Momentus Capital is rethinking its credit parameters and developing new lending, grants, and investing products to create more access to capital for borrowers and projects who have traditionally been denied. Momentus Capital further enhances its lending with programs that provide training, mentorship and network building. And it works with local, regional and national stakeholders — including community-led groups, government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses.
Mr. Carr is part of a prestigious class. His fellow honorees at the December 8 event in Washington, D.C., included:
- CEO of the Year: Sheila Johnson — Founder and CEO, Salamander Hotels & Resorts; Vice Chairman and Partner, Monumental Sports & Entertainment; President and Managing Partner, Washington Mystics
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Bill Marriott — chairman emeritus, Marriott International Inc.
- Small Business Leader of the Year: Margarita Womack — CEO, Mas Panadas
- C-Suite Leadership Award: Mike King — Chief Growth Officer, Peraton
- Nonprofit Leader of the Year (co-winner): Mike Curtin Jr. — CEO, DC Central Kitchen
This is the latest recognition for Momentus Capital in 2022:
- Earlier this year, Fast Company named Mr. Carr to that publication’s 14th annual list of the Most Creative People in Business.
- Momentus Capital was nominated to the Washington Business Journal’s Inno on Fire awards for helping to fuel the region’s economy.
- CDC Small Business Finance finished Fiscal Year 2022 as the foremost SBA 504 and Community Advantage lender in the United States.
- Team members Ken Rosenthal and Stacey Sanchez received two top honors from Coleman Report as the leading banking publication’s SBA Business Development Officers of the Year.
- The NonProfit Times named Capital Impact Partners as one of the best nonprofits to work for.
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About Momentus Capital
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations refers to the combined operations of Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance, as well as their affiliates, Momentus Direct Capital, and Momentus Securities (an SEC-registered broker-dealer, MSRB-registered, FINRA/SIPC member). While each organization under the Momentus Capital brand still operates as a separate entity, its clients now have access to more resources and products.
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. We are working to reinvent traditional financial systems by offering a continuum of financial, knowledge, and social capital to help entrepreneurs, community-based organizations, and local leaders at every growth stage to build strong communities and create generational wealth.
This includes a comprehensive package of loan products, impact investment opportunities, training and business advising programs, and technology solutions that advance locally-led solutions.
Leveraging more than 80 years of combined experience, more than $3 billion in assets under management, and strong community engagement, the Momentus Capital branded family of organizations has delivered $24 billion in financing, created and preserved 298,000 jobs, and served 14,350 small businesses and 6 million people across our history.
With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and San Diego, California, Momentus Capital operates nationally with a focus on larger urban areas and cities in Arizona, California, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas, and the Washington D.C. metro area.
Learn more at momentuscap.org.