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Press Release: Ellis Carr of Momentus Capital Named “Nonprofit Leader of the Year” by the Washington Business Journal

Mr. Carr is part of a prestigious class of honorees recognized on December 8 in Washington, D.C.

DECEMBER 9, 2022 (Arlington, VA/San Diego, CA) – Ellis Carr, the president and CEO of the Momentus Capital branded family of companies, 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 and equitable opportunity. An 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 family of companies – 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 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 inclusive and equitable communities – by providing people with access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. Under the Momentus Capital umbrella, the family of companies will work holistically, and more deeply, to drive significant change that can help communities achieve the visions they have for themselves. At the center of this work: a focus on racial equity and those who have been overlooked, ignored, or systematically excluded from the current system.

“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:

In DC and nationally, Momentus Capital is rethinking its credit parameters and developing new lending, grants, and investing products to create more equitable access to capital for borrowers and projects who have traditionally been denied. Momentus Capital further enhances its lending with programs that solve for systemic issues through training, mentorship and network building. And it works with local, regional and national stakeholders — including community-led groups, government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses.

Among the recent programs and initiatives from the Momentus Capital branded family of companies:

Mr. Carr is part of a prestigious class. His fellow honorees at the December 8 event in Washington, D.C., included:

This is the latest recognition for Momentus Capital in 2022:

About Momentus Capital

Momentus Capital is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve.

Through our family of mission-focused organizations including Capital Impact Partners, CDC Small Business Finance, and Ventures Lending Technologies, we are working to reinvent traditional financial systems that have failed to address systemic issues of inequality, economic empowerment, and the widening racial wealth gap.

We offer a continuum of financial, knowledge, and social capital to help local leaders build inclusive and equitable communities and create generational wealth. This includes a comprehensive package of loan products, impact investment opportunities, training and business advising programs, and technology services that advance locally-led solutions.

Each organization under the Momentus Capital brand will still operate as separate entities, but their clients will now have access to more resources and products.  

Leveraging 80 years of combined experience, nearly $3 billion in assets, and strong community engagement, we have delivered $23 billion in financing, created and preserved 250,000 jobs, and served 12,000 small businesses and five million people across their 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, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas, and the Washington metro area.

Learn more at momentuscap.org.

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