Ellis Carr

Ellis Carr is the President and CEO of Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance. Operating under the Momentus Capital brand, Capital Impact, CDC Small Business, and their affiliates, including Ventures Lending Technologies, came together in 2021 through an innovative business combination under a common mission-driven strategy and management team. Together, these organizations help build inclusive and equitable communities by providing people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. Momentus Capital-branded companies provide financial, knowledge, and social capital to small business, affordable housing developments, and other projects that build wealth and strengthen communities. In 2023, the Momentus Capital brand expanded with the launch of Momentus Securities, a FINRA-member broker/dealer. Currently, Momentus Capital-branded companies manage nearly $3 billion in assets.

Ellis has over 20 years of experience in the for-profit and nonprofit financial sectors. He became President & CEO of CDC Small Business in 2021 and has served as the President & CEO of Capital Impact since 2016, originally joining Capital Impact as CFO in 2012. Prior to Capital Impact, Ellis held various positions in the investments, capital markets, strategy, and corporate finance areas within Freddie Mac, and in fixed-income fund management both domestically and abroad at Deutsche Bank.

The son of two DC public school teachers, Ellis grew up in a household in which community service was a core pillar. In addition to his work leading Momentus Capital, he is an Aspen Institute Finance Leader Fellow and sits on the boards of the Marguerite Casey Foundation (MCF), Expanding Black Business Credit (EBBC) and the Housing Partnership Network, as well as Morgan Stanley’s Community Development Advisory Board.

Ellis has been recognized among the “Most Creative People in Business” by Fast Company, and has received multiple awards from the Washington Business Journal, including a spot on the 2023 “Power 100 List” and 2022’s “Nonprofit Leader of the Year.” Under his leadership, Capital Impact and CDC Small Business were both named among the Top Nonprofits to Work For in 2022 by the NonProfit Times. Ellis graduated from Towson University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, and from Georgetown University with a master’s degree in Real Estate with a concentration in Finance. Ellis lives in the DC region with his family.