Star Mountain Capital Founder & CEO Brett Hickey Receives Corporate Social Responsibility Award from the Foreign Policy Association
June 18, 2025
Peter Scaturro, Director of the Foreign Policy Association and a Senior Advisor to Star Mountain presenting Star Mountain Capital Founder & CEO, Brett Hickey with the Corporate Social Responsibility Award by the Foreign Policy Association.
This recognition highlights Brett Hickey’s leadership, together with the Star Mountain Capital team, in financing and mentoring America’s lower‑middle‑market businesses, the “Growth Engine of America.”
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Star Mountain Capital, LLC (“Star Mountain”), a specialized, employee‑owned private‑markets firm with over $4 billion in assets under management (“AUM”), is pleased to announce that its Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Brett Hickey, has been honored with the Corporate Social Responsibility Award by the Foreign Policy Association (“FPA”) at its annual dinner held on June 5, 2025 at the Harvard Club of New York City. This year’s event gathered leaders from business, academia and public service.
Fellow honorees included Bob Sternfels (Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company), James Daunt (CEO, Barnes & Noble) and Pradeep K. Khosla (Chancellor, UC San Diego).
“Tonight’s recognition is about civic and social responsibility. The businesses we partner with are not just economic units; they are the fabric of American communities. When they thrive, entire families and neighborhoods benefit,” said Brett Hickey, during his acceptance remarks.
Peter Scaturro, Director of the Foreign Policy Association and a Senior Advisor to Star Mountain, added, “Brett has channeled his competitive athletic drive, coupled with his small-town culture of caring for his community, to build an investment platform that strengthens small businesses and the neighborhoods they call home. His leadership exemplifies corporate citizenship at its finest.”
About the Foreign Policy Association
Founded in 1918, the FPA is a non‑partisan organization dedicated to inspiring public interest and informed opinion about U.S. foreign policy and global issues. Through its programs and publications, the Association engages citizens and leaders alike in the foreign‑policy process.
Read the full press release here.
About Star Mountain Capital
With over $4 billion in AUM (committed capital including debt facilities as of 5/31/2025), Star Mountain specializes in providing scalable and data-driven investment solutions across two core strategies:
- Direct Investments: Providing debt and equity capital to established lower middle-market businesses.
- Secondary Investments: Acquiring LP interests, direct assets, and making primary LP commitments.
Star Mountain’s investors include public and private pensions, insurance companies, commercial banks, endowments, foundations, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. Employee-owned and sharing profits with 100% of its U.S. full-time employees, the firm prioritizes alignment of interests to maximize value for stakeholders.
Since 2010, Star Mountain has completed over 300 direct investments and 50 secondary/fund investments in the North American lower middle-market. The firm has been recognized as one of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies and a Best Place to Work by Crain’s New York Business and Pensions & Investments.
For more information, visit www.starmountaincapital.com.
Legal Disclaimer:
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase interests in any investment product. Awards and recognitions by third-party rating agencies, companies, or publications should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future results or performance. They should not be considered as an endorsement, recommendation, or referral of Star Mountain Capital or its representatives by any client or third party. Rankings published by media and industry organizations are based on information provided by the recognized advisor. Additionally, readers should understand that past performance is not indicative of future results. Award descriptions and selection methodologies may vary.
Awards and Recognition Disclosure:
Star Mountain Capital’s awards and recognitions are based on third-party evaluations and criteria, which may be subjective. These honors do not imply a guarantee of future performance or an endorsement by current or past clients.
Ranking Methodologies:
- Crain’s Best Places to Work: Evaluations were conducted through a two-part process, assessing workplace policies, practices, and employee satisfaction via surveys. Participation required a fee solely for survey processing purposes. More details are available at Crain’s eligibility criteria.
- Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work: Companies were evaluated based on surveys measuring employee engagement (75%) and employer policies (25%). Participation required a minimum of 20 U.S. employees and $100 million in discretionary assets under management. Further details can be found at P&I eligibility criteria.
- Inc. 5000 Rankings: Companies were ranked based on revenue growth from 2019 to 2022. To qualify, firms had to be U.S.-based, privately held, and independent, with revenue thresholds of at least $100,000 in 2019 and $2 million in 2022. More details are available at Inc. 5000 criteria.
- FPA Awards Process: The FPA is a not-for-profit organization and recognizes individuals for accomplishments in the field of foreign policy. There is no compensation paid in connection therewith. More information about past recipients is available on FPA’s website.
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