Melford Carter, Former GCM Grosvenor Principal and Denali Co-Founder, Joins Star Mountain Capital as Senior Advisor

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Star Mountain Capital, LLC (“Star Mountain”), a specialized private investment firm focused on delivering systematic alpha and low market-correlated and tax-advantaged returns from the inefficient lower middle-market, is pleased to announce that Melford Carter has joined the firm as a Senior Advisor. Mr. Carter will leverage his deep expertise in private markets and business growth and his strategic relationships to support Star Mountain’s mission of generating long-term value in the lower middle-market.

“Melford Carter is a highly experienced private markets investment professional with three decades of experience building businesses and managing large-scale investment programs,” said Brett Hickey, Star Mountain Capital Founder & CEO. “Having served on over 50 limited partner advisory committees and led the Private Markets venture and growth vertical at GCM Grosvenor, he brings deep market knowledge, extensive industry relationships, and a strong track record in origination, underwriting, and portfolio management. His expertise and connectivity will be valuable assets to Star Mountain’s team, investors, and portfolio.”

Melford Carter brings 30 years of leadership experience across venture capital, private equity, institutional investing, and corporate growth, including overseeing multi-billion-dollar investment programs and leading major corporate transformations.

Until his retirement in 2025, Mr. Carter served as a Principal with the Private Markets group at GCM Grosvenor, an asset management firm with over $75 billion in assets under management focused on alternative investments. He directed the firm’s regionally targeted investment practice balancing the needs and contractual terms of multiple constituencies with headline risk and return objectives. He also ran the Private Markets venture and growth vertical where market analyses, sourcing, underwriting and client communication came together.

Mr. Carter has held seats on more than 50 LP Advisory Committees and monitored an additional 40 funds on behalf of clients across the country.

Prior to joining GCM Grosvenor, Mr. Carter was Senior Vice President of Membership Services at the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce. There, he rightsized operations, built quality networking events, applied business practices to daily operations, and supported regional economic development.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Carter co-founded Denali Incorporated, where he served as Vice President of Business Development. He helped build the company into the world’s largest engineered fiberglass-reinforced products manufacturer and was part of the team that successfully led its IPO. During his time there, revenues grew from $40 million to over $220 million, and EBITDA improved from a $3 million loss to $24 million in profits. He also served as Senior Marketing Officer and Business Development Lead for EnviroTech, a Baker Hughes company, where he participated in over $1.4 billion in completed acquisitions and divestitures.

“Star Mountain has built a differentiated platform with a strong culture of alignment and long-term partnership,” said Mr. Carter. “What excites me about joining the firm is its focus on the lower middle-market, where capital and strategic resources can have a meaningful impact. I look forward to supporting Star Mountain’s continued growth and contributing my experience to help drive positive outcomes for its investors and portfolio investments.”

Mr. Carter earned a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration in Finance and International Business with High Honors from The University of Texas at Austin. He also completed the Advanced Program in International Management at Copenhagen Business School and has active Series 7 and 63 licenses.

As an aligned Senior Advisor, Mr. Carter supports Star Mountain Capital with private markets expertise, strategic relationships, and investment insights to help the firm and its portfolio investments create long-term value in the lower middle-market.

Read the full press release here.

About Star Mountain Capital

With ~$4.5 billion in AUM (committed capital including debt facilities as of 10/31/2025), Star Mountain specializes in providing 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, NAV loans 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 100 direct platform 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.