Title:
Co-Founder and Partner at Interprise Partners
Industry:
Private Equity
A: Highly variable now that we are in quarantine… In pre-quarantine society: walk the dog, make coffee, drive my daughter to school, peloton/workout, head into the office. Now that we are in quarantine, the only constants seems to be making coffee, reading the daily news, and working from the home office or patio. I am getting to spend a lot more time with family, which has been a blessing, especially with Benjamin Carson, III born in January.
A: I run a private equity firm based in Maryland called Interprise Partners. We are one of only a handful of firms that invest in minority owned businesses. I also stay active in the community and sit on several non-profit boards that support education, healthcare, and economic development.
A: Discernment, by Jeff Dudan, was the last book I read. It is a phenomenal read and I would highly recommend it. One of my favorite quotes was “Wisdom is the accumulation of knowledge over time, and discernment is its application to a present situation.” To me, this means that you should try to continue learning every day to increase your knowledge, apply that knowledge with an open mind over time to encourage wisdom, and allow that wisdom to guide your decision process in the future.
A: With the healthcare crisis driven by Covid-19, an economic crisis, and social unrest, there are many industries facing monumental changes in every aspect of business. For us, we see these changes as a chance to reposition our assets and drive growth as a new normal is created. Workforce and training is one area where we see a fundamental shift that could drive this new normal as more businesses become comfortable with virtual interactions and consumers continue to trend toward online purchases.
A:Reading about current events related to the economy, politics, and technology.
A: We invest in management teams first and foremost and have enjoyed working with those teams over the past seven years. One of the things that we find with our successful teams is that they are highly disciplined and have incredible work ethic. This combination allows them to persevere where others give up. Often, you do not need to be the smartest or most competent, you need to be prepared when the opportunity presents itself. Stay prepared and find opportunities to execute.
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About Ben Carson Jr.:
Mr. Carson is Co-Founder and Partner at Interprise Partners, a lower-middle market private equity firm based in Maryland, where he is responsible for the overall strategy of the company and its portfolio. Interprise is one of
the few minority-owned private investment firms in the country and targets transactions between $3-30 million backing proven executive teams leading highly scalable businesses. Founded in 2013, Interprise primarily invests in healthcare, business services, and infrastructure.
Prior to founding Interprise, Mr. Carson served in an executive capacity at The Warner Companies, a middle market financial management and consulting firm. At The Warner Companies, Mr. Carson led TWC Capital, which advised companies on mergers and acquisitions, capital structuring, capital raises, investments, risk management and strategic planning.
Mr. Carson has also been involved in several political initiatives and served on the board of Carson America, the presidential campaign of Dr. Benjamin Carson, in 2016-17. Mr. Carson continues to be actively involved in political initiatives in Washington, DC to support entrepreneurship, workforce development, and minority- and women-owned businesses.
Mr. Carson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Entrepreneurial Leadership from Tufts University. He is a 2019 AEI Scholar and also the recipient of Baltimore’s 35 Under 35 award, the Envest Foundation’s 40 Under 40 award, Franchise Journal’s MBE Titans, Washington Life’s Young & Guestlist, and DCA Rising Stars of GovCon. Mr. Carson is dedicated to community involvement and serves on several boards, including Tufts University (Tufts Entrepreneurship Center), YPO Southeast US, the Minority Wealth Commission, Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital Foundation Board, and The Carson Scholars Fund.
Social Media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencarsonjr
Company website: www.interprisepartners.com
