Aaron Gougis of Momentus Capital Wins Award From the Dallas Business Journal
Mr. Gougis launched the first cohort of Capital Impact Partners’ EDI program for real estate developers in Dallas, helping them with training, mentorship, and pathways to financing.
February 27, 2023 (Arlington, VA/San Diego, CA) – Aaron Gougis, the Dallas Initiatives Manager for the Momentus Capital branded family of companies, has received the “Community Champion” award from the Dallas Business Journal.
Mr. Gougis launched the first cohort of Capital Impact Partners’ EDI program for real estate developers in Dallas and then managed the first cohort of the six-month program in 2022. The program helps real estate developers with training, mentorship, and pathways to financing.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done to bring the EDI program for real estate developers to Dallas, what the program has already meant for the developers who participated in it, and what it will continue to mean for the community,” said Mr. Gougis. “And I’m excited for what’s still to come — how we can better support the Dallas area as an organization, to learn about the challenges that community members are facing, their goals, and their needs.”
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations — includes Capital Impact Partners, CDC Small Business Finance and Ventures Lending Technologies, among other organizations — is dedicated to offering a continuum of financial, knowledge, and social capital.
Since launching in 2018, the EDI program for real estate developers has trained more than 200 developers in Dallas; Detroit; the Washington metropolitan area; and the San Francisco Bay Area.
The program helps create generational wealth for the developers — whose projects also create attainable housing, mixed-use developments, jobs, and greater opportunities for the individuals who live in the developers’ communities.
“Aaron built relationships with community leaders and the City of Dallas, as well as with funders such as JPMorgan Chase and Charles Schwab, influencing them to focus on efforts in the Dallas area such as the EDI program for real estate developers,” said Lauren Counts, Head of National Programs for Momentus Capital.
“Aaron also recruited a strong network of mentors, who serve an important role for program participants going beyond regular advisory support and answering questions about particular deals,” Ms. Counts said. “They provide nurture, guidance, and advice to these emerging developers, imparting — and serving as a strong example of — what it takes to be successful in this field in the Dallas area.”
The launch of the EDI program in Dallas received significant interest, with more than 100 applicants applying to the first cohort. Capital Impact Partners expects to launch its second cohort in Dallas later in 2023 and is committed to working in the Dallas area to better support local organizations providing health care, education, healthy food, and affordable housing.
“I’m continuing to learn more about how we can better support the Dallas area as an organization, to learn about the challenges that community members facing, their goals, and their needs,” Mr. Gougis said. “We are building a coalition.”
This is the latest recognition for the Momentus Capital branded family of companies:
- In 2022, the Washington Business Journal honored Momentus Capital President and CEO Ellis Carr as the Nonprofit Leader of the Year.
- Fast Company named Mr. Carr to that publication’s 14th annual list of the Most Creative People in Business.
- Momentus Capital was nominated to the Washington Business Journal’s Inno on Fire awards for helping to fuel the region’s economy.
- CDC Small Business Finance finished Fiscal Year 2022 as the foremost SBA 504 and Community Advantage lender in the United States.
- Team members Ken Rosenthal and Stacey Sanchez received two top honors from Coleman Report as the leading banking publication’s SBA Business Development Officers of the Year.
- The NonProfit Times named Capital Impact Partners as one of the best nonprofits to work for.
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About Capital Impact Partners
Capital Impact Partners, part of the Momentus Capital branded family of organizations, is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people with access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. As one of the nation’s leading mission-driven Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), we help build strong communities and create generational wealth by deploying mission-driven financing, capacity-building programs, and impact investing opportunities.
Capital Impact Partners offers flexible financing for catalytic mission-aligned projects in four primary sectors: increasing access to health care, education, affordable housing, and healthy food.
In addition, we manage several multi-year initiatives in key regions to support emerging developers, small business owners, cooperatives, and community health enterprises through training, professional networks, access to experts and mentors, and pathways to grants and loan capital.
Capital Impact Partners has disbursed more than $3 billion since 1982 to create access to critical social services, grow entrepreneurs, and create quality jobs. Capital Impact Partners’ leadership in delivering financial and social impact has resulted in the organization being rated by S&P Global and Fitch Ratings and recognized by Aeris for its performance.
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations refers to the combined operations of Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance, as well as their affiliates, Momentus Direct Capital and Momentus Securities (an SEC-registered broker-dealer, MSRB-registered, FINRA/SIPC member). While each organization under the Momentus Capital brand still operates as a separate entity, their clients will now have access to more resources and products.
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, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas, and the Washington D.C. metro area.
Learn more at capitalimpact.org and momentuscap.org.
About Momentus Capital
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations refers to the combined operations of Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance, as well as their affiliates, Momentus Direct Capital, and Momentus Securities (an SEC-registered broker-dealer, MSRB-registered, FINRA/SIPC member). While each organization under the Momentus Capital brand still operates as a separate entity, its clients now have access to more resources and products.
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. We are working to reinvent traditional financial systems by offering a continuum of financial, knowledge, and social capital to help entrepreneurs, community-based organizations, and local leaders at every growth stage to build strong communities and create generational wealth.
This includes a comprehensive package of loan products, impact investment opportunities, training and business advising programs, and technology solutions that advance locally-led solutions.
Leveraging more than 80 years of combined experience, more than $3 billion in assets under management, and strong community engagement, the Momentus Capital branded family of organizations has delivered $24 billion in financing, created and preserved 298,000 jobs, and served 14,350 small businesses and 6 million people across our 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, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas, and the Washington D.C. metro area.
Learn more at momentuscap.org.
