News Briefs

Southern Ute Indian Tribe Growth Fund forms new investment firm Kava Equity Partners

Based in Colorado, Kava Equity will invest in lower middle market companies.

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  • Also, Growth Fund has hired Peter Shepard as assistant operating director and James Dudley as managing director of Kava Equity Partners
  • Previously, Shepard was chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners
  • Dudley’s career highlights includes roles at Colorado-based investment groups Caruso Ventures and Boulder Ventures

The Southern Ute Indian Growth Fund, the business arm of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, has formed Kava Equity Partners.

Based in Colorado, Kava Equity will invest in lower middle market companies.

Also, Growth Fund has hired Peter Shepard as assistant operating director and James Dudley as managing director of Kava Equity Partners.

“We are delighted to have Peter join our team,” said Growth Fund Operating Director Kourtney Hadrick in a statement. “He brings many years of successful investment and operating company leadership experience to the Southern Ute Growth Fund. With Peter’s assistance, we look forward to continued success and acceleration in our real estate and direct private equity investment activities.”

Previously, Shepard was chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners (formerly JCR Capital Investment Corporation), a Denver-based real estate private equity firm. Earlier in his career, he founded and served as managing director of Athena Business Solutions, a CFO consultancy, and sister company First Business Partners, an out-sourced back-office administration firm.

Dudley’s career highlights includes roles at Colorado-based investment groups Caruso Ventures and Boulder Ventures. Previously, he held technical engineering roles at several companies, including Tesla and Boulder-based Acroname.

The Ute people are the oldest continuous residents of what is today the state of Colorado. Historically a loose confederation of ten bands, the Mouache and Caputa bands make up the present-day Southern Ute Indian Tribe.