About Us

St. Cloud Capital is a Los Angeles-based private investment firm founded in 2001.

St. Cloud Capital is a Los Angeles-based private investment firm founded in 2001 to provide growth capital to U.S. lower middle market companies (companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $150 million). St. Cloud has made 83 portfolio investments in companies across a wide range of industries and in every layer of the capital structure, including senior secured debt, subordinated debt and minority equity.

We typically invest between $5 million and $20 million in non-control and control situations, acting as both a financial and strategic partner to strong management teams and industry entrepreneurs in fulfilling their long-term growth plans.  We are also able to arrange larger financings through relationships with co-investors.

St. Cloud has managed over $700 million of capital since 2001. St. Cloud is currently investing out of its fourth fund, StCloud Capital Partners IV SBIC, LP.

Underserved Market

Our typical investment is $5 million to $20 million in size, and focused on lower middle market companies that typically fall “below the radar screen” of larger private equity firms and the broader capital markets.

Opportunities

We seek opportunities to partner with strong management teams who have built the business delivering proven services or products with substantial growth potential looking for non-dilutive capital to facilitate the company going from good to great.  We welcome investment referrals from investment banking firms, brokers, lenders, attorneys, accountants, consultants, business executives and other investors.  All information provided to us is treated confidentially.

Transaction Types

We support a wide array of transaction types, including, without limitation, expansion and growth capital, recapitalizations, refinancings, management buyouts and change of control transactions, and strategic acquisitions to support a company’s growth.

Industries

We invest in a wide range of industries, including areas where we have demonstrated experience, such as manufacturing, distribution, business services, logistics, consumer, healthcare, and financial services.  Our prior experience across a broad range of industries helps us articulate a thoughtful approach toward due diligence and strategic planning.

Investment Approach

St. Cloud provides flexible financing solutions to lower middle market companies including entrepreneur-owned companies, private equity sponsor owned companies, closely held private companies, and micro-cap publicly owned companies.

Investment Structure

We take an opportunistic and flexible approach providing for a diverse range of transactions. We excel in customizing investments to fit the unique financial and strategic characteristics of each transaction. We are long term partners with the experience it takes to succeed.

Our investments are typically structured as a combination of debt and equity securities.  The debt portion of our investments may be structured as senior or junior debt.  Our investments may be in conjunction with other debt or equity investments.

We develop close partnerships with the companies in which we make investments. Typically, one or more St. Cloud principals or advisors will serve on the portfolio company’s Board of Directors. In addition, our support for our portfolio companies can involve additional consulting and advisory services from affiliated or third party sources. Our common goal with each of our portfolio companies is to maximize performance and value creation.

Our Team

Cohesive team with investing experience through multiple economic cycles.

  • Benjamin Hom

    Benjamin Hom

    Managing Partner

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    Benjamin Hom
    Managing Partner

    Benjamin Hom is a Managing Partner of St. Cloud Capital, LLC (together with its affiliates, “St. Cloud”). Mr. Hom is a member of the Investment Committee of St. Cloud and is responsible for sourcing, execution, and portfolio monitoring functions. Previously, Mr. Hom worked in the Investment Banking Group at Bear, Stearns & Company, where his experience included mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, public and private equity offerings, and debt financings. Mr. Hom focused on middle market clients in a variety of industries including business services, restaurants, communications, technology, and health care services. His prior experience also includes working at KPMG and Parnassus Investments. Mr. Hom currently serves as a Member or Observer on the Board of Directors of JibJab, LLC, AR HIIT, LLC (an Orangetheory Fitness franchisee), BigRentz Inc. and Sentinel Offender Services, LLC.  Mr. Hom serves on the Western Region Committee for the Small Business Investor Alliance (“SBIA”). Mr. Hom previously served as a Director on the board of Midnite Air Corporation, AdvancedOne Legal, LLC and served as a Board Observer of Tuff Shed, Inc., among others. Mr. Hom is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), Beverly Hills Chapter. Mr. Hom received a Bachelor of Arts in Business & Economics with a minor in Accounting from the University of California, Los Angeles.  He resides in Brentwood, CA with his wife and three sons.

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  • Kacy Rozelle

    Kacy Rozelle

    Managing Partner

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    Kacy Rozelle
    Managing Partner

    Kacy Rozelle is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of St. Cloud. Mr. Rozelle is a member of the Investment Committee of St. Cloud and is responsible for sourcing, execution, and portfolio monitoring functions. His middle and lower-middle market corporate finance and investment banking experience also includes an additional ten years at Jefferies & Company, Inc., where Mr. Rozelle served as a member of the firm’s Taxable Fixed Income Executive Committee, and where he participated in the structuring and placement of more than $40 billion of securities, including more than $10 billion of public and private equity. Mr. Rozelle began his career at Houlihan Lokey Howard and Zukin, a Los Angeles-based investment bank, where he assisted on a wide range of services for middle market companies including mergers and acquisitions, financial opinions and valuation, and advisory assignments. Mr. Rozelle currently serves as a member or observer on the Board of Directors of AutoReturn, LLC; Burke Williams, Inc., Apple Montessori Schools, LLC and Renters Warehouse USA, LLC.  Mr. Rozelle previously served on the Board of Directors of: Pipeworks, Inc., Johnson Products Company, Inc.; SAFE Security, Inc.; National Holdings (OTC: NHLD.OB); Frontline Sales, Inc.; and Earl Scheib, Inc.; among others. Kacy Rozelle serves as a Western Region committee member for the Small Business Investor Alliance (“SBIA”). Mr. Rozelle is also an active member of the Santa Monica Bay Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO Gold). Mr. Rozelle earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a BS in Finance from Virginia Tech.

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  • Robert Lautz

    Robert Lautz

    Managing Partner

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    Robert Lautz
    Managing Partner

    Robert Lautz is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of St. Cloud. Mr. Lautz is a member of the Investment Committee of St. Cloud and is responsible for sourcing, execution, and portfolio monitoring functions. Mr. Lautz has over 25 years of operating experience as a business owner, entrepreneur, and CEO of both private and public companies. At St. Cloud, he serves as operating partner and, if necessary, turnaround manager. Mr. Lautz’s prior business involvement includes being Chairman and co-founder of REO.com, an internet-based sales mechanism for bank foreclosed properties. Prior to that he served as the CEO of ListingLink, the original Internet-based residential property multiple listing service. Mr. Lautz formed and was Chairman and CEO of Indenet, Inc., a NASDAQ listed private satellite-based network that delivered digital advertisements and programming to the 3000+ national broadcast and cable television networks. Mr. Lautz began his career within Citibank’s Operating Group where he rose to become the Senior Financial Officer, responsible for all financial functions and strategic planning. He ultimately purchased Property Data Services, a Company he started for Citibank, which he built to the 3rd largest company of its kind domestically. He currently serves as a Member or Observer on the Board of Directors of Morrow Sodali Global, LLC, Apposite Technologies, Inc. and Life Spine, Inc.

    Mr. Lautz earned a Master’s degree from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird), and a BS in Business Administration from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

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  • Sheila Emami

    Sheila Emami

    Principal

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    Sheila Emami
    Principal

    Sheila Emami is a Principal at St. Cloud and is responsible for sourcing, execution, and portfolio monitoring functions. She has over 15 years of experience in originations, structuring, and underwriting of structured credit solutions to middle market companies in a variety of industries including private equity-backed consumer product, shipping and logistics, technology, manufacturing, industrials, and retail. Previously, Ms. Emami worked in leveraged finance and corporate banking roles at various corporate and commercial banks.

    She currently serves as an Observer on the Board of Directors of Thrive Venture Group (an Orangetheory Fitness franchisee), JibJab, LLC, and Superior Huntingdon Composites, LLC, and a Member on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Southern California. Ms. Emami serves on the Western Region Committee for the Small Business Investor Alliance (“SBIA”). She earned a BA in Economics from Pitzer College and is also a graduate of the Summer Institute for General Management from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Ms. Emami is an alumna of Wells Fargo’s Credit Management Training Program.

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  • David Bao

    David Bao

    Vice President

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    David Bao
    Vice President

    David Bao is a Vice President at St. Cloud and is responsible for sourcing, execution, and portfolio monitoring functions. He has over 15 years of experience in investing, operating, and advising middle market companies in a variety of industries including business services, healthcare, software, manufacturing, amongst others.

    Mr. Bao was most recently an investor and operator of a privately held real estate & business incubator company in the beauty services industry. Prior to that, Mr. Bao was a private equity investor at The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm with over $13Bn of assets under management, focusing on majority control buyouts. Mr. Bao has also worked in investment banking with Lazard and Wells Fargo Securities, as well as provided public accounting services with PricewaterhouseCoopers for public and private companies.

    Mr. Bao earned a BA in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

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  • Andrew Sun

    Andrew Sun

    Analyst

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    Andrew Sun
    Analyst

    Andrew Sun is an Analyst at St. Cloud and is responsible for reporting, due diligence, and portfolio monitoring functions.

    Prior to joining St. Cloud, Mr. Sun worked at KPMG, LLP, providing audit and attestation services for public and private financial service and investment companies. Mr. Sun is a Certified Public Accountant.

    Mr. Sun received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics with an Accounting Minor from the University of California, Los Angeles.

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  • Cordell Gee

    Cordell Gee

    Chief Financial Officer

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    Cordell Gee
    Chief Financial Officer

    Cordell Gee is the Chief Financial Officer at St. Cloud and is responsible for reporting, compliance, and the funds’ cash activities.

    Prior to joining St. Cloud, Mr. Gee held a financial analyst position at Provident Financial Holdings Inc., where he performed SEC reporting and internal ad hoc reporting.  He also has worked at KPMG, LLP and Rothstein Kass &Co, performing public accounting work for financial service companies.  Mr. Gee is a Certified Public Accountant.

    Mr. Gee received his Master of Business Administration Degree from California Baptist University and Bachelor of Science with Accounting Minor from the University of California, Los Angeles.

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  • Tami Brinson

    Tami Brinson

    Office Manager

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    Tami Brinson
    Office Manager

    Tami Brinson is the Office Manager and Executive Assistant for St. Cloud. Previously, Ms. Brinson worked in the office of the CEO at Docusource and Tatum, LLC. Her prior experience includes hospitality and restaurant operation management positions at various casinos.

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St. Cloud’s Commitment to Underserved Businesses

Since 2001, St. Cloud has managed over $700 million and invested in 83 small businesses across the United States, with a focus on Underserved Businesses.

  • $700mm+ managed since 2001 for growing U.S. small businesses

  • 83% of investments are in Underserved Businesses

  • 51% of investments are located in LMI or SBA HubZones

  • 45% of investments are Woman, Minority, or Veteran-owned or operated

  • 22,300+ jobs created and/or sustained

  • $2.2Bn+ in revenue growth for St. Cloud Capital investments

Our Approach to Impact

Select Investments

INVESTMENTS MAP

Investments across the united states since inception.

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Internship Program

Established in 2002, St. Cloud’s College Internship program continues to develop, mentor, and train the next generation of leaders in the finance industry.

internship program

St. Cloud Intern Reflection: Nathaniel Kim, Summer 2025

Nathaniel Kim University of Chicago St. Cloud Intern Reflection, Summer 2025 I am a rising sophomore at University of Chicago, planning to major in business economics. I have been interested in finance since I was young but it wasn’t until I furthered this passion through starting a sports card business that I realized I wanted […]

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St. Cloud Intern Reflection, June 2024

Kerry Keefe Duke University St. Cloud Intern Reflection, June 2024 I am a rising junior at Duke University, planning to major in economics with a certificate in markets & management. I am also captain of the Duke women’s volleyball team. My parents taught me at a young age that it is vital to prepare for […]

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St. Cloud Intern Reflection, May 2021

Hwikeun Kim Dartmouth College St. Cloud Intern Reflection, May 2021 I am currently a Junior at Dartmouth College, studying Economics. This is my 2nd internship at St Cloud Capital, LLC; this time as a Winter/Spring 2021 intern. I had one of the best internship experiences here at the firm in the Winter of 2019, and […]

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Yilin Huo: St. Cloud Intern Reflection, December 2019

Yilin Huo Dartmouth College student St. Cloud Intern Reflection, December 2019 Hello! My name is Yilin, and I was an intern at St. Cloud Capital, LLC during winter break. I am currently a sophomore at Dartmouth College. I was nervous on the first day of the internship and did not know what to expect. However, […]

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St. Cloud Intern Reflection, Spring/Summer 2020

For many service members, the transition from active military service to the civilian sector is extremely daunting and stressful.  As an active U.S. Army Officer, I can attest to this and have found my transition period to be a moment to moment battle.  However, since I began interning for St. Cloud Capital my path has […]

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Are you interested in joining our Internships program? Send us a message!

Contact

St. Cloud Capital, LLC
10866 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1450
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Tel (310) 475-2700 · Fax (310) 475-0550

Send us a message

All information will be treated confidentially.