This week we chat with Brett Hickey, chief executive officer, Star Mountain Capital. Based in New York with regional offices and a network covering over 25 U.S. cities, Star Mountain provides strategic partner capital for private equity, mezzanine and other private capital funds as well as growth debt and equity financing for small and medium-sized businesses (typically companies with under $15mm of annual EBITDA).

The Lead Left: Brett, we’ve been reading more about your firm recently. What’s your focus?

Brett Hickey: Randy, we focus on the less competitive lower end of the middle market. Our strategy is to be a value-added partner to companies and to fund managers including working as a partner with our fund managers to provide a “one-stop shop” capital solution for high quality growing businesses that, generally have less than $15 million in EBITDA. Across our portfolio, which on a look-through basis consists of approximately 150 businesses,