Paul Welch : Head of Private Equity at Elizabeth Park Capital - Driving Impact Through the Mission Driven Bank Fund

Join Ferdi Roberts as he sits down with Paul Welch, Portfolio Manager at Elizabeth Park Capital Management, to trace his path from Wharton and Hamilton Lane through Ariel and Penn Capital to mission-driven investing. Hear how board work in fintech reshaped his investor lens, why community banks matter, and how the Mission Driven Bank Fund (an FDIC-initiated public–private partnership) channels capital to MDIs and CDFIs to expand access to financial services.

Key Topics

Paul connects early influences (only-child discipline, competitive sports, parents in education and pharma) to a career spanning public and private markets. He discusses humility in investing, philanthropy through financial education, and why lifelong learning is essential in a rapidly evolving banking landscape.

Key discussion areas include:

• Transition from municipal finance to private markets at Hamilton Lane, then to public equities inspired by Ariel Investments’ long-term, team-driven approach

• A decade at Penn Capital: covering equities and high-yield bonds, co-PM experience, and the value of seeing cap structures from both sides

• Patriot Financial Partners: minority positions in community banks, board seats, and hands-on exposure to fintech operating realities (cash burn, 12–18 month raises)

• The Mission Driven Bank Fund at Elizabeth Park: purpose, target raise, anchor support, CRA-driven bank LP interest, and partnerships with Calvert Impact Capital and Strategic Bank Value Partners

• Philanthropy and education: Ariel Community Academy and board service at Jezù School (Philadelphia) to bring investing literacy to underserved communities

• Mindset shifts from a serious health event and how humility, patience, and structured learning inform better decisions
  
  

What You’ll Learn

• How cross-training in public equities, private equity, and boards creates sharper judgment and founder empathy

• Why MDIs/CDFIs are pivotal to community outcomes—and how structured capital plus operating support unlock impact

• How CRA incentives and anchor LPs shape fundraising for mission-aligned vehicles

• Practical differences between modeling a thesis and operating reality in fintech (runway, capital cycles, governance)

• A repeatable framework for lifelong learning in finance: seek opposing views, formalize education, and immerse in operator perspectives

• Why humility and long-term thinking remain durable edges in investing and firm building