Willes Capital lends money to private companies, holds investments in the public markets, and invests as a limited partner in various venture capital, private equity, and real estate funds.
Matt Willes, Founding Partner of Willes Capital, has over 20 years of investment experience. He managed the $1 Billion corporate bond portfolio at Beneficial Life Insurance, was the CFO for a constituent company of Blum Capital, and was a Senior Vice President of Zions Bank. Matt earned his undergraduate degree at BYU, received a MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA, and earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2006. Matt has served on numerous corporate and non-profit boards.
Katie Willes, Founder of Willes Capital, is the creative force behind Katie Willes Art (where Matt is the Executive Assistant). While not active in investment decisions, Katie is completely focused on her art and her family.
Always an art lover, Katie discovered her passion for creating colorful acrylic paintings in her 40’s. Highly travelled from her nomadic childhood through her extensive travels today, Katie’s art education came from visiting museums and historical sites across the world.
Matt and Katie both grew up in homes where generosity and philanthropy were modeled by their parents. A few of the ways Matt and Katie try to honor their parents’ legacy includes:
In 2025, the Willes Wellness Center was dedicated at The Waterford School. Each of their four children are graduates of The Waterford School, and Katie volunteered for many years in classrooms and leading the book club.
Katie and Matt currently serve on the National Advisory Council for BYU’s Marriott School of Business. They especially love to support the single parent scholarship fund.
The Road Home is the largest homeless shelter in Utah. Matt served as President of the Board of Trustees, and Katie volunteered for years with the kids.