# Ben Navarro

> Ben Navarro is a Charleston-based investor, co-founder and CEO of Beemok Capital, and founder and CEO of Sherman Financial Group. With his wife and Beemok co-founder Kelly Navarro, he supports Meeting Street Schools and college scholarships, invests in hospitality and professional tennis, and participates in Charleston civic projects. He also teaches Intentionality at the College of Charleston.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and CEO at Beemok Capital
- **Organizations:** Beemok Capital, Sherman Financial Group, Beemok Hospitality Collection, Beemok Sports & Entertainment, Meeting Street Schools, Meeting Street Scholarship Fund, Beemok Education, College of Charleston
- **From:** Williamstown, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S. in Finance, University of Rhode Island, Princeton High School
- **Known for:** Founded Sherman Financial Group and continues to serve as CEO., Co-founded Meeting Street Schools, which reports about 1,700 students across four campuses., Built a professional tennis portfolio including the Charleston and Cincinnati Opens.

## Career timeline

- **1984** — Graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.S. in Finance.
- **Early career** — Worked at Chemical Bank and Goldman Sachs before joining Citicorp, where he became Co-Head of Mortgage Sales and Trading.
- **1997** — Founded Sherman Financial Group; its official biography dates the founding to 1997.
- **2004** — Moved to Charleston with his family.
- **2008** — Ben and Kelly Navarro launched Meeting Street Schools.
- **2018** — Established Beemok and acquired the Charleston professional tennis tournament.
- **2020–2021** — Announced the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund in 2020; scholarships launched for Charleston County graduates in 2021.
- **2021** — Launched Beemok Hospitality Collection with the acquisition of The Charleston Place.
- **2022** — Acquired the Cincinnati Open through Beemok.
- **2023** — Began co-teaching Intentionality with Andrea Kindorf at the College of Charleston.
- **2024** — Announced plans for the redevelopment of Union Pier.
- **2025** — Cincinnati completed a $260 million campus transformation with public partners; the College of Charleston opened its Center for Intentionality; Catalyst held its inaugural pitch event.
- **2026** — Charleston introduced $2.5 million in total player compensation, including $2.3 million in prize money; the scholarship fund announced statewide access for eligible class-of-2027 graduates.

## Achievements

- Founded Sherman Financial Group and continues to serve as CEO.
- Co-founded Meeting Street Schools, which reports about 1,700 students across four campuses.
- Built a professional tennis portfolio including the Charleston and Cincinnati Opens.
- Supported the $260 million Cincinnati Open campus transformation alongside public partners.
- Received the Charleston Chamber’s 2026 Joseph P. Riley Leadership Award.
- Helped establish the College of Charleston’s Center for Intentionality, which opened in October 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Meeting Street Scholarship Fund announced expansion from 14 to all 46 South Carolina counties for eligible spring-2027 graduates, with an $18.7 million recurring state investment. The announcement provides one year of support for that class in expansion counties.
- **2026-03** — Charleston Metro Chamber announced Navarro as its 2026 Joseph P. Riley Leadership Award honoree; Beemok subsequently reported that he received the award.
- **2026-02** — Charleston Open announced $2.5 million in total 2026 player compensation, comprising $2.3 million in prize money and $200,000 in player benefits.
- **2025-11** — Inaugural Catalyst by Beemok pitch competition involved 13 startups and more than 400 attendees at Union Pier Terminal.
- **2025-10** — College of Charleston announced a Beemok gift for a future business school at the Carroll Building site and opened the Center for Intentionality on October 26.

## Links

- Website: https://www.beemok.com/ben-navarro/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nav-arro

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/ben-navarro
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22