# Joe Alala

> Joe Alala is the Charlotte-based founder and CEO of Capitala Group, which began as CapitalSouth Partners in 1998 and finances lower middle-market businesses through private credit and private equity. His work includes investment approvals, portfolio advisory responsibilities, bank partnerships and support for independent sponsors. He holds economics, law and business degrees and maintains ties to Princeton and Wake Forest through advisory service and teaching visits.

- **Role:** Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Capitala Group
- **Organizations:** Capitala Group, Capitala Securities, LLC, BC Partners Credit, Wake Forest School of Law, Wake Forest Charlotte Executive Board of Advisors, Princeton Track & Field Team, DK Wine Group, LLC, Young Presidents Organization, Small Business Investor Alliance, Et Amicorum Book Club
- **Education:** Episcopal High School, AB in economics; minor in politics, Princeton University, JD/MBA, Wake Forest University
- **Known for:** Founded Capitala’s predecessor in 1998 and remains CEO and investment committee head., Inaugural Smart Business Dealmakers Hall of Fame inductee in 2022., Received Princeton’s Larry Ellis Award for support of student-athletes and coaches.

## Career timeline

- **1996** — Graduated from Wake Forest with a JD/MBA.
- **1998** — Founded CapitalSouth Partners, later rebranded as Capitala Group, in Charlotte.
- **2000** — Joined the Young Presidents Organization.
- **2011** — Capitala invested in Boot Barn, providing debt and minority equity.
- **2014** — Boot Barn went public; Capitala also exited its Vita Nonwovens investment.
- **2022** — Inducted into the inaugural Smart Business Dealmakers Hall of Fame class in Charlotte.
- **2023** — Capitala marked its 25th anniversary.
- **2025** — Capitala announced an oversubscribed fundraise exceeding $1 billion in commitments, including leverage and separately managed accounts.
- **2026** — Joined Capitala Conversations episode 2 to discuss independent sponsor deal financing.

## Achievements

- Founded Capitala’s predecessor in 1998 and remains CEO and investment committee head.
- Inaugural Smart Business Dealmakers Hall of Fame inductee in 2022.
- Received Princeton’s Larry Ellis Award for support of student-athletes and coaches.
- Led Capitala through the March 2025 announcement of a fundraise exceeding $1 billion in commitments, including leverage and separately managed accounts.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — On October 7, Capitala announced that its fund family received a Gold badge in PitchBook’s 2025 Manager Performance Score League Tables, recognizing a private-debt performance score in the top 10%. This is a company-reported fund-family ranking, not a personal award to Alala.
- **2026-09** — Joined Tom Kenary of Houlihan Lokey and host Sam Tidswell-Norrish for Capitala Conversations episode 2, published September 29, about structuring and financing independent sponsor deals.
- **2026-09** — Capitala announced its exit from TRS Services on September 23; the acquisition by a strategic buyer closed August 14, 2026.
- **2026-01** — Capitala’s 2025 year-in-review reported 93 banks on its platform, more than $2.6 billion of investment opportunities from the network and over 80% of 2025 investments originated from non-sponsored opportunities.
- **2025-03** — Capitala announced a fundraise exceeding $1 billion in commitments, including leverage and separately managed accounts, and 42 new bank partners.

## Links

- Website: https://www.capitalagroup.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-alala-iii-226022162
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/capitala_group

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/joe-alala
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-10