# Tarrus Richardson

> Tarrus Richardson is the founder and CEO of IMB Partners, a Bethesda-based private equity firm investing in businesses serving utilities, infrastructure, and government customers. Raised around family businesses in suburban Chicago, he studied accounting at Purdue and earned an MBA at Harvard Business School, co-founded ICV Partners, and established IMB in 2010. His community work includes founding the Council of Urban Professionals and serving as All Star Code’s founding board chair.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at IMB Partners
- **Organizations:** IMB Partners, ICV Partners, Gold Coast Securities, Council of Urban Professionals, All Star Code, Maryland State Retirement and Pension System, Purdue Black Alumni Organization
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BS in Accounting, Purdue University, MBA; Robert Toigo Fellow, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Purdue’s first Black student body president, elected with 70% of the vote in 1990., Invested over $500 million and completed more than 20 platform buyouts and add-on acquisitions, according to his official biography., Received the 2024 Reginald F. Lewis Lifetime Achievement Award.

## Career timeline

- **1990** — Elected Purdue’s first African American student body president.
- **1991** — Graduated from Purdue with an accounting degree; began his finance career at Salomon Brothers.
- **1993** — Co-founded Gold Coast Securities in Ghana.
- **1996** — Earned an MBA from Harvard Business School; subsequently worked at JLL Partners.
- **1998** — Co-founded ICV Partners; worked there until 2010.
- **2007** — Founded the Council of Urban Professionals.
- **2010** — Founded IMB Partners.
- **2024** — IMB Partners SBIC I closed on December 31 with $125.5 million in committed capital.

## Achievements

- Purdue’s first Black student body president, elected with 70% of the vote in 1990.
- Invested over $500 million and completed more than 20 platform buyouts and add-on acquisitions, according to his official biography.
- Received the 2024 Reginald F. Lewis Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Inducted into the 2024 Smart Business Dealmakers D.C. Capital Region Hall of Fame.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Appeared on Owner Mode’s The Overlooked Asset Class episode, published August 17, discussing entrepreneurship through acquisition.
- **2026-07** — IMB announced its investment in Strategic Land Services, a Georgia utility infrastructure contractor; the transaction finalized in late May.
- **2025-10** — IMB announced a continuation vehicle for e&e IT Consulting, allowing investors to exit or continue participating.
- **2025-02** — IMB announced the $125.5 million final close of its first institutional fund, which closed December 31, 2024.

## Links

- Website: https://imbpartners.com/team-member/tarrus-richardson/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarrus-richardson-5617485

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/tarrus-richardson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09