About Us

The Kapok tree signifies Growth, Resilience, Partnership, Climate Stewardship. 

The Kapok [KAY-pok] is a rainforest giant, emerging high above the canopy and growing swiftly at up to 13 feet per year. The Kapok has an expansive trunk, and its seeds are often the first to arrive in de-forested areas.  Its umbrella canopy is home to a symbiotic array of aerial plants and fauna.  The ancient Maya considered the tree to be at the center of the Earth. 

 Derek Beaty is the Managing Partner of Kapok Partners, a private investment and advisory firm passionate about partnering with management teams, entrepreneurs, and capital providers to build profitable, sustainable growth businesses.

Derek has a 20+ year career in M&A, private equity, and strategic investments. He has invested globally and has served on the corporate or advisory boards of businesses in the US, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Turkey, and China.

Prior to Kapok Partners, Derek was Head of Strategic Investments and Director of Corporate Development at Caterpillar, Inc. Prior to Caterpillar, Derek spent 11 years with pioneer private equity impact investor Global Environment Fund and its successor company GEF Capital in both Washington, DC, and in São Paulo, Brazil. He started his investing career at CIVC Partners and developed M&A advisory skills at BMO Capital, Arthur Andersen, and Merrill Lynch.

Derek graduated with an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and has a B.A. in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a CPA (inactive), an Ironman triathlete turned ordinary athlete, an aspiring youth sports coach, and lives in the Lake View neighborhood of Chicago with his multilingual family: wife, two daughters, and furry animals.