Santhosh Ramdoss

President & CEO of Gary Community Ventures

Santhosh Ramdoss is the President & CEO of Gary Community Ventures and also serves as the organization’s Chief Investment Officer. With over 20 years of experience in impact investing, venture capital, banking, and endowment portfolio management, Santhosh has an extensive background in leveraging financial assets to drive community impact. Before his current role, he was Gary’s VP of Impact Investing, where he managed the organization’s endowment and established partnerships with leading impact fund managers and companies. He played a crucial role in incubating capital vehicles like The Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth, which provides down payment assistance to Black homebuyers in Metro Denver.

Santhosh's career spans across the US, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where he has gained valuable insights into strategy, international development, program design, public policy, philanthropy, and community organizing. His practical experience in running financial institutions, combined with his dedication to social entrepreneurship and equitable economic development, makes him a key figure in these critical discussions.

Before joining Gary Community Ventures, Santhosh was part of the investment teams at the Skoll and Michael & Susan Dell foundations. He also has experience as a community organizer, start-up entrepreneur, and community banker. Santhosh’s personal journey is equally inspiring; raised by a single mother in a small Indian village, he learned English by watching television and didn’t board an airplane until he was 25. His identity as an immigrant deeply informs his commitment to equity and social justice, driving his work to create more inclusive and equitable opportunities for all.