Our Team
-
Joe Popolo is the Founder and CEO of Charles & Potomac Capital, LLC, a private investment firm focused on investments in technology, healthcare, media, energy, and real estate. With more than 50 investments in venture capital and private equity funds, operating businesses, and credit and energy funds, Charles & Potomac provides capital and management expertise to leading businesses around the globe.
From 1997 to 2019, Joe helped transform the Freeman Company into the world’s leading live event brand experience company. As its president for eight years and CEO for 11 years, Joe and his team transformed Freeman and tripled it in size to $3 billion in revenue, expanding Freeman into new services and geographic markets, while leading 7,500 employees in 25 cities on four continents, including its audio-visual division’s European parent company in The Netherlands. Responsible for over $1.5 billion in M&A activity over his career, in 2018, Joe led the team that marketed and sold Freeman's Encore Event Technology subsidiary to Blackstone, creating the world's largest venue-based audio-visual company. Joe also served on Freeman’s Board of Directors for 18 years and chaired its Finance Committee.
Currently, Joe is Chairman of the board of Pinnacle Live, LLC, is a board member of Ondas Holdings ($ONDS) as well as its Ondas Networks subsidiary, and is a member of the advisory boards of JEGI CLARITY and Advisory Research Inc.
Joe graduated from Boston College with a BS in Finance and from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with an MBA in Finance and Economics, subsequently receiving a Dean’s Award of Distinction from the Booth School of Business in 1997. He is active in many educational, philanthropic, and charitable organizations, including the Board of Trustees at Boston College, the Shea Center for Entrepreneurship at Boston College, the Executive Board of the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University, The Papal Foundation, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute National Leadership Council. He is an E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner, and the Dallas Business Journal recognized him as a winner of its Most Admired CEO Award. In 2018, he was recognized with the John P. Curley ’13 Award honoring an outstanding alumnus and supporter of BC Athletics. In 2022, Joe and several BC alums founded the Friends of the Heights, Boston College’s official NIL collective. In 2024, Joe was awarded the Governor William P. Clements, Jr. Award by the Dallas Entrepreneurial PAC (DALENPAC). Joe and his wife, Chris, reside in Dallas, Texas.
jvp@charles-potomac-capital.com
-
Amy Dalton is an Executive Assistant at Charles & Potomac and assists with the day-to-day operational, strategic and planning responsibilities. She joins Charles & Potomac with 25 years of extensive experience supporting C-level executives. Prior to joining Charles & Potomac, Amy spent 15+ years supporting General Partners and Investment Professionals in the Venture Capital and Private Equity industries.
Amy graduated from St. Edward’s University with a B.A. in Organizational Communication.
amy@charles-potomac-capital.com
-
Prior to joining Charles & Potomac Capital, Rehkemper was Chief Financial Officer for Freeman, a leader in the live event brand marketing industry. As CFO, he led the global Finance, Accounting, Tax, Treasury and Real Estate functions.
Previously, Rehkemper held CFO roles at Sensity Systems and API Technologies and was on the management team for International Rectifier as its Vice President of Finance, was CFO and Vice President of Finance at Alliance Fiber Optic Products and was the Corporate Controller at Calient Networks.
Rehkemper also provided financial leadership for Hewlett-Packard, where he was the Controller for the Network Server Division, which experienced significant growth during his tenure.
phil@charles-potomac-capital.com
-
Catherine Bellah serves as Head of Philanthropic and Political Missions for Charles & Potomac Capital, LLC, a private investment firm focused on investments in technology, healthcare, media, energy, and real estate. Catherine is also CEO of Plumaven, a consulting firm that engages with select clients to help them navigate their operational and strategic challenges, particularly with regard to effectively executing their policy, political and philanthropic missions.
She brings 20 years of legal, operational, and executive experience in corporate, nonprofit and government environments. Prior founding Plumaven and joining the team at Charles & Potomac Capital, Catherine practiced law and advised clients at global law firms and investment firms.
She also served as Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Staff Secretary at the White House.
In 2024, Governor Abbott appointed Catherine to the Governing Board of the Texas Department of Information Resources for which she also serves on three committees: audit, finance and legal; strategic initiatives; and CTS/STS.
Catherine earned a B.A. with honors from the University of Richmond and subsequently graduated with a J.D. with highest honors as Vice Chancellor, second in her class, from the University of Texas School of Law, where she also served on the editorial board of the Texas Law Review. After law school, Catherine served as a judicial clerk to Judge William Garwood of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
catherine@plumaven.com
Contact us
Email us, or fill out the form below: