About

About Me

Ed Lhee, a Co-Founder of New Harbor Capital, is working to create pathways of opportunity for driven and high-achieving entrepreneurs.  Ed is passionate about what lower-middle market private equity can do for small business owners who want to thrive.  Ed’s journey drives his motivation.

The Early Years

Ed was born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States when he was seven.  In Seoul, he lived with his grandparents, aunts, and uncles while his parents were in the US as immigrants.  On the one hand, he was an “orphan.”  On the other hand, he was fortunate enough to experience living with five different families during his formative years.  Adapting matters.  Relationships matter.

Once in the United States, Ed first lived in the city of Chicago, then moved to the northern suburbs during his years at New Trier High School.  He supplemented his academic interests with a focus on team sports, especially basketball and baseball.  There, he learned the nuances of building successful teams, how personalities impact performance, and how culture can overcome talent.  Teamwork matters.

Ed’s undergraduate years were spent at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences.  Here, Ed followed his intellectual curiosity, earning degrees in both finance and psychology with an emphasis on microeconomics and human behavior.  This multi-disciplinary approach has informed his strategic decision-making and improved his ability to connect with all types of people.  EQ matters.

After college, Ed spent three years in Morgan Stanley’s M&A and Corporate Finance Groups, where he was first exposed to the intricacies of investment banking and private equity.  Ed honed his financial analytical skills and got exposure to business at the highest level.  His approach was further refined at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, where he graduated with an MBA in 1997.  Technical skills matter.

Private Equity

Although he had offers in investment banking and consulting, Ed spent the first few months after graduating from Kellogg pursuing his dream, a position in private equity and ultimately landed at Chicago-based Code Hennessy & Simmons.  At CHS, Ed honed his investing skills and developed a genuine passion for leaders of businesses.  Focus matters.

In 2013, Ed co-founded Chicago-based New Harbor Capital with the goal of supporting successful entrepreneurs in accelerating the growth of their businesses while preserving the culture of what made them special.  Leadership matters.

Compassionate Capitalism

At the heart of Ed’s operational ethos is his commitment to compassionate capitalism, an ideology that posits social progress and financial gains are not mutually exclusive. His affiliations with multiple health and wellness ventures underscore his commitment to businesses with a human-centric framework.

In a world that is growing increasingly disillusioned with traditional capitalism’s categorically indifferent stance, Ed hopes to affirm that business is much more than just money. It’s a personal exchange between two people based on trust and opportunity.  It’s about believing, supporting, and growing individuals to be the best they can be.

Ed’s story is a gentle nudge towards compassion and respect for all, where corporate stewardship takes into account the personal nature of business.  People matter.