Bio
Deshawn Salter is the Founder and Managing Partner of Heritage Clay Partners, based in Chicago. Raised in a blue-collar family in Syracuse, NY, with a mother who worked in social services and a father in corrections, Deshawn grew up valuing hard work, personal accountability, and community. His first entrepreneurial experience came as a teenager when he organized a snow shoveling operation with his brothers and neighborhood friends, learning firsthand how to lead a team and deliver reliable service.
Deshawn went on to earn degrees in Economics and Political Science at Yale, where he also played football. After starting his career as a school teacher in an effort to give back to his community, he transitioned into business strategy roles at Frontier Communications, Deloitte, and Bain & Company. There, he advised executive teams across industries on operational improvement, growth strategy, and M&A. Most recently he has completed his MBA at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.
A lifelong Buffalo Bills fan, Deshawn brings the same mix of grit, loyalty, and long-term belief to his professional journey. He has a deep appreciation for owner-led businesses and the decades of care it takes to build something lasting. That mindset also inspired the name Heritage Clay Partners - a tribute to his commitment to honoring a company’s heritage while thoughtfully molding its next chapter.
