Our Team
Carter Ellis, CFP®, Co-founder
Having grown up in rural Virginia on over thirty acres, I spent many summers mowing grass and winters collecting firewood with my dad and brother. Early on, I learned the value of hard work and pride in a job well done. I developed a fascination with finance during the global economic crisis of 2008 as the real estate market crumbled and our family went through change.
I left the Blue Ridge mountains for the Bull City in 2014 after graduating from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Finance and a concentration in Financial Planning. I spent over seven years as an investment research analyst and financial advisor at a Durham-based investment advisory firm, receiving the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation along the way. For three of those years, I was a partner of the firm. It was there that I learned the art of serving clients to help them achieve their specific goals.
In 2022, I founded Valley Peak Financial, LLC with a vision of creatively delivering a personalized client experience to achieve financial excellence. It is my privilege to share in people’s stories, helping them to walk through the valleys and reach for the peaks. In 2024, I co-founded Valley Peak Tax & Accounting, LLC to provide solutions for small business and individual clients.
In our free time, my lovely wife Lindsay and I enjoy getting outside with our three kids, serving at our church, and daydreaming about our next family trip.
Matthew Everson, Co-Founder
A native of the Triangle, I was born in Durham, grew up in Carrboro, and now reside in Chapel Hill. I have seen the Triangle grow and learned the importance of thriving local businesses that provide growth and economic opportunities for all.
After graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Mathematics and Political Science then attending Duke University to obtain a M.A. in Economics, I launched and ran multiple small businesses and non-profits. While some were successful and some were not, I learned invaluable lessons of what is needed to lead a business while keeping the accounting and operations running smoothly.
Putting that to use, for the past four years, I have served as a controller to other businesses providing fractional accounting and consulting services to help business owners and leaders thrive.
In my free time, my wife Allison and I go rock climbing with our daughter and serve at our church.