OUR TEAM
Two perspectives, one shared conviction
Forensic accounting precision meets decades of real-world business and investing experience. We built Grammatical Capital on the belief that your portfolio should work like a well-run business.
Ethan Hitchcock
CO-MANAGING MEMBER & CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER
CPA
B.A. History, Cum Laude
B.S. Accounting & Information Systems, Cum Laude
Virginia Tech 2011
Fee-Only Fiduciary
Ethan is a co-founding partner of Grammatical Capital where he serves as co-portfolio manager and Chief Compliance Officer. He is certified by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as a CPA.
Prior to founding Grammatical Capital, Ethan spent over 11 years as a Senior Manager in the Valuation and Forensic Services Group at Keiter CPAs in Richmond, Virginia. He specialized in valuation and forensic accounting, including financial investigations and litigation consulting. He qualified as an expert witness and testified in circuit court - experiences that reinforced the importance of attention to detail and the ability to defend one's opinions under scrutiny.
Ethan learned firsthand that sustainable net cash flow and strong management are of paramount importance when valuing businesses across a wide variety of industries. In high school, he began learning technical analysis from mentor Ron Brandes, who introduced him to the work of Welles Wilder, Steve Nison, John Bollinger, Martin Pring, and Tom Dorsey.
Before Grammatical Capital, Ethan co-founded Sustainable Portfolio Solutions, an RIA where he served as CEO and CCO from 2015 to 2020.
Education
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Prior Experience
Keiter CPAs • Sustainable Portfolio Solutions
Contact
Denise Beck
CO-MANAGING MEMBER & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
B.S. Finance
Virginia Tech 1983
Fee-Only Fiduciary
Denise is a co-founding partner of Grammatical Capital where she serves as co-portfolio manager and Chief Operating Officer.
After graduating from Virginia Tech, Denise completed the management trainee program at NCNB National Bank (now Bank of America) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she was assigned as branch manager and rose to private banking AVP, supervising staff and managing the commercial loan book.
In 1987, Denise joined the Beck Family Office. The crash of 1987 was a formative experience - the fear and uncertainty that overwhelms people when their life savings are at risk shaped her entire approach to investing. In 1992, she purchased Electrical Motor Services, a 28-person industrial business that rebuilt and sold electrical motors. The lessons of operating a small business - families counting on her, the resilience required to generate growing margins, constantly creating value - shaped everything she now thinks about as an investor and advisor.
As Vice President and COO of the family office from 1987 to 2021, Denise was responsible for asset allocation, portfolio construction, income and cash flow management, and overseeing tax and estate matters. It was there that she began developing the options income strategy - introduced by friend and mentor Ron Brandes - that would eventually become the foundation of Grammatical Capital.