Ari Beliak’s path to leadership at Merritt is rooted in a lifelong commitment to impact and belief in the power of people. Raised by a former refugee and social activist rabbi, Ari grew up attending demonstrations and engaging in conversations about policy and human rights—early experiences that sparked his passion for using political, financial, and organizational systems to advance social good.
Driven by this interest in policy, Ari began his career in politics in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Although he deeply respected those who shaped policy, Ari realized he was more of a “boots on the ground doer” — someone who preferred to implement rather than craft from afar.
This desire led him to a training program at Wells Fargo Bank, where he gained hands-on business experience and a strong foundation in management and finance that helped launch his career. By happenstance, Ari discovered Wells Fargo’s affordable housing group, which changed his life – he was finally in a role where business-minded strategy could drive mission-oriented results.
Ari returned to law school and business school with a clear goal – to gain the skills to lead an organization at the intersection of finance, policy, and affordable housing. After briefly practicing law, he joined Bank of America’s affordable housing group, where he helped reinvigorate the business, launched a competition to attract new talent into the field, and expanded the Bank’s impact, including closing the nation’s largest affordable housing transaction: the rebuild of San Francisco’s public housing portfolio. His passion for workforce development grew from this experience, recognizing that cultivating skilled, mission-driven professionals is essential to sustaining the industry’s progress.
After waiting for the right opportunity that aligned with his professional goals and personal values, Ari was honored to become President & CEO of Merritt. “I admired Merritt for a long time,” he reflects. “I was inspired by its trajectory and energized by the chance to help shape its next chapter of impact in California.” He was especially drawn to Merritt’s core values—people-first, solutions-oriented, trust, openness, and kindness—which mirror his own leadership approach.
Merritt had long been known for its expertise and mission-driven mindset. Ari’s goal was to build on that legacy by strengthening organizational systems, increasing collaboration, and bringing in exceptional talent to support Merritt’s expanding mission. Since 2019, Ari has focused on expanding Merritt’s reach and deepening its mission — investing in affordable housing and people, building a stronger California.
His vision is to position Merritt as a comprehensive partner in the affordable housing industry: serving as both investor and lender while sustaining a business model that invests in the people and policies that make housing possible. Ari has also built a high-performing team known for tackling complex challenges and serving as a trusted partner across the affordable housing industry.
Under Ari’s leadership, Merritt has invested nearly half of its $1.7 billion in capital, launched a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), and created the Commitment to California (C2C) initiative. C2C extends Merritt’s impact by investing in people—attracting, training, and retaining the next generation of affordable housing leaders while advancing transformative policies. It supports practitioners across every stage of housing production and preservation—from policy and development to finance, property management, and asset management—through scholarships, internships, career development, and industry engagement.
When asked what he is most proud of, he said, “Merritt is building a legacy: from the strong relationships with our developer, investor, and industry partners, to the significant investments we’re making in housing and workforce development programs to grow future leaders. Merritt’s communities are places where 30,000 Californians thrive, and our workforce development programs support 600-800 future leaders each year. Although we only have 16 people on staff, you would never know it from the outside. I’m incredibly proud of the meaningful change our team is making in California and our industry.”
Today, Ari continues to grow Merritt as a force for good – investing and lending in affordable housing and supporting the people and policies that make it possible. His vision remains clear: building a stronger California where everyone has a home and every community can thrive.
About Merritt Community Capital Corporation
Merritt Community Capital Corporation is a mission-oriented affordable housing funder that serves the state of California. For more than 35 years, Merritt has been a trusted partner, investing more than $1.6 billion and creating over 12,000 affordable homes across California. Beyond investing in properties, Merritt invests in people. Through its Commitment to California initiative (C2C), Merritt proudly spearheads programs across the state that attract, train, and retain current and future affordable housers.
Merritt is also the west coast member of the National Association of State and Local Equity Funds (NASLEF), which empowers locally engaged, mission-driven housing and community investment partners to build thriving communities. By partnering with mission-aligned organizations and developers in the affordable housing space, Merritt ensures the most critical communities are developed and maintained for low-income residents.