Shelton Powell
Founder & CEO
Florida, United States
About Shelton Powell
Shelton Powell is a serial entrepreneur and founder who has been building and operating eCommerce businesses and digital agencies since 2017. Born on July 12, 2001, in Ottawa, Canada, Powell grew up with Jamaican roots. His father regularly took the family to Jamaica, trips that shaped Powell's understanding of heritage and responsibility. He describes these trips as perspective rather than vacations, witnessing the reality of their roots and what people were working with every day. This planted a sense of responsibility early and a drive to build something meaningful enough to give back to his community.
Powell was not a traditional student. He was the class clown, more comfortable in the back of the room, and academics never held his attention the way competition did. Football became his focus as it felt like the most credible path forward, giving him structure and purpose. However, watching peers train with hunger and sacrifice he could not match, he came to an honest conclusion that the fire was not there. Around sixteen, he discovered eCommerce and something immediately shifted. The same competitive energy found a new outlet that consumed him, and he began running eCommerce brands from the back of class while everyone around him focused on grades and sports.
Powell began working at age fifteen through a paid co-op program with the Ottawa Police Service in summer 2017, using his first paycheck to fund his first eCommerce venture. He worked across multiple roles including YMCA as Preschool and After School Care Worker and Camp Counsellor, Lonestar as a Dishwasher, Five Guys across all operations areas, and Bell Canada as a Sales Representative, all while building eCommerce brands on the side. In April 2020 at age nineteen, he left Bell Canada and never returned to traditional employment, going full-time into eCommerce during COVID-19.
He simultaneously entered the agency space, helping influencers launch merch brands, building websites for eCommerce operators, and developing frameworks for managing eCommerce portfolios at scale. This led to founding Cart Capital in 2020, an eCommerce infrastructure company built on systems over hype. Cart Capital handles full business setup, supplier relationships, payment processing, media buying, creative strategy, and backend operations. The company operates with a team of 40+ members and has been involved in building hundreds of successful eCommerce brands. Powell is currently developing a product sourcing and fulfillment company to control supply chain infrastructure, as well as a growth infrastructure agency focused on installing complete revenue systems for agency owners and operators. He also serves as a panel host for Shopify events and is building a digital community for people seeking alternative paths outside traditional education and employment. Powell has relocated to Florida.
Areas of Focus
Career Background
Bell Canada
Five Guys
Lonestar
YMCA
Ottawa Police Service - YIPI Co-op Program
Education
High School (Ottawa, Canada)
Algonquin College
Media
Press
Shelton Powell of Cart Capital Reviews Advocates for Smarter Entry Into eCommerce
Read the full article ›Shelton Powell of Cart Capital Reviews Calls for Greater Operational Discipline in eCommerce
Read the full article ›Awards & Recognition
- Panel Host at Shopify Online Event, Shopify, 2021
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Shelton Powell do?
Shelton Powell is the Founder & CEO of Cart Capital, an eCommerce infrastructure company that handles business setup, supplier relationships, payment processing, media buying, creative strategy, and backend operations. He is a serial entrepreneur who has been building eCommerce businesses and digital agencies since 2017.
What is Shelton Powell known for?
Powell is known for founding Cart Capital, an eCommerce infrastructure company built on 'systems over hype' with a team of 40+ members that has helped build hundreds of eCommerce brands. He has been featured in press coverage such as CEOWORLD magazine for building ecommerce systems that scale and advocating for operational discipline in eCommerce.
Where is Shelton Powell based?
Shelton Powell is based in Florida, United States, having relocated there after being born in Ottawa, Canada.
Where did Shelton Powell study?
Shelton Powell earned a High School Diploma in Ottawa, Canada, and briefly attended Algonquin College's Online Marketing Program, leaving after two months.
Who does Shelton Powell work for?
Shelton Powell works for Cart Capital, the eCommerce infrastructure company he founded in 2020.
Last updated June 12, 2026