Fast 15: Kennon Largent

After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Arkansas in 2010 with a finance degree, Kennon Largent sought a job in the financial services industry.

Not only did he get one, he landed a highly sought after job as a senior analyst in the telecommunications sector at Stephens Inc. of Little Rock, one of the largest privately held investment banks in the country.

While there, he managed the team of junior analysts and focused on several areas, including mergers and acquisitions, and amassed more than $10 billion in transaction value.

Largent was intimately involved in Windstream Corp.’s $2.3-billion acquisition of PAETEC Holding Corp. that closed in December 2011.

“That month was probably the most intense month of my life,” Largent recalled. “To know I was an integral part was pretty rewarding.”

But after three years with the firm, Largent realized he wanted to scratch his entrepreneurial itch.

Naturally, that passion led him to Northwest Arkansas.

Through a mutual friend in Fayetteville, he was introduced to Jeremy Wilson and Clete Brewer, who had founded a startup venture capital firm headquartered in Bentonville called NewRoad Ventures.

Largent said their altruistic focus appealed to him.

“The impact we are making here is exciting,” he said. “There are a lot of needs here that still need to be serviced.”

Largent, who started in July 2013, now manages the company’s analysis for its five portfolio companies and is leading due diligence on several other projects.

“He will be the CEO of one of our companies someday,” said Steve Brooks, CFO and general counsel of NewRoad Ventures.

Long-term, Largent said he wants to build his own company, one that is enduring.

“Titles don’t really matter a whole lot to me,” he said. “I just want to be a part of something that can really affect people and make a difference.”

As for hobbies, Largent, who speaks Portuguese fluently, is a lifelong soccer player and also obtained his pilot’s license while a senior in high school.

He was active in volunteering with the Centers for Youth and Families while living in Little Rock and plans to get involved with a local youth soccer league this summer.

“To me, how much I can give back both in time and in money to my community is very important,” he said.