Your Team
Nelson C. Chu
Managing Director
BIO
Nelson’s investment activities focus on information and infrastructure technologies, enterprise and Internet software, database-related applications, and other emerging software and hardware technologies. He has led a broad range of Kinetic investments including Cardlytics (NASDAQ: CDLX), LogicBlox-Predictix (acquired by Infor), Tower Cloud (acquired by Uniti; NASDAQ: UNIT), BroadWare (acquired by Cisco; NASDAQ: CSCO), VerticalOne (acquired by SONE; NASDAQ: SONE), FoodBuy (acquired by Compass Group; LSE: CPG.L), Instant Financial, Navistone, OPTii Solutions, Kobiton, and ProctorFree. Prior to joining Kinetic Ventures, Nelson was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company and a Development Manager with Oracle. He received his BS in Electrical Engineering (summa cum laude) from Virginia Tech, his MS in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School.
William T. Heflin
Managing Director
BIO
Willie’s investment activities focus on communication and information technologies and software. He has led investments in Cerent (acquired by Cisco; NASDAQ: CSCO), NetCore (acquired by Tellabs; NASDAQ: TLAB), Corvis (IPO, then acquired Broadwing), Ciena (NASDAQ: CIEN), Cyan (NYSE: CYNI; then acquired by Ciena (NASDAQ: CIEN)), Calix (NYSE: CALX), Aztek Networks (acquired by GENBAND), Cerra, PlumSlice, STAQ, Virtual Instruments, and Vizbee among others. Previously, Willie was with IBM Corporation where he sold manufacturing and engineering computer solutions to small and medium-sized businesses and Fortune 500 customers. He received his MS and BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and his MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management.
Deb Rand
Managing Director
BIO
Deb is a seasoned professional in the telecommunications industry, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to our team. As the most recent addition to our group, Deb joins us with an impressive track record, having served as the CEO of the South/West region for Highline Internet, a major player in the U.S. broadband landscape. In this role, she successfully oversaw operations and spearheaded growth initiatives, solidifying her reputation as a dynamic leader in the field. Deb has also held the position of CEO at USConnect Holdings, where she demonstrated her strategic acumen and leadership capabilities. In both executive roles, Deb’s expertise extends to participating in broadband grants and overseeing the execution of fiber network projects. Prior to her tenure at Highline Internet, she served as a consultant with JSI Capital Advisors, providing invaluable insights and guidance to clients involved in mergers and acquisitions within the telecom sector. Deb received her BS degree from Marquette University.
Jake Tarr
Managing Director
BIO
Jake’s investment activities focus on broadband, enterprise SaaS solutions, and power/clean technologies. He is a director of Highline and 9Lenses. He is a recent director of Point Broadband (acquired by GTCR), and APX Holdings (acquired by Xpansiv). Jake has led investments in Schoox, ITC Capital Partners, HotSchedules (acquired by Marlin Equity Partners), LeaseTerm Solutions (acquired by RealPage; NASDAQ: RP), SmartSynch (acquired by Itron; NASDAQ: ITRI), Clear Standards (acquired by SAP AG; NYSE: SAP), Peace Software (acquired by First Data Corp.), Innova (NASDAQ IPO, acquired by DMC), Xenergy (acquired by Energy East), and Liberty Technologies (NASDAQ IPO). Earlier in his career, Jake worked as a currency trader with the Bank of New York. He received his BA degree from Roanoke College and his MBA from Harvard Business School.
George Stegall
Vice President
BIO
George joined the Kinetic team in 2024. As the former Vice President of Corporate Development at Point Broadband, he led acquisition initiatives and capital deployment across a 10-state region. With a strong background in economic development, George previously managed Alabama Power’s connectivity strategy, spearheading the creation of a 2,200-mile middle-mile network to bridge Alabama’s digital divide. His career spans diverse industries, where he has successfully led business development initiatives, directed external affairs, and implemented market expansion strategies to drive revenue growth and ensure long-term sustainability. George is a graduate of Auburn University, where he served as President of the Student Government Association.
Sydney M. Shepherd
Chief Financial Officer
BIO
Sydney leads the internal financial and administrative functions of the firm. Prior to joining Kinetic, Sydney was a director of finance with a start-up company in the technology field. Previously, she was the Director of Finance, Administration and Systems for the law firm of Williams & Jensen, and an accountant with the large regional accounting firm of Beers & Cutler, PLLC (Baker Tilly). Sydney received her BS in Accountancy from The Pennsylvania State University and her EMBA with honors from The George Washington University. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.
Logan Paul
Controller
BIO
Logan assists in the internal financial and administrative functions of the firm. Prior to joining Kinetic, he was an Associate Fund Manager at SS&C, a large fund administrator firm. He began his career as a Senior Accountant with the regional accounting firm Maudlin & Jenkins. Logan received a BS degree in Accounting and a BS degree in Management from the University of Alabama and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.
Paul Belk
Entrepreneur in Residence
BIO
- Former CEO, North Georgia Network
Paul’s activities and investment focus have been broadband markets with an emphasis on fiber-optic technologies. He was founder and CEO of NGN Fiber, a fiber and wireless broadband corporation (acquired by Point Broadband). He has led investments and operated several broadband companies such as EPB Fiber (Nation’s first to market 10G FTTH), ITC Deltacom (acquired by Earthlink; NASDAQ: ELNK, acquired by Windstream), and the nation’s first Muni-broadband venture OptiLink. Paul has served as advisor to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, as well as publicly traded, rural, and utility-based broadband providers such as Southern Company, Duke Energy (DukeNet acquired by Time Warner Cable Inc. NYSE: TWC), TVA, Mid-West Energy, and Electric Membership Corporations throughout the US. He received his BA from the University of Georgia, School of Public and International Affairs.
Gene Gabbard
Senior Advisor
BIO
- Board Member, Highline
- Former CEO, Telecom USA
Gene is a Senior Advisor to the Kinetic Broadband Opportunity Fund and is a member of the Highline board. Gene and a team of four others developed and patented Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), a technique still used worldwide for satellite communication and wireless telephony in both cellular and personal communications services. From 1971 through 1983, Gene was a founder, board member, and president of Digital Communications Corporation (now Hughes Network Systems). From 1983 until 1990, he served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Telecom*USA, and in various executive positions of its predecessor, SouthernNet, Inc. Under his leadership, Telecom*USA became the fourth largest US-based long distance company services provider before its acquisition by MCI Communications Corporation. Gene was named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for MCI. He held that position from 1990 until his retirement in 1993.
Rodger Johnson
Senior Advisor
BIO
- Chairman, ITC Holding Company
- Chairman, Highline
- Former CEO, Knology
Rodger is a Senior Advisor to the Kinetic Broadband Opportunity Fund. He currently serves as Chairman of ITC Holding Company and Highline. Rodger has forged a career partnering with some of the top entrepreneurs in the southeastern United States. His disciplined approach to building businesses has turned many creative and forward thinking ideas into commercial successes. Rodger currently serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of ITC Holding Company, CEO and Managing Partner of ITC Partners, CEO of ITC Capital Partners, and Chairman of ITC Broadband Holdings (Highline). He also sits on the Boards of Directors of Talon Aerolytics, Talon Health Data Solutions (Collaborate Health), and Lumen Serve. Other recent Board affiliations include Point Broadband, Tower Cloud, and The Kleinfelder Group. Highlights from Rodger’s career include his service as Chairman, President, and CEO of Knology and as President and CEO of Brock Control Systems. Both of these efforts culminated in successful public offerings. Additionally, he served as President of Communications Central and President of Interactive Financial Services. Prior to being “bitten by the entrepreneurial bug,” Rodger spent his early career at AT&T where he participated in the company‘s Management Development Program.
Campbell B. ‘’Cam’’ Lanier III
Senior Director
BIO
Cam’s activities focused on communications, software, and financial services. He was a director of Highline, SchooX, ITC Capital Partners, Instant Financial and OPTii Solutions, among others. He was also the Chairman of ITC Holding Company, LLC. He was formerly a director of Point Broadband (acquired by GTCR), Cardlytics (NASDAQ: CDLX), LogicBlox-Predictix (acquired by Infor), Tower Cloud (acquired by Uniti; NASDAQ: UNIT), LeaseTerm Solutions (acquired by RealPage; NASDAQ: RP), and HotSchedules (acquired by Marlin Equity Partners). Earlier in his career, he co-founded Interstate Communications (Telecom*USA), which grew to be the fourth largest long distance service provider when it was acquired by MCI in 1990. Cam was the founding investor and Chairman of Powertel (now T-Mobile), which was acquired by Deutsche Telecom in 2000. He was also the founding investor for Mindspring, which later merged with EarthLink, and the founding investor in Firethorn, a mobile payments company that was acquired in the fall of 2007 by Qualcomm. In addition, Cam was the founding investor of ITC^DeltaCom, Knology and InterCall.
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