Diamond Young

Jimmy Reed was one of the youngest ever life members of the Association of Realtors Million Dollar Club for year-over-year sales production.  And that was after he survived the 16 percent mortgage rate environment of 1980 and 1981.

Times were certainly different back then.  One way he garnered business was to visit the Chamber of Commerce office when it was on Front Street to review letters the Chamber had received, looking for people from all across the country who had inquired about a potential move to Memphis.  “Thank you, our Chamber, then, and thank you now, for all you do!” he said.

Today, perhaps not surprisingly, Jimmy is president, principal broker and majority shareholder of Marx-Bensdorf, Realtors.

Jimmy is a native Memphian whose dad was from New York and whose mom was from McCrory, Ark.  After World War II the couple moved to Memphis to be closer to Jimmy’s grandparents in Arkansas.

He is a graduate of East High School, class of ’74.  In January 1973, the Memphis public school system implemented a court-ordered busing plan to desegregate schools.  He stayed in the public school system in spite of the busing plan.  “My parents did not shy away from the idea, nor did I or my four siblings,” he said.

He studied English and journalism at then-Memphis State until his interest in the securities business led to an opportunity at UMIC Inc., a leading fixed-income investment firm.  He was 22 at the time.  “It was a ‘baptism by fire’ selling bonds to banks and savings and loans in my difficult assigned sales territory of Iowa, so I discovered,” he said.  “Coupled with the skyrocketing interest rate environment in which bonds sold would soon thereafter lose value, I was destined to fail. Although unsuccessful, I was the last man standing from a recruitment class of 10.

“The tough economic scene set in, so naturally – laughingly here – I became a Realtor, joining the Crump Companies real estate department in early 1980.  I was proud to have associated with the

notable Memphis firm. After that, Marx-Bensdorf became my professional home.”

After years of top sales production, in 1999 Jimmy joined Marx-Bensdorf owners David Okeon and Mike Earp as a partner and co-owner of the company.  Jimmy was intent on preserving the unique culture and the firm’s devotion to client-centric service.

Marx-Bensdorf is the oldest real estate company in Memphis and the city’s 11^th oldest active corporation.  “We call ourselves part of the history and fabric of our city,” said Jimmy.  “We were recently recognized by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for our 100+ history.”  Marx-Bensdorf has an average agent tenure of 22 years, and 18 agents have held offices in the Memphis Board of Realtors and on state and national real estate committees.   The company represents many of Memphis’ leading institutions including St. Jude, AutoZone,

FedEx and Methodist Le Bonheur.

As he was gaining success early in his professional career, Jimmy partnered with two close friends to create the specialty German car service company Memphis MoterWerks.  “I became president because I had the funds available to invest, although I knew nothing about car repair.  The foundation of that business was our shared love of European cars and international sports car racing.  The expertise of my partners and the service team gave us success and even allowed us to have some fun creating a Porsche racing division for preferred customers.  A highlight was when we were able to develop a car for the famous Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona for a driving team made up of our customers.  I retired from my ownership role years later, and the company prospers with friends as owners to this day.”

Jimmy has a deep interest in endurance athletics: triathlons and bicycle racing.  “In 1983 a friend and I put on the first Memphis in May Triathlon, in Shelby Forest,” he said.  “We handed off the duties after a few years, and it grew to become a qualifying race for the international Hawaii Ironman Triathlon.  All the top pros came to race in Memphis hoping to qualify, and the field grew to 1,700 racers.”

In the early 1990s, Jimmy switched his athletic focus to biking.  “In 1998 a racing friend and I started the Marx-Bensdorf/Memphis MotorWerks Cycling Team, an elite amateur squad that saw great success at races across the Southeast.  Now dubbed Marx-Bensdorf/BPC Racing, the team had its 25^th anniversary in 2020 and remains the banner bike racing team in Memphis and one of the oldest teams in the southeastern U.S.

“Contributing to the fellowship among so many folks with a common appreciation for difficult athletic endeavor has been especially rewarding,” he said.  “Although my racing days are over, I still enjoy riding with our great athletes.”

Memphis is vital to Marx-Bensdorf.  “We are unabashed advocates for Memphis and impart this daily as we engage with our clients,” Jimmy said.  “We fully appreciate our unique and wonderful character and challenge others to, as Bill Dunavant says, ‘own our narrative’ of positive Memphis facts. A current mission for us is to leverage and broadcast the terrific work of our Chamber and Chairman’s Circle and all the great initiatives that help propel Memphis forward.”

The team at Marx-Bensdorf serves a variety of causes, including St. Jude and Brewster Elementary School. “Our team has raised tens of thousands of dollars for Brewster over 14 years so the school can provide students with school uniforms that enhance the all-important feeling of inclusion,” said Jimmy.  “Our community support is encapsulated in a social media theme we adopted some years ago which states ‘Memphis makes us happy, Memphis is our home.’  I am proud to have participated in these varied things and remain excited about what’s to come.”

Daphne Large took a leap of faith when she started Data Facts. At only 27, she was more than 10 years into a promising career at Equifax (Yes, she started there when she was just 16). She had risen to the level of assistant regional manager of the Memphis office as she attended the University of Memphis, but when she saw an untapped competitive advantage, she jumped on the opportunity. “In 1989 I left a stable, thriving career at Equifax Services and embarked on an amazing entrepreneurial journey with three other Equifax associates and a silent partner,” she said. “It’s been an amazing journey, and I’ve never looked back.”

Data Facts initially focused on providing consumer information to mortgage lenders to help them close mortgage loans. In 1991 Data Facts expanded to offer national and international background screenings. Today Daphne is founding CEO of the company that for 36 years has been trusted to provide millions of consumer reports, specializing in national and international background screening. The company has a diverse client base, with customers from coast to coast in health care, government, logistics, hospitality, retail, manufacturing, staffing and other industries.

“While we enjoy serving clients around the globe, we are devoted to Memphis. It is our home,” she said. “As a native Memphian, I have found many reasons to remain here. Indeed, it is an exciting time in Memphis. Our grit and grind are unsurpassed. Memphis is on the world stage and this is our time. What excites me most is the investment and presence of xAI.”

Daphne and her husband Alan have two children, both in Memphis. Trevor is IT director for Mid-South Transport and Heather works in HR for First Horizon, specializing in performance management. “While it wasn’t planned, we are proud they both also work for great companies headquartered in Memphis,” she said.

Daphne’s favorite hobby is reading about leadership and business management. “There is always something new to learn,” she said. “I also enjoy spending time with family and friends, our dogs Toby and Riley and our grand dogs Mac and Moose. All our dogs are rescues, and we’re devoted to loving dogs.”

Travel is important to Daphne and her family. “We enjoy spending time at our home on Clearwater Beach, outside Tampa. That is our happy place. We have made countless priceless memories with family and friends over the years. ‘By the beach, by the sea, there is nowhere else I’d rather be,’ as they say! But our ultimate pleasure is international travel. We have been fortunate to travel to many beautiful and historical places, but there is so much more to experience. I love Paris, London, Venice, Prague, Budapest, Amsterdam, all of Italy, so many places in Europe and everywhere in the Caribbean, although I tend to gravitate toward the Mediterranean and coastal destinations. My next

trip will be to Capri and back to explore more of the Amalfi Coast. There is no more exciting education to be gained than through travel to other countries and cultures.”

Daphne doesn’t only experience adventure through travel. “My favorite movie genre is action/adventure,” she said. “I am particularly fond of all the James Bond and Mission Impossible films, the Jason Bourne franchise and the like. Although my favorite movie of all time is not that. It is the 1981 Dudley Moore, John Gielgud and Liza Minelli romantic comedy film Arthur. Dudley Moore’s performance was priceless. The movie is absolutely hilarious, and no one on this earth could have played that part like him. I say the same for the character Hobson, played by Gielgud. Just priceless.”

When asked about her commitment to the Chairman’s Circle, she said her initial involvement came because of a friendship but has evolved to be much more. “We joined the Chairman’s Circle because my friend Phil Trenary asked me to and sold me his vision and reason for the Chairman’s Circle,” said Daphne, who has served as chair of the Chairman’s Circle and continues to serve on the board of the Greater Memphis Chamber. “I remain committed to the mission of the Chamber and the Chairman’s Circle. We have enjoyed tremendous success at the Chamber, and the future is very bold and bright for the Chamber and Memphis. Our dedicated Chamber team and their results are unsurpassed.”

Asked about her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, Daphne said, “I would advise anyone considering a career as an entrepreneur that while you certainly need to be well prepared, don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis. Take action and know it will be much harder than you think it will. You will work longer, harder, and face challenges you aren’t prepared for. Stay focused on delivering what you have promised your customers, build a talented team, understand you don’t know everything and need advisors and never give up. Do that, and the money will come. You will be successful. Stay tough and stay the course. BELIEVE that you can. EXPECT that you will. It’s always worked for me.”

Her leadership at Data Facts has been challenging and rewarding. “It takes a lot of planning, time management and intentionality around thinking, planning, acting and learning,” she said. “Sometimes I spend more time focused on Data Facts and sometimes I am in Europe or at the beach with my family for weeks at a time. I try to have balance and I definitely want it all. No one ever died wishing they had spent more time at the office. What keeps me going is my determination, tenacity and dedication to our clients, our team and my family.”

Since the early days, there have been enormous industry changes and technological advances that have impacted her company. Staying competitive demands Data Facts make heavy investments in technology, talent and training. “Even though the landscape is vastly different now, Data Facts’ overall concept remains steadfast: If we take care of

our people, they will take care of our customers, who will then take care of the company. We do and it works. Moreover, in a world of advanced technologies, it’s still people serving people. Doing business with people matters most. People will always be at the forefront of everything we do at Data Facts – serving our clients, serving our team, engaging with our vendors and other business partners.”

Daphne and the Data Facts team take particular pride in the company’s ranking on the HR Baker’s Dozen list of Top Background Screeners at the Enterprise level a remarkable seven times, an honor earned solely by customer feedback based on the size of customers the company serves, the vast number of reports the company processes and customer service levels. Data Facts has also been recognized as a top woman-owned business and a top workplace multiple times.

Daphne is a member of the esteemed C200 Women’s Executive Leadership and Entrepreneurial organization. She was inducted into the Society of Entrepreneurs in 2014 and is a frequent contributor to entrepreneurial and leadership programming. She was named CEO of the Year and a Super Woman in Business by the Memphis Business Journal.

Daphne is passionate about giving back and believes to whom much has been given, must is expected. She is an ardent Winston Churchill admirer and follows his advice that “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Daphne serves on the boards of the Greater Memphis Chamber, the University of Memphis Foundation and New Memphis, having also served as chair. She has also served as a director of the Society of Entrepreneurs, the National Consumer Reporting Association as both president and treasurer, the University of Memphis LEAD, Make-a-Wish Mid-South and vice chair at St. George’s Independent School board of trustees.

Only about one-half of one percent of all businesses in the U.S. have operated continuously for at least 100 years.  Chairman’s Circle investor Neely Mallory is chairman of one of those elite companies, Mallory Alexander International Logistics.

Mallory Alexander International Logistics is a fifth-generation family-owned business.  The company was founded here a century ago as Memphis Compress and Storage Company, specializing in cotton warehousing and logistics. Over the decades, the company diversified, adding general merchandise warehousing, local trucking and international freight forwarding. The company sold the cotton warehousing business in 1996, allowing it to focus on global logistics. The divisions were unified as Mallory Alexander International Logistics, evolving into a comprehensive third-party logistics, or 3PL, provider. With operations across the U.S. and Asia, the company now offers warehousing services, international freight forwarding, customs brokerage and advanced logistics technologies.

Neely Mallory III embodies the spirit of innovation and excellence that has defined the company for a century. Under his leadership, Mallory Alexander has maintained its status as a top-tier logistics provider while embracing challenges of a global economy.

Neely’s commitment to excellence is reflected in numerous honors, including the President’s E-Award and E Star Award for Exporting Excellence, and certifications such as ISO 9001:2015.  He champions community engagement, seeing Mallory Alexander as a vital contributor to the global economy and the Memphis community. As the company celebrates its 100-year milestone, Neely is committed to continuing the company’s legacy of reliability and innovation.  Neely and his wife, Linda Mallory, have two sons, Neely IV and Richard.

Neely is a lifelong Memphian who has lived on both sides of the river.  He started working for his fifth-generation family business while in college, then started full-time at the public warehouse division of The Mallory Group in 1981.  He was then loaned to the international freight forwarding division of the company for a special air export project. “I found I liked international and have stayed there for most of my career,” he said.  “After several years of encouragement, my brother Bob E. rejoined the company in 2017.  Today we have four of the next generation working with us: Bob E. Jr., Lamar, William and Richard.”

Memphis has been the headquarters of The Mallory Group for 100 years. Today the company has six operations in the Memphis area, 17 in the U.S. outside the Memphis market and three operations in China.

Memphis has been the family’s home since 1885, and the Mallory family has been ardent supporters of Memphis and the Mid-South. Neely has served on the Chamber board several terms, but it’s not the first time a Mallory has served in a leadership role at the Chamber.  “My first boss and cousin B. Lee Mallory served as chairman of the Chamber, and my father Neely Mallory served on the Future Memphis board,” said Neely.  “Almost since inception The Mallory Group has been a member of the Chairmans Circle.  Duncan Williams, Spence Wilson and Phil Trenary did a great job convincing me Memphis and the Mid-South would best be served having business leaders in this community work together toward a better Memphis for the future.”

What excites Neely about Memphis?  “There are three major things that excite me most about Greater Memphis,” said Neely.  “First, Memphis is still America’s Distribution Center.  Second is the tremendous amount of outside investment that is being deployed in West Tennessee, Eastern Arkansas and North Mississippi.  And third, I simply believe there are positive things ahead for this region.”

Neely said his best advice came from his dad.  “My father, Neely Mallory Jr., taught me that the best fertilizer is the owner’s footprints,” said Neely.  But his family’s isn’t the only wisdom Neely honors.  “Our family’s name may be on the wall,” he said, “but the successful company that has been built was built by the leadership of smart individuals not named Mallory who had a passion for success with integrity, who always had our customers’ and the Mallory team’s best interests in focus.”

Neely enjoys golf, fly fishing, hunting and vacationing in the mountains of North Carolina and Charlevoix, Michigan.  “I also enjoy the All-in podcast because the hosts are so forward-thinking and their crystal ball seems to be fairly accurate,” he said.

Chris Carr has experience that’s given him insights into both sides of the supply chain, which isn’t surprising considering he studied business, sales, logistics and transportation at UT Knoxville.

After graduation, he returned to Memphis and started his career at MS Carriers/MS Logistics.  That company later merged with five other major logistics firms to form Transplace.com, a dynamic startup-like environment with an impressive customer base. At Transplace, Chris gained invaluable experience in both the logistics and carrier sides of the industry and connected with inspiring leaders and CEOs from North America’s top trucking companies.

He later went to work for Williams-Sonoma, a pivotal move that introduced him to the customer side of supply chain management. There he joined a talented team tasked with bringing all transportation operations in-house, which challenged him with a steep but rewarding learning curve.

While at Williams-Sonoma, Chris built strong relationships with carriers nationwide, including C.A.T., a Canadian carrier. That connection led to an exciting opportunity in 2005, when Chris partnered to launch a Memphis office for C.A.T. with just 25 trucks.

“Growing the fleet to over 50 was a dream come true, though the 2008-2009 financial crisis forced us to make tough decisions,” said Chris.  “We pivoted to a fully non-asset model, and in 2010, we rebranded as C.A.T. Global, with Memphis as the flagship branch. Over the past 15 years, we’ve steadily grown and thrived here.”

Today C.A.T. Global is a North American logistics provider serving the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The company employs 25 in the Memphis office, with a broader presence across the continent.  Chris is the company’s senior partner.

Chris was born and raised in Memphis and attended CBHS before heading to UT Knoxville, where he earned a degree in logistics and transportation, now known as supply chain management.  After graduating from UT, he returned to Memphis and married Hallie Carr.  They have three children:  Hudson, Macie and Hayes. Hudson plays golf at Spring Hill College, Macie is a senior at Hutchison planning to attend the University of Georgia, and Hayes has followed his dad’s footsteps and is a sophomore at CBHS.

Chris looks to his wife for strength.  “My wife, Hallie, is my rock. She keeps me steady and grounded, especially when life gets chaotic—her influence is unmatched.”

Chris and Hallie own a home on 30A in Florida, which Chris says is the family’s “go-to escape where we unwind and soak in the beach’s natural beauty.”  Chris said he loves hitting the golf course, skiing down slopes and casting a line while fishing.  “Each helps me recharge in its own way,” he said.  Chris also said he’s “drawn to business and finance reads—standouts include Good to Great for its timeless leadership insights, The Psychology of Money for its fresh take on wealth and How to Make a Few Billion Dollars for its bold perspective.”

Chris is decidedly pro-Memphis, and C.A.T. Global’s investment in the Chairman’s Circle reflects that.  “Memphis feels real—its authenticity and untapped potential are what inspire me most about this city,” he said.  “We joined the Chairman’s Circle to connect with other Memphis businesses needing reliable freight solutions across North America. Our company is deeply committed to this city—we’re proud to support the local community and contribute to its growth as an authentic, opportunity-rich hub.”

Back in the day when matchbooks were popular, Chris Bird used a rubber stamp to imprint his contact information on them to promote his lawn-mowing business. Before that, he operated a drink stand by the neighborhood tennis court. And in college, he started a company with the lofty name of 1520 Enterprises Unlimited to loan money to fellow students who had a short-term need, similar to today’s payday and title loan businesses.

“When I was in grade school, there was always a candy sale at school or for the baseball team,” Chris said. “I was always the top seller because I would invest in some product myself and use it as free samples. People couldn’t say no to a kid giving away free candy.”

In other words, Chris Bird has always been interested in business, sales and marketing.

He was born in Port Arthur, Texas, and grew up in Dallas. Chris moved to Memphis in 1986 after graduating from UT Knoxville with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and philosophy.

After college, he passed the life insurance licensing exam then started a series of very different businesses: software design and consulting; buying, improving, developing and selling real property; and architectural consulting, with major projects that included Peabody Place, Target House and FedExForum.

Then, after a chance meeting between Chris Bird and John Dillard Jr. at Memphis Rotary in 2000, the two agreed that Chris would buy Dillard Door and Specialty Company from the retiring Dillard. Chris took $75,000 in savings and a personal note from Dillard to capitalize the new company.

At the time, the company had 12 employees and about $2 million in revenue. Chris became president of the company, which provides commercial perimeter security products and services. In just five years, Chris had grown the company, which he renamed Dillard Door and Security, to 50 employees and $6 million in revenue. Today Dillard Companies has more than $25 million in revenue and more than 120 employees in Memphis and Florida, where high-dollar mansion owners are big customers of the overhead doors Dillard sells. Since then, spin-offs of strong pieces of the business and acquisitions have continued to shape the business that years ago installed the gates at Graceland.

In 2019, Chris was inducted into the Society of Entrepreneurs. Today he serves on that board and is active in other organizations including Regional One Health Foundation, Calvary Episcopal Church, Door and Hardware Institute, Construction Specifications Institute, Morrison Architectural Scholarship Fund at the UofM, Memphis Heritage, NFIB

State Leadership Council and Crime Stoppers. He also remains active in Memphis Rotary, where that chance meeting with John Dillard Jr. started it all.

Chris and Dillard Companies are also Chairman’s Circle investors. “Being part of the Chairman’s Circle offers us invaluable opportunities including direct involvement in key task forces and committees shaping Memphis’ economic future,” he said. “We benefit from exclusive access to meetings with political influencers and private events, as well as concierge access to expert teams in economic development and governmental affairs. This significantly enhances our growth and visibility. Overall, the Chairman’s Circle provides a platform for strategic networking, influence and long-term success. And it’s fun, too!”

Chris and his wife Helen have three children. He enjoys hunting, wine, gourmet cooking, UT sports, Grizzlies basketball, Redbirds baseball, travel and music.

For Chairman’s Circle investor Charles Elliott, the path from Memphis’s historic Klondike neighborhood to the helm of Blue Suede Networks has been one shaped by resilience, purpose and deep community ties. “I was born in Memphis, raised in Klondike,” Elliott says with pride. He’s a graduate of Central High School, a community cornerstone where he began to understand both the challenges and opportunities that come with growing up in Memphis.

Elliott went on to earn a BA in applied physics from Morehouse College and later an MBA from Clark Atlanta University. But he didn’t stop there. His appetite for knowledge led him to complete the Minority Enterprise Business program at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and to the cusp of earning a Master of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary.

“I’m an inveterate learner,” he reflects, his journey marked by a commitment to education and growth.

His earliest years were spent in Frayser, a community that helped spark his aspirations. Through initiatives like the CLUE program and INROADS, Elliott found inspiration and the tools to shape a meaningful career. “INROADS changed everything for me,” he recalls, describing his first job with BellSouth, a role that introduced him to technology and financial independence. “I earned more money in one summer than my mother—a dedicated social worker—earned in a year. It showed me technology was not only a path for me, but also a way to build the life I wanted for my future family.”

Elliott’s career has been both impactful and varied. Before joining Blue Suede Networks as CEO in 2023, he held roles as

managing principal of National Infrastructure Group, vice president of information technology and administrative services at LeMoyne-Owen College and director of service operations at Memphis Networx. Now, leading Blue Suede Networks, Elliott is focused on one of the city’s most ambitious digital projects yet: creating a connected Memphis.

“Memphis is at an inflection point,” he shares with a tone of optimism. “We’re seeing companies think of Memphis differently, and they’re choosing to invest here—not just in our economy, but in our people.” For Elliott, the potential for digital infrastructure is tied directly to economic growth. “Data from the Federal Reserve, Deloitte, and the World Bank shows that a 10 percent increase in broadband penetration can drive up to 1.5 percent GDP growth and increase jobs by 20 percent.”

Blue Suede Networks’ goal? To help Memphis become a national leader in digital inclusion and opportunity. With one of the city’s largest private investments to date, they’re

partnering with the City of Memphis to pass fiber infrastructure to at least 85 percent of all business and residential properties, ensuring low-income communities are equally served.

“We’re a Memphis-based company through and through,” Elliott said, emphasizing that the company is not only building infrastructure, but also nurturing local partnerships. In collaboration with the Mid-South Minority Business Council Continuum, the Black Business Association of Memphis, Allworld, ProTec and the Greater Memphis Chamber, Blue Suede Networks has established relationships with Memphis-based MWBE businesses, guaranteeing their involvement in the fiber project.

The work is complex, requiring tenacity, but Elliott finds purpose in its challenges. Outside his role as CEO, he has served as pastor at Golden United Methodist Church for nearly two decades. “Building this network and shepherding my congregation are two sides of the same coin,” he said. “It’s all about service to others and creating a stronger, more connected Memphis.”

Yet for Elliott, family remains at the heart of everything he does. “My greatest joy is my family,” he said, reflecting on his 28 years of marriage to Tammy, four children and the support they provide. They are, as he puts it, “the reason I do what I do.”

In every role he’s held, in every community he’s served, Elliott’s mission is clear: a connected Memphis, built on opportunity, inclusion and hope for the future.