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.