David J. Grain

Last updated
David J. Grain
Born (1962-05-31) May 31, 1962 (age 62)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Education College of the Holy Cross (BA)
Dartmouth College (MBA)
Occupations
  • Entrepreneur
  • businessman
  • investor
Title CEO and Managing Director of Grain Management LLC
Awards American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2022)

David J. Grain (born May 31, 1962) is an American entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist. He is the current chief executive officer (CEO) of the global investments firm Grain Management LLC, which he founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Washington D.C. [1] [2] [3] His firm invests exclusively in the telecommunications sector, using what the firm refers to as "algorithmic, computational investment analysis" to inform its investment decisions. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Early life and education

Grain was born in Brooklyn to Dora and Walter Grain. [7] He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1984. [8] [5] Grain later attended the Tuck School of Business of Dartmouth College, receiving a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in 1989. [8] [5]

Career

Grain began his career at Drexel Burnham Lambert in 1989, where he worked for a year before being recruited by Morgan Stanley. [9] He became principal after two years with the company, and continued his work there until moving on to AT&T in 2000. He served as the New England region's Senior Vice President until 2003, and then as President of Pinnacle Holdings, Inc. until 2005, while simultaneously serving as director of Newcastle Investment Corporation. [10] During his short tenure at Pinnacle Holdings, he was able to rescue the company from bankruptcy and grew its portfolio from 2,000 sites to over 11,000. [1]

Grain is former Lead Independent Director, current Chair for Nominating, Governance, and Corporate Responsibility Committee and a Member of the Compensation Committee for Southern Company. [2] [11]

Grain sits on multiple boards of directors and councils, serving as an Independent Director of Dell Technologies and Director of New Fortress Energy and Trustee of the Brookings Institution. [5] [12] Grain sits on the board of directors for the Martha's Vineyard Museum and serves on the advisory council for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. [7] [12] [13]

Grain received a presidential appointment to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council in 2011, where he chaired the Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience National R&D Plan, and he was appointed to the council again in 2024. [14] [15]

In 2009, the Governor of Florida appointed Grain to the State Board of Administration’s Investment Advisory Council where he served as Chairman. He is also a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations. [16] [17]

Grain is known for his political support of the Democratic Party. He contributed a minimum of $200,000 to $500,000 in the 2008 elections. [18]

Grain has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College since July 1, 2024. [19] He also served for eight years as a Trustee of College of the Holy Cross. [17] In August 2024, Grain was voted Board Chair of The Martha’s Vineyard Museum Board. [13]

Philanthropy

Grain and his wife founded the Grain Fellows Program which assists low-income families by providing funding for SAT and college preparation. They also adopted the high school Booker High in Sarasota, Florida, to which they provide support to a mentorship program, along with supporting the school's college programs. [8] [7]

The Grains were recognized by the National Urban Technology Center in 2018 at the center's annual awards gala, where they received the Corporate Leadership Award for their philanthropic efforts within their community. [7]

In 2023, Grain received Morehouse College’s “Candle in the Dark” Award in Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy. [20]

In 2024, Grain received A Better Chance’s Chairperson Award. [21]

Achievements

Grain has been recognized as one of the "Top 40 leaders under 40" in Boston by the Boston Business Journals. He was also given the "Ten Outstanding Young Leaders Award" by Boston Jaycees. [7] Grain was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2022. [5]

Grain and his wife were recognized in by the National Urban Technology Center in 2018 at the center's annual award's gala, where they received the Corporate Leadership Award for their philanthropic efforts within their community. [8]

Personal life

Grain is married to Dr. Lisa Grain. [9] [8] She received her D.D.S. from Howard University College of Dentistry and an M.S. in orthodontics from Ohio State University. [8] They have been married for more than 30 years. Together, they have two children, Chelsea and David Jr. [22]

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References

  1. 1 2 Kipling, Kay (2011-12-31). "Star Techie". Sarasota Magazine. 34 (3): 45.
  2. 1 2 Watkins, Donald V. (2023-03-26). "David J. Grain: Getting Rich From His Southern Company Platform". donaldwatkins. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  3. ↑ "Grain Management Overview". PitchBook.
  4. ↑ Hughes, Alan (2011-11-07). "75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall St". Black Enterprise. 42 (3): 82.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mr. David J. Grain". American Academy of Art & Sciences. March 2024.
  6. ↑ Scola, Nancy (2023-09-01). "Tech Titans 2023". Washingtonian Magazine. 58 (12): 72.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Richardson, Julieanna L. (August 17, 2017). "David Grain". The History Makers - The Digital Repository for the Black Experience. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brown, Matthew (2018-07-04). "National Urban Technology Center holds award gala". The New York Amsterdam News. p. 30.
  9. 1 2 Sylvain, Adam. "Walk of Faith: Meet Grain Management Founder David Grain T'89". Tuck School of Business | Alumni Stories. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  10. ↑ "Biography David J. Grain". New Fortress Energy. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  11. ↑ "David Grain joins Southern Co. board". The Business Journals. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  12. 1 2 "David Grain - Director at Dell Technologies". THE ORG. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  13. 1 2 "Museum Announces New Board Leadership". The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  14. ↑ "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  15. ↑ "Dartmouth Board of Trustees Elects Three New Members | Dartmouth". home.dartmouth.edu. 2024-03-08. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  16. ↑ House, The White (2024-03-22). "President Biden Announces Key Appointments to Boards and Commissions". The White House. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  17. 1 2 "Holy Cross Executive Leadership Master Class Series" (PDF).
  18. ↑ Hielscher, John. "New David Grain fund aims to raise $500 million". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  19. ↑ "Dartmouth Board of Trustees Elects Three New Members". Dartmouth News. 2024-03-08. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  20. ↑ "David Grain". The 'A Candle in the Dark' Gala at Morehouse College. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  21. ↑ "2024 Fall Benefit Dinner | A Better Chance". 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  22. ↑ Macon, Alexandra (2023-10-13). "This Fairytale Wedding at the Bride's Family Home on Martha's Vineyard Was Filled With Blush Pink Hues and Quatrefoil Accents". Vogue. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
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