Kneeland Youngblood

Dr. Kneeland Youngblood (born Dec 13, 1955), is the co-founder of the Texas and Tennessee based venture capital firm Pharos Capital Group, which specializes in raising private equity for undercapitalized businesses in underserved regions across the nation. In addition to his business experience, his is known for his work as a surgeon and political activist.

Life
Dr. Youngblood was born in Galena Park, Texas on December 13, 1955. He became involved in politics at a young age, acting as a page for the Texas State Legislature when he was only fourteen years old. Youngblood went on to attend Princeton University, where in 1978 he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. Before he graduated and at the risk of expulsion, Youngblood participated in a sit-in to protest Princeton's investments in South African businesses. His studies at Princeton led him to Oxford, England and Stockholm Sweden before he returned to the states and earned his M.D. at the University of Texas Health Science Center in 1982. Dr. Youngblood worked in the medical industry from 1983 to 1997 during which time he served as an emergency physician at the Medical Center of Plano.

Business & Politics
From 1993 to 1999, Youngblood served on the board of the $100 billion Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) as a trustee and chairman of the Fund's Real Estate Committee, directing asset allocations and managing the fund's $1.4 billion portfolio. In 1994, President Bill Clinton announced his nomination of Kneeland Youngblood to the Board of Directors of the U.S. Enrichment Corporation (USEC). While with the USEC, Youngblood traveled to Africa and there met Nelson Mandela, an experience which, combined with his history in activism, led him to write the essay, "From Sit-in to Soweto." While with the Clinton Administration, he also served on the Health Care Task Force, founded by First Lady Hillary Clinton.

In 1997, Youngblood, along with Michael Devlin and Robert Crants, founded Pharos Capital Group LLC., a private equity firm.

Youngblood's other board memberships include: AMR Investments, Starwood Hotels & Lodging, Burger King, The Gap, Inc., and the City of Dallas Employee Retirement System. He is Director Emeritus of the U.S. Enrichment Corporation and iStar Financial, a NYSE publicly traded REIT. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Additional Reading
From Sit-in to Soweto 1978