Max Knapp
Managing Director , Wing 2 Wing Ventures and Founding Partner , BlackBear Capital
Knapp stands on the longest ATV train trestle in the U . S . in Man , WV .
Max Knapp , managing director of Wing 2 Wing Ventures and founding partner of BlackBear Capital , didn ’ t start his career by chasing a dream job . Instead , he focused on what he knew he was good at — working with numbers and problem-solving .
Knapp graduated high school during the 2008 recession and , valuing job security above all else , chose to pursue an undergraduate degree in accounting from West Virginia Wesleyan College .
After completing his undergraduate degree and a summer internship , Knapp realized accounting was not going to be his life ’ s pursuit . He used graduate school at Vanderbilt University as an opportunity to try something new and pursue a career in finance , a prominent interest of his .
“ The fundamental issue we need to fix in West Virginia is the culture of pushing our students exclusively toward a secure and / or traditional career path ,” Knapp says . “ It wasn ’ t until I got to Vanderbilt that my eyes were opened to a career in entrepreneurship , venture capital or one of the many other fields worth exploring .”
The exceptional grit Knapp has carried through his business endeavors was learned through early jobs picking tomatoes at a local farm and working on Wall
Street as an investment analyst . These roles not only instilled a deep sense of gratitude for his current career but also reinforced the belief that he had found the right path .
“ Whether it was bending over in fields for six hours grabbing vegetables or looking at spreadsheets at a desk until 3 a . m ., there was a level of resilience that needed to be met to be successful ,” he says .
Knapp considers two of his biggest mentors to be Brad Smith , Marshall University president and co-founder of Wing 2 Wing Ventures , whom he works alongside as managing director , and Frank Alderman , former founder and CEO of MedExpress .
“ They both have an uncanny leadership ability , and I ’ ve been fortunate to be on the receiving end of their thoughtful feedback and guidance ,” he says .
Knapp found that personal experience with entrepreneurship and running a business was a huge learning curve . BlackBear Capital , the successful investment firm he co-founded , happened to be his very first business , and he admits he was naïve to just how challenging the journey would be .
“ There ’ s nothing that can truly prepare you for a battle with entrepreneurship ,” Knapp says .
MEGAN BEVINS TRACY A . TOLER PHOTOGRAPHY
He found that the only way out of the obstacles of running a business was oftentimes trial and error while being resourceful enough to figure out complex problems . He says as an entrepreneur , you have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable .
Passionate about giving back , Knapp is involved in several community service endeavors . Currently , he is a board member and member of the investment committee for the CAMC Foundation , co-founding board member and advisor for the Coalfield Development SEED Fund , creator and co-chair of the Vision 2030 WV Chamber , volunteer for the Buckskin Council , member of the Clay Center ’ s Corporate Relations Sub-Committee , judge for IgniteWV and experiential learning partner for the WVU John Chamber School of Business and Economics .
“ I got to where I am today by never being afraid to ask for guidance , always striving to build new , genuine relationships and constantly yearning for knowledge ,” he says .
Knapp spends his time helping build up the state ’ s entrepreneurial ecosystem , and these efforts are rooted in a personal mission of his — to revitalize his home . •
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ?
food :
Mamaw ’ s Sunday Dinner
pet :
Maltipoo , Addie
place :
Maui , Hawaii
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