David Bradshaw is the Oak Ridge Area Manager for Pinnacle Financial Partners and Chairman of the Three Roots Capital Board of Directors. Whether through his work at Pinnacle or Three Roots, Bradshaw is passionate about bringing access to capital for rural entrepreneurs and small businesses in Oak Ridge and the greater East Tennessee region.

“We’re trying to make capital — that is so hard to get into Tennessee and even harder into rural parts of Tennessee — accessible to these business owners who are just as smart as anybody else,” said Bradshaw. “We want to show the country that we can support entrepreneurs in Tennessee, and that they can build great products and companies right here.”

Bradshaw is a “big believer” in being ready for any opportunities that come his way. He began his career as an industrial engineer at Y-12 National Security Complex. Later, he joined Tech 2020, where he provided technical assistance and financing to startups and early-stage companies in southern Appalachia. Tech 2020 Finance Corporation became certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) while Bradshaw worked there. After leaving Tech 2020, he moved to SunTrust Bank and then CapitalMark Bank, which was acquired by Pinnacle. In addition to his financing career, Bradshaw ventured into local politics, serving as Oak Ridge’s Mayor from 2001 to 2007.

In his work, Bradshaw enjoys doing what he can to empower his clients on their entrepreneurial journeys. From first meetings with potential clients at local Oak Ridge eateries to watching clients’ companies flourish, he is proud to have helped them along the way.

“I get to take that ride with them and do my part to keep them out of the ditch and make them successful,” said Bradshaw. “The whole reason you want businesses to be successful is that they can empower their employees to be successful. That’s what’s really important to me personally and through my work at Three Roots.”

Bradshaw met Grady Vanderhoofven, Three Roots’ President and CEO while working at Tech 2020 almost twenty years ago. When he left Tech 2020, he remained on the Tech 2020 Board of Directors and then joined the Three Roots Capital Board of Directors when the organization launched in 2016.

“We have a fantastic Board and staff,” Bradshaw said. “We define our success on the success of our clients and their ability to create jobs and grow their business and give back to the community and the economy. I’m very proud of the team we have, the investors in Three Roots, and the Board who is overseeing the growth.”

For several years, Three Roots has been working to secure a loan from Pinnacle Financial Partners to increase the amount of capital Three Roots has available to fund projects like those that are part of the redevelopment efforts of downtown Oak Ridge. Thanks to Bradshaw’s diligence, Three Roots recently finalized a deal and forged a vital new partnership between Pinnacle and Three Roots.

“David and I have known each other for 20 years. He has been with Three Roots since the very beginning,” said Grady Vanderhoofven. “David’s belief in the potential for Three Roots as a CDFI was instrumental in the creation and launch of the company.  David’s perseverance and tenacity were key to securing this recent deal between Pinnacle and Three Roots. I think David exemplifies what it means to be a community banker, and he is a tremendous asset to our community. I’m thankful for this new relationship between our two organizations and grateful for David’s friendship, guidance, and support over the years.”

Three Roots Capital has “strong roots” in pursuing deals in Oak Ridge that provide positive economic and social impact, including current efforts to redevelop downtown Oak Ridge. Since 2017, Three Roots has sourced capital from three banks and one federal agency to finance six different companies and projects in the area.  Three Roots has provided approximately $16.5 million as part of financing packages and projects that exceeded $22 million in total value.

The City of Oak Ridge was created during the Manhattan Project without a centralized, mixed-use downtown area. Yet, since the city’s inception, residents have envisioned the creation of a walkable downtown area that features high-quality living spaces, easily accessible restaurants and green spaces, innovative new businesses, and more. For the past few years, the city has been working to turn this dream into a reality with the help of many partners, including Three Roots.

“Figuring out how to turn downtown Oak Ridge into a place that is optimized for the community has been a long process,” said Grady Vanderhoofven, Three Roots’ President and CEO. “We have strong roots in Oak Ridge. Because of our history and what the city is doing right now, these redevelopment projects are a really good fit for us.”

Three Roots is committed to pursuing projects and deals that bring lasting value to communities. From September 2017 to April 2021, Three Roots has worked with First Horizon, Renasant Bank, and Pinnacle Financial Partners to provide financing for five projects in Oak Ridge. The projects include: the Marriott TownePlace Suites, two retail establishments with Cappiello Real Estate & Development Company, an ExtraSpace Storage facility with RealtyLink, and one more project that was pending at the time of publication of this article. Three Roots used capital sourced from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) to provide financing for Southeastern Packaging Technologies, a local small business, in October 2018.

“We found the team at Three Roots Capital to be smart, creative, and enthusiastic about helping us have a positive economic impact in Oak Ridge,” said Jack Jamison, Principal and Broker-in-Charge at RealtyLink. “They are a capable group, they’ve been good to work with, and we are looking for opportunities to collaborate with them on future projects, in Oak Ridge and beyond.”

In addition to financing support, Three Roots has provided technical and operational assistance on these deals and for other organizations and prospective projects in the continued redevelopment of Oak Ridge’s downtown area. Some of this support includes working with Wayne Blasius, Community Development Director of Oak Ridge and valued partner of Three Roots, who is spearheading the city’s redevelopment efforts.

Unlike other downtown revitalization efforts, Blasius explained that creating a new downtown where one didn’t exist previously and securing financing is challenging, which is where Three Roots provides value.

“The beauty of Three Roots for us is their ability to make some loans that others might not be able to,” said Blasius. “The fact that Three Roots gets it and they’re willing and able to help finance projects is going to be a pretty big deal. Moving forward, we may have projects for one reason or another that are in the ‘too hard’ pile for some of the local lenders, and Three Roots might be the magic that makes something work.”