David Young
Director of Business Development | RCN Capital
My name is David Young, and I am currently the Director of Business Development for RCN Capital. RCN Capital is a direct private lender in the non-owner-occupied residential space.
Military Beginnings
I graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1997 and served approximately seven years on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Army.
My military career started officially with Beast Barracks as a plebe in June of 1993. Very shortly after high school graduation in Central Massachusetts and playing in a football All Star game, my parents and I took the drive to old West Point on the Hudson River in New York. After saying goodbye to my parents, I quickly adjusted, or was forced into adjusting, to life as a plebe at West Point. There were certainly challenging moments.
West Point was a great experience that helped me in many ways. I truly cherished every moment playing Division 1 baseball and excelling in my primary major of Economics and my secondary area of focus of Systems Engineering. There were so many outstanding men and women I met and worked with, to include not just the professors and staff, but also my
fellow cadets.
My time on active duty included two stops at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and a lengthy stay of about four years at Fort Carson in Colorado. I was an officer in the Field Artillery and held positions such as Fire Direction Officer, Platoon Leader, Squadron Fire Support Officer, and Battery Commander.
Inspirational Leadership
There were several inspiring people I worked with and for during this time, but a few leadership lessons and patterns stood out. Two of those are integrity and leading by example. I led groups of soldiers ranging from as few as 5-7 troops to groups that exceeded 300 soldiers. Many of the soldiers under my charge were several years older than me and more experienced in terms of time served. Regardless, the effectiveness of leading by example and integrity always stood out. Soldiers responded to leaders that demonstrated the ability and willingness to accomplish the very same tasks asked of them either individually or as a member of a team.
Integrity was always crucial and something that West Point helped me internalize as a professional. Soldiers deserved the truth and were much more effective when leaders were honest not only in laying out the landscape and tasks at hand, but also in delivering coaching, guidance, and instruction that was frank and honest.
The Transition
These qualities are still vastly significant to this day. I got my start in the Real Estate industry somewhat indirectly via RCN Capital. I started with the company in 2014 and put together a boutique lending business serving another target market. In 2018 we shifted some of our focus and I took over Business Development for the company.
My current role requires extensive prospecting and interaction with potential and existing clients and partners. One could look at it as securing future revenue streams for the company while also managing our Correspondent channel to ensure clients are performing to their capabilities and desires. Self-generating new business from scratch requires rigorous hard work and determination, and my military background certainly helps in that area. Ensuring client and company success after bringing in new business also requires extensive follow through, commitment, and persistence. However, while “making a sale” or handling a new partner, integrity and leading by example are always part of the equation. Partners on our lending platform expect and deserve honest and realistic feedback and input on what we can and can’t do, and they also deserve to know what is expected of them in order to make the business relationship a success. I use these traits every single day working in this industry.
On a personal note, my main interests beyond time with family, center on investing, fitness, and arts and culture. You can find me at the gym, riding all over Boston on my bike with my daughter in tow, or at a place like the Institute of Contemporary Art or music venue. At all times, thoughts and ideas are circulating regarding investments. My main areas of emphasis focus on non-traditional spaces such as crypto, early stage, scarce assets and collectibles, and digital assets such as websites.
The future appears quite bright for residential real estate, private lending, and RCN Capital. It is my intent to continue to help lead RCN to the forefront of the industry and take on higher levels of responsibility for the company as we progress.
