Speaking
How to scale a business, a nine-part series for operators who'd rather build than posture.
Watch the lectures, recorded at conferences and classrooms across the South.
Memphis · 202635°08′N · 90°02′WBrent Hooks
Sheet A-001Memphis · Atlanta · BirminghamRev. 2026
Capitalist · Builder · Memphian
Build the structure.
Then scale the future.
Brent Hooks is a Memphis-rooted operator and civil-infrastructure executive, Regional Vice President, Southeast at Cornerstone Engineering, leading expansion across Atlanta, Birmingham, and Memphis. This site is a working record: ventures built, conversations had, and a discipline of building things that outlast the headline.
Role
RVP · SE
Bonded
$20M
Credential
PMP
Education
Vandy MBA
I
Faith
II
Love
III
Integrity
IV
Courage
Plate 01 · 35°08′N 90°02′W
Brent Hooks, photographed in Memphis.
Forbes Next 1000✦Inc. 5000✦Top 40 Under 40, MBJ✦Top Young Memphian✦Vanderbilt EMBA✦St. Jude Spirit of the Dream✦100 Black Men of Memphis✦Forbes Next 1000✦Inc. 5000✦Top 40 Under 40, MBJ✦Top Young Memphian✦Vanderbilt EMBA✦St. Jude Spirit of the Dream✦100 Black Men of Memphis✦
Dossier
Background at a glance.
Designed to inspire success.
I
Operator first
Owned and operated start-ups across multiple industries: civil infrastructure, construction management, hospitality, media. The thread is the same: build the structure, then scale.
II
Accounting & finance fluency
Creative capacity paired with a controller's instincts. Strategic decisions are made at the intersection of the model and the moment.
III
Vanderbilt EMBA
Executive MBA from Vanderbilt's Owen School. Best-practice frameworks applied to organize teams, capital, and time.
IV
Consulting posture
This site is authored with a consulting focus. The experiences are presented so as many people as possible gain insight, not as a portfolio for posture.
AI assistant
Ask Brent
Ask Brent anything. Get an answer in his own words.
An AI assistant trained on Brent's lectures, interviews, ventures, and civic work. Ask a question, get a first-person answer with citations. If it's something he hasn't addressed, the assistant will say so and point you to contact him directly.
- 01Trained on the lectures and interviews
- 02First-person, cited, no fluff
- 03Open 24/7
Feature 01 · The City
The work is in Memphis.
From St. Andrew AME on the south side to the redevelopment of Crosstown, the Fairgrounds, and the Pinch. Built in the city, by Memphians, for the long hold.
On Building
“Scale is downstream of structure. Structure is downstream of integrity. Build the integrity first , the rest is just paperwork.”
Service and Impact
Two decades of building a better Memphis.
Ten board seats. Hundreds of students mentored through ACE. Six figures raised for children fighting cancer at St. Jude. A standing commitment to the institutions that shape the city, from downtown development to the next generation of builders.
Verified service record, ENR, MBJ, Tri-State Defender
Impact, by the numbers
- Board seats held
- 10
- Students mentored
- Hundreds
- Raised for St. Jude
- $150K+
- Civic service
- 20+ yrs
Active and past, civic, cultural, economic.
Through ACE Mentor Program of Memphis.
Spirit of the Dream advisory board.
Two decades of volunteer leadership.
Sources: ENR, MBJ, Tri-State Defender, ACE Mentor Memphis, St. Jude.
- ●ActiveACE Mentor Program of Memphis, Chairman
- ●ActiveDowntown Memphis Commission, Board
- ●ActiveUrban Land Institute, Board
- ●ActiveNew Ballet Ensemble & School, Board
- ●ActiveSt. Jude Spirit of the Dream, Advisory
- ○PastEDGE Small Business Incentives, past Chair
- ○PastBlight Authority of Memphis, Board
- ○PastCity of Memphis Film & TV Commission
- ○PastThomas B. Davis YMCA, Advisory
- ○Affiliate100 Black Men of Memphis · Brooks Museum
100+
High-school students consulted in a single conference session on business, strategy, and the life of an entrepreneur. One of many.
"I was raised here, and now I have the privilege of giving back in meaningful ways. The goal is to keep building. Not just structures, but futures."
Watch · Featured
How to Scale a Business 101, Intro, Part 1.
The opening lecture in a nine-part consulting series for operators. Recorded for entrepreneurs, business owners, and innovators who'd rather build than posture.
Brent Hooks · YouTubeMore talks →
Selected Talks
- 02Lecture
On Integrity & Accountability
A short address on the non-negotiables. Why structure depends on character, and why character has to be priced into the operating system.
Read the entry →
- 03Conference
Entrepreneurship Conference Highlight
A brief glimpse: Brent consulting more than 100 high school students on business, strategy, and the lived reality of being an entrepreneur.
Read the entry →
- 04Lecture
On Community Building & Development
A discussion on strategy and entrepreneurship as the work of a place. Where the city is the client, and the project is its people.
Read the entry →
- 05Podcast
Verbally Effective, Episode 126: Young Capitalist
A candid conversation on the journey, on capital with a conscience, and on the discipline of building relationships before you build anything else.
Read the entry →
Ventures
Cornerstone Engineering & a portfolio of starts.
Regional VP, Southeast, plus a decade at Allworld PM and the start-ups along the way.
By the Numbers
3
Cornerstone Southeast metros (ATL · BHM · MEM)
$300K→$16M
Revenue scaled during Allworld CAO tenure
$150K+
Raised, St. Jude Spirit of the Dream
100+
Students consulted, OBTA Conference
Engage
Consulting engagements, by selection.
Strategic planning, marketing analysis, financial management, and board service. Brent takes a small number of engagements each year.