2026 Hall of Fame Inductees
Presented By: HUB International
Silas Deane
Vice President
Tyler Technologies, Inc.
Silas Deane most recently served as Vice President of Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) following the 2021 acquisition of his startup, VendEngine, a leading govtech/fintech company. The transaction was recognized by the Nashville Business Journal as the largest technology deal in the city’s history. A long-standing leader in Nashville’s technology community, Deane was among the city’s first .com entrepreneurs and is a founding member of the Nashville Technology Council, where he has served on both the Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
Throughout his career, Deane has founded and successfully exited multiple ventures, including Logic Media Group, a technology-focused communications firm, and Baden Bath, Inc., a high-end bath fixture company, along with several additional ventures. Earlier, he worked in Washington, D.C., on the staffs of Senator Al Gore Jr. and U.S. Representative Bob Clement and later served as Executive Director of the International Microelectronics Foundation.
Deane was named to the University of Kentucky Business Hall of Fame and is a past Smart DealMaker of the Year recipient. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Kentucky and remains active in leadership, board, and philanthropic roles.
Brian Fox
Managing Parnter
Rockmont Partners
Brian Fox is an entrepreneur and CPA who serves as Managing Partner at Rockmont Partners and is a Venture Partner at Caduceus Capital Partners and Valor Ventures. He founded Confirmation.com, where he served as President and board member, and is recognized as the creator of electronic audit confirmations, holding the first seven patents granted in the field. A former adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University, Fox is also the founder and board member of Rivio.com, a joint venture between the AICPA and Confirmation.com.
Throughout his career, Fox has been named four times among the “Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting,” is a five-time recipient of the profession’s “Top 40 Under 40 CPA in America,” and was recognized as Nashville Entrepreneur of the Year. His earlier experience includes audit roles at Ernst & Young and mergers and acquisitions at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Fox is a frequent author and media source, quoted in leading publications including The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, and The New York Times. He remains active on numerous boards and advisory councils and holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University and a BBA in Accounting from Southern Methodist University.
Peter Marcum
Founding Partner
Kernel Equity
Peter Marcum has spent his career building and scaling technology companies. A self-taught computer programmer, he entered the information technology field in the early 1980s by developing and selling software for public housing agencies. In 1985, he founded JML Computers, later selling the company before expanding into multi-million-dollar Computerland franchises in Nashville and Birmingham.
In 1995, Marcum founded Nashville Computer Liquidators, growing it into a $100 million business before selling the company in 2000. He later co-founded Essex Technology Group, helping create an online reseller that evolved into the brick-and-mortar chain Bargain Hunt, which received private equity investment in 2015.
In 2003, Marcum founded WV Fiber, a national wholesale fiber network spanning 18 U.S. and five European colocation centers. A retained programming arm later evolved into DevDigital, a full-service software development firm with operations in Nashville and Vadodara, India. Through DevDigital, Marcum launched Kernel Equity in 2016, combining capital, technical expertise, and development support to help scale early-stage companies.
Ralph Schulz
Former President and CEO
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Ralph J. Schulz served as President and CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce from 2006 to 2025, leading one of Middle Tennessee’s most influential business organizations through transformative economic change. During his tenure, he guided regional recovery following the 2007 recession, launched the Partnership 2020 and 2030 strategies to drive business relocation and expansion, founded the nationally recognized Nashville Entrepreneur Center, and advanced initiatives focused on public education and regional transportation. Under his leadership, the Chamber earned national recognition, including the American Chamber of Commerce Executives’ 2009 “Chamber of the Year” award and the 2019 Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development.
Prior to joining the Chamber, Schulz built a distinguished career in nonprofit leadership, including serving as CEO of the Adventure Science Center, which received the Marvin Runyon Leadership Award for its successful turnaround. Earlier, he held senior leadership roles with Junior Achievement, including national executive vice president. Throughout his career, Schulz has remained deeply engaged in civic and nonprofit leadership across healthcare, education, infrastructure, and economic development.