Keenan Polan, a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, previously worked in various roles with the Reno Bighorns, among other jobs in his career.
Courtesy Photo
EDITOR’S NOTE: In November, the Reno-Tahoe Young Professionals Network announced the winners of its 14th annual Twenty Under 40 Awards. With the region’s economic future in mind, we are conducting interviews with each of the 2020 winners, to be published throughout the year.
Who are you?
Name: Keenan Polan
Age: 32
Profession/Title: Director of Sales, Barracuda Championship
Years in Reno/Northern Nevada: 14
Q: What do you see as the top one or two biggest economic development opportunities for Northern Nevada in 2021 and beyond?
Keenan Polan: I’m pretty excited about the emergence of technology throughout Northern Nevada. I think that’s going to continue to grow. There are opportunities for companies to move headquarters or at least have a location for the tax purposes and such, and just the proximity to the Bay Area.
And I’m excited about the startup community; I think that’s only going to continue to grow as well. There’s RNOX coming into town and really have what seems like a structure, and they’re bringing along (the SLVR venture) fund as well. I think that’s a missing part of the startup community.
StartUpNV and some of the angel groups have done some good work and gotten things off the ground, but I think that missing piece has been a true VC private equity fund to not only help get these companies going in the right direction but also to provide some funding.
Q: Why is it important for younger professionals to have a seat at the table when it comes to the business community in Northern Nevada?
Polan: I think it’s important for young professionals to be able to not only learn from what more experienced professionals are doing, but I think more and more, being able to provide input and some more progressive thinking and ideas is extremely important for a growing market like Northern Nevada.
And then just the ability to form relationships with a lot of the people and businesses that Northern Nevada is built upon — having those relationships between the new and old guard — is important.
Q: What under the radar industries have the biggest opportunity for growth in Northern Nevada?
Polan: I think the restaurant and bar industry, once we get past the pandemic, and we kind of truly see what the negative impact looks like. I’m excited for the future of restaurants and bars and Midtown as kind of the hub of that.
And it’s just exciting to see over the past 10 years how that industry has shifted and has become something that both locals and visitors are drawn to, and there’s so many different types of cuisine down there, and everything from breweries and dive bars to a place where you can get a $15 craft cocktail.
And another one is sports betting. Although it’s been legal in Nevada for however long, you’re starting to see it see it become legalized throughout the country, and there’s so many different sports books and things popping up. But I think there’s a lot of opportunity for sports betting to grow with different technology platforms and different ways to interact. (Local startup) Bookit Sports is a really cool way to promote a community and connect people that are betting on sports.
I think those are two big industries that we’re seeing gain a lot of traction throughout the country and I think Nevada — specifically, Northern Nevada — has some things to offer. And hopefully there’s some new companies that have the opportunity to grow here and within those industries.
Q: Where do you see the greater Reno-Sparks region in five years?
Polan: I’m excited for Reno-Sparks to continue on the path of becoming a tech hub. Along with tech, I’m excited about the startup, private equity and venture capital scene that is continuing to develop.
Bryan (McArdle) and Doug (Erwin) from EDAWN continue to help in this area and they have brought so much attention to the area and helped build the foundation for companies to see the benefits of operating here. That’s my prediction, more tech companies move here, more startups have resources and investors to help them scale, and we embrace Silicon Valley innovation while staying true to our roots.
Q: If you could change one thing for the better or improve one thing about your community, what would it be?
Polan: Homelessness is such a big issue here and within that homelessness conversation, mental health is a big one that I know the city and I believe the county are starting to put some more resources in. And I think that can only help with the homelessness issue of getting people more support and more resources for their mental health issues.
Q: Why do you feel Northern Nevada is better positioned to bounce back from the COVID recession than other regions?
Polan: With the median home value surpassing $500,000, and little to no inventory out there, there’s a lot of building going on, both residential and commercial development. As people start to migrate out of big cities, both for financial reasons but also just for lifestyle, you kind of get the best of both worlds in Northern Nevada.
There are a lot of the big city amenities, but you also have the opportunity to be outdoors and so many different activities and hobbies. So I think that’s key as people are going to continue to move here.
And then we’ve diversified. It’s been coming for the last decade or so. But we’re not just known for being a mini Vegas and having gaming. More companies are seeing Northern Nevada as an attractive place to move company headquarters or add a location here. I think that’s going to help us bounce back and recover after we kind of truly see what the implications are from the pandemic.
Note: This interview has been slightly edited for length and clarity.
