WHERE ARE THEY NOW?R
40 under 40 DAVID ARNOLD, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, BUILDERTREND
Chasing Opportunity
DAVID ARNOLD BRINGS STARTUP EXPERIENCE TO BUILDERTREND Looking back on his collegiate career, one can immediately recognize why David Arnold was so successful at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, graduating with highest honors. The Sutherland, Nebraska, native always thrived in settings of diverse learning and Wesleyan’s liberal arts curriculum suited him to a tee. “One thing I really enjoyed about Wesleyan was the fact that we were required to take classes in all different areas,” he said. “It forced you to test things and in that process you learn well, I really didn’t like that area, but eventually you find something you love that you never would have considered otherwise. “I think that structure really helped me understand the reason you explore and do new things is to not only learn what you like, but also to learn what you don’t like. Both of those things are valuable when you’re trying to figure out how to put your time to its best use, whether that’s life or your career.” Even before he graduated college, Arnold was putting his broadspectrum mindset to use in a diverse set of professional roles. Between
2006 and 2011 alone, he served as press intern for then-Sen. Ben Nelson, finished law school, clerked in the Nebraska Attorney General’s office, served roles in three different law firms and the University of NebraskaLincoln College of Law before landing as deputy communications director for Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle. Beginning in 2013, he shifted to the startup world with MindMixer, followed by three years at StraightShot. In 2016, he joined Buildertrend, working his way up to his current role as chief strategy officer in 2020.
New Opportunities “I had a mom who told me I could do anything and at some point I believed her,” he said with a shrug. “I am really a person who likes to do new things. And I think that’s why these startups and this investmentbacked world that I’ve been in is such a good fit. There’s never two days that are the same. “As the business changes rapidly, your job changes rapidly, which means you’re doing new things, you’re testing yourself. You’re trying to
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