Team

Darren Blanton

Founder and Managing Partner

Mr. Blanton is the Founder and Managing Partner of Colt Ventures, a family office he established to invest his personal capital. He has been a private investor for over 30 years and has invested in over 250 companies across all stages. He has invested in a variety of sectors including oil & gas, technology, real estate, financial services, consumer/retail, biotechnology, and horses. He has also been an LP in several alternative investment vehicles including hedge funds and private equity/venture capital funds. His investment acumen has generated significant returns over the years and he seeks outsized returns by following simple principles: target inefficient markets, invest prior to significant value creating inflection points, back proven management teams that have generated returns for shareholders, and seek near term liquidity.

Darren was a key advisor during the 2016 Presidential Campaign where he was in charge of "Get Out The Vote" efforts for African Americans and Hispanics along with numerous other social media influencer driven projects. He was also instrumental in the appointment of several cabinet positions including FDA Commissioner, Head of the SEC, Secretary of State, Secretary of Education, and several others. Because of his extensive network, he also helped integrate Peter Thiel into the campaign and into the transition efforts following the campaign.

Prior to forming Colt, he worked with the family office of Perry E. (Bill) Esping, the founder of First Data Corporation. Prior to working with Bill, Mr. Blanton ran Able Investments, a distressed real estate fund which acquired commercial real estate from the RTC. Darren is also a competitive cutter and has built a large cutting horse breeding business based off the lineage of High Brow Cat, the all-time leading cutting horse sire he owns. He currently serves on the Board of Colt Oil and Gas, The SMU Cox School of Business Venture Fund, Esping Family Foundation, the SM Wright Foundation, and Charles Haley’s Tackle Tomorrow Foundation. He is also a strategic advisor to Ric Grenell.

Trent Gahm

Associate

Trent is an Associate with Colt and joined the team in 2021. Trent's primary responsibilities include the analysis and diligence of investment opportunities for Colt's private and public portfolios. Prior to joining Colt, Trent was with J.P. Morgan's Investment Banking division in New York, where he built a diverse background in the Renewables, Oil & Gas, and Chemicals industries. Trent holds a B.S. in Engineering Science from Vanderbilt University.