Fred Curtis Goad Jr.
1940-2025

FRED CURTIS GOAD JR., a widely respected Nashville-area private investor, entrepreneur and advisor, died June 4, at age 84.

Goad's healthcare-weighted career most recently included roles as general partner of Brentwood-based Relevance Ventures and, earlier, co-founder of venture capital entrant Voyent Partners LLC, which he co-founded in 2001 with his friend and colleague of 40 years, Jim Kever. Goad's former Voyent controller, Connie Mayberry, also joined Relevance in 2019.

Goad is survived by his widow, Deana Ross Goad; his daughter Frances "Franye" Johnson, wife of Jeffrey Johnson of Brentwood; grand-children and a great-grandchild; and, his sister Jane Goad Treschsel of Birmingham, among others. The family's memorial notice is here.

Across decades, Goad played influential roles in the advancement of dozens of corporate, startup and investment enterprises.

Venture Nashville offers below a sample of businesses, nonprofit organizations and philanthropic initiatives that Goad supported as a founder, senior executive, officer, director, founder or co-founder, investor, donor, and-or advisor.

Readers' additions or corrections are welcome via LinkedIn messaging.

• Advent Health Partners
• American Hometown Media
• Be Smart Kids
• Big Borassa Music
• Blackrock Neurotech
• Brightwhistle
• Citizengine
• CivicEye
• Claritas Capital
• Clayton Associates
• Concert Genetics (fka NextGxDx)
• DigiScript
• Digital Reasoning
• Docutel (>Olivetti)
• Emdeon Business Services
• EndoStim
• Envoy Corporation (>Healtheon/WebMD, Change Healthcare, Optum/UnitedHealth Group)
• Financial Institution Service (>Compucard International)
• HCCA International
• HealthSpring (>Cigna)
• HealthStream
• Hubble Telemedical
• IBM
• Informatics Corporation of America (Vanderbilt University sub>SSI, Mobile, Ala.)
• Ingram Entertainment
• Investment Scorecard
• Luminex Corp.
• MedArchon
• Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• MyOutDoorTV.com
• Nashville Health Care Council (Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce)
• Nashville Symphony
• New Constructs
• Papa Pilar Rum
• Perception Health
• Performance Food Group (PFGC)
• Preferral
• Private Business
• Relevance Ventures
• QLRE Telepsychiatry
• Quintiles Transnational Corp. (QTRN)
• Safe Orthopedics
• Signix
• Specialists On Call
• StudioNow
• SyMed (Sy.Med)
• The Goad Family Foundation (priorities including children's health, military veterans, education)
• 21e Web Entertainment Broadcasting Network
• UCCEL Corporation
• University of Virginia
• VideoBomb
• Voyent Partners
• WebMD

In 2023, Goad was inducted into the Dealmakers Hall of Fame during the annual Smart Business Middle Market M&A Conference in Nashville.

Goad earned his bachelor's degree in commerce at the University of Virginia, after studying at Sewanee Military Academy, which then operated on the campus of the University of the South, at Sewanee, Tenn.

Relevance Ventures Chairman and General Partner Dean Newton JD told VNC that a celebration of Goad's life on July 2 at Richland Country Club drew 200 of Goad's farflung network. Newton today provided rich commentary on the life and legend of Fred Goad, available here (pdf). [link fixed]

In preparing this notice, VNC was also assisted by longtime Goad friend James Aylward (who spoke during the July 2 gathering); VideoBomb Founder Chad Marcum; and Joe Maxwell, founder and managing partner of FINTOP Capital.

Joe Maxwell told VNC, "Fred was one of my first angel investors in 1994 and served as a mentor and board member until we sold Investment Scorecard in 2007. I will be forever grateful for his investment in me as an entrepreneur and a leader, but most importantly as a reminder of my responsibility to give back and pass the torch to the next generation."

Marcum said, "Fred Goad was one of my first investors, but more than that, he was a mentor in the truest sense of the word."

Marcum added that for those who knew Goad well, "his real legacy lives in the wisdom he shared, the values he modeled, and the belief he offered when it mattered most."

"Fred didn't just invest in companies, he invested in people. He challenged me, encouraged me, and helped shape the way I think and lead. He showed me that doing good and doing well are not at odds, and that generosity and business can coexist," Marcum added.

VNC has thus far been unable to reach Jim Kever, who we understand stood-down from Voyent in about 2018 and is now shown as chairman of Nashville-based Concert Genetics.

This VNC coverage, which may be updated, was facilitated by Zoltan Roemer with Impact Partners, which supports capital providers and startups. VNC

last edited 1934 15 July 2025