What Paragon Capital Management does

Paragon Capital Management, LLC is a privately held, SEC-registered investment advisory firm founded in 1998 by Howard Jacobson in Overland Park, Kansas. The firm manages custom-built investment portfolios composed of individual securities for ultra-high-net-worth individuals (defined as clients with $30M+ in liquid assets), high- and very-high-net-worth individuals, and institutional investors such as hedge funds, pension funds, mutual funds, endowments, and non-profits. Its core products include Custom Portfolio Solutions, Structured Notes (including Callable Yield Notes targeting 5-14% yields), Fixed Income laddering strategies, Sub-Advisor services to other advisory firms, and a Tamarac-powered Client Portal. The firm differentiates through bespoke portfolio construction rather than prefabricated model portfolios, an explicit focus on downside protection alongside upside participation, and relationships with leading investment banks and the largest alternative asset managers that grant access to private equity, hedge funds, and private real estate deals typically unavailable to retail investors.

The firm operates with a deliberately lean team of fewer than 10 employees led by Founder Howard Jacobson (40+ year career) and President & CIO Craig Novorr (joined 2006 from UMB, where he co-managed the Scout Technology and Growth Funds), supported by a Chief Digital & Marketing Officer and a small operations group. The go-to-market motion is sales-light: there is no dedicated sales or business development team, and growth occurs through client referrals, retention, and multi-generational relationships across a base of 200+ clients. Marketing is organic — quarterly market insights authored by Novorr, a YouTube channel, and LinkedIn/Facebook/Twitter presence — supplemented by Jim Koetting's digital marketing leadership. Revenue is generated through recurring AUM-based advisory fees on fully-customizable portfolios, with services tailored to individual client situations rather than standardized tiered pricing.

Strategically, the firm has pursued incremental evolution rather than aggressive expansion: it celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023, launched a new Client Portal around 2019, added operational staff (Shannon Yarbrough in October 2020, Alexis Petersen from Bank of America), and transitioned CCO/CFO responsibilities externally following Dorothy Boehr's June 2021 retirement. The firm remains founder-owned, has no external institutional capital, and operates exclusively within the United States (Midwest focus) without disclosed international expansion plans.

Name

Paragon Capital Management

Legal name

Paragon Capital Management, LLC

Website

https://paragoncap.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Paragon Capital Management is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm in Overland Park, Kansas, founded in 1998 that builds custom investment portfolios of individual securities, structured notes, and fixed income strategies for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients across a 200+ client base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management / Investment Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Sector/Thematic Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Style Equity — Growth (Active) (FSAAAIAI), Style Equity — Value (Active) (FSAAAIAH), Small-Cap Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAC), Large-Cap Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAA), Real Estate Portfolio & Fund Management (Institutional/REIT/PE) (BPAJAMAJ)

Keywords

• Wealth management
• Investment advisory
• Custom portfolio management
• Structured notes
• Fixed income strategies

Headquarters

HQ city

Overland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Fees: Registered Investment Advisory firm that charges fees for investment management services based on assets under management (AUM). The firm manages fully-customizable portfolios for clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Paragon Capital Management is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm that builds and manages fully-customized investment portfolios — constructed from individual securities rather than pre-packaged model allocations — for ultra-affluent individuals (HNWI, VHNWI, UHNWI) and institutional clients. Its offering spans custom portfolio solutions, structured notes (including Callable Yield Notes), fixed income laddering, alternative investments (private equity, hedge funds, private real estate), sub-advisory services for other advisory firms, and a secure client portal. The firm is differentiated by relationship-driven, referral-only growth and a focus on downside protection alongside upside participation.

Product overview

Paragon Capital Management offers a unified wealth management platform centered on custom-built investment portfolios for ultra-affluent individuals and institutional investors. The core offering combines Custom Portfolio Solutions with specialized services including Sub-Advisor relationships, Structured Notes (customized instruments created with investment banking partners providing both downside protection and equity upside), Fixed Income strategies with laddering approaches, and a secure Client Portal for account access. The firm serves High Net Worth Individuals, institutional investors, and provides quarterly market insights through its leadership team. All services are delivered with a personalized, relationship-focused approach as an SEC Registered Investment Advisory firm.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Portfolio Solutions Custom-built investment portfolios constructed from individual securities, tailored to each client's unique situation and needs — explicitly positioned as the alternative to prefabricated, asset-gathering model portfolios. Targets ultra-affluent individuals and institutions seeking downside-aware, fully-customizable allocations.
• Sub-Advisor Services Portfolio management services provided to other advisory firms that seek institutional-quality, customizable investment management for their clients; a sub-advisory / outsourced-discretionary offering built on Paragon's SEC RIA registration and custom-portfolio capabilities.
• Structured Notes Customized structured notes created in partnership with leading investment banks, providing downside protection with participation in equity-market upside. Includes Callable Yield Notes engineered for income generation in the 5–14% yield range, depending on risk profile.
• Fixed Income Strategies Fixed income services including bond laddering strategies and fixed-rate investments designed to generate steady cash flow while mitigating risk and preserving principal; a core sleeve of the firm's downside-aware custom portfolios.
• Institutional Investor Services Investment advisory services tailored for institutional investors including hedge funds, pension funds, mutual funds, endowment funds, insurance companies and non-profit organizations seeking risk mitigation and portfolio management. Delivered through Sub-Advisor and custom-mandate engagements leveraging Paragon's manager-selection capabilities and alternative-investment access.
• High Net Worth Investor Services Specialized wealth management services for High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI), Very HNWI and Ultra HNWI clients, offering fully-customizable portfolios, sophisticated tax planning, and multi-generational wealth preservation; the firm's flagship individual-client service line.
• Client Portal Password-protected, secure website where existing Paragon clients can access account holdings, balances, returns and other account data at their convenience; the firm's client-facing digital service platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful timing of 2007-2008 financial crisis - sold financial sector holdings a full year before the meltdown
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Leading Investment BankscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding and mutually beneficial relationships with the largest investment banking firms who compete to create financial products that Paragon custom builds for ultra-affluent clients. Some clients have greater assets than those very institutions.
• Chicago Clearing CorpminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerParagon partnered with Chicago Clearing Corp to file shareholder class action lawsuits on behalf of clients. The firm monitors claims and cross-references with client accounts to automatically file claims.
• RIA Compliance Key (Kristen Guerrero)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFollowing Dorothy Boehr's retirement as CCO/CFO, Paragon engaged Kristen Guerrero of RIA Compliance Key to assist with compliance responsibilities.
• PeoplePeople (Dina Davis)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFollowing Dorothy Boehr's retirement as CCO/CFO, Paragon engaged Dina Davis of PeoplePeople to assist with CFO duties.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Creative Planning: Overland Park, Kansas-based Registered Investment Advisor and one of the largest independent wealth managers in the U.S. Both firms are RIA-headquartered in Overland Park, serve HNW/UHNW clients with custom portfolios, and share a Midwest UHNW franchise and SEC-registered advisory model.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: National RIA focused on ultra-high-net-worth and institutional clients with custom portfolio construction, alternative investments, and a multi-family-office service model — directly comparable to Paragon's custom-built portfolios and institutional services.
• Cresset Capital: Wealth management firm serving UHNW families with bespoke investment solutions, multi-family-office services, and direct deal access (private equity, real estate), closely mirroring Paragon's custom-portfolio and alternative-access value proposition.
• Aspiriant: Independent, fee-only RIA providing customized wealth management, tax planning, and alternative-investment access to UHNW individuals and families — overlapping Paragon's custom portfolio design and family-office-style servicing.
• True Capital Management: Boutique wealth manager offering personalized investment advisory, family-office-style services, and alternative investment access for high-net-worth clients — highly comparable target market and service model to Paragon.
• Joel Isaacson & Co. Long-tenured, fee-only RIA serving HNW and UHNW individuals/families with custom portfolio management and access to alternative investments — directly comparable in custom-built, relationship-driven wealth management.
• Oxford Financial Group: Indianapolis-based RIA providing wealth management, estate planning, and institutional investment consulting to UHNW families and institutions — sharing Paragon's Midwest base, relationship-driven approach, and custom-portfolio orientation.
• GenSpring Family Offices: Multi-family office serving UHNW families with bespoke investment, tax, and estate strategies including alternative investments — directly comparable service set, target client (UHNW families), and customization model.

Broad incumbents

• Sanctuary Wealth: Larger platform that partners with, and provides operational support to, independent advisors and RIAs — comparable as a custom-portfolio, UHNW-focused RIA competitor with broader scale and infrastructure than Paragon.

Others

• Tamarac Inc. Provider of portfolio accounting, reporting, and client-portal technology used by RIAs; Paragon's client portal is hosted on Tamarac's infrastructure (paragoncapital.portal.tamaracinc.com), making Tamarac an enabling technology peer rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ParagonCap
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@paragoncap
• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Paragon-Capital-Management-llc/100034849941674
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paragon-capital-management-llc/?viewAsMember=true

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paragon Capital Management