Barry Large

Barry Large is a Co-Founder & Partner of Dynamo Ventures. Prior to Dynamo, Barry was a Co-Founder and CFO of a $500M logistics business, Access America, that eventually merged with UPS subsidiary, Coyote Logistics.  He also contributed to the founding and scaling of notable logistics companies Steam Logistics and Reliance Partners. Barry also serves as Chairman of Chattanooga Whiskey, one of the premier craft whiskey brands in the country.

Barry has a great passion for his hometown of Chattanooga.  He serves on several local philanthropic and civic boards and remains engaged with the local entrepreneurial community, formerly through Lamp Post Group and now through Brickyard. He, his wife, Marylee, and their three daughters live in North Chattanooga.

What personal mantra or quote shapes the way you see opportunities and risk?

“Play long-term games with long-term people” - Naval  When you’re playing the long game, you can afford to take real risks — the kind that pay off in decades, not quarters. And with the right people, the downside is shared, the upside compounds, and the work is actually fun. That’s the game I want to be in.

Detail your most important daily habit/ritual?‍

Dropping my kids off at school.  It’s a small window of time, but it’s incredibly meaningful. Those few minutes in the car — music playing, random conversations, last-minute reminders, or just quiet — are grounding. It’s not about productivity or efficiency. It’s about presence.

Pulling up to the school, watching them walk in — centers me.  The days I get that time with them tend to be when I lead better, think clearer, and feel more dialed in.

Favorite underrated thing that changed how I think?

The No-Stats All-Star by Michael Lewis.

It’s just an article — not a book or a podcast — but it’s stuck with me more than most business books ever have. It’s the story of Shane Battier, a guy who didn’t light up the box score but quietly made every team he was on better. His impact was real, but not always visible. That idea — of hidden value, of quiet leverage, of measuring the hard-to-measure, fundamentally reshaped how I think about teams, leadership, and even investing.

It reminded me that the best contributors aren’t always the loudest or flashiest. Sometimes they’re just relentlessly consistent, aware of context, and committed to making everyone else better. That’s the kind of person I want to bet on. And the kind I want to be.