Fran Tarkenton

As a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings and New York GIants, Fran Tarkenton learned that the job of a leader is to make his teammates great. Over an 18-year career, he led his teams to 3 Super Bowl appearances. As an individual, he won the NFL MVP in 1975, and set NFL career records for pass completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing yards by a quarterback, and quarterback wins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987 for his years with the University of Georgia.

He’s carried that same team-oriented philosophy into a 50+ year career as an entrepreneur, building more than 20 successful companies in a range of industries including education, organizational psychology, and technology. He was the keynote speaker for the SBA’s National Small Business Week 2013 event in Washington, DC, and was awarded the DECA Entrepreneurial Spirit Award in 2014. Some of his current businesses include Tarkenton Financial, Tarkenton Institute, and GoSmallBiz.

A passionate advocate for small businesses, Fran founded GoSmallBiz in 1996 to provide tools and resources to small business owners. He continues to serve as a coach and mentor to his leadership team and work closely with enterprise partners to help small business owners and entrepreneurs reach their dreams.