Dec. 21, 2021

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Keith Hurly, a business development associate for Expansion Capital Group.

Name: Keith Hurly

Age: 25 

Hometown: Sioux Falls

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

My amazing parents, Lori and Joe, have been in Sioux Falls since the day of my birth. I am the youngest of four, and they seemed to think this place would be perfect to raise a family, despite all the snow. Sioux Falls was much smaller, and the city limits barely stretched out beyond 57th Street, but as it stands today, the size was perfect for our family. Sioux Falls was not too big but also not too small.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

The community! My parents still live here, as well as a core group of friends and, perhaps most importantly, my girlfriend. Housing prices are low compared to other desirable places in the country, COVID hasn’t changed much in terms of what you can or cannot do, and the lack of a state income tax has me loving it here. Being that I also went to college at USD, it was hard to stay away from my hometown.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

My job holds a lot of tasks, so picking one individual thing can be complicated. However, I would say the best thing is the travel. Although I enjoy calling Sioux Falls home base, it is refreshing to occasionally get out and see other parts of the country while not having to fully engulf myself in the cost of living, risks or hectic commutes that may come with living in other states.

How did you get connected to your industry?

I was always a fan of big banking and worked at one prior to working for ECG. However, I did not like the compliance and two call reviews a day that came with it. I felt like I was constantly under a microscope and had no way of climbing the corporate ladder since they were promoting externally and paying the new people that I helped train more than me due to being older. I eventually got fed up, and one of my co-workers there recommended a new job for me that she had seen online. She wanted me to apply due to my extracurricular background from USD. Since then, I couldn’t have been more thankful of her recommendation! I started at ECG in July of 2019, and since then, I have no plans of putting my career in fintech on hold.

Describe Expansion Capital in three words.

Growth, opportunity, innovation.

What is something someone might be surprised to learn about you?

In my last semester of high school in 2015, I was to receive an award for my volunteering over several years at the local hospitals. It was an award signed by then-President Barack Obama, and I was to be ready at a moment’s notice during school to receive it. I got no heads-up, so I missed the entire presentation due to being absent from school to get a TB test to continue volunteering.

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

I always enjoy volunteering for Sanford or Avera. The programs they have are very flexible and allow people from all walks of life to see and meet some amazing people in the community! I recommend this to all high school and college students that need some extra volunteer opportunities.

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

I will say that I was on the Chick-fil-A to Sioux Falls boat since 2015, and we can see how that went. I think the next thing we could use would either be Benihana, Ruth’s Chris Steak House or an In-N-Out Burger if they ever expand beyond the West Coast. 

Where do you see yourself in five years?

To be honest, I wish I had a perfect answer to this question, but I do not. I think in a perfect world, I would be starting a family in a warmer climate, running my own business online and working 15 to 30 hours a week, all while spending my free time on YouTube to learn new hobbies, languages and useful skills. At some point, I do have a goal of being my own boss, but someday is not a plan. The truth is, if I am to start my own business one day, I will not do it unless I am very clearly creating something that can disrupt a large market. If I dip my toes in that, I intend to swim. I do not want to drown because I did something half-hearted and must return to being someone else’s employee as a result.