LYLE DONAN

Lyle studied Civil and Mining Engineering at Vanderbilt University and Colorado School of Mines, graduating in 1999 and obtaining his professional engineering license in 2002. After a year in commercial construction he joined his father, John Donan, Jr., at the business founded by Lyle’s grandfather in 1947 – Donan Engineering Co., Inc.

​

During the initial phase of his career, spanning over a decade, Lyle specialized in conducting forensic engineering investigations nationwide. He served a diverse clientele, including property insurance companies, FEMA, and legal professionals. It was during this period that he honed his entrepreneurial skills, guiding Donan’s transformation from a small family enterprise in Indiana and Kentucky into a national firm with four forensic investigation business lines and a workforce exceeding 400 employees by 2020.

​

Lyle is a serial entrepreneur and has been involved in numerous startups, including co-founding Seek-Now in 2011, Seed investing and advising Flyreel starting in 2016, and co-founding Source7 in 2018, where he continues to serve as Chairman of the Board. Lyle stepped down as the Donan CEO after a majority recapitalization in 2021, and now works fulltime leading his family office, Room and Pillar, investing, advising, and serving on boards for a portfolio of businesses across insurtech and proptech. 

​

Lyle is married with three children. He resides in Louisville, Kentucky, and spends time outdoors in the southern Appalachian Mountains, Florida coast, and Colorado Rockies.