Johnny Brown, CFP®

I am a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and the President of Brown Capital Management, LLC in Little Rock, Arkansas. I have worked in the investment industry since 1999, including managing client portfolios through two of the most severe bear markets in modern U.S. history — the 2000–2003 technology downturn and the 2008–2009 financial crisis. That experience shaped the steady, disciplined approach I bring to protecting and growing my clients’ wealth in good markets and difficult ones alike.

Before becoming an advisor, I spent eight years as an equity analyst, where I developed a deep skill set in researching and valuing investments. I bring that same analytical rigor to every recommendation I make, because I believe a genuine understanding of the investments behind a plan is what helps clients reach their financial goals with confidence.

I work with a wide range of clients — from individuals and families to owners of small mom-and-pop businesses, to the employees and retirees of Central Arkansas’s largest institutions, including UAMS, UALR, and the VA, as well as foundations across Arkansas and beyond. Whatever the size of the relationship, my goal is the same: to build investment strategies designed to manage risk and pursue strong long-term returns, drawing on proven approaches such as Modern Portfolio Theory, Behavioral Finance, Behavioral Economics, and Value Investing. I find particular satisfaction in helping people navigate the financial decisions that come with a career change or retirement, including 401(k), 403(b), and Thrift Savings Plan rollovers.

I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Reynolds Business School, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Finance. I hold the FINRA Series 65 license for investment advisers and am licensed to sell life and health insurance in the state of Arkansas.

For fun, I love spending time outdoors — hiking, fishing, or relaxing at the lake or river with friends and family.

Kelly Hitt-Brown

I have worked in the financial services industry since 1998, including 14 years at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. as an advisor and paraplanner. At Brown Capital Management, I serve as a financial advisor and the Director of Client Service. My enthusiasm lies in getting to work with people on a daily basis and developing mutually satisfying relationships with our clients. I work with Johnny as part of a team providing wealth management, retirement planning, and insurance solutions for individuals, families, small businesses, and foundations.

I graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. But after a few years in the environmental protection industry, my interest in working directly with people led me to the financial services industry. I hold the FINRA Series 65 license for financial advisors, and a license to sell life and health insurance in the state of Arkansas.

I’ve been a member of the financial services community since 2002. Over two decades as a trader and platform operations specialist I played pivotal roles in portfolio implementation and account management at local firms Stephens, Inc. and Sowell Management Services.

My experiences while serving as an advisor to advisors eventually lead me to a conclusion – what I loved most about the job was spending time with the advisors and helping them solve the problems they brought me. At that point it was just a matter of time until I decided this was something I wanted to do for clients, so I joined Brown Capital Management in 2026.

I hold FINRA Series 7, SIE and Series 66 licenses and formerly held Series 55 and 24. I am a native Arkansan. My wife Bec and I have four kids, two dogs and a cat, and when we’re not working we are likely adventuring somewhere in the Natural State’s abundant network of rivers and trails.

Raised in Statesboro, Georgia, I moved to Arkansas in 2015, where I earned both a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. During college, I interned with Johnny and gained valuable insight into the business.

After graduation, I broadened my experience at Stephens Inc., where I worked for several years as a compliance coordinator. I later advanced to a portfolio analyst role at Naviter Wealth, serving high-net-worth clients. Throughout this time, I remained close with Johnny and Kelly, which eventually led me back to Brown Capital Management when the firm began expanding again. My wife, Maddie, and I live in North Little Rock with our two pups, Cocoa and Charlie, and soon-to-be baby boy, Arthur.