Business Leader Inducted Into Central’s Athletic Hall of Fame
Twenty years after graduating from St. Paul Central High School as the school’s all-time leading tackler, D’Angelos Svenkeson is being inducted into the St. Paul Central Athletic Hall of Fame. It’s an honor he says belongs to more than just him.
“I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for the many people who have poured into me,” said D'Angelos, a father of three said, as he affectionately glanced at his wife, Kimberly.
As a 2006 graduate of St. Paul Central, D’Angelos Svenkeson recorded 428 career tackles, including 50 tackles for loss and seven sacks. A two-time varsity captain, he earned three All-Conference selections and Co-Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Those same qualities of discipline, leadership and teamwork have carried into his career beyond the football field. In 2025, D'Angelos was named to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. He has also been recognized by Metropolitan Economic Development Association as an entrepreneur and named Most Admired CEO for his leadership at NEOO Partners, a real estate development company he co-founded with Denetrick Powers in 2018.
D'Angelos has carried lessons from football into business, where preparation, discipline and teamwork remain essential. But those closest to him say his legacy extends beyond professional success.
“He’s very wise, very humble, family-oriented, and his passion for the community and the people of the community is what really drew me to him,” said Richard Magembe, his college roommate and friend of nearly three decades.
That tribute captures the theme of a recent gathering celebrating D'Angelos' induction: it takes a village.
Family, friends and mentors shared stories of his influence, from encouraging others to finish their education to offering guidance and helping create opportunities in the community. Svenkeson said he had initially prepared a list of 50 people he wanted to recognize for the role they played in his journey.
His induction honors what he accomplished at Central, but the story behind that achievement belongs to a much larger team.
On the football field, D'Angelos understood no player wins alone and the same is true in business and life. The people who block for you, tackle challenges alongside you and help move you down the field are often the reason you reach the end zone.
For D'Angelos, the lesson is the same in football and in life: success is never a solo effort.
It takes a team. It takes a village.
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