RBFN Podcast

Happy Holidays, my friends! Today we’re rereleasing a fan favorite - my conversation with Ruben Alonso, CEO of AltCap. AltCap is a mission-driven community development financial institution (CDFI) operating across multiple states and based in Kansas City. Ruben has propelled AltCap's growth for 15 years, channeling over $300 million in alternative financing towards underserved communities and often-overlooked entrepreneurs. No...

Keith welcomes Bryce Butler, founder and managing director of Access Ventures. Bryce shares his unique journey from the military and being a pastor to becoming an impact investor and advocate for innovative capital strategies that empower local communities. He discusses the concept of “access and agency,” emphasizing the importance of providing not only access to capital but also the tools for individuals to make informed decisions...

Navigating ROBS for Business Startups with Mickey Parker, CEO of Accelefund

In this episode, Keith explores an innovative way to start or buy a business using the retirement funds (IRAs and 401Ks) with Mickey Parker, Co-Owner and CEO of Accelefund. Mickey shares how entrepreneurs can utilize their retirement funds tax-free by setting up a ROBS (Rollover for Business Startup) account and using that to invest in their startup. He expl...

This week, Keith welcomes David Silverstein, the CEO of Ned, a software platform revolutionizing how lenders innovate and deploy capital. David first discusses Ned's end-to-end system, which powers diverse cash flow lending strategies nationwide. He talks about the critical role of technology in streamlining lending processes and improving accessibility, the challenges of fundraising, and the concept of the "resilient len...

This week, Keith welcomes Nolan Reichert, the Vice President & Head of Originations at Haversine Funding. Nolan shares more about his career funding the funders  in specialty finance, Nolan goes deep on Haversine’s thesis focusing on funding commercial and secured lenders, their sweet spot of $1-25 million loan sizes, and their unique underwriting process. He also shares insights on the challenges faced by small lenders in acce...

In this second episode of our two-episode chat with Chris Costello, the founder and former CEO of Blooom, it’s all about raising capital. Chris first talks about becoming a self-taught student in venture capital, and what he did to prepare once he finally got in front of potential investors. He shares what did and didn’t work, and advice for spinning rejection into more opportunity. Chris and I dive more into the challenges of earl...

Chris Costello is the founder and former CEO of Blooom, an innovative digital robo advisor. Chris is a rare entrepreneur who built both a bricks-and-mortar company and a technology business. In this first episode of our two-episode chat, Chris first talks about starting his entrepreneurial journey in 2004 by co-founding The Retirement Planning Group, an independent wealth management firm. Over the next decade, the firm flourished u...

Kristian Marquez is the founder and CEO of FinStrat Management. In our chat, Kristian shares lessons learned on his journey from starting a telemedicine startup, experiencing startup failure and an IPO, to founding FinStrat. He discusses the importance of validating your idea with customers through market feedback before building a product. He dives more into FinStrat’s unique approach, and also offers practical guidance into fundr...

Shaily Baranwal is the Founder and CEO of Elevate K-12. She’s an incredible entrepreneur and CEO, and I can attest to her ability to rapidly scale a company. Elevate K-12 provides engaging virtual classroom instruction from certified live teachers to ensure every student receives a high-quality education regardless of zip code. In the episode, Shaily shares the inspiring journey from her childhood in India as a special education st...

Marshall Lebovits is an advisor at Asset Based Funding Solutions with almost 35 years of experience in the secured financing and alternative capital industry. In the episode, Marshall shares more about his passion for helping grow companies that typically lack access to capital with non-dilutive asset-backed financing solutions. Marshall discusses how he built a network of connections around the world, the importance of carefully e...

This week features Brendan Cosgrove, Co-Founder and Director of Catalyze, a unique national nonprofit dedicated to democratizing access to LP and institutional capital networks and resources for underserved investors and GPs.  With his extensive experience guiding LPs at Cambridge Associates, and as Investment Director at the Kauffman Foundation's Capital Access Lab, Brendan brings a unique perspective to the table. In ou...

It’s a fun conversation this week with Justin Renfro, Director of Revenue-Based Financing at Wefunder. Justin shares his journey from a boat mogul with his company Chill Charters to working with thousands of entrepreneurs at Wefunder. Justin discusses his passion for building a diverse range of mission-driven companies, Wefunder’s community-based approach to drive value for founders and capital into businesses, and iterating the pl...

Our guest this week brings enthusiasm and excitement to RBF which sets the stage for a great conversation. We welcome Manolo Atala, Co-Founder and CEO of Fairplay, a LatAm-focused revenue-based financing platform headquartered in Mexico. Since launching in 2019, Fairplay has originated $220M in revenue-based loans, built a team of 127 people, and made a huge impact in Latin America. Manolo shares how they’ve done that, and covers h...

This week, we welcome Elliot Begoun, a 30-year industry veteran, author, podcast host, and founder of TIG brands, and developer of the CARE funding structure. Elliot focuses on empowering entrepreneurs to be nimble and capital-efficient change-makers throughout their journey. He shares insights on building tardigrades, not unicorns (and why that’s a thing), and lessons from developing and deploying alternative funding structures th...

We welcome the dynamic Melissa Withers, Founder and Managing Partner of RevUp, an early mover and innovator in the RBF market. Melissa shares her unconventional journey into professional investing, emphasizing her commitment to remaining founder-aligned throughout. She sheds light on RevUp's founder-focused and non-dilutive model, empowering founders to have more control over their destinies. In the conversation, Melissa refle...

In this episode, we're joined by Nick Mathews, the founder and CEO of Mainvest, where to date he has funded 400+ small businesses around the country. Nick is a visionary leader dedicated to rebuilding the American dream by empowering communities and small businesses with the capital they need to thrive. Nick talks about how his pivotal role in launching Uber in Boston helped him gain first hand insights into the economic chall...

This episode features Chris Atkins, President of C2FO’s lending business, also called Capital Finance. Chris joined C2FO in 2018, taking on a pivotal role in spearheading a data-driven lending function. He successfully launched C2FO's working capital lending solutions for the company's extensive network of suppliers. Prior to his tenure at C2FO, Chris spent 12 years in the finance and private equity sectors, primarily foc...

We’re taking a deep breath this week, as we dive into a conversation with Tyler Tringas, General Partner and Founder of the Calm Company Fund. In this episode, Tyler shares with us two very important experiences: raising capital for the GP to prepare for scale; and going to institutional allocators to raise larger funds. Importantly, these experiences taught him critical lessons that any investor should pay attention to. Tyler also...

On today's show, we're joined by Jonathan Bragdon, the CEO of Capacity Capital. With a remarkable track record, Jonathan has started eight companies, invested in over 30 businesses, and been featured in CNN, TechCrunch, BusinessWeek, and Inc.com. He's also a driving force in the Southeast startup community and has founded Capacity, a strategic advisory firm, as well as Capacity Capital, an innovative investment fund ...