Relativity Space’s CFO, Mo Shahzad, has been instrumental in shaping aerospace innovation, most significantly in helping build and launch Terran 1, the world’s first 3D-printed rocket. Mo's commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in space exploration underscores his pivotal role in steering Relativity Space to the forefront of the i…

In the complex world of academia, corporate finance, and venture capital, few names resonate as powerfully as Ilya Strebulaev’s. As a Professor of Finance at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Ilya has cemented his reputation as a leading authority in corporate finance, financial decision-making, and private company valuation. Ilya’s academi…

Fanatics has rapidly emerged as a juggernaut in the world of licensed sports merchandise, collectibles, and online betting. What started as an online retailer in the late 1990s has transformed into a multi-billion dollar operation serving as the official e-commerce partner for major professional sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, as wel…

Join Dallas Clement, President and Chief Financial Officer of legendary Cox Enterprises, as he shares invaluable insights into his career journey, financial leadership, and how Cox's foundational values have been a beacon of success for 125+ years. With over three decades of experience, Dallas emphasizes the importance of balancing culture, learnin…

In this episode of The Modern CFO, Lauren StClair, CFO of NerdWallet, shares her unique career journey spanning across startups and large corporations like PayPal, eBay, and StubHub. She delves into the valuable lessons she's learned along the way, offering key takeaways for professionals in the finance and technology industries. Lauren's journey b…

"Am I continuing to learn? Am I continuing to create value?” These questions act as pillars for Eric Muhlheim, propelling his expansive career from studying mathematics to leading finance teams at one of the most dynamic tech organizations today. In our first episode of 2024, Eric and host of The Modern CFO, Andrew Seski, explore Eric's formative e…

From investor to public company CFO, BLADE's Will Heyburn shares his path to the selective role of leading a finance team from the private markets through an IPO and beyond. In this episode of The Modern CFO, Will unpacks BLADE's unique evolution from passenger transportation to a leading medical organ transport provider and why they continue to fo…

In today's fast-paced marketplace, distinguishing what is important and impactful is a challenging task, and when a crisis unfolds rapidly, the stakes reach unprecedented heights. Steven Kelly, Associate Director of Research at the Yale Program on Financial Stability, joins us to discuss how navigating the choppy financial waters requires CFOs to p…

In this episode, Mark Wilson, former CFO of iconic automotive brands McLaren and Aston Martin, reveals the keys to enduring success in an ever-changing industry. Now CFO at Verge, an electric motorbike company, he shares with us his strategy to marry cutting-edge performance innovations with an authentic human experience. We discuss the fundamental…

In a world where data reigns supreme, today's leaders need to balance the quantitative with the qualitative to lead, create, and inspire the next generation of CFOs. In his role as CFO at ThoughtSpot, Mohit Daswani leverages his extensive background gained from notable positions at JPMorgan, PayPal, and Square. He passionately champions the company…

Have you ever wondered what the future of car-sharing looks like? Turo CFO Chuck Fisher unpacks this with host Andrew Seski on this episode of The Modern CFO Podcast. Chuck also shares his perspective on the role of trust in car-sharing technology, the economic value created on Turo's platform, and how Turo is bridging the gap in transport insecuri…

Jessica Holscott didn’t always have a clear route to a public-facing C-suite role. She had spent many years in different industries — from lighting to vehicle manufacturing — transitioning through a variety of positions to become the well-rounded businesswoman she is today. Most recently, she served as executive vice president (EVP) and chief finan…

For Townsend Search Group, executive search is a highly personalized process—one that requires looking at the market, the competitor environment, and the culture of the client’s organization, and then drawing up a tailored strategy for them. The goal isn’t just to find candidates. Rather, Townsend aims to place change-making leaders that fulfill lo…

It is a real privilege to invite you to listen to this exclusive podcast episode featuring John Nickolas, the esteemed CFO of the Philadelphia Phillies since 2007. With a rich background that includes notable contributions to Philadelphia's business landscape through esteemed firms like KPMG, Safeguard Scientifics, and Internet Capital Group, John'…

As customer expectations continue to evolve, marketers must adapt by delivering more personalized, timely, and efficient communication. This is where the online marketing platform Customer.io truly shines. Customer.io enables tech-savvy marketers to engage with their customers in a more meaningful way through emails, SMS, push notifications, and mo…

In the world of wealth and asset management, and the private markets in general, there is a noticeable communication gap between generations. The next generation of owners–people between the ages of 18 and 25–are prolific consumers of digital content, from Reddit threads to Spotify podcasts. For many businesses, that means adopting new technologies…

Many small and medium-sized businesses in the country rely on a disparate range of financial services to help manage their accounts, expenses, and payments. Unfortunately, this system lends itself to time-consuming processes and inefficiencies that get in the way of growth. That’s why Rho is integrating all the financial services businesses need in…

So much of the purchasing for tech startups and small businesses is online. Yet they often struggle to pay for the services and platforms they need because they don’t have business credit cards. This problem is especially acute for startups that lack credit as they’re more likely to have a hard time securing financing from banks than startups with …

Private assets have traditionally been accessible only to large institutional investors and venture capitalists But that’s quickly changing, thanks to investment platforms like Fundrise. Fundrise is an online real estate investment platform with over 300,000 active users. Through Fundrise, everyday investors can access real estate markets and deals…

Crypto investors have seen their fair share of sudden market meltdowns this year. This week, all eyes were on FTX, formerly one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency derivative exchange platforms. This latest turmoil has sent shockwaves throughout the industry. Yet historically, cryptocurrencies have rebounded following each crisis. What doesn’t wi…

Raising capital can be a tedious process, even after investors have agreed to commit capital. This realization was the catalyst for experienced Bay Street lawyers Mat Goldstein and Rebecca Kacaba launching DealMaker—a digital transaction management platform that provides a seamless, headache-free investor experience. Since the platform’s inception …

Financial management can make or break a business. Any business undertaking attempted without taking cost drivers, growth prospects, and value realization goals, among other critical factors, into account is leaving a big, wide door open to problems. Jack Boyles, Managing Director at Marcum LLP, understands this perfectly well. With his extensive e…

Finance and accounting processes are vital elements of any business. In many cases, business leaders expect the finance and accounting department to run as smoothly as possible to ensure that payments are processed swiftly and reports are made on time to gather insights and inform decision-making. But what if there was a way to improve the efficien…

There’s more to your average sports game than meets the eye. It takes a dedicated team working off the court to prepare for each game and ensure fans show up and players are paid their due. These and more are matters in which Rachel Pearcy, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the WNBA's Dallas Wings, is an expert. Drawing from her …

The challenge of a CFO’s role is more than just being the pillar of confidence and stability in any organization: their hands are on the financial tiller. They must be the cornerstone that a CEO can draw confidence. Whether navigating downturn conditions, balancing your company’s runway with its growth, or keeping your team strong despite the compe…

In this special episode of The Modern CFO, Andrew Seski sits down with David Magerman, renowned computer scientist, investor, and current co-founder of Differential Ventures. During the mid-90s, David was at the precipice of quantitative investing—parlaying his revolutionary research at IBM into joining mathematician Jim Simons at Renaissance Techn…

Navigating today’s digital world is daunting, especially for businesses. There’s no shortage of tactics to leverage–emails, blogs, videos, webinars, podcasts, ads–and a seemingly endless supply of apps and platforms to execute those initiatives. So, how do you break through the noise and get your company noticed? For Cory Hogan, CRO of Lob, the key…

Built on the back of blockchain technology, token-based economics is creating a new kind of environment. This internet evolution–Web3–is being spearheaded by new technologies, NFTs and cryptocurrencies for example, and the people that design these new applications. Gabe Avins, Head of Finance at Alchemy, is helping to enable this shift by empowerin…

Many early-stage companies leverage equity when fundraising after considering certain risk profiles and limited liability to the founders. Though, in unique and more regularly-occurring situations, there are other options to consider. If you’re looking for capital but don’t want to raise equity, James Turner of 5th Line Capital recommends looking t…

The route to transitioning from “Big 4” accounting to early startups is not always a natural transition, but for that exact reason–and more–Melinda Smith is one of the most unique CFOs we’ve had on the podcast. She demonstrates how to best leverage practical, financial, and technical skills into emerging firms like she has done in the past at now-m…

Culture is the core of every company, but keeping it consistent isn’t always easy, especially in an increasingly remote-first world. On this episode of The Modern CFO, Tim Brown shares how Dakota prioritizes culture-building and why CFOs should think about the more permanent changes brought on by the pandemic. Show Links Check out Dakota Connect wi…

Jared Shaw didn’t take the traditional path to the financial world. When his classmates were starting prestigious internships, he joined the military and gained valuable leadership skills. Today, Jared is focused on solving problems: specifically, solving the distribution problem in the world of cryptocurrency. As the Head Of Finance at Gemini, Jar…

In 2012, Woodie Neiss was a CFO and entrepreneur who was seeking to change the rules of the investment game. When President Obama signed his crowdfunding bill later that year, it opened a whole new world for individuals to participate in the private capital markets. Today, the crowdfunding industry has surpassed $1 billion in funding and takes plac…

With an abundance of capital chasing a limited number of opportunities, one unique entry point for investors is in secondary direct investments. Secondary opportunities consist of buying shares in private, pre-IPO companies directly from employees and investors versus the traditional route of participating in the next round of fundraising. Andrea W…

Jeremy Baksht has a rich history in finance, from banking at J.P. Morgan to several entrepreneurial ventures. His specialty is data and FinTech, and his newest company is DataFrame Ventures. Over the years, Jeremy has learned that he has a good eye for investing and generating LP interest in his niche. In this episode, he talks about the importance…

"Data rights are labor rights, especially when it comes to the platforms of the gig economy. Leveraging data for the collective good is essential for the future of work and internet health." Listen to Zeina Abi Assy, MozFest Partnerships and Dialogue Lead, read "Labor Rights: Unlock Data Power", one of the spotlights of the 2020 Internet Health Rep…

"In a challenging year for the world, the internet helped us and harmed us like never before. With 2020 in the rearview, we combine research and stories about what can be done." Listen to this automated reading of "Year in Review: A Healthier Internet is Possible" with open text-to-speech technology by Coqui. You can also find this story on our web…

"Transparency is often described as a first step towards holding social media companies accountable. But what does meaningful transparency look like and how could it spark real change?" Listen to Chad Sansing, Project Coordinator for MozFest, read "Transparency: Real Change How?", one of the spotlights of the 2020 Internet Health Report. You can al…

"Technology has never been colorblind. Since the beginning of the internet, calling out racial inequities of data and algorithms means facing denials and backlash. It’s time to abolish notions of “universal” users of software and beneficiaries of digital rights." Listen to Lou Huang, a software engineer at Nava and a wrangler for the 2021 Mozilla F…

Nyamishana Prudence invited us for a Zoom coffee to share our hopes for the future, our favorite stories from the IHR and what's ahead for internet health in 2021. You'll hear Uffa Modey telling us more about Nigeria's #EndSars developments, Mohamed ElGohary reflecting on the importance of internet communities and Raashi Saxena explaining the parti…

Invest in people. Easy, right? While more money than ever is being deployed around the world into new ventures, Oslene Carrington is leveraging her own entrepreneurial experience to ensure entrepreneurs in Guyana and the Caribbean have access to financing as well. Oslene is not one to wait around for change to occur. She decided she would create he…

Realized returns on investments for venture capital funds used to happen within three to seven years. Now, the biggest companies are extending funds to 15+ years—and investors are getting impatient. This could dampen venture capital as an asset class, but not if Aman Verjee can help it. On this episode of The Modern CFO, Aman discusses how Practica…

The heyday of Main Street is over. The spotlight now shines on Digital Street. Curt Sigfstead has been long drawn to the power of entrepreneurs and the opportunity they present to transform the world. After leading the prominent West Coast technology investing division at JP Morgan, Curt joined Clearco. Clearco is at the forefront of digital growth…

Looking for a long-term view of what it means to be a good CFO? Brian Hughes is a retired partner of KPMG and an experienced advisor to public VC- and PE-backed portfolio companies. His perspective spans an entire career of public and private market transactions, overseeing multiple market cycles--like the dot-com bubble and the 2008 recession--and…

What do Microsoft and a dental care marketplace have in common? Plenty, if you look at it from the inside-out. Dave Monahan, CEO of Kleer, got his entrepreneurial training at Microsoft, where he learned how to focus on solutions, build transparency, and innovate faster. Today, Dave is building a pandemic-proof culture at Kleer, a dental care market…

As a serial entrepreneur, Matt Wensing is no stranger to managing the day-to-day operations and growing pains of new businesses. However, he was surprised that his dependency on the same, stale spreadsheets hadn’t waned by his third venture. In 2019, Matt launched Summit to accelerate financial intelligence by replacing idiosyncratic, disparate spr…

Public practice accountant Martin Chee knows: no one likes wasting time on tedious data entry of the same numbers over and over again. That’s the gap he uncovered in the financial accounting industry — and the gap that his company Amaka fills seamlessly. Their accounting integrations software lets businesses capture their financial data and use it …

Cuando nos dispusimos a reunir historias y momentos de internet que fueran saludables o preocupantes en 2020 nos tocó conversar y reflexionar con las personas que colaboraron en el Informe sobre cómo se ven y se reconocen los momentos saludables en internet. Los momentos preocupantes sí se vieron con claridad (y además, nos llovieron). Con las hist…

Cameron Hyzer is the CFO of ZoomInfo, a B2B database seeking to revolutionize the sales & marketing process. With over 2 decades of experience, Cameron is expanding the role (and importance) of CFOs in growing companies. Cameron joined me to talk about the evolution of today’s CFO, the best mentalities for success, and how ZoomInfo is changing go-t…

CFO Mandeep Basra joined RentMoola right as COVID-19 was declared a worldwide pandemic. Little did he know that the company would be quickly pivoting to help landlords and tenants by offering remote payment options and micro-lending assistance. This digital innovation is just what Mandeep thinks the world needs in order to serve sophisticated digit…