My Journey

I grew up on a farm in Iowa, where I learned early that progress usually comes from persistence, teamwork and a willingness to do the work. I was a first-generation college student at Brown University, where I studied Spanish, Portuguese and Italian and served as captain of the football team.

After Brown, I began my career in investment banking at William Blair & Company and later worked in private equity at Madison Dearborn Partners. Those experiences gave me an early education in business models, capital allocation and what separates promising companies from enduring ones. I later earned my MBA with honors from Harvard Business School.

I founded EverTrue in 2010 during my final semester at HBS. What began as an idea inspired by my experience as a Brown volunteer grew into a leading technology platform for nonprofit fundraising and donor experience.

Over the years, I have helped build the donor experience category and scale EverTrue through multiple stages of growth. The company has raised venture capital, completed a private-equity-backed recapitalization and merger, and expanded through several acquisitions. Today, EverTrue serves more than 15,000 nonprofit organizations with technology spanning donor intelligence, artificial intelligence, engagement, digital outreach and fundraising operations.

My work now focuses increasingly on the future of philanthropy technology: how AI, data and better constituent experiences can help nonprofit organizations build stronger relationships and raise more money.

I am co-founder and managing director of Alianza Capital, a Puerto Rico-based investment fund focused on providing private money fix and flip and bridge loans to real estate investors focused on housing and community development.

I have also invested in entrepreneurs building ambitious companies across software, consumer technology and marketplaces. I am drawn to founders with strong conviction, authentic connection to the problems they are solving and the resilience required to build enduring businesses.

Mentorship has played an important role throughout my life, from the coaches, professors and business leaders who invested in me to the founders and executives who have generously shared their experiences.

I try to pay that forward through the Brown Football Association, the startup community, university and entrepreneurship programs, and informal mentorship of emerging leaders. I especially enjoy helping people navigate pivotal moments in their careers, teams and companies.

My wife, Katie, and our three sons — Gunnar, Soren and Odin — are at the center of my life. During the pandemic, we traveled more than 12,000 miles across 36 states in an RV, an experience that ultimately helped inspire our move to Puerto Rico. We remain drawn to new places, cultures and experiences, and that spirit of exploration continues to shape how we live, learn and grow together.