Lighter Capital is a fintech company that has raised $26 million in venture capital and $120 million in capital to fund startups. It has been on the Inc 5000 fastest-growing companies in the US for four consecutive years. Lighter is revolutionizing startup finance by offering a new funding path for early-stage tech companies. An entrepreneur’s two greatest constraints are time and money, and Lighter has developed technology to fund companies quickly and easily, providing up to $3 million per company in a fraction of the time it typically takes to raise funding. Startups typically need to raise millions of dollars from VCs to qualify for loans and lines of credit, but with Lighter Capital they can get financing without selling equity to VCs.

BJ has spent more than 20 years on both sides of the table of small business financing, including time as a VC and angel investor, the CFO of a public technology company, and an executive at startup technology companies. BJ received an MBA from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, an MA in International Studies (China Studies) from the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies, and a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Claremont McKenna College.