Scott runs Operations at Kruze Consulting, a fast-growing Startup CFO Consulting firm that works with over 750 startup clients. Kruze is based in San Francisco with clients in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York and all over the United States. In addition to his Operations responsibilities, Scott runs the Venture Debt Consulting practice at Kruze. In his spare time, Scott publishes the Founders & Friends Podcast, which interviews Startup CEO’s, Investors and Other Service Providers in the Startup Ecosystem. Scott hold the CFA designation (Chartered Financial Analyst).
Before Kruze Consulting, Scott was a Partner at Lighthouse Capital, a private debt fund that lends to startups. In addition, Scott ran Community Products at Callisto Media.
Scott still manages his portfolio on behalf of Lighthouse. Some of his high-profile deals include Angie’s List, UpWork, J Hilburn, Serena & Lily and Impossible Foods. He’s led 20+ deals and invested over $100M+ with $0 losses and a mid-teen’s % IRR.
In his spare time, Scott co-founded Ben’s Friends, an Internet patient support community for people with rare diseases. Ben’s Friends is a 501C3 non-profit and has become one of the largest rare disease support communities on the Internet with 120,000 uniques last month (a 20% increase month over month).
Prior to joining Lighthouse, Scott spent three years in Technology Mergers & Acquisitions at Hambrecht & Quist which was later acquired by JPMorgan Chase.
Scott has an MBA from Kellogg, and an undergraduate business degree from CAL Berkeley. He also has a CFA and has passed the Series 7.
Scott’s Favorite Quote from Oceans by Pearl Jam:
You don’t have to stray
The oceans away
Waves roll in my thoughts
Hold tight the ring
The sea will rise
Please stand by the shore
I will be there once more
Scott’s Favorite Book:
- Hawaii by James Michener
Recent Blog posts by Scott Orn
Recent Podcasts by Scott Orn
Sam Heshmati of Citizens Private Bank discusses their tailored banking solutions and high-touch service.
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Sam Bhaumick, EVP of Venture Lending at Avidbank, explains how Avidbank offers venture debt and cash management services to startups.
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06/16/2024
Sunita Patel Head of Venture Coverage and Business Development, Innovation Bankingat HSBC
Sunita Patel of HSBC explains how the bank has expanded its startup banking services following its acquisition of SVB UK.
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John Li of Vimcal explains how the software allows busy founders and executives to effectively and efficiently manage their schedules.
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David Forsberg of Ascent Energy Ventures discusses Ascent's unique investment focus on digital tools for the energy industry, and explains how he reviews potential investments.
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Haje Kamps explains how Pitch Guide, an AI tool that analyzes pitch decks, helps founders improve their fundraising pitches by suggesting improvements and enhancements.
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Ben Parr, writer and analyst, discusses his involvement with early AI systems and explains how AI will impact the startup ecosystem.
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Operators Guild cultivates a community of finance and operations professionals who help each other navigate the issues involved in scaling companies, and develop professional networks.
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Kelly Caviglia at Bridge Bank talks about the services Bridge provides for startups, including venture lending, credit card solutions, treasury management, and more.
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