Start-Up Strategist | Operations Expert | Delivered >$2B in Revenue | Entrepreneurial Hyper-Growth Mindset | Strategic Partnerships | Digital Advertising Pioneer - $Bs in Media Placed | Multi-X Executive

As a CEO, CRO, COO and CFO, and multi-time founder, I have successfully led early-stage, high-growth Web and tech firms consistently delivering hyper-growth profitable revenue. I thrive in dynamic, fast-paced and often ambiguous environments and offer additional expertise in strategic planning, general, operational, and financial management.

As a founder/CXO, my banking and finance background served as the foundation to all my work.

@25, as Sr. Credit Policy Officer/VP at JPMorgan Chase, I designed, wrote and implemented numerous credit products for the Bank, ultimately bearing the credit risk for and overseeing a $50B+ loan portfolio. 

Over my career, I have led the growth of seven companies, including four self-funded start-ups and one venture-backed firm. Notably, two of these companies exceeded $140 million in annual revenue. My individual efforts have delivered over $2 billion in uninterrupted, profitable revenue to these ventures and two exits.

My comfort zone is complex problems, dynamic changes and continuous improvement in an organization. I am energized by competition and the need for continuous cost reduction and performance efficiency. 

My first full startup was a first-mover pioneer in the digital advertising sector, founding and building a digital advertising agency that created many of the methods and practices now broadly employed in digital marketing (SEO, SEM, etc.), targeted media planning and buying, programmatic advertising, data, tracking and reporting. We reached nearly $150M within 3 years; highly profitable, no investors or debt; started the company with $100.

I launched my career in corporate and investment banking, reaching VP at JPMorgan Chase @25. And, to kick off my startup career, I was on the founding team of two intrapreneurial startups in US and international telecommunications where I was the sole IC to a $50M run rate in year one.

I am passionate about complementing founding teams with my experience, ensuring success through effective planning, execution, operations and B/D strategies. I am driven by the connections and communications between individuals - employees and partners. People_Are_Everything!

brayton@gmail.com or (650) 397-1627.

Brayton Johnson

Proud to announce that #Eqvista has been named the #1 #EquityManagementPlatform by #G2.com!

Open article: Best Equity Management Software: User Reviews from February 2026 by g2.com

Best Equity Management Software: User Reviews from February 2026

#1 !!! The Best!!! Unequalled!!! Check it out!

https://lnkd.in/gcAwFP2M

Eqvista, a BDev portfolio company, is ranked the #1 Equity Management Platform by G2, based on user satisfaction.

In a category where too many cap tables still live in spreadsheets, this is a clear signal that the market is choosing clarity and control.

Congrats to Tomas Milar and the entire Eqvista team.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gvVHEeaQ

Fairness Opinions are becoming a more frequent assignment at Eqvista. Companies - and individuals need a qualified, objective 3rd party opinion on transactions and holdings.

When an M&A offer lands, most shareholders have no way to tell if the price is actually fair.

That's exactly what a fairness opinion is for.

It's a report prepared by a qualified third party that evaluates whether a merger or acquisition offer is fair, not just the price, but the terms and conditions, too. 

Think of it as an independent reality check before a major deal closes.

Public companies use them regularly. But private companies? Most skip them entirely, and that's where things get complicated.

We broke down when fairness opinions are required and why even private companies should consider getting one: https://lnkd.in/g6iCQ3kZ

#MergersAndAcquisitions #FairnessOpinion #StartupValuation #PrivateEquity

Special shoutout to #albertswantner of #NamelessCPG One of our top #Founders on #eqvista!

A master CPG entrepreneur!

In our latest edition of Founder Spotlight, we talk with Albert Swantner, CEO and Co-Founder of NamelessCPG, a trailblazing Austin-based company revolutionizing the consumer packaged goods (CPG) space through strategic brand acquisitions.

Albert, a serial entrepreneur with a mechanical engineering background from the University of Texas at Austin, brings deep expertise from prior ventures such as Mobile Tech RX (acquired by Repairify) and SaveDay, now part of Verdara. At Nameless CPG, launched in late 2023 alongside co-founder Kate Herling, he’s building a powerhouse portfolio of wellness-focused brands by bringing manufacturing, logistics, and marketing in-house for greater efficiency and profitability.

Read the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/g7A_DkYV

#startup #founder

Take a minute to connect with Tomas if you're going!

Founder and CEO @Eqvista: The future belongs to the private market. Real-Time Valuation for your company, targeting $1T in asset valuations.

This Tuesday and Wednesday, I’ll be at The Montgomery Summit in Santa Monica.

And to be honest, getting invited and being able to attend feels a little crazy.

It’s one of those events that brings together financial legends, investors, and incredible CEOs!

Our path to this moment actually started with something very specific: 409A valuations.
That led us deeper into fair market valuation, pricing both common stock (409A) and preferred stock. And obviously, stock administration and management.

Private companies don’t really have one price.
In many cases there are 10-15 implied prices, depending on preferences, deal structure, secondaries, or investor terms.

Pricing common stock is the easier part.

But the real challenge - the one nobody has really solved - is figuring out what the company is worth in an exit-like scenario, continuously, in real time.

That’s the problem we’re trying to solve at Eqvista.

We believe private markets need pricing infrastructure, and that’s what we’re building through Eqvista Real-Time Company Valuation®.

Excited for the conversations in Santa Monica.

If you’re attending The Montgomery Summit, let’s connect.

#PrivateMarkets #RealTimeValuation #PricingInfrastructure #Eqvista #VentureCapital

Valuation conversations have changed.

Market uncertainty has made it harder for founders to understand how their companies are being evaluated and what really matters in today's environment.

On March 18 at 11:00 AM ET, we're partnering with 5th Line for a live webinar on how valuation expectations are evolving, what the data is showing across stages, and how risk is being assessed right now.

📊 Valuation insights across stages
 💡 Real-world lender perspective
 🎯 Practical guidance for capital conversations
 ❓ Live Q&A

Speakers: 
Tomas Milar, Founder & CEO at Eqvista 
James Turner, Founder & CEO at 5th Line

Join us live for the discussion. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gNJFjkbm 

#valuation #funding #startups #founders

Outwork(and outsmart) the other teams. THIS is #Eqvista’s philosophy. THIS is why we are winning - and beating the competition.

There’s a strong belief inside most winning companies: hard work is the only way to win.

Lately I’ve been thinking about two very different “lead by example” philosophies, from two CEOs.

On one side, you have the ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt view (I had to dig to find the clip again): the reason startups win is because people work like hell. Not because they optimize comfort. Not because they log off early. Because they outwork the market.

On the other side, you have the ex-Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan saying that if anything comes up after 6:00pm, it needs to clear a very high bar, otherwise it can wait for another day.

Two approaches. Two cultures.

So the real question is: do we optimize for performance, or do we optimize for comfort? Because the market doesn’t care what time it is. Customers don’t pause. Competitors don’t pause. And outcomes don’t pause.

In my view, performance culture has to be embedded in every startup. You don’t build something great on “we’ll do it tomorrow.” You build it by showing up early, staying late, and caring more than the next team.

That’s how we’ve built Eqvista.

We operate with a winning culture. We work like hell. Team leaders are up at 5am, and I still see replies and follow-ups at 10pm, sometimes 1am. We built the company without traditional venture funding (just a few SAFEs), became profitable, and we’re now pushing private markets from static snapshots to live pricing, already across $270B in value, scaling fast toward $1T.

And that work shows up directly for clients:

We’re roughly 70% more cost-effective than many competitors
We don’t jack up prices to satisfy investor growth targets
We build based on client feedback, not internal opinions
Onboarding can happen in hours, not weeks
We’ve built one of the strongest 409A valuation teams in the market

There are two ways to look at building: one prioritizes comfort, the other prioritizes winning.

We’re here to win.

I’m someone who thrives in complexity—especially when there’s an opportunity to bring clarity and structure for meaningful work. 

What I enjoy most is helping teams and leaders move from uncertainty to action. Whether it’s designing a fit-for-purpose PMO, clarifying decision-making, untangling a tricky delivery schedule, or surfacing risks that others might miss, I bring a calm, strategic approach that helps people feel confident and supported.

At the heart of it all, I’m driven by integrity and curiosity. I enjoy building relationships, solving problems, and helping others succeed.

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