Cameron Kinloch

True Vantage Partners

I work with CEOs, founders, executive teams and Boards to accelerate growth and strengthen governance during critical inflection points - fundraising, scale up, IPO prep, and M&A. 

My expertise spans Finance, Biz Ops, HR, Legal, and RevOps across a wide range of industries.

Key Projects:
• M&A Advisory: Led diligence, buyer negotiations, and Board updates for a fintech company exploring strategic alternatives.
• PE Portfolio Company Scale-Up: Built Finance, HR, and Legal functions from scratch for a PE-backed company to enable scale under new ownership.
• Fundraising & Forecasting: Developed 5-year models and investor decks that supported successful Seed and Series A raises.
• Liquidity Planning: Designed cash flow and scenario models to guide capital planning and lender alignment for high-growth businesses.
• Operating Discipline: Introduced OKRs and operating "rhythm of business" that improved alignment and accountability across teams.
• Biz Ops & RevOps: Helped establish forecasting, GTM analytics, and cross-functional planning processes.

I advise, support, and execute, bringing C-suite and Board-level perspective while helping companies build the financial and operational foundations to reach key milestones.

Board, CEO & CFO Advisor

EROAD

EROAD is a public telematics company, dual listed on the NZX/ASX exchanges. Member of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee and the Nominations Committee.

Independent Board Director, Audit & Nom Gov Committees

Copper Cow Coffee

Independent Board Director

Weights & Biases

Successful exit to CoreWeave in May 2025.  W&B is building the best in-class, enterprise grade tools for AI developers. 

I am incredibly proud of our achievements at W&B. To highlight a few:

• Significant company scaling with 10x ARR growth and headcount growth from 90 to 270
• Built Finance & Legal teams from 0 to 15 + staff; supported scaling of People, Rev Ops and Deal Desk
• Launched first long-range model, AOP, and board reporting
• Forecast accuracy >97 %
• Closed $50M Series C-2 and managed investor relations
• Implemented treasury program
• Completed clean Deloitte first-year audit with no audit adjustments
• Deployed NetSuite, Pigment, Airbase; cut close to 8 days
• Opened Japan entity

Chief Financial Officer

Guided Board and CEO through M&A exit to private equity. Chair of Strategic Planning Committee. Finance Committee.

Independent Board Director, Audit & Strategic Planning Committees

Dynamic Signal

Led successful M&A exit to private equity for enterprise SaaS company with 30% of the Fortune 100 as customers. 

Led all M&A workstreams for the company (banker selection, diligence, negotiation of deal terms, closing of the transaction and integration) while also leading Finance, Legal and Revenue Operations.

Bulletproof 360

Joined as CFO of Bulletproof.  Promoted to COO and added to the Board of Directors within 6 weeks of joining.  The full executive team reported into me.

• Full operational responsibility across Sales, Marketing, e-Commerce, Supply Chain, R&D, Finance, Legal, HR, and Customer Service
• Restructured operations and cost structure to achieve profitability within 6 months
• Led creation of Compensation and Audit Committees and refinement of corporate governance policies and practices

Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Board Director

Ripple Foods

Full CFO responsibilities. Recruited to lead all Finance functions reporting to the CEO.

• Board: Led Board discussions on financials.  Managed Board agenda and resolutions
• Financings: $65mm Series C announced January 2018; led upsize of large debt facilities
• Audit: Managed successful completion of first year audit
• Team: Built out Accounting and FP&A team from 2 to 8 in ten months

SVP, Finance

Ripple

Full CFO responsibilities for global enterprise software and payments company, reporting to CEO.

Recruited to lead all Finance and Facilities functions.  Finance responsibilities spanned FP&A, Accounting, Business Intelligence, Investor Relations, Revenue Operations, Treasury, and Tax.

• Strategy: Developed framework to refine and drive alignment to long-term company strategy 
• Finance: $55mm Series B announced September 2016. Transformed Finance into a strategic partnering function across entire business and built out key finance functions from scratch
• Operations: Drove operational maturity and excellence as the company rapidly scaled its enterprise sales. Scoped, established and helped hire key roles across the company
• Metrics: Created company goal setting process and responsible for cascading goals throughout the organization. Defined key company metrics
• Tax: Led initiatives to optimize company's global tax structure
• Investor Relations: Established IR function for digital asset and equity investors
• Facilities: Led global facilities function and full build-out of 30,000 sq. ft new HQ

VP of Finance

Box, Sunrun

Recruited to establish and scale critical finance functions and the FP&A organization at several incredible companies.  Built teams and established finance functions from scratch through hyper-growth, international expansion, multiple acquisitions and IPO.  

Took Box through the S-1 process and Sunrun through IPO. Took on progressively larger and more senior roles culminating in VP, FP&A role.

VP of FP&A

As a CFO, COO and 4x Board Director, I bring over 20 years of experience leading companies through pivotal transitions and driving strategic growth. 

Here's how I've helped some of the most prominent startups on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley scale:

↳ Led companies to triple-digit growth and profitability within six months.
↳ Spearheaded numerous eight-digit debt, equity, and convertible fundraises.  Achieved 100% direct sales growth while reducing costs by 20%.
↳ Advised CEOs and companies ranging from $2M to $450M+ in revenue through multiple funding rounds, IPOs and M&A exits. 
↳ Served on 4 boards, both private and public, guiding CEOs and management teams.
    
I grew up in LA where grit and education were non-negotiable. That drive took me from a public school to Harvard—and eventually to Wall Street.

My time on Wall Street was a wild ride. While I loved the fast-paced world of finance, I found my true passion in Silicon Valley, helping tech companies grow and succeed.

I’ve enjoyed combining my financial expertise with the innovative spirit of startups, guiding them through growth, IPOs, and successful exits. In the past decade, I've had the chance to work with visionary founders, helping them scale while setting them up for long-term success.

Now, I’m on a mission to help companies grow, using everything I’ve learned.

Here’s how I can help you:

1) Speak at your event on leadership, finance, or scaling startups.
2) Advise your company on navigating growth challenges, preparing for an IPO, or improving financial performance.

Shoot me a DM or email me at cameron.kinloch@gmail.com, and we’ll chat more.

We are building the best in-class, enterprise grade tools for AI developers. Our vision is to be the single system of records for all things AI within an organization.

Used by teams at NVIDIA, OpenAI, Lyft, Blue River Technology, Toyota, and MILA, W&B is part of the new standard of best practices for AI.

Early in my career as a CFO, I opened a 60-slide board deck to present in our quarterly meeting.

By slide 4, the Chair stopped me and asked, “Cameron, what do you want from us?”

That question stung and it changed how I run boards forever. 💡

Board meetings aren’t report-outs.
They’re decision forums.

It’s not about reciting metrics or proving effort.
It’s about getting clarity on what moves next. 🎯

Here’s the 3-step formula I now follow to make that happen:

1) Start with the ask.

Before you open your deck, be clear on what you need from the board.
A decision? A green light? A perspective?

If you can’t summarize your ask in one sentence, you’re not ready to present.

2) Simplify the narrative.

Most CFOs think the board wants everything. They don’t.

They want the why and the so what. Cut the noise, connect the dots, and frame every slide around what truly matters to the business.

3) Tie every metric to a story.

Don’t stop at “what happened.” Explain “why it matters” and “what we’ll do next.”

Every metric should lead somewhere, otherwise, it’s trivia.

Once I reframed meetings around action, everything changed.
Our discussions became faster, decisions clearer, and execution sharper. ⚡

That shift also supercharged trust.

The board began seeing finance not as a function but as a strategic partner that keeps the business moving forward.

If you’re a CFO still measuring success by how much you present → flip it.

Measure it by how clearly the board moves after you’re done.

P.S. I advise CFOs and VPs of Finance on building decision clarity, tighter narratives, and leadership rhythms that move the business forward. Reach out if you want to strengthen how your team shows up in the boardroom.

Board Director | CFO & COO | 4 Exits, 2 IPOs | Advisor to High-Growth CEOs and CFOs

After 15 years in the C-suite and 4 board seats, I’ve noticed the same mistakes that quietly stop talented finance leaders from becoming CFO:

1) They think like controllers, not operators.

CFOs don’t just report numbers - they shape decisions.

If you never talk about customers, product, competitive pressure, or revenue levers, you’re signaling you’re a functional expert… not an enterprise leader.

2) They build relationships up, not across.

Great CFOs aren’t just trusted by the CEO and board.

They’re trusted by GTM, Product, Ops, and People because they show up early, listen, and help solve real problems.

3) They can model a forecast but not tell the story.

The CFOs who earn board confidence connect everything in one clean thread: what’s happening, why it matters, what options exist, and the trade-offs behind each path.

Boards remember the narrative - not the spreadsheet.

4) They wait to be invited in.

Future CFOs don’t sit back. They initiate scenario plans, pressure-test strategy, and surface risks before anyone asks.

5) They stay stuck in precision mode.

Perfect accuracy slows companies down.

Standout CFOs set decision thresholds, embrace scenario ranges, and call out the unknowns so the business can move faster.

6) They solve today’s problem, not the next stage.

Boards choose the leader who can scale the company from $20M → $50M, $50M → $200M, or pre-IPO → public.

Your mindset must shift with the stage.

7) They underestimate how much the CFO role is leadership.

Most misses aren’t technical - they’re about influence.
CFOs lead rooms, drive alignment, and bring clarity in moments where ambiguity is high.

The difference between a great finance leader and a CFO isn’t technical skill.
It’s how you think, how you lead, and how you show up.

PS: I coach finance leaders on strategic storytelling, board communication, and executive presence. If you’d like to explore working together, send me a DM.

Starbucks’ new CFO, Cathy Smith, turned heads this year with a $5 million cash signing bonus and a $6.4 million equity grant.

But the real headline isn’t the pay.

It’s why she was hired.

Smith stepped in at a moment when Starbucks was facing:

☕ Multiple quarters of declining same-store sales
☕ A weakening emotional connection with customers
☕ A culture and operating model that needed a reset

This wasn’t a “steady state” CFO hire.

It was a turnaround hire paired intentionally with CEO Brian Niccol.

Because today’s CFO mandate has changed.

It’s not just a finance problem.
It’s a leadership problem.

And that’s exactly why she was chosen.

Boards today don’t want CFOs who just balance books.
They want CFOs who can lead the business forward.

It’s no longer about reporting what happened, it’s about shaping what happens next.

1) From finance leader → enterprise leader

Cathy Smith wasn’t hired to oversee accounting.
She was hired to rebuild momentum - Using finance as the lens for execution, culture, and customer experience

2) From data → narrative building

Financial Precision matters, but it doesn’t move people
The CFO who can extract meaning behind earnings, costs, and forecasts, and turn it into a clear story, inspires belief across investors, employees, and the board.

3) From siloed thinking → cross-functional leadership

Turnarounds don’t happen from one department.
The most effective CFOs align teams, re-energize culture, and enable faster, better decisions across the entire business.

Starbucks didn’t hire Cathy Smith for where the company is.

They hired her for where it needs to go.

And they placed a bet that finance leadership can help drive that shift.

Lesson:

The CFOs who shape the future - not just report the past - are the ones defining the next era of leadership.

PS: If you’re a CFO or VP of Finance preparing for that next step, I coach leaders on the real levers of the role: strategic narrative, board communication, and enterprise leadership. DM me if you want to explore working together.

Forbes called her the most powerful and influential CFO of the last decade…

But when Google hired Ruth Porat in 2015, most analysts doubted she was the right fit.

A Wall Street operator at an innovation-driven tech giant? 
Many assumed her discipline would slow Google down.

The opposite happened:

📈 Alphabet’s market value grew past $3 trillion during her tenure
🚀 The stock jumped after her early earnings calls
💡 The company consistently beat revenue and profit expectations

Here’s what she actually changed - and what today’s CFOs can learn from her:

1) Anchor decisions in data.

Porat was famous for saying, “The answer is a number.”
Data over opinions. Signal over noise. It cut through politics fast.

2) Replace passion projects with real frameworks.

She introduced structure to how Google funded big bets.
Teams had to prove why they deserved capital - not just ask for it.

3) Challenge the status quo.

She pushed back on excess, tightened spend, and reset expectations.
Not to clip innovation - but to fuel the right innovation.

4) Think in decades, not quarters.

Her support for AI and Cloud was grounded in long-term value creation.
CFOs don’t just protect the present. They underwrite the future.

5) Earn investor trust through transparency.

By separating core results from “Other Bets,” she gave investors clarity.
Clarity → confidence → multiple expansion.

Porat didn’t shrink Google. She sharpened it.

That’s the new era of finance leadership:

CFOs don’t just keep companies healthy. 

They shape strategy.
They influence product priorities. 
They build investor conviction. 
And they make the long term impossible to ignore. 💪

PS: If you’re a CFO or VP of Finance preparing for that next step, I coach leaders on the real levers of the role: strategic narrative, board communication, and enterprise leadership. 

DM me if you want to explore working together.

At 25, my boss called me into her office...

"You're making great progress, but we're holding off on the promotion..."

I didn’t get it.

Now that I’m in the C-suite, I see why that promotion never came.

I was the hardest worker in the room.
Answering emails at midnight.
Taking every project.
Saying 'yes' to everything.

But here’s what I didn’t understand then:
Hard work isn’t the same as visible impact. 💡

I kept my head down. 
I never talked about my wins. 
I never connected my work to the bigger business story.

20 years later, I still see employees being misled.

❌ The hardest worker doesn’t get promoted.
❌ The smartest worker doesn’t get promoted.

✅ The person who shows their value gets promoted.

Your work won't speak for itself.
You have to.

Make your value impossible to miss.

- Pitch your ideas in meetings
- Talk about your career goals during 1:1s
- Tie your wins to business objectives
- Bring solutions, not just problems
- Celebrate milestones through internal channels

Quiet mouths don’t get fed.

And in your career, visibility is a skill - not a personality trait.

Early in my tenure as a board director, I emailed a question about an assumption in the financial model.

Within hours...

- The Chair acknowledged the question
- A fellow director asked for clarification
- Management responded with context the next day
- The item was added to the next meeting agenda

That simple exchange told me everything → this board values transparency, accountability, and speed.

And I realized you can learn a lot about a board’s culture from something small: how they respond when a director raises a concern over email.

On less mature boards, the same note is met with silence, defensiveness, or deferral.

And the truth is, concerns don’t disappear.

 They just reappear later as bigger, more expensive problems.

Governance reveals itself in small moments.

A healthy board:

✅ Acknowledges
✅ Clarifies
✅ Discusses
✅ Acts

An unhealthy board avoids all four.

We talk a lot about culture in the boardroom, but you can usually see it long before the meeting starts.

In 2003, Michael Fiddelke joined Target as a finance intern.
In 2019, he became CFO.
In 2026, he’s set to become the CEO of the $106 billion giant.

Here’s a big lesson if you’re a finance professional and you want to scale your career:
🎯 Think beyond finance.

Fiddelke didn’t rise to the top just by mastering accounting entries or delivering perfect forecasts.

He rotated through merchandising, operations, supply chain, and strategy.
He learned how the business actually works.

That’s the part most finance professionals miss.
Here’s what thinking beyond finance actually looks like:

1) Understand how money moves. 

Go beyond the P&L. Learn where value is created, where it leaks, what slows revenue down, and what accelerates it.

2) Speak the language of operators.

Talk in customer impact, velocity, margin, and growth. When you translate numbers into business outcomes, influence goes up.

3) Build cross-functional trust. 

The best insights live with the people closest to the work. When they trust you, they’ll tell you what the spreadsheet never will.

4) Drive decisions.

Executives don’t need more data, they need clarity. Frame trade-offs, recommend a path, make decisions easy to act on. Then you’re a strategic partner, not just a reporting function.

5) Solve problems outside finance

Fixing bottlenecks in GTM, product, or ops grows your impact far faster than polishing another report.

The truth is simple:

You don’t grow your career just by getting better at finance.
You accelerate when you become more valuable to the business. 💡

That’s the shift Fiddelke made early.

And it’s exactly the shift high-growth finance professionals need to make now.

P.S. After 15+ years in the C-suite, 4 exits, and 2 IPOs, I now coach finance leaders on strategic storytelling, board communication, and executive leadership. If you’d like to explore working together, send me a DM.

12 career principles I’ve learned as a C-suite leader and 4x Board Director that I wish I knew on day one:

👇

1) Become the go-to person for hard problems. Solve what others avoid and you become impossible to replace. 💡

2) The best communicator wins.
It’s not the idea - it’s your ability to get others to believe in it.

3) You don’t get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate. Closed mouths don’t get promoted.

4) No one gets promoted for “doing their job.” Growth comes from stretching beyond your job description.

5) Make other people look good. If you help them win, they’ll pull you up with them. 🤝

6) Soft skills pay the highest ROI. Selling, influencing, navigating tough conversations - that’s leverage.

7) Speed matters. Fast movers get more opportunities because they create momentum.

8) Grow by being the least experienced person in the room. If you’re always the expert, you’re not learning anymore.

9) Being right isn’t enough. If you can’t persuade, you can’t lead.

10) Your first decade is about skills, not salary. Chase learning. The comp follows competence. 🎯

11) Reputation compounds. Every action builds or erodes your future opportunities. Protect it.

12) People don’t follow titles. They follow value. Become someone worth listening to.

What’s one lesson you wish you knew earlier?
Let me know in the comments.

I used to think the CFO role was about numbers.

Then I delivered a financial review with flawless charts, metrics, and margin breakdowns only for my CEO to look confused and say, “Cameron, what do I do with this?”

And that’s when it hit me:
Data doesn’t drive decisions, context does.

The best finance leaders translate reporting into business clarity. Here’s how:

1) Lead with the insight, not format.

❌ Here’s our revenue trend.
✅ Revenue is up 12%, but 80% of that growth came from one segment - concentration risk is rising.

Start with the meaning.
Start with why it matters.
Start with the thing people will remember.

When you give the takeaway first, the numbers finally have a reason to exist.

2) End with “So what?” and “What’s next?”

A great review doesn’t show what happened. It clarifies what leaders should do about it.

Before sharing any number, ask:

- Is this a risk to mitigate?
- An opportunity to accelerate?
- A decision that needs to be made?

Then close with a path forward:
“Here are the options, here’s the impact of each, and here’s what I recommend.”

Finance earns influence by offering judgment, not just information.

3) Turn variance analysis into a story about cause, not blame.

❌ We missed targets.
✅ We missed due to delayed hiring and slower onboarding. If we adjust sequencing and speed ramp time by 30 days, we recover trajectory.

Great finance leaders replace emotion with:

→ Pattern recognition
→ Accountability
→ Clear next steps

Because companies don’t need more reporting. They need clarity.

___ 

Once I shifted from presenting numbers to shaping decisions, everything changed:

⚡ Teams moved faster.
🎯 Leaders made sharper calls.
🚀 Execution tightened because priorities were obvious.

Finance becomes strategic when the story sticks.

P.S. After 15 years in the C-suite and four board seats, I now advise finance leaders on the skills that matter most: partnering with CEOs, communicating with boards, and leading at the executive level.

If you’re sharpening those muscles, reach out.

My CEO once said in frustration, “Cameron, can’t we just agree for once?”

We were prepping board materials, and I kept pushing back on his assumptions.

Early in my career, I saw moments like this as conflict.
Now, I see them for what they really are - trust being tested. 🤝

The best CEO–CFO relationships aren’t built on harmony.
They’re built on truth.

My job isn’t to match the CEO’s optimism or nod along.
It’s to protect clarity.

Here’s what great partnership actually looks like:

🧩 Challenge privately, align publicly It builds credibility in both directions.

🎯 Speak in tradeoffs, not turf wars “What’s the cost?” and “What’s the upside?” are the real questions.

📊 Push for facts, even when it’s uncomfortable

Respect grows when you bring precision, not politics.

A good CFO manages numbers.
A great CFO manages tension.

Alignment doesn’t mean agreement.

It means friction delivered with respect - and clarity that elevates the whole company.

P.S. If you’re a finance or operations leader trying to build this kind of trust with your CEO, I coach leaders through exactly that shift. DM me if that’s where you want to grow.

If you’re a CFO getting labeled “too cautious” or “too tough,” here’s the real story:

You’re doing exactly what the business needs.

Here’s why:

1) You protect the company from bad spending

When the world expected Apple to chase splashy acquisitions, CFO Luca Maestri stayed disciplined. No wasteful M&A. No undisciplined expansion.

A focus on efficiency, capital returns, and precision in R&D.
Instead, he doubled down on operational efficiency, capital returns, and precision in R&D spending.

✅ Result: Apple’s stock value grew approximately 800%, and its cash reserves now exceed $160 billion giving it the freedom to innovate that no competitor can match.

2) You ask the questions no one wants to answer.

When Ruth Porat joined Google as CFO in 2015, she immediately started asking uncomfortable questions about spending priorities and accountability.

She cut unnecessary moonshot projects and demanded clarity on ROI for each initiative.
Critics said she was “too strict” for Google’s free-spending culture.

✅ Result: Google’s market capitalization soared from $384 billion to nearly $3 trillion during her tenure, and she set the standard for financial focus in Big Tech.

3) You choose integrity over popularity.

As a finance leader and later CEO, Indra Nooyi resisted pressure to optimize only for short-term profits. She pushed PepsiCo toward healthier categories.
A move Wall Street initially hated.

✅ Result: PepsiCo evolved into one of the most diversified and future-ready CPG portfolios while competitors played catch-up.

The traits people criticize in CFOs are often the ones that keep companies resilient when things go wrong.

Leadership isn’t about being liked. It’s about being responsible.

After 15 years in the C-suite, 3 M&A exits, and 2 IPOs, I now help VPs of Finance and incoming CFOs sharpen their leadership, communication, and board presence. If you want to operate like the strategic partner every CEO wants, DM me.

There have been moments in my career as a board director where I’ve looked around the table and realized I was the only one with my hand up.

And I felt a familiar hesitation → “Is it just me?”

But here’s what experience teaches you:

Board work isn’t about avoiding disagreement.
It’s about protecting the decision.

Asking the lone question isn’t a sign you’re out of sync.

It’s often a sign you’re seeing something others haven’t processed yet.

Here’s why those questions matter:

1) Timing matters → early questions prevent late surprises.

In the early 2000s, LEGO was near bankruptcy after expanding into too many unrelated products.

The board asked a pivotal question: “What business are we really in?”

Refocusing on core brick-based play laid the foundation for their turnaround. 🎯

2) Discomfort matters → the best questions feel awkward before they become necessary.

When a question feels risky, it’s usually because it challenges an assumption the group has quietly accepted as truth.

That’s when a board earns its keep - by seeking a truer picture, not a more comfortable one.

3) Conviction matters → if it sits in your mind, it deserves airtime. 🔁

In the 1980s, Intel was still clinging to its memory-chip business even as Japan dominated the market.

Andy Grove kept asking why Intel was fighting to save a business it had already lost.

That conviction drove Intel to pivot to microprocessors -A decision that shaped the next 30 years of computing.

4) Perspective matters → fresh eyes catch what familiarity filters out.

Teams closest to a decision stop seeing its weak points. 🧩

A question from someone less entangled can break the certainty loop and reframe the entire discussion.

Remember:

Board work isn’t about perfect alignment.
It’s about pressure testing the decision until it’s truly sound.

And sometimes the most valuable person in the room is the one willing to raise a hand when no one else does.

One of the most important leadership lessons I’ve learned is this:
Hire for capacity, not comfort.

I learned that 15 years ago at Goldman.

I had years of capital markets experience - but not the traditional investment-banking background.

A Partner hired me anyway.

She wasn’t optimizing for familiarity.
She was optimizing for growth.

→ She saw trajectory, not gaps
→ She saw velocity, not pedigree
→ She saw how fast I could scale, not what I hadn’t done yet

And she didn’t shelter me from the work.

From day one, I was staffed on the hardest deals:

📈 70-hour weeks absorbing the pace of banking
📊 High-stakes negotiations with seasoned clients
⏳ Tight deadlines building and defending complex models

It was intense, uncomfortable, and career-defining.

But that experience shaped how I evaluate talent today - as a CFO, as a board director, and as a leader of teams:

- Who learns fastest under pressure?
- Who can operate at altitude before they feel “ready”?
- Who grows into stretch, not away from it?
- Who has the judgment to scale into bigger roles?

Capacity is the real differentiator.

Not resume lines.
Not prior roles.
Not perfect pedigree.

The leaders who bet on capacity build organizations that outperform.

The leaders who hire for comfort build teams that stall.

I’ve seen $500M+ companies crash post-IPO.
On the other hand, I’ve seen $100M companies thrive.

At Goldman, I helped evaluate IPO candidates and prepare them for the public stage.

In Silicon Valley, I was Head of FP&A at Sunrun and Box through their IPO journeys.

I’ve sat on both sides of the table.

And the brutal lesson is always the same:
Maturity beats size.

Most CEOs and CFOs nail the table-stakes metrics:

✅ Revenue growth rates
✅ Market size projections
✅ Competitive positioning

But the real predictors go deeper.

Here are the 5 signals that separate IPO-ready companies from the rest:

1) Consistent Performance → Six or more quarters of steady execution, hitting guidance even when markets shift.

2) Operational Discipline → 5-day close or less, SOX-ready controls, teams that thrive under investor scrutiny.

3) Narrative Clarity → CEO and CFO can articulate the growth story in one sentence - and analysts can repeat it.

4) Leadership Alignment → Management and the board united on strategy, numbers, and messaging.

5) Market Pull → Analysts already tracking and investors leaning in before the S-1.

Here’s the truth:

💪 IPO ≠ graduation ceremony
🎯 IPO = starting gun for quarterly judgment

The companies that thrive don’t just prepare for a financing event.
They build the muscles of a public company long before they ever file.

The real question isn’t: “Have we hit $X in revenue?”
It’s: “Are we mature enough to deliver quarter after quarter?”

P.S. I advise CEOs, CFOs, and boards on IPO readiness, governance, and financial strategy, drawing on 20+ years across Wall Street and Silicon Valley, 3 M&A exits, and 2 IPOs.

If your company is preparing to go public, now is the time to build those muscles.

Wife & Mother of 7 | Venture Capital | Scientist | TOP 30 Patent Drafters | United States Patent Examiner | Violinist | Polyglot | STEM Children's Author | #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law

Kathryn Vatt is a scientist, former USPTO Examiner, and devoted wife and mother of seven, with over 25 years shaping the future of innovation. Recognized as one of the Top 30 Patent Drafters and Prosecutors and the #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law, Kathryn has built a career at the intersection of science, law, and business—helping inventors, startups, and global companies turn creativity into competitive advantage.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.S. Biology) and Johns Hopkins University (M.S. Biotechnology), Kathryn is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor in Patent Law at the Franklin Pierce School of Law, one of the world’s leading IP programs. Her rare cross-disciplinary background gives her both the scientific insight and the legal strategy to protect ideas at the highest level.

At the USPTO, Kathryn examined thousands of patent applications, conducted exhaustive prior art searches, and made determinations that shaped industries and influenced global innovation. After leaving the Patent Office, she founded Vatt IP Management, where she develops bulletproof IP strategies, drafts airtight applications, and supports litigation teams in defending patents. She also mentors engineering and life science students through Arizona State University’s Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute and judges international startup competitions, nurturing the next generation of innovators.

Her entrepreneurial vision extends to her ventures:

My Startup Shield™, a founder-focused program that helps startups secure their innovations before they pitch. It protects ideas at the earliest, most vulnerable stage and positions founders to raise capital with confidence

My AI Examiner™, the world’s first proprietary patent search platform that combines examiner-trained AI Patent Examiners with Kathryn’s own human review. Unlike conventional tools, it doesn’t just search faster—it “thinks like an examiner,” offering inventors and startups clarity, precision, and strategy.

MyKidVentors™, a STEM-inspired children’s book series born from her seven children’s real “What if?” questions. Through these imaginative stories, she nurtures curiosity in the next generation, showing that every big invention begins with a single question.

For Kathryn, the same motherly instinct that guides her family fuels her professional mission: to protect, guide, and nurture startups with care, strategy, foresight, and integrity. She believes innovation doesn’t just start in labs or boardrooms—it starts in the curious minds of those brave enough to ask, “What if?”

Kathryn V.

WHEELS IN THE SAND

On a quiet stretch of beach, a group of dogs takes off toward the water...
some rolling on tiny wheelchairs,
some balancing on prosthetics,
all of them carrying stories of loss.

But today, they are free.
These are the dogs the world once gave up on.
The ones who were told their best days were behind them.
The ones who were expected to sit on the sidelines of life.

But she wanted more for them.
She wanted them to have another chance.
She believed they still deserved joy, dignity, and a full life...
not in spite of their disabilities,
but because every life has value.

And so she turned compassion into innovation.
She found wheelchairs small enough for tiny bodies.
She fit prosthetics with patience and care.
She created solutions not to impress the world,
but to restore the world to them.

And when those dogs reach the shoreline...
when their wheels carve happy trails in the sand,
when their paws meet the waves...
you realize something:
This is innovation at its best.


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Kathryn Vatt

THE MAGICAL CHAIR


In a quiet salon somewhere in the world, a hairstylist welcomes women into his chair...
women who have carried life on their shoulders,
women who deserve to feel beautiful without needing a reason.

And with gentle hands and genuine kindness,
he transforms them.

Not just their hair…
them.

You can see it in their faces:
the way their eyes suddenly shine,
the smile that takes over their whole expression,
the way they sit a little taller, remembering a version of themselves they thought they had lost.

And something beautiful happens next…
their joy reflects right back into him.

He lights up.
He laughs.
He gets emotional right along with them…
because their joy becomes his joy.
It is pure, contagious happiness...the kind that can only come from lifting someone else.

He’s not just doing makeovers.
He’s restoring confidence.
He’s offering dignity.
He’s reminding people of their own light.

All through kindness.
All through care.
All through choosing to make someone else’s day a little brighter.

And maybe that’s today’s lesson:
We all have the power to change someone’s life…
not by doing something big,
but by helping them see the beauty they forgot was theirs.


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SPOIL THE WAG DAY

Today is Thankful For My Dog Day...
a day that asks us to pause
and really feel the quiet, steady love
that our dogs bring into our lives.

Because it’s easy to move through our days
and miss the little things they do...
the small gestures that speak louder
than any words ever could.

Like the way they greet us at the door
as if we’re a gift they’ve been waiting for.
Or the way they curl up beside us
when our heart is heavier than we’re willing to admit.
Or how they watch us...
really watch us...
with eyes that seem to say,
“I’m here. You’re not alone.”

Dogs love with a purity
that asks for nothing but presence in return.
They sit with us in our silence.
They celebrate with us in our joy.
They somehow know
when to nudge us outside for fresh air,
and when to press their head into our lap
because they sense we need grounding.

They don’t care about our accomplishments.
They don’t measure our worth.
They simply choose us,
every single day,
in the simplest, most beautiful ways.

And that’s what makes this day matter.
It’s a chance to honor the companion
who teaches us what loyalty really looks like,
what unconditional love truly feels like,
and how healing it can be
to be understood without needing to speak.

So today, do something extra for your sweet pup...
a longer walk,
a special treat,
a gentle brushing,
a moment of stillness where you just sit together.

Because our dogs give us
their whole heart,
their whole presence,
their whole life.

And being thankful for them
is the easiest thing in the world. 🐾💛



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NON-ARTIFICIAL STEPPING STOOLS


I read a great Substack today, Unicorn Parents, and I couldn’t agree more with David Y.: in a world racing toward AI, the thing that will matter most for our children is what makes them beautifully, unmistakably human.

Not their speed.
Not their efficiency.
Not their ability to compete with machines.

But their ability to love.
To serve.
To lead with heart.

And then I saw this video and it felt like the perfect illustration of that truth.

A little girl is washing her hands at the kitchen sink…and you suddenly realize why she can reach it:
Her older brother is already on the floor beneath her,
quietly acting as her stepping stool,
holding still so she can stand on his back without falling.

Then another brother walks in, sees what’s happening,
and immediately drops to the ground beside him…
positioning himself so that when she steps down,
she’ll land safely on his back too.

Then they switch.
They laugh.
They treat her tiny struggle like a chance to lift someone they love, literally.

It’s playful.
It’s innocent.
And it’s the kind of kindness that takes your breath away.

Because this is something no machine can ever replicate:
The instinct to serve without being asked.
The joy of helping someone else rise.
The quiet pride of being the reason someone feels safe, supported, and seen.

AI might shape the future of work.
But our children...the way they care for each other and the communities they build...
that is what will shape the future of the world. 💛

Check out David Y.'s full article here: https://lnkd.in/g75sVRfe

If you haven’t followed David Y.’s work before, treat this as your invitation.
I love how he describes Unicorn Parents:

“Each week, I share practical insights and reflections to help you build a profitable business without missing the magic at home. If you’re serious about winning at work while raising great kids, you’ve come to the right place. This is a community built for ambitious parents who want both.”

It’s rare to find someone who understands the reality of building something meaningful at work while nurturing something even more meaningful at home. Thank you, David Y. 🙏 

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CONES OF LOVE


It’s recess time...
and while most kids run toward the playground,
a teacher walks toward one child.

Gently, he lifts him from his wheelchair
and helps him sit in a chair to begin their practice.

Step by step, they move together...
weaving through cones, building strength, building courage.

And when the boy reaches him on his own,
he falls into his teacher’s arms…
a hug filled with trust, pride, and pure joy.

But what makes this scene just as powerful
is what’s happening around them.

The other children gather close.
They witness compassion in action.
They see what patience looks like.
They learn what love can do.

And without a single lecture or lesson plan,
this teacher is shaping them too...
quietly teaching kindness, empathy, and the truth that every person deserves a chance to rise.

Because sometimes the most powerful lessons
don’t happen at a desk or in a book…
they happen in moments like this.

One teacher.
One child.
One act of love that changes everyone who sees it. 💛


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NO MORE POOL WATER


With Thanksgiving just days away,
I find myself thinking about the people
who make this world softer, safer, and more beautiful
just by the way they choose to love.

People like the couple in this video.
They didn’t walk past suffering.
They didn’t turn away because it was inconvenient,
or because they were on vacation,
or because helping would take time and effort and heart.

They saw a life that needed them...
and they stepped in.
They cared when they didn’t have to.
They stayed when it got hard.
They fought for a little dog
who had no one else to fight for her.

They crossed countries,
sat through vet visits,
endured uncertainty,
and carried her through treatments
that would have scared most people away.

Not for recognition.
Not for praise.
Just because compassion whispered,
“Do something,”
and they listened.

It’s easy to talk about love.
It’s easy to talk about kindness.
But living it...
especially when it costs you time, comfort, and ease...
that is something sacred.

And today,
I am thankful for people like this.
People who choose empathy.
People who open their hearts wide.
People who make room for the vulnerable,
the hurting,
the overlooked.

They are the quiet heroes among us.
The ones who remind us that goodness still wins.
The ones who show us what love looks like in action.

As we continue into this week of gratitude,
may we notice them.
May we celebrate them.
And may we strive to be more like them...
people who don’t just pass through the world,
but leave a trace of kindness wherever they go. 🧡🐾


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✨ Founder Friday Spotlight: Kevin Jurovich ✨

Today I want to highlight someone who represents everything this series is meant to celebrate: courage, reinvention, resilience, integrity, and the kind of leadership you don’t just notice…you feel the moment he walks into a room.

Kevin Jurovich.

He is the person founders call when the noise gets too loud, the pressure gets too high, and the path forward feels impossible. The person who helps you breathe again. The one who guides people through big decisions not with ego, but with grounded wisdom and the kind of kindness you can see in his eyes.

And he took that instinct...that rare ability to steady others...and built something extraordinary from it.

That “something” is Hubble.
A platform reshaping how startup due diligence, fundraising, and investor-founder trust actually works.
Not performatively.
Not theoretically.
But practically.
Systematically.
Intelligently.
Humanely.

If you’re a founder, you need to know what Hubble is doing.
If you’re an investor, you can’t afford not to.

But what makes Kevin stand out...what makes him someone truly exceptional...isn’t just what he’s building.

It’s who he is.

A founder with heart.
A leader with humility.
A thinker who listens before he speaks.
A builder who cares deeply about the people he serves.
A human who shows up for others again and again, even when he doesn’t have to.

The founder journey isn’t linear. It’s filled with highs, lows, pivots, and pressure…
but how you show up for people can stay steady.
And Kevin shows up every single time.

If you want to see what real grit, real vision, and real integrity look like in a founder...explore what he’s building at Hubble.

Some people build companies.
Some build movements.
Kevin is building both.

Here’s to extraordinary humans building extraordinary things.
Happy Founder Friday, Kevin. It’s an absolute honor to know you and be part of the incredible community you’re building. ✨

THE MAGIC OF MEETING IN REAL LIFE

There’s something special about meeting someone you’ve only ever known through screens:
the messages, the Zoom calls, the Slack threads...
and then suddenly, there they are… right in front of you.

That was my Sunday with Sasha from Hubble. 💛

We were supposed to meet earlier this week at a Hubble meetup,
but schedules got in the way
(and yes…I was so bummed to miss her while she was visiting from London).

After Thanksgiving, I checked in...
“Are you still in AZ?”
She was.
She leaves Monday.
And just like that, we planned a little coffee walk.

What I thought would be a short visit
turned into hours of talking about life,
our journeys,
our dreams,
and of course…how incredible the Hubble community is. 😊

And here’s the thing:
It’s no surprise she’s Hubble’s Head of Community.
Sasha makes you feel cared for the second you meet her.
Warm, thoughtful, deeply present...
she embodies everything community is supposed to feel like.

Just look at this sweet handwritten card from Sasha and the Hubble team.
Yes, handwritten.
Old-school.
Intentional.
The kind of gesture that says,
“I see you. I appreciate you.”

There are big things that make the Hubble community special...
the platform, the vision, the mission...

And then there are little things.
The impromptu meetups.
The unexpected kindness.
The way people within this network make you feel at home.
Sasha does that effortlessly.

Feeling grateful today for community, connection,
and the beautiful real-world friendships that start online
and only get richer in person.

Thank you, Sasha Cayward.
My heart is full. 💕

THE THANKSGIVING LINE-UP

Today, homes everywhere are filling with familiar scenes:
the cool cousins, the football fans, the honorary chefs,
the picky eaters, the Black Friday planners,
the ones keeping the kids entertained,
and the uncle who always ends up in a food coma before dessert.

Thanksgiving has a way of gathering all the characters we love.
And I hope this video makes you laugh…
a little humor, a lot of personality,
and a reminder that family, in all its beautiful chaos,
is something to be grateful for.

But holidays hold many stories.

For some, today is full of laughter.
For others, it’s a quieter kind of day.
Maybe someone you love isn’t at the table this year.
Maybe you’re missing a voice, a chair, a presence.
Maybe this holiday feels different…or a little heavier.

Wherever you are:
in a full, lively home,
in a peaceful, quiet one,
or somewhere in between…
I hope today brings you something gentle:
a warm moment,
a good laugh,
or a memory that makes you smile.

I’m especially grateful today for the friendships born right here on LinkedIn.
The serendipitous connections,
the kind messages,
the “small-world” moments that turned strangers
into mentors, supporters, and friends.

This community has brought some of the kindest, brightest souls into my life,
and I’m thankful for every conversation,
every encouragement,
every bit of humanity we’ve shared along the way.

Wishing you a day filled with love, grace, gratitude,
and the reminder that your presence matters…
today and always.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends. 🧡


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Cameron Kinloch

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The Battle

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