Scott Saunders is a fintech entrepreneur recognized by Ernst and Young as an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year®, by Goldman Sachs as a Top 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneur, and has been featured in Bloomberg, Financial Times, and the Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything for Futuristic Fintech.Scott founded Happy Money with the mission of helping borrowers become savers and served as CEO from inception through $125M in revenue and a $1B+ valuation, raising $150M in equity capital from venture capitalists and current and former presidents and CEOs of American Express, Goldman Sachs, ING Direct, PIMCO, and Visa. Scott is a leading consumer financial services innovator, building the first online lending platform using credit models based on cash flow and other behaviors not captured in the FICO Score. Through Happy Money, he forged partnerships with a national network of credit unions to help consumers pay off higher interest rate credit cards faster and cheaper and help credit unions compete nationally and digitally, funding over $5B in loans to more than 250,000 new credit union members. Scott holds patents for using psychometric analysis for determining credit risk and psychometric-based financial coaching. He developed the first financial personality quiz to help people understand their money habits, used game mechanics for the first time to help people pay off debt and save money, launched the first money app powered by psychology, and, discovering PTSD-like symptoms in young people caused by financially induced stress, he developed cognitive behavioral therapy to treat financial stress. Previously, Scott was an executive at Walz Group (acquired by LenderLive), a three-time Inc. 500 company serving the nation’s largest financial institutions. Scott led an investment in the company, subsequently landing key early clients and recruiting a new CEO and head of sales who grew revenue from $300K to $30M and a successful exit. Scott also worked in government as part of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s SBIC Program where he helped invest $700 million in newly formed venture capital firms, including a founding investment in Emergence Capital Partners, an investor in Box, Blend, Salesforce, Veeva, and Zoom.A son of an air force fighter pilot, Scott grew up around the world in England, France, Germany, Japan, and Korea. He and his wife Suzanne met in Washington DC, raised two children together in Laguna Beach, and now reside in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Scott holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
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Investor And ExpertIntro 2021 - PresentLos Angeles, Ca, UsHelping everyone connect with anyone. Book the world's most in-demand experts and get personalized advice over a video call. Backed by A16Z and 776. -
Investor And AdvisorSola Impact Jan 2023 - PresentLos Angeles, California, UsAffordable housing and economic empowerment in South LA. -
Angel InvestorSmile :) Gdp Sep 2021 - PresentInvesting in a happier future for business, people, and the planet. -
Founder And CeoHappy Money Jan 2009 - Aug 2021Torrance, California, UsServed as CEO from inception to $125M in revenue and $1B+ valuation. -
Svp And Investor (Successful Walz Group Exit To Lender Live)Lenderlive May 2005 - Sep 2007Glendale, Colorado, UsFintech and Regtech company delivering compliance and communications as a service to financial institutions and other highly regulated businesses. 2008, 2009, 2010 Inc. 500 List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the US. -
Mba Graduate StudentColumbia Business School 2003 - 2005New York, Ny, UsWorked through school with JER Partners (Real estate private equity firm in the U.S. and Europe with more than $4 billion under management) and Pine Creek Partners (Small cap private equity firm with $50 million under management).Organized a Limited Partner Panel Discussion for the 2004 16th Annual CBS Private Equity and Venture Capital Conference moderated by Ed Mathias, Managing Director of The Carlyle Group, and participation from Abbott Capital, AIG, Allianz, Goldman Sachs, and the World Bank. Recruited David Rubenstein, Co-founder of The Carlyle Group, as a class speaker. -
Investment AnalystU.S. Small Business Administration Mar 2002 - Mar 2004Washington, Dc, UsThe SBA’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program, one of the largest fund-of-funds in the United States, is an investment program that increases access to capital for small businesses with $4 billion authorization per year, $26 billion of assets under management, and 303 active SBICs. Launched in 1958 the SBIC Program has deployed more than $67 billion of capital, made more than 166,000 investments in small businesses, and licensed more than 2,100 venture capital, private equity, and mezzanine funds. Some of America’s most iconic brands, including Apple, Tesla, Whole Foods, Staples, Intel, FedEx and Costco, have received funding from SBICs. After the dot-com crash in 2001, many investors pulled back from investing in venture capital for a season, so the SBIC Program received a flood of new applications from highly qualified venture capitalists raising new funds. I did initial screening of general partner applicants and would present recommendations to the Investment Committee. Through this process, I spoke with hundreds of emerging and established fund managers interested in SBA’s backing, met over 100 firms and invested $700 million in 11 venture capital, private equity and mezzanine funds.For this season, SBA was actually one of the largest private equity investors in the country. I built an amazing network here and checked the box on two years of service to Uncle Sam. This was a really rich work experience! -
AssociateOxford Finance Oct 1999 - Jun 2001Alexandria, Va, UsOxford Finance (www.oxfordfinance.com) delivers flexible financial solutions to healthcare and life sciences companies worldwide, funding innovation and growth. -
WorkerHard Work Pays Off 1986 - 1999Lawnmower, car-washer, babysitter, busboy, dishwasher, waiter, grocery bagger, mover, model, movie extra, caddie, sales associate, and intern.
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Judge Advocate General'S CorpsUs Army 1993 - 1994Arlington, Virginia, UsWorked my senior year of high school in the Army JAG's Legal Assistance Office helping the attorneys with wills, powers of attorney, estate plans, separations, divorces, adoptions, etc. -
Air Force BratUnited States Air Force 1976 - 1994Randolph Afb, Tx, UsMy grandfather was a General in the Air Force where he flew 11,000 hours in 40 types of aircraft over 40 years of service, including 35 combat missions in the B-24 in World War II, flying in the days after D-Day, bombing targets and watching our armies advance to defeat Nazi Germany. My dad flew fighters (F4, F5, and F15) and saw combat in Vietnam, though spent most of his career in wartime preparedness training through the Cold War, including as a charter member of three Aggressor squadrons. And I got to travel the world and be a part of it. Las Vegas, Nevada (Nellis AFB) -> Cambridgeshire, England (RAF Alconbury) -> Bitburg, Germany (Bitburg AFB) -> Washington, DC (The Pentagon) -> Panama City, Florida (Tyndall AFB) -> Okinawa, Japan (Kadena AFB) -> Monterey, California (Defense Language Institute) -> Paris, France (French War College) -> Panama City, Florida (Tyndall AFB) -> Seoul, Korea (United Nations Command).
Scott Saunders Education Details
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Columbia Business SchoolMaster Of Business Administration - Mba -
Columbia UniversityMaster Of Business Administration - Mba
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University Of OxfordTheology
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George Mason UniversityMarketing
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Seoul American High School, South KoreaDiploma
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American School Of Paris
Frequently Asked Questions about Scott Saunders
What company does Scott Saunders work for?
Scott Saunders works for Intro
What is Scott Saunders's role at the current company?
Scott Saunders's current role is Fintech Entrepreneur.
What schools did Scott Saunders attend?
Scott Saunders attended Columbia Business School, Columbia University, University Of Oxford, George Mason University, Seoul American High School, South Korea, American School Of Paris.
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