Jared Hecht

Jared Hecht is CEO and co-founder and of Fundera, an online marketplace that connects small business owners with the best funding provider for their business. He started Fundera after his cousin experienced the frustration and lack of transparency of applying for a small business loan. Previously, Jared co-founded GroupMe, a group messaging service that was acquired by Skype in August 2011, which was subsequently acquired by Microsoft in October 2011.� Prior to GroupMe, he led Business Development at Tumblr where he focused on international expansion and strategic partnerships.In his free time Jared serves as a mentor to TechStars, as well as an investor and advisor to various NYC startups such as CheckThis, Bondsy and more. Jared is a national chess champion who enjoys all racquet sports and anything involving the outdoors. He received his BA in Political Science from Columbia University where he served as the publisher and managing director of Inside New York. Originally a native of San Francisco, Jared now resides in Brooklyn with his wife.