Jared Hecht is a co-founder and the chief executive officer at Fundera, an online marketplace that matches small business owners to the best possible lender. 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 in August 2011 was acquired by Skype, 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. Jared currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Columbia University Entrepreneurship Organization and is an investor and advisor to startups such as Codecademy, SmartThings, and TransferWise. Jared received his BA in Political Science from Columbia University where he served as the publisher and managing director of Inside New York. - See more at: http://www.crunchbase.com/person/jared-hecht#sthash.bxFn9mvv.dpuf

About Us: Fundera is the most efficient and transparent way to obtain a business loan. Through one application, business owners receive offers from a trusted network of 25 alternative lenders. Fundera's highly qualified support agents objectively inform business owners of all their viable options and serve as a concierge to business owners through the process. Fundera has recently launched a portal for accountants to be able to apply for loans on behalf of their clients. This is a free service to business owners and accountants because Fundera gets paid by lenders, and only when loans are successfully funded. Fundera has raised $4 million from Khosla Ventures, First Round Capital, Lerer Ventures, SV Angel, and others.