EmergeOne | Fractional CFO services

EmergeOne is a leading consultancy providing fractional CFO support to venture backed tech startups from seed to Series B.

We help founders get the most out of their capital, streamline financials, and manage investor relations so they can focus on scaling. Examples of our support:

- Strategic Finance Execution and Oversight over finance operations
- Financial Planning and Analysis
- Board reporting, Investor relations and management
- Capital Raising, Fundraising Support, Due Diligence and Data room management
- Capital Management and Structuring
- Capital Allocation
- Financial modelling, forecasting, scenario planning, KPIs, metrics and reporting

Our clients are some of the fastest growing startups backed by funds like Hoxton Ventures, Stride, Playfair, Octopus, Outlier Ventures, Founders Factory and more.

Fractional CFO

Blue Ridge Partners

I've worked with DeepTech (mainly) founders for over 5 years, building the business and financial muscle behind their technology!

After exiting the angel group I cofounded, I found that I just couldn't stay away from startups, but I knew I didn't want to be a founder again...
So I started consulting for founders and quickly found that the business and finance stuff I knew so well was actually really hard for them. From deep in the weeds of building project management to creating and maintaining financial models to creating pitches for complex tech, I thoroughly enjoyed the nights-and-weekends work of supporting founders.

When my family moved from the US to the UK in 2022, I transitioned my "hobby" from nights-and-weekends into a real job, and now, I help founders make sense of their strategy, business, and finances full time!

DeepTech Fractional CFO and Venture Builder

Octiocor

Leading finance and product teams for AI image analysis start up spun out of Cambridge University.
Building product management function and larger company operations to translate academic research into commercial-grade technology
Projecting complex cash needs to inform hiring employees, onboarding contractors, fundraising, and completing grant applications.
Pitching with CEO to potential venture and angel investors for seed round fundraising.
Working with accountants to ensure all regulatory filings (e.g. VAT, R&D, etc) are accurate and timely to maximize cash in the bank.

Fractional CFO / COO

MCA funding company

Provided financial and operational leadership as fractional CFO of fast growing Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) funder.
Advised strategic changes to adapt to quickly changing economic conditions in high risk business lending environment.
Created detailed financial models to inform internal decision making and communicate business / economics to potential outside investors.
Created cash management systems to better understand cash inflows and outflows and better manage ongoing operations.
Led push for a data-first culture using analytics to make better decisions.
Informed strategy by identifying previously-unseen opportunities using existing data.
Guided and built full analytical stack, from data stores through visualizations.

Capital One

Intrapreneurially built and ran analytics function inside ~$80M Identity Services business unit from scratch.
Directly managed 4 analysts and influenced the work of 6 data scientists, 7 data engineers / analysts, and multiple tech teams; officially and unofficially mentored numerous team members.
Built and managed credit governance process for $10M's in marginal enterprise value from over 20 credit decisions. 
Product Manager for AI / ML team, influencing internal and external stakeholders on strategy by demonstrating value generated by and potential value from new products.
Represented Digital Identity analytics group in monthly VP+ Authentication Council Working Group; created and presented numerous data-centric VP+ presentations on strategy, value-added, enterprise partnership needs, etc.
Created and maintained data sets and visualizations sourcing data from across the enterprise, including customer, fraud, behavioral analytics, credit card transaction, click-stream / UI data, etc.
Worked extensively with product managers, fraud analysts, and tech teams to understand needs and deliver solutions.

Analytics Lead: CIO Tech Excellence award 2019 (top 3 of over 1,800 tech teams) 
Analytics Lead: Circle of Excellence award 2021 (top 2 of over 1,000 product teams)

Senior Analytics Lead - Digital Identity

University of Virginia

Taught entrepreneurial topics as adjunct faculty at UVA's School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Lecturer for New Product Development and Entrepreneurial Finance courses, creating numerous adaptations and improvement to course curricula.

Lecturer

CAV Angels

Operationalized, managed, and grew UVA-oriented angel investment network.
Performed in depth due diligence on companies and write comprehensive memos on investibility of startups. 
Negotiated deal terms, execute investments, and lead ongoing efforts to provide support to portfolio companies in business development, hiring, additional fundraising, etc.
Formed and executed strategy for creating educational material for first-time angel investors.
Created and ran program to train and manage over twenty student fellows and interns responsible for augmenting due diligence efforts.
Built data-centric platform to manage deal pipeline, due diligence data, and member input; created roadmap to expand platform to scale to other universities and angel groups with the goal of using ML to automate portions of deal process.

Co-Founder, President

S&P Global

Leader on implementation team of newly launched product: semi-custom business intelligence software for regional and community banks. 
Co-created operational model and scrum set up allowing product to scale from 5 to 42 customers in under two years.
Advised C-suite customers / stakeholders on product adoption and usage as a technical project manager.
Advised management on reorganization of ~20 person implementation team.
Mentored and instructed tech colleagues in the nuances of the banking and finance industries.
Created custom and semi-custom ETL's and presentations to integrate disparate data silos into a single source of truth.

Manager / BI Implementation Consultant and Engineer

FI Consulting

Built multiple custom software systems in Freddie Mac's Multifamily division as technology and data engineer.
Owned deal management system organizing and analyzing data for over $20b in deals each year.
Interfaced with executive-level clients on application requirements, functionality, and enhancements.
Designed, developed, implemented, and maintained custom IT and reporting solutions.
Actively involved in SDLC, including system specification and design, programming, testing, documenting, user-training, deploying, and post-implementation activities.
Managed junior colleagues through multiple enhancement projects.

Technology and Data Consultant

Foxhall Capital Management

Member of Investment Committee managing over $750 million in quantitative investment strategies
Proactively identified and researched quantitative investment ideas using back testing and data mining techniques on large historical price datasets; presented findings to Investment Committee
Implemented quantitative investment strategies requiring monthly rebalancing of over 5,000 separately managed accounts and daily monitoring of global stock, bond, and commodity index prices

Portfolio Manager

I partner with world class researchers, visionaries, and entrepreneurs to turn their DeepTech technology into highly scalable startups.
From pre-formation to scaling, I come along side founders to augment their efforts, teach new skills, and establish rigor and structure.
Through fractional and project-based work, I have enabled my pre-Series A clients to raise over $30m combined through equity, debt, and grant funding.

David Sade, CFA

Build fast. Stay sane. LOVE your business.

I’ve taken companies from idea to exit.
I know what it takes to launch & grow.
I’ve rebuilt after a breakdown.
I've mentored 650+ startups. 

Now, I coach Founders and CEOs to scale faster, work less, and keep their mental health intact.

No bullshit, ever.
Efficient, honest and thoughtful teaching to ensure others are wildly successful and keep having fun.

If you’re ready for the next level, book a time with me now.

Oh, and stay Humble (it’s better for you and everyone else). More on my platform www.humble.inc.


For engagements: speaking@charlielass.com.

Charlie Lass

“What they hate in you is missing in them.”

Their “criticism” is proof they gave up.

Most people don’t dislike YOUR confidence.
They dislike the fact they lost THEIRS.

They’re not offended by your ambition.
They’re upset because they stopped.
They settled and chose safety, so it’s easier to throw shade at your effort.

And when people throw shade at your progress…
It’s because they’re wasting their chance.

🤦‍♂️ These things are now obvious to me:
-I was an idiot when I was younger.
-You’ll regret not taking chances.
-You should stretch more often.
And:

-People project.
Constantly.
Silently.
Aggressively.
And usually without the self-awareness to realise they’re doing it.

The trick is not to fight it.
Not to blame yourself.
Not to “be less” so someone else feels better.

📌 The trick is to turn it into fuel.

Here’s how you do that without becoming bitter or defensive:

1.	Translate the insult.
Most criticism is coded jealousy. Learn to hear what’s actually being said.

2.	Use it as calibration, not condemnation.
If someone gets triggered by your growth, you’re moving in the right direction!

3.	Detach from the source.
Happy people don’t attack others. If it’s coming from pain, don’t take it personally.

4.	Tighten your circle.
You don’t need fans. You need two or three people who tell the truth and want you to win.

5.	Stay busy building.
Momentum is the best response. Nothing silences doubt like undeniable progress.

None of this is about revenge.
It’s about staying rooted in who you are while others wrestle with who they’re not.

It is not your responsibility to fix an angry person. Move on. 

Keep shining.
Some people will squint.
Some will stare.
A few will step into the light themselves.

(BTW those are your people).

You got this!!

—

♻️ Repost. Someone needs this today.
👉 Follow Charlie Lass for more motivation.

Bringing Happiness To Business • Founder With 3 Exits Building Something Awesome • Follow For Mental Health, & Self Improvement Knowledge From Around The World

A bad manager can literally break you.

A great one can rebuild you.

Your boss has so much impact on your life.
And everyone has lived both sides of it. We all have someone we’re responsible to. 

You’ve been there:
-You know the manager who made your stomach drop when they asked for “5mins”.
-That a$$ who took your confidence piece by piece.
-The one who made you dread Sunday nights and question if YOU were the problem.

➕ You ALSO know the other kind.
-The manager who saw something in you when you couldn’t see it yourself.
-The one who made work feel lighter.
-The one who made you braver, louder, calmer, better.

A boss isn’t “just a boss.”
They impact your mental health than your therapist ever will.

I’ve coached enough founders and leaders to tell you this plainly:

People don’t quit companies.
They quit emotional instability.
They quit being ignored.
They quit feeling small.
They quit managers who never learned how to manage themselves.

And they stay for one thing:

📌 Safety.

A good manager gives you:
• A voice
• A backbone
• Space to grow
• Permission to fail without fear
• The quiet belief that you matter

A bad one takes all of that away quietly, week by week by week by f***ing week, until you forget who you were when you started.

If you’re a leader, take this personally.
👉 Are you shaping someone’s future… or causing them harm?
What do they feel when you ask to speak to them? Really think about it.

💥 And if you’ve got a good boss today,
Don’t just appreciate them.
TELL THEM. People rarely hear the impact they’ve had.

Your manager can change your life.
For better or worse.

Tell me how this resonates.

-
♻️ Repost to encourage someone new
👉 Follow Charlie Lass for more motivation 
☎️ DM for one of a few remaining coaching slots.

graphical user interface, text, application

The biggest mistake in your career? 

Thinking no one needs your story. 

What you think is obvious… could change someone else’s life.

And position you as an expert.

We assume everyone knows what we know.

But they don’t.

You’ve been through STUFF: 
-wins
-losses
-breakdowns
-breakthroughs
-awkward firsts
-failed projects 
-tough bosses
-frustration
-rejection 
-elation 
-pain

and they’ve quietly built your internal playbook.

To you, it feels normal.

To someone else, it’s gold.

Your first cold call.
Your first “No” from an investor.
Your first time being fired, hired, promoted, or rejected.

Each moment rewires how you think.
Each risk teaches something new.

THAT experience is vital to someone a few steps behind you. 

We grow by taking chances, but we grow careers by sharing what those chances taught us.

• If you took a risk and it worked → teach how.

• If you took a risk and it failed → teach why.

• If you’re not sure what you know is valuable → say it anyway.

Because someone is a bit behind you, stuck.
And your “obvious” insight could be the missing key.

Take risks, learn fast.
Win? Lead.
Lose? Guide.
Grow? Always.

What’s one “obvious” thing you wish someone had told you earlier in your career? 👇

-
♻️ Repost to get them talking 
➕ Follow Charlie Lass for more.
📌 Look out for a new waitlist launch next week!

Coaching Ambitious Founders • Building Something Awesome • 3 Exits • Follow For Mental Health, & Self Improvement Inspiration.

People around you shape your future more than you do.

The older I get, the more obvious this is:

"Surround yourself with people that push you to do better."

Most people read quotes like this and nod along.
Then they go straight back to the group chat that drags them down a level.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Your environment is not “neutral.”
It is either sharpening you or dulling you.

I’ve coached founders who genuinely believe they’re “working hard” while being surrounded by people who spend their days complaining, gossiping, or quietly resenting anyone who tries to grow.

💥 You don’t rise in that environment.
You shrink to fit it.

The highest-performing people I know do something very simple that most people refuse to do:
They curate.
Not in a snobby way.
In a survival way.

They choose people who are ambitious without being insufferable.
Supportive without being clingy.
Honest without being hostile.
Calm, focused, internally motivated.

If your circle drains you, distracts you or makes you feel smaller, it’s not a circle.
It’s a toilet bowl.

Instead:
A. Audit your environment.
B. Trim the noise.
C. Keep the ones who make you better.

👉 If you want to feel that difference, here are a few small habits that make a real difference:
1. Notice who leaves you clearer rather than confused.
Pay attention to the conversations where your mind feels sharper after, not foggier.

2. Keep a small circle of people who are genuinely improving their lives.
Not perfect. Just trying. That alone changes the quality of your decisions.

3. Reduce the noise, not the people.
You don’t have to cut ties. Just create more space for the right influences.

4. Bring better energy to your own interactions.
Encouraging others lifts your own standard more than you think.

5. Make growth feel normal.
Share ideas. Share progress. Make improvement a regular part of your week.

Most of the time, you don’t need a dramatic life reset.
You just need a cleaner environment and a few better inputs.

Quiet surroundings create quiet confidence.
And quiet confidence builds a better life.

-
♻️: Repost to inspire someone new.
📌: Follow Charlie Lass for more motivation.

Coach, Speaker & Founder With 3 Exits Building Something Awesome • Follow For Mental Health, & Self Improvement Inspiration.

You’re the average of the 5 people you see the most. 
Those people decide your fate.

Take a quick mental note of who you spend the most time with. 
Maybe have an uncomfortable look around…

“Ambition is contagious” used to sound like motivational nonsense to me.
Until I realised how true it is.

The people around you quietly set your bar for success.
By what they SAY, what they DO, what they TOLERATE.

Hang out with people who’ve stopped growing and you’ll slow down too.
Spend time with people chasing something bigger and your standards will rise without you noticing.

Hang out with chaotic people, and your life will be full of drama.

Ambition really is contagious.
But so is comfort.

Here’s what I’ve learned about choosing your circle:

1.	Be around people who talk about ideas, not other people.
If every conversation is gossip, move on.

2.	Find people who intimidate you (in a good way).
If you never feel slightly out of your depth, you’re in the wrong room.

3.	Pay attention to how you feel after spending time with someone.
Energised or drained? “Wow that was awesome”, or “god I’m glad to be out of there”.

4.	Swap “supportive” for “challenging.”
You don’t need yes-men. You need people who’ll call you out when you’re slacking.

5.	Invest in people who are going somewhere.
Direction matters more than speed. Don’t listen to the hype, watch the progress.

Your environment either builds you or breaks you, without you ever noticing. 

It’s a cheat code or an anchor.

Choose your five carefully (and it’s ok to be ruthless). It took me far to long to realize so don’t worry.

What’s one change you’ve made to upgrade your circle this year?

-

📸: Mike Leber (he’s awesome)
♻️: Repost to level up someone’s life
➕: Follow Charlie Lass for more motivation

Helping Founders Build Fast & Stay Sane | Coach, Mentor & The Humble Entrepreneur | Former MIT Lecturer | 3 Exits | Follow for Startup, Mental Health & Self Improvement

You're following 5 laws without knowing it,

But they're not laws of nature...

They are laws of thinking...

You weren’t taught them, but they’re shaping your life anyway.
Let’s change that:

Here are 5 real mental models that secretly guide your behavior, and how to use them instead of getting used by them:

1. Murphy’s Law
🧠 “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”
Attributed to aerospace engineer Edward A. Murphy Jr. (1949)

→ Most people over-index on fear.
But the real danger is paralysis from overthinking.
Fear leads to inaction, and inaction then creates the outcome you were worried about. 
✅ Use it: Prepare, don’t panic. Focus on contingency, but not catastrophe.


2. Kidlin’s Law
🧠 “If you can write the problem clearly, you’re halfway to solving it.”
Origin: Circulated in systems thinking and project management circles; exact attribution unknown.

→ Ambiguity kills action. Writing a problem forces clarity.
Most “overwhelm” is just an unprocessed issue in disguise.
✅ Use it: Write it out. Label the problem. Break it down. Half way there. 


3. Gilbert’s Law
🧠 “The biggest problem at work is that no one takes ownership.”
Origin: Often cited in corporate culture; loosely attributed to aerospace exec Bill Gilbert.

→ Success doesn’t come from waiting for the right conditions.
It comes from owning the outcome, even when it’s messy.
✅ Use it: Stop outsourcing your future. Start acting like it’s on you, because it is.


4. Wilson’s Law
 🧠 “The more you focus on intelligence and knowledge, the more likely wealth will follow.”
 Origin: Less formally recognized; likely a modern synthesis of productivity and leverage principles (similar to Naval Ravikant's thinking).

→ Hustle culture is overrated. (I think it's total bullshit in fact).
Leverage, learning, and systems win long term.
✅ Use it: Work smarter. Automate, delegate, and learn relentlessly.


5. Falkland’s Law
🧠 “If it’s not necessary to make a decision, it’s necessary not to make one.”
Origin: From the Falklands War-era British leadership principle. Quoted by military strategist Sir William Slim.

→ Most decisions aren’t urgent. But decision fatigue is real.
Protect your mental bandwidth for what actually matters.
✅ Use it: Delay non-urgent decisions. Act only where impact is clear.


The kicker?
These laws aren’t optional. They’re already at work in your life right now.
But when you understand them, you can make use of them. 

-
 💬 Drop the law that hit hardest, I’d love to hear why
 ♻️ Repost to help someone get out of autopilot
 🔔 Follow Charlie Lass for real tools that change how you think, work, and lead.

The smartest person in the room often says the least.

But most leaders never notice them, 
because we’re too busy listening to whoever sounds sure of themselves.

📌 Here’s the problem:
Confidence is magnetic.
Certainty feels safe.
But both can be dangerously misleading.

I’ve watched loud voices win meetings and derail strategy.
Not because they were right, 
but because they were convincing.

Real thinkers pause.
They question.
They hesitate before answering because they actually care about being right, not sounding right.

If you lead people, pay attention to the ones who:

-Ask clarifying questions before giving opinions.

-Need time to think before they speak.
	
-Change their mind when presented with better data.

Those are your difference-makers.
Not the loud ones. Not the smooth talkers.

The leaders who build great teams know this truth:
You don’t need more confidence in the room.
You need more thought.

👉 Are you creating space for it, or just rewarding whoever talks first?

-

📸 Adam Grant
♻️ Repost to inspire
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99% of people are trying to prove something.

Successful people? They improve instead.

When I started out, I was desperate to look like I belonged.
I wanted the title.
The praise.
The approval.

I wanted to be seen as legit. 
(And yes I’m embarrassed to say that now).

So I overcompensated; talked too much, showed off, made noise.
All to convince others I was worth listening to.

But here’s the thing: proving never ends.

No matter how high you climb, there’s always another person you think you need to impress.
And even when you “win”, it’s empty.

Everything changed a few years ago when I stopped performing for others and started building for myself.
I stopped caring what others think. Finally.

I started making real progress in silence.
Worked on myself, for myself.
It was messy and uncomfortable.
📌And I started absolutely crushing it.

Because it stopped being about applause
and started being about my development.

Because every time you choose to improve instead of prove, you trade THEIR validation for YOUR growth.
And that trade screws up your plan.

So ask yourself:
Are you actually growing?
Or just trying to be SEEN growing?
The difference is important.

💬 What’s one thing you’re quietly improving right now?

-

🔁 Repost to inspire someone!
👣 Follow Charlie Lass for zero-BS growth.
☎️ Message about my coaching waitlist.

Founder With 3 Exits Building Something Awesome | Coach & Speaker | Follow For Mental Health, Startups & Self Improvement

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David Sade, CFA

Charlie Lass

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