Zack Ellison, CFA, CAIA is the founder and managing general partner of Applied Real Intelligence (A.R.I.) and the chief investment officer of the A.R.I. Senior Secured Growth Credit Fund, which provides debt financing solutions to premier startups in North America.

He previously worked as a loan structurer and underwriter, investment banker, corporate bond trader, and fixed income portfolio manager at three firms with over $1 trillion in assets – Scotia Bank, Deutsche Bank, and Sun Life.

Mr. Ellison holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, an MS in Risk Management from NYU, and is completing his Doctorate in Business Administration at the University of Florida.

His views on investing in innovation and venture debt are showcased in monthly columns he writes for Venture Capital Journal and Built In, as well as engaging discussions with leading investors each week on The 7 in 7 Show with Zack Ellison (Podcast). Additionally, he authored the Venture Debt chapter in the recently released book from the CFA Institute Research Foundation:  An Introduction to Alternative Credit. For a deeper dive into A.R.I.'s pioneering growth credit and venture debt solutions and to discover how they're shaping the future of startup financing, visit www.arivc.com.

Financial Thought Exchange is the official podcast and video channel of the CFA Institute Research Foundation. If you would like to support the show and our work, please use the donation link below: https://rpc.cfainstitute.org/en/research-foundation/donate