Benefunder was founded to help funders more effectively direct resources to accelerate breakthroughs in the areas they care most about.
Benefunder is predicated on the idea that there are no shortages of resources, great ideas, nor the ability to execute. There are however major inefficiencies that pose a threat to the innovation ecosystem, which is historically the backbone of our economy, health, and safety. Those inefficiencies increase costs and timelines and reduce the likelihood of success.
An aligned intermediary for impact through emerging breakthroughs
Following a pediatric health scare in the founder’s family, it became clear how inefficient and misaligned the private funding paradigm was for supporting outcomes that would help other families facing similar challenges. It became apparent that those very same issues were ubiquitous across all cause areas and that dissatisfaction with the experience was not isolated.
Evolution
Benefunder started as a non-profit and gradually evolved to a for-profit social enterprise in order to leverage the attributes of scale and alignment with the existing ecosystem.
2023
Acquisition of Impactly.
JV with Weild & Co. for Benefunder Capital Markets scale up.
2022
First non-research institution grant made to create industry standards & guidelines for NeuroEthics.
First Impact Venture Fund Capital Placed.
2020
Soft Launch of Benefunder Capital Markets Services.
5 EARLY STAGE COVID-19 COMPANIES FUNDED
BENEFUNDER RESEARCHER WINS NOBEL PRIZE FOR GENE EDITING
2019
$2M IN RESEARCH FUNDING PLACED
750 RESEARCHERS
22 INSTITUTIONS
2017
Resource for Wealth Management and Multi Family Offices to serve Philanthropic need of client
APPROVED ON UBS FAMILY ADVISORY SERVICES PLATFORM
FIRST PRIVATE FOUNDATION CLIENT
$1.5M IN RESEARCH FUNDING PLACED
2016
For-profit platform integrated w 3rd Party; DAFs and Private Foundations
250 Researchers
7 Institutions
Partnered with 4 DAF Administrators
2014
Donor Advised Fund Solution aimed at worthy research ventures in need of funding (non-profit, no ROI):
Non-profit funding vehicle for research
500 Researchers
5 Institutions
2013
Christian’s Nephew Diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma
Team
The Benefunder team is comprised of seasoned veterans from Wall Street and Silicon Valley with over 85 years of philanthropic, investment, data technology, operations, and impact experience. Our backgrounds span wealth management, investment banking, global banking data services as well as startups and non-profits.
Executive Team
Founder
Christian Braemer
Christian’s background is a unique combination of global wealth management. entrepreneurship, and non-profit experience.
Christian is responsible for the mission and growth of Benefunder.
Founder
Tom Paparatto
Tom is a pioneer in the data and information industry having a wealth of experience building information businesses and monetizing data assets in the financial services sector.
CTO
Steve Adler
Steve is a serial entrepreneur with more than 30 years in successful high technology and software development industry creating solutions in the fintech, connected device, cloud-based media, SOA microservices, streaming video, IoT, Blockchain, AI and app ecosystems.
Director
Aaron Morgan J.D.
Aaron serves as in-house counsel as well as in operational and analyst roles with Benefunder. Aaron has experience leading large teams, as an entrepreneur, investor, and IP lawyer, which he leverages in support of our client in a multitude of facets.
Director, Impactly
Nick Foster
Nick is the co-founder and lead developer of Impactly. Nick combines financial acumen and technical prowess to create bespoke solutions for impact funders. Nick oversees product and client success.
BOARD
Founder
Christian Braemer
Christian’s background is a unique combination of global wealth management. entrepreneurship, and non-profit experience.
Christian is responsible for the mission and growth of Benefunder.
Board Member
Reid Carr
Having focused on multi-channel, integrated marketing for nearly 20 years, Reid Carr is the CEO of award-winning marketing transformation agency, Red Door Interactive. He also sits on the boards of several corporations and nonprofits across several industry sectors.
Board
Ake Persson
With more than 3 decades in executive positions in the global telecom and information’s technology industry, most recently as the President of Ericsson Wireless Communications Inc., Ake serves across industry sectors as CEO advisor and board member.
Board Member
Eric Brisson
Eric brings a wealth of experience as the co-founder of Impactly, a successful entrepreneur, data scientist, philanthropist, and impact investor.
Advisory Board
Advisor
Dina Shoman
Founder & CEO at InherQuests and Nahji
Advisor
Jim Patrick
Group President Envestnet|PMC at Envestnet, Inc and SVP at The Clark Estates
CTO
Steve Adler
Steve is a serial entrepreneur with more than 30 years in successful high technology and software development industry creating solutions in the fintech, connected device, cloud-based media, SOA microservices, streaming video, IoT, Blockchain, AI and app ecosystems.
Advisor
Roger Arnemann
Chief Product Officer | Chief Operating Officer
Advisor
Mike Dorsey
Independent Investor and Advisor
Advisor
Charles Froland
CEO at Performance Equity
Advisor
Beth Sirull
President/CEO, Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego
Advisor
Gert Lanckriet PhD
Head of Machine Learning @ Amazon Music
Advisor
Petr Johanes PhD
Petr brings a unique perspective to the Benefunder executive team having served as a researcher, venture capital analyst, and on the investment team for his own family office. He has an innate ability to analyze a situation and quickly identify and communicate actionable opportunities and challenges.
Advisor
Darren Lipomi PhD
Professor at University of California San Diego
Advisor
Sandra Familet
Sandy serves as Co-CIO for her family office and ED of their foundation. She previously played a pivotal role in Blackrock’s meteoric growth from inception to IPO and was one of the first female executives at Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs. She’s an associate with The Milken Foundation/Faster Cures, a fellow of The Aspen Institute, one of the earliest supporters of both The Robin Hood Foundation and TED.
Advisor
Richard Swart PhD
Richard advises family offices in alternative finance, technology assessment, and strategy. He is recognized as a global thought leader on FinTech and was recently appointed Fellow in Emerging Technology at UC Irvine. Richard advises the Gates Foundation, and works with several other prominent foundations, think tanks, funds and corporations.
Advisor
Karen Landry
Managing Director at Silver Leaf Partners
Advisor
Jonathan Ozeran
Jonathan is a product and operations leader, company builder, investor and advisor. He has assembled, scaled and led product, design, software engineering, hardware engineering and machine learning teams across numerous financing stages (pre-seed through Series G-2).
Advisor
Sarah Griego Cooch
Sarah is Head of Private Wealth and Family Investments for a private family office and has deep experience advising individuals, family offices, and foundations on strategic philanthropy and impact investment.
Advisor
Valerie Conn PhD
Valerie is a science evangelist and entrepreneur helping clients advance frontiers to solve some of humanity's biggest challenges.
