Last week, I shared a great contribution from our new CFO. This week, I finally get to introduce him. Joel Block has joined Paul, Arun, and me as a partner and the first official Chief Financial Officer at Collegewise.
At first glance, Joel might look like your typical CFO. He studied business at the University of Michigan with a concentration in finance and accounting while minoring in stats. He worked in New York City on a trading floor and then in the fixed income area trading corporate bonds and mortgage-backed securities while focusing on interest rate derivatives (his new partners didn’t understand a single syllable of that, by the way). He cannot recognize a Beatles song and has almost no knowledge of pop culture.
But there’s more to Joel than the stereotypical, manically numbers-focused CFO.
He also worked in sales, pitching to CFO’s and treasurers. He was named Basketball Coach of the Year for his younger brother’s competitive summer league team. He can tell you where every NBA player and most NFL players went to college, and he knows the vast majority of college mascots.
Best of all, his last name was familiar to everyone at Collegewise, as Joel was smart and lucky enough to marry his Michigan Wolverine college sweetheart, Chelsea Block of our Irvine, California office. Joel was one of us before he ever officially joined up.
Collegewise has never been about the money for us. We’re all here because we believe in our mission, and we love what we’re doing. But even the most mission-driven businesses need to be financially sound to succeed. Paul, Arun, and I knew that Collegewise was too important to rely on our limited skills in that area. In Joel, we found someone who knows how to run the business side of our business. From payroll, to insurance, to budgeting and expense reporting, Joel will help us make sure that we run a smart, safe, and financially sane business.
More importantly, Joel has seen first-hand the difference we make with kids. He believes in Collegewise and what we’re trying to do, so much so that after looking at our business plan and talking with us, Joel put in his own money to join us not as an employee, but as a partner. We’re so happy to have him here that even Ohio-native and fervent Buckeye fan, Arun, has welcomed this Michigan Wolverine into the family. It’s a great match.
Joel, welcome to Collegewise! We’re glad to have another Wolverine, and another Block, on board.