Venture First is a boutique financial services group focused on empowering entrepreneurs. At its core, our team believes that innovation is the cornerstone of a healthy economy and an improving society. Venture First works tirelessly to provide innovative companies and their investors with the financial and strategic tools to be successful. Its professionals have worked closely with hundreds of cutting-edge companies and have considerable experience working with technology and healthcare companies.

Venture First was established in 2009 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. After working extensively with early and growth-stage companies as an investor, advisor, and operator, founder and CEO John Shumate identified a need for high-end valuation and analytics services at reasonable price. With the belief that small companies operating on a shoestring budget deserve the same sophisticated financial services as their larger counterparts, John set out to develop a superior technology platform and analytical bench that could deliver Wall Street quality services at Midwest prices. The result is a specialty financial services firm that caters to high-growth venture-backed companies from Silicon Valley to Research Triangle Park. By leveraging its proprietary set of rapid-fire analytical tools and combining a vast array of quality data, Venture First’s team delivers market-leading services at prices that accommodate most budgets.

Venture First

John Shumate

Cole Roberts

Scott Sieg

Brad Couch

Rob Penta

Madison Ewing

Jack Hellige, CFA

Greg Guilford

Mark Crane

The Leadership Team at Venture First is responsible for setting the strategic direction and ensuring the overall success of the company. This team consists of seasoned professionals who oversee key functions such as operations, legal affairs, investor relations, and CFO services. They work collaboratively to drive innovation, uphold the company's mission, and deliver high-end financial and strategic tools to high-growth venture-backed companies.

Leadership Team

Finance and Accounting Team

Leadership Team

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Team members

Other teams at Venture First

Finance and Accounting Team