Yes, that’s me down there in the Forbes article—the handsome one on your left.

After years of working with clients, some friends invited me for coffee. But this time, they were the ones pitching me an idea. They asked me to turn it into a strong brand with a compelling story. And so we did.

With their experience in banking, they realized they could give people access to the same tools traditional banks use to figure out who is “good for the money”—using data to understand who might represent a risk and who is simply working hard for their family and will pay on time.

That’s how Approbe was born: a fintech that gives people, small businesses, and companies access to the financial technology they need to approve loans instantly, intuitively, and securely.