Venture Connectors Aug. 7 luncheon to feature financial technology startup success story in Carla Dearing

The Venture Connectors monthly luncheon on Aug. 7 will feature Carla Dearing, who is the founding CEO of Sum180 and head of product for FlexWage Solutions LLC.

Venture Connectors luncheons are held at the Muhammad Ali Center, 144 N. Sixth St., in Louisville on the first Wednesday of the month. Doors open at 11:45 a.m., and the meeting runs from noon-1 p.m. Networking takes place after the lunch.

Dearing will share how she successfully launched an “institutional startup” in Louisville’s financial technology (fintech) sector, with the express goal of attracting a strategic acquirer. Fintech companies offer technology apps and products designed to improve and automate the delivery of financial services.

At SUM180 and FlexWage, Dearing leads a team of financial experts, marketers and technologists who are making financial advice and better solutions available for the average person. She started her career at Morgan Stanley & Co. in financial analysis and new product development at the company’s New York, London and Geneva offices. She then co-founded a financial advisory and fund administration firm that was acquired by a Boston bank now owned by State Street Bank.

Dearing was the founding CEO of Community Foundations of America, Inc., involving 115 community foundations nationwide. She also served as a senior administrator in the university health care industry, focusing on strategy development and execution. She previously served as CEO of IMC, SUM180’s major investor.

Dearing holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics and political science from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Each Venture Connectors monthly meeting features:

•30-second open mic announcements about upcoming new companies, events and programs.

•The featured startup, a five-minute presentation by an entrepreneur interested in obtaining capital to start up or support growth and expansion of his or her business.

•A guest speaker or a panel discussion featuring entrepreneurial success stories or trends affecting today’s entrepreneurial climate.

Registration is required at www.ventureconnectors.org. Members attend free; associate members pay $30. Guests who register online by noon the day before the lunch pay only $40.

From Venture Connectors