Publication
A Step-by-step Guide to Building an Accurate Financial Model
https://www.toptal.com/finance/financial-modeling/financial-modeling-process
Hudson is available for hire
Hire HudsonHudson Cashdan
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
New York, NY, United States
Toptal Member Since
December 28, 2016
Hudson has a broad financial experience as a trader, hedge fund equity analyst and portfolio manager, middle-market private equity associate, and director of finance for an enterprise SaaS startup. He is a strategic thinker adept at dealing with the details of a business or transaction. As a freelancer, Hudson enjoys exposure to a range of industries and business models while working with innovative management teams to advance solutions.
Career Highlights
Fractional CFO
Magma Capital Funds
Financial Modeling Expert
PumpML Inc.
Senior Equity Analyst
ReachCapital Management
Education Highlights
Nanodegree
Udacity
Advanced Graduate Degree
New York University
Certification Highlights
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
Case Studies
Expertise
Work Experience
Fundraising Consultant
2023 - PRESENT
Super Legit LLC
- Built pro-forma model with stages and assumption toggles, cash burn, and valuation analysis for Creative Film Studios.
- Collaborated on investor pitch deck used to secure seed funding.
- Built fundraising machine, including segmented prospect lists, cadence and email campaigns, and mock investor meetings.
Focus areas: Fundraising, Equity Offerings, Small Business Management, Employee Stock Options, Convertible Notes, Part-time CFO, Angel Investing, Venture Capital, Startups, Early-stage Startups, Seed Fundraising, Angel/Seed Funding
Valuation Expert
2023 - PRESENT
Hoff & Pepper Co, LLC
- Built a multi-stage pro forma 3-statement financial model with a valuation matrix and a scenario toggle.
- Created a bottom-up model that included specificity by SKU and distribution channel to communicate unit economics.
- Completed valuation report and proposed term structure used in the partner exit agreement.
Focus areas: Valuation, Financial Modeling, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), FMCG
Fractional CFO
2023 - PRESENT
Magma Capital Funds
- Built a pro forma three-statement model and investor pitch deck in advance of a successful funding round from venture capital.
- Built the financial widget used by the sales team to convey economic splits for target partners and worked with the sales engineer to build scale-able sales and customer success processes.
- Worked in a fund-of-funds manager role, screening, vetting, and ultimately originating a fund-of-fund product geared toward our RIA partners.
Focus areas: Alternative Investments, Financials, Pro Forma Analysis, Fundraising, Asset Allocation, Financial Markets, Equity Markets, Capital Markets, Investment Portfolio Management, Angel/Seed Funding
Product Lead
2023 - PRESENT
Black Sheep Analytics LLC
- Led product ideation from idea to MVP by incorporating expertise as a financial analyst (the target market).
- Worked with the designer and engineers to deliver the MVP. This required a clear explanation of the key financial concepts underlying the functionality delivered in a manner that was understandable to people without a financial background.
- Built a beta testing group in advance of the August 2023 launch.
Focus areas: Financial Modeling, Product Development, Product Design, Product Delivery, Artificial Intelligence (AI), High-tech Startups, Financial Markets, Equity Markets, Capital Markets, Research, Apps, Angel/Seed Funding
Finance and Product Director
2020 - PRESENT
Offramp, LLC
- Led the product team that built an alternative financial data platform from scratch.
- Scaled the platform from zero to 90,000 active monthly users in 14 months.
- Worked with engineering to build proprietary technology feeding the sales-and-sales marketing funnel.
Focus areas: Data, Cap Tables, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Excel Modeling, Financial Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Three-statement Modeling, Big Data, Content Marketing, Marketing Technology (MarTech), Profit & Loss (P&L), Pitch Decks, Business Models, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Planning, Forecasting, Market Research, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Venture Capital, New Product Business Cases, Customer Acquisition, Hypothesis Testing, Growth Strategy, Early-stage Funding, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Pitch Deck Consultant, Profitability Analysis, Project Management, Break-even Analysis, Revenue Projections, Budgeting, Quantitative Analysis, Part-time CFO, CFO, Technology, Microsoft PowerPoint, Financial Forecasting, Financial Data, Software as a Service (SaaS), SaaS, B2C, Startups, Cash Flow, Early-stage Startups, Early-stage Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Data Analysis, Quantitative Research, Machine Learning, Financial Markets, Copywriting, Equity Markets, Capital Markets, Apps, Angel/Seed Funding
Startup Consultant
2023 - 2023
H.R Leatherwood Corp.
- Created a multi-stage pro forma three-statement financial model ahead of Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) fundraising.
- Formulated the community development plan ahead with the founder for Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) offering.
- Completed market analysis including TAM/SAM/SOM, competitor matrix, and customer personas, and identified key distribution channels.
Focus areas: Startups, Fundraising Strategy, Startup Consulting, Fundraising Consultant, Consumer Products, Fundraising, Automotive, United States, Venture Capital, Business Plan Consulting, Financial Forecasting, Valuation, Pitch Decks
Financial Modeling Expert
2023 - 2023
PumpML Inc.
- Supported founder with business plan optimization, financial projections, and analysis for a successful $3 million seed round led by Drive Capital.
- Distilled founder vision into a comprehensive, bottom-up, three-statement pro formal financial model.
- Forecasted marketing funnel and demand build, sales cycle, deferred revenue, cash flow, hiring, depreciation and amortization, cash burn, and valuation under multiple scenarios.
- Worked with the founder to determine TAM/SAM/SOM, optimal target market and use a persona, and product pricing.
Focus areas: Financial Modeling, Fundraising, Pro Forma Analysis, Pricing Plans, Angel/Seed Funding
Financial Modeling Expert
2023 - 2023
Poubel
- Created a multi-stage pro forma 3-statement financial model ahead of seed fundraising.
- Worked with the founder to determine capital needs, optimal distribution locations, shipping, and cash flow management strategy.
- Completed a successful seed capital raise from family office investors.
- Worked with web developers, fulfillment, and accounting to create an integrated and reliable financial and inventory reporting stack.
- Created dashboards for daily reporting of sales, marketing, and inventory KPIs.
Focus areas: Forecasting, Financial Modeling, Revenue & Expense Projections, Consumer Products, Angel/Seed Funding
Valuation Expert
2023 - 2023
Da Vinci Eye, LLC.
- Built a multi-stage pro forma 3-statement financial model with a valuation matrix.
- Worked with the founder and CEO to prioritize product lines and created a strategy for secondary and tertiary revenue streams.
- Coached the founder and CEO on negotiation strategy ahead of the Shark Tank pitch. We determined the company could thrive without additional capital, strengthening its negotiating position.
Focus areas: Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), SaaS, B2C, Business Models, Valuation, Software as a Service (SaaS), Apps, Fundraising, Forecasting, Financial Modeling, Business to Consumer (B2C), Consumer Products, Angel/Seed Funding
Fundraising Lead
2023 - 2023
Quantgene
- Implemented an investor communications process incorporating regular and intermittent updates. Created a parallel update scheme geared toward prospective investors.
- Worked with management to update the investment materials, financial model, and business narrative ahead of a Series B fundraiser.
- Designed a fundraising plan in advance of the upcoming Series B raise.
Focus areas: Fundraising Strategy, Startup Funding, Investor Relations, Artificial Intelligence (AI), High-tech Startups, Health & Wellness, Holistic Wellness, Healthcare, Convertible Debt, Series A, Angel/Seed Funding
Financial Expert Network
2021 - 2023
AlphaSights
- Collaborated with the AlphaSights team to identify key areas of investor interest before virtual meetings.
- Led discussions between the panel of industry experts and hedge fund and private equity investors, asset managers, and consultants.
- Addressed key areas of investor interest with panelists on call and distilled content into concise summaries.
Focus areas: Equity Research, Market Research, Investment Ideas, Alternative Investments, Financial Markets, Equity Markets, Capital Markets, Research
Fundraising Expert
2022 - 2022
Frangere, Inc.
- Advised on reorientating the business model, which resulted in a dramatically improved product market fit.
- Augmented the financing plan to reduce founder dilution while offering investors a more suitable investment vehicle.
- Collaborated with the accountant to optimize the pro forma model and sanity-check assumptions.
Focus areas: Forecasting, Financial Modeling, Fundraising, Revenue & Expense Projections, Pitch Decks, Cash Flow, Early-stage Startups, Early-stage Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Excel Expert, Consumer Products
Financing/Fundraising Expert
2022 - 2022
Option Scout
- Supported the acquisition of a competitor, resulting in the combined entity being a market leader in their trading technology niche.
- Built 12-month and three-year pro-forma model for the merged entity.
- Created clear and concise investor presentation used to finance the acquisition.
Focus areas: Seed Fundraising, Fundraising, M&A (Buy-side), SaaS, B2C, Startups, Cash Flow, Early-stage Startups, Early-stage Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Excel Expert, Financial Markets, Equity Markets, Capital Markets, Apps
Financial Forecasting
2022 - 2022
The Lost Draft LLC
- Built pro forma model for retail F&B concept pre-opening.
- Developed and demonstrated the importance of KPIs using a scenario analysis financial model.
- Recommended financial controls and budgeting and forecasting processes.
Focus areas: Forecasting, Financial Modeling, Revenue & Expense Projections, Food & Beverage, CAPEX Budgeting & Inventory Management, Break-even Analysis, Revenue Projections, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), United States, Budgeting, Operations, Consulting, Financial Forecasting, Cash Flow, Early-stage Startups, Excel Expert, Restaurants & Dining
Fundraising/Modeling Expert
2022 - 2022
Sawyer Winston
- Guided a business strategy related to a single-family real estate portfolio using a scenario analysis financial model.
- Forecasted company and investor returns using the Waterfall cash flow model.
- Led negotiations with a long-term financial partner.
- Advised on construction acquisition and other non-real estate M&A deals.
Focus areas: Fundraising, Early-stage Startups, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Venture Capital, Business Models, Fundraising Consultant, Energy, Oil & Gas, Real Estate, Consulting, Financial Forecasting, M&A Modeling, Deal Analysis, Asset-based Finance, Cash Flow, Excel Expert
Fundraising Consultant
2022 - 2022
XMT Construction, Inc
- Engaged with the client on thorough business model due diligence to fully understand the investment opportunity.
- Conducted market research to determine product market fit, Total Addressable Market (TAM), and Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM).
- Constructed investor presentation, including formatting and content used to pitch seed-stage VCs.
Focus areas: Fundraising, Pitch Decks, Seed Fundraising, Startups, Technology, Microsoft PowerPoint, Financial Forecasting, Software as a Service (SaaS), SaaS, B2C, Early-stage Startups, Early-stage Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Apps
Financial Advisor
2022 - 2022
Magellan Research Group
- Built a financial model incorporating multiple scenarios for a 7-year-old, $2.5 million annual revenue, cash flow positive, bottom-up market research group.
- Managed relationships with prospective lending partners financing the growth phase.
- Collaborated with the CEO to build a new product line that would likely be spun off as a separate business.
Focus areas: Financial Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), New Products, Business Strategy, Revenue Projections, Budgeting, Financing, Loans & Lending, Business Plan Consulting, Debt Financing, Consulting, Financial Forecasting, Deal Analysis, Cash Flow, Excel Expert
Head of Financial Planning and Analysis
2021 - 2021
Hand Barell Bourbon
- Built the financial model used for the seed fundraising round (in the process).
- Collaborated with the client through an iterative process to add specificity around inventory and cash flow.
- Advised on the ideal financing structure at various stages of the forecasted business maturity.
Focus areas: Fundraising Consultant, Startup Consulting, Business Strategy, Food & Beverage, CAPEX Budgeting & Inventory Management, Break-even Analysis, Revenue Projections, Business Plan Consulting, Equity Financing, Consulting, Financial Forecasting, Asset-based Finance, B2C, Startups, Cash Flow, Early-stage Startups, Startup Funding, Excel Expert, Consumer Products, Angel/Seed Funding
Consultant
2020 - 2021
MeleChain Blockchain Platform
- Built a token economics model to forecast the impact on market prices under various scenarios.
- Collaborated with the tech and product team to align product development with the required token economics.
- Worked with regulators on behalf of the client to ensure compliance and obtain necessary approvals.
Focus areas: Cryptocurrency, Three-statement Modeling, Compliance, Tokenomics, Pitch Decks, Business Models, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Planning, Forecasting, Market Research, Total Addressable Market (TAM), New Product Business Cases, Growth Strategy, Early-stage Funding, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Pitch Deck Consultant, Fundraising, Business Plan Consulting, Technology, Consulting, Financial Forecasting, M&A Modeling, White Papers, Early-stage Startups, Excel Expert
Consultant
2020 - 2020
TWYST
- Built the pricing model for RFID-based industrial warehouse automation software plus a hardware solution.
- Worked with the founder to ascertain the core value-add and estimate market size and new product potential.
- Built a financial model for short and intermediate-term cash flow needs under various scenarios.
Focus areas: Pricing Models, Financial Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Pro Forma Financial Statements, Business Models, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Planning, Total Addressable Market (TAM), New Product Business Cases, Early-stage Funding, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Pitch Deck Consultant, Pricing, Business Strategy, CAPEX Budgeting & Inventory Management, Business Plan Consulting, Technology, Consulting, Manufacturing, SaaS, Startups, Early-stage Startups, Pricing Strategy, Excel Expert, High-tech Startups
Consultant
2019 - 2020
She's Well
- Integrated marketing and financial data to restructure KPIs.
- Built the full profit and loss forecasts using new KPIs.
- Modeled out the sales and marketing funnel using Excel.
- Cleaned up the capitalization table and advised on the financing impact.
- Used the model to raise a $2,100,000 seed round led by 500 startups.
Focus areas: Seed Fundraising, Excel Modeling, Financial Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Blockchain, Three-statement Modeling, Cap Tables, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), P&L Forecasting, Finance Strategy, Venture Funding, Pitch Decks, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Planning, Forecasting, Market Research, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Venture Capital, New Product Business Cases, Customer Acquisition, Growth Strategy, Early-stage Funding, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Pitch Deck Consultant, Profitability Analysis, Revenue Projections, Fundraising, Equity Financing, Technology, Consulting, Financial Forecasting, Software as a Service (SaaS), SaaS, B2C, Startups, Early-stage Startups, Early-stage Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Excel Expert, Health & Wellness, Healthcare, Convertible Debt, Angel/Seed Funding
Product Leader
2019 - 2019
Banyan Hill Publishing
- Launched a financial newsletter focused on the IPO/SPAC market.
- Was a member of the senior editorial team that generated $10,000,000+ subscriber revenues and was the largest at the company.
- Generated investment analysis and composed copy related to upcoming and recent IPOs.
Focus areas: Publishing, Financial Markets, Financials, Customer Acquisition, Hypothesis Testing, Financial Writer, Alternative Investments, Copywriting, Equity Markets, Writing & Editing, Research
Consultant
2019 - 2019
Consultant, Real Estate Developer
- Built a financial model for pre-funding a real estate development venture.
- Consulted development experts in the community on best practices.
- Worked with marketing and the founding team to determine product/market fit.
Focus areas: Excel Modeling, Financial Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Real Estate, Pro Forma Financial Statements, Business Models, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Planning, Forecasting, Waterfall Modeling, Break-even Analysis, Microsoft PowerPoint, Consulting, Financial Forecasting, M&A Modeling, Excel Expert
Consultant
2019 - 2019
Braintrust
- Built a token economics model for innovative user-owned services marketplace.
- Constructed a financial model used to obtain ~$20 million in Series A funding.
- Developed the KPIs used to monitor business performance.
Focus areas: Marketplaces, Venture Funding, Cryptocurrency, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Excel Modeling, Financial Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Blockchain, Three-statement Modeling, Forecasting, Finance Strategy, Tokenomics, Pitch Decks, Business Models, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Planning, Market Research, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Venture Capital, New Product Business Cases, Growth Strategy, Early-stage Funding, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Pitch Deck Consultant, Profitability Analysis, Break-even Analysis, Revenue Projections, Equity Financing, Technology, Consulting, Financial Forecasting, M&A Modeling, Startups, Early-stage Startups, Early-stage Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Excel Expert, High-tech Startups, Apps, Convertible Debt, Series A, Angel/Seed Funding
Finance Director
2015 - 2019
Xpand
- Oversaw a successful $1 million growth capital raise.
- Built a bottom-up financial model, including forecast scenarios around net income and cash flow.
- Cleaned the capitalization table and migrated to Carta, a cap table management software platform.
- Identified and screened eventual investors and negotiated terms.
- Worked with legal counterparts to negotiate and edit investment documents and sales agreements.
Focus areas: Venture Funding, Seed Fundraising, Cap Tables, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Excel Modeling, B2B, Financial Modeling, Three-statement Modeling, Investor Relations, Budgeting, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Pitch Decks, Business Models, Revenue & Expense Projections, Forecasting, Market Research, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Venture Capital, Early-stage Funding, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Pitch Deck Consultant, Profitability Analysis, Business Strategy, Business Operations, Break-even Analysis, Revenue Projections, Fundraising, Fractional CFO, Equity Financing, Technology, Microsoft PowerPoint, Financial Forecasting, Software as a Service (SaaS), SaaS, Startups, Cash Flow, Early-stage Startups, Early-stage Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Excel Expert, Convertible Debt, Debt, Angel/Seed Funding
COO
2018 - 2018
Leviathan Analytics
- Oversaw the integration between two investor portfolio companies.
- Managed the team through merger, rebranding, and restructuring.
- Led the on-demand microdata product and interfaced with the quant data analytics team to build an integrated product offering.
Focus areas: Big Data, Data Analytics, Geopolitical Risk, Business Operations, Project Management, Business Plan Consulting, Technology, Microsoft PowerPoint, Consulting, Financial Forecasting, M&A Modeling, Financial Data, Software as a Service (SaaS), Startups, Xero, Cash Flow, Early-stage Startups, Early-stage Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Artificial Intelligence (AI), High-tech Startups, Angel/Seed Funding
Consultant
2018 - 2018
Findyr
- Outlined options for supplementing existing consumer data survey platform with blockchain tech.
- Integrated a survey company with a big data company after a merger.
- Integrated two teams post-merger on behalf of senior management.
Focus areas: Data, Cryptocurrency, Excel Modeling, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Financial Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Blockchain, Big Data, Pitch Decks, Business Models, Revenue & Expense Projections, New Product Business Cases, Early-stage Funding, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Pitch Deck Consultant, Profitability Analysis, Business Strategy, Business Plan Consulting, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Operations, Technology, Microsoft PowerPoint, Consulting, Financial Forecasting, Software as a Service (SaaS), SaaS, B2C, Startups, Xero, Cash Flow, Early-stage Startups, Early-stage Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Excel Expert, Apps
Consultant
2017 - 2018
TigerTrade
- Identified several investors who came in at various stages and/or will be coming in at the next stage.
- Built a financial model using top-down assumptions. Currently, revising to incorporate data around ROI on marketing and sales resources.
- Helped to identify a new product line concentrated on managing excess inventory that is currently the focus of the business, contributing to business model rationalization.
- Created forward budgets under various financing scenarios.
- Worked with leaders of logistics/operations, marketing, sales, and technology to model resource needs and return on investment.
Focus areas: Marketplaces, Cryptocurrency, Excel Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Blockchain, B2B, Three-statement Modeling, Investor Relations, Budgeting, Financial Modeling, Business Planning, Pitch Decks, Business Models, Revenue & Expense Projections, Forecasting, Market Research, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Venture Capital, Early-stage Funding, Startup Consulting, Pitch Deck Consultant, Profitability Analysis, Business Strategy, Project Management, Revenue Projections, Operations, Equity Financing, Technology, Consulting, Financial Forecasting, Startups, Cash Flow, Early-stage Startups, Early-stage Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Excel Expert
Associate
2011 - 2013
Glenwood Capital
- Evaluated businesses and determined optimal investment structures based on enterprise value and deal feasibility.
- Originated a presentation used to educate current financial partners then worked towards obtaining LOI and term-sheet and set up a data room for conducting due diligence.
- Negotiated terms working with management and legal on both sides of transactions.
- Worked on transactions that typically involved companies with $5-30 million in EBITDA—either raising capital for growth or acquisitions or selling a controlling interest.
- Sourced deals using a network of attorneys, accountants, entrepreneurs, and advisors.
Focus areas: Excel Modeling, Financial Modeling, Three-statement Modeling, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Mezzanine, Pitch Decks, Revenue & Expense Projections, Forecasting, Pitch Deck Consultant, Private Equity, Revenue Projections, Budgeting, Fundraising, Valuation, Investments, Financing, Loans & Lending, Equity Financing, Debt Financing, M&A (Buy-side), Microsoft PowerPoint, Manufacturing, Financial Forecasting, M&A Modeling, Deal Analysis, Asset-based Finance, Investment Banking, Cash Flow, Investment Memoranda, Excel Expert, Investment Committee Advisory, Private Company Valuation, Financial Markets, Capital Markets, Research, Debt, Financial Statements
Senior Equity Analyst
2004 - 2010
ReachCapital Management
- Managed the Asia-and-emerging-markets portion of the $3 billion+ Tamarack Fund, a non-US long/short equity hedge fund. Generated significant alpha from the bucket commingled with the larger fund.
- Advanced from junior analyst to senior analyst and eventually to junior portfolio manager over six years.
- Grew fund AUM over 20x during tenure, helping the fund make the Barrons List of Top 50 Hedge Funds in 2007.
Focus areas: Financial Services, Economics, Equities, Portfolio Management, Wealth Management, Forecasting, Hedge Funds, DCF Valuation, Investments, Equity Research, Equity Research Analysis, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Brazil, Financial Forecasting, Asset Management, Excel Expert, Alternative Investments, Financial Markets, Equity Markets, Capital Markets, Research, Asset Allocation, Investment Portfolio Management, Financial Statements
Other Experience
Education
2017 - 2018
Nanodegree in Business Analyst
Udacity - Remote
2002 - 2003
Advanced Graduate Degree in Real Estate
New York University - New York, NY, USA
1996 - 2000
Bachelor's Degree in Economics
Lafayette College - Easton, PA, USA
Certifications
SEPTEMBER 2013 - PRESENT
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
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