Startup Founders & Employees
venture-minded wealth management for founders and early employees
A clear plan to navigate your liquidity event, optimize taxes, diversify wisely, and make confident next moves.
At BGM, we partner with startup professionals to bring clarity, confidence, and direction to even the most stressful financial transitions. We help startup founders and early employees make confident decisions through life-changing financial transitions. Whether you’re preparing for an acquisition or managing the ripple effects of a windfall, we guide you through the complexity.
Jake Thibault, CFP® leads our venture-focused wealth management work. With a background in equity research and a strong analytical foundation, Jake brings the perspective of someone who understands both the spreadsheets and the stakes. He knows this moment can feel overwhelming—and he’s here to help you navigate it with strategy, steadiness, and insight.
Unsure Where to Start with Your Liquidity Event?
As a late-stage startup founder or employee, you may be:
- Facing a windfall and feeling the pressure to get it right
- Wondering how much equity to keep—or when to sell
- Looking for clear, tax-smart strategies for long-term security
- Focused on protecting your family’s future with a plan that feels clear and manageable
Confidence Through Your Liquidity Event
Our goal is to help you:
Build a Strategy That Lasts
We work with you step-by-step to build your liquidity plan, tax-efficient investment portfolio, and roadmap to help keep your wealth aligned with your goals.
Free Up Time and Headspace
Instead of stressing over taxes and investment decisions, you can focus on family, travel, or what’s next—while your wealth is managed proactively.
Feel Confident in Every Decision
You’ll have a trusted partner guiding you with thoughtful planning, objective analysis, and a long-term focus on your family’s financial security.
HOW IT WORKS
Step 1: Clarify What Matters Most
We start by understanding your goals, risks, and options.
Step 2: Create a Smart Exit Plan
Together, we design a strategy to manage cash flow, taxes & equity.
Step 3: Monitor and Adjust as you Grow
We stay connected—refining your plan as life evolves.
Is BGM Right for You?
We may be a good fit if you:
- Are a startup founder or employee facing a liquidity event and seeking clarity
- Have or expect to have more than $500,000 in investable assets
- Value a long-term relationship with a financial advisor who understands your world
Contact us today to learn how we can help bring focus and confidence to your financial decisions.
Connect With an Advisor
Frequently Asked Questions
01 When should I start working with a financial advisor—before or after a liquidity event?
Before, if at all possible. The tax and financial planning decisions you make in the months leading up to an initial public offering (IPO), acquisition, or secondary sale can have an outsized impact on what you actually keep. Early planning can give you more flexibility around exercise timing, tax strategy, and diversification. That said, if your event has already happened, there’s still a lot we can do.
02 How do you help me understand my stock options or RSUs?
We break down your equity compensation in plain terms: vesting schedules, tax implications of different exercise strategies, AMT exposure, and how each decision affects your broader financial picture. The goal is to turn a confusing benefit into a strategic asset.
03 What should I consider before exercising stock options?
A lot. Exercising options can trigger significant tax consequences, and the right timing depends on your income, your company’s outlook, your personal liquidity, and your overall financial plan. We model different scenarios so you can see the tradeoffs clearly before committing.
04 How do you help me prepare for a liquidity event?
We build a coordinated strategy that covers tax planning, cash flow modeling, diversification, and long-term investment strategy, all tailored to the specifics of your event, whether it’s an IPO, acquisition, or secondary sale. Having this plan in place before the money hits your account can make a material difference.
05 Most of my net worth is tied to one company. How do I manage that risk?
Concentrated equity is common in the startup world, and it’s one of the riskier positions to be in financially. We help you evaluate that concentration risk, plan for diversification opportunities, and build a strategy that balances growth potential with prudent risk management, all in coordination with your tax plan.
06 What happens after a liquidity event? How do you manage the transition?
After the event, we focus on transitioning from concentrated startup equity to a diversified portfolio aligned with your long-term goals. That includes investment management, tax-efficient positioning, and building a financial plan that supports whatever comes next, whether that’s another venture, philanthropy, or stepping back.
07 My income is unpredictable, including bonuses, vesting, and variable comp. Can you help manage that?
Absolutely. We can build structured cash flow plans that account for the volatility that’s common in startup compensation. That means managing around vesting schedules, variable income, and lumpy bonus structures to help ensure that your financial life stays stable even when your income isn’t.
08 Do you help with retirement planning even if I'm early in my career?
We do, and for startup professionals, early planning can be especially impactful. We integrate 401(k) strategy, equity compensation, and long-term investment planning into a retirement approach that reflects your career trajectory and income variability.
09 Why does BGM's integrated model matter for someone in the startup world?
Startup equity touches everything, from taxes and investments to estate planning and risk management. When those services are all coordinated under one team, it helps avoid the costly gaps that can happen when a CPA says one thing and an advisor says another. That’s the 360-degree approach BGM was built around.
10 What's the first step?
We start with a conversation about your role, equity structure, income, and what’s ahead. From there, we outline a coordinated financial plan tailored to your situation. The initial conversation is complimentary and comes with no strings attached.
