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Hire the Top 1% of Fundraising Consultants

Founders, operators, and investors who raised the round, structured the deal, and lived the exit. The bench here leans consumer and ecommerce.

See the operators

About MentorPass

Est. 2020·10,000+ engagements·avg rating

The list

The 9 best fundraising consultants

Ranked on real sessions and ratings, not bios. The ones at the top have raised capital, written checks, and closed exits themselves.

  1. 01Jimmy DeCicco

    Jimmy DeCicco

    Vetted operator20+ sessions

    Co-Founder, Super Coffee

    Jimmy co-founded Super Coffee and built it into a national CPG brand from positioning through fundraising. He has run the playbook a consumer founder actually faces: tell the brand story to investors, then back it with financials. Reviewers call him a founder with skin in the game who hands you specific tools, not theory.

    CPG fundraising

Sound familiar?

From stuck to a plan you can run this week

The problems founders bring our fundraising operators — and what they walk away with.

  1. I was in a CTO co-founder role, so I never raised directly. I need support here.

    You run your raise with an operator who has closed rounds, so the first time leading one is not the first time anyone in the room has.

  2. I want the pitch roasted before I put it in front of real investors.

The scope

What a fundraising consultant actually does

The work our fundraising operators take on, from first call to ongoing.

  • Pitch deck review

    Get your deck roasted and rebuilt to read the way the people writing the check read it.

  • Round structuring

    Decide the instrument and terms, from angel checks and bridge loans to a priced minority round.

  • Valuation and the value equation

    Figure out what drives your number, whether that is revenue growth, EBITDA, or retail distribution.

  • Raise versus bootstrap decision

    Weigh taking capital against staying bootstrapped, with the dilution math made plain.

  • Investor targeting and intros

    Build the list of right-fit investors and get warm paths to them.

How MentorPass works

The easiest way to hire a fundraising consultant

Find your expert, book a call, solve your problem — and keep them on when you’re ready.

  1. 1. Find your consultant

    Browse the ranked list of vetted operators. Every profile shows their track record, the brands they’ve scaled, and exactly what they go deep on.

  2. 2. Book a call

    Pick a time and share your context up front. They review it before you meet — no spending the first 20 minutes on background.

The guide

What to know before you hire a fundraising consultant

What a fundraising consultant does

A fundraising consultant helps you raise capital on the best terms you can get, or decide not to raise at all. The work splits into a few parts. First, the decision: should you take outside money or keep the business bootstrapped, and what does each path cost you in dilution and control. Then the story: a deck and a narrative that hold up when an investor reads them cold. Then the numbers: a valuation you can defend, and a view of which lever (revenue growth, EBITDA, retail distribution) actually moves it. Finally the deal: the instrument, the terms, and the structure, whether that is an angel check, a bridge, a priced minority round, or a sale.

Good ones have done it. They have raised their own rounds, written checks as investors, or papered deals as advisors. That matters because fundraising is a game of pattern matching, and the patterns live with people who have seen a lot of rounds close and fall apart.

What to look for when hiring one

Look for someone who has sat on your side of the table and the other one. A founder who raised tells you how the process feels and where it breaks. An investor tells you what makes them lean in or pass. The strongest advisors have been both. Ask what they have actually built or backed, not what they describe themselves as. "First check into quip and Caraway" tells you more than any title. And match the operator to your business: a consumer brand raising on retail distribution needs a different advisor than a B2B SaaS founder framing a Series A.

Why founders use MentorPass for fundraising

Most fundraising help comes as an expensive retainer or a placement fee on what you raise. MentorPass works by the session. You book a senior operator for the specific question in front of you, get their read, and leave with concrete next steps. Founders use it to roast a deck before real meetings, to decide raise versus bootstrap, to set a valuation, and to prepare a business for sale.

The bench here leans consumer and ecommerce, with operators who have built and exited brands like Super Coffee, BODYARMOR, and Vita Coco. You can book one session to pressure test a single decision, or work with the same person across a whole raise. Either way you are borrowing the judgment of someone who has closed the kind of round you are trying to close.

Proof

Results from these fundraising consultants

Average rating
4.86★

Average rating

Written reviews
29

Written reviews

Sessions booked
140

Sessions booked

Expert operators
8

Expert operators

It was wonderful to speak with Marcello. He comes with a wealth of knowledge & experience but has a great way of listening + providing feedback in a way that isn't forceful. It's amazing speaking to people with his skill set and experience that are thoughtful in conversation and advice. 10/10 would recommend. Thanks Marcello!
From a session with Marcello Bottoli

Why MentorPass

MentorPass vs. the alternatives

When you need fundraising help, you have four options. Here's how they actually stack up.

MentorPassAgenciesFreelance marketplacesFull-time hire
Time to first callThis weekWeeks of pitchesDays, hit or miss2–3 months

Industries

Where our fundraising operators have done it

Real reps in these verticals, not theory. The kind of pattern-matching that only comes from having shipped in your category.

  • E-commerce Fundraising ConsultantsFundraising operators who've built and scaled DTC and online retail brands.
  • CPG Fundraising ConsultantsFundraising operators who've scaled consumer packaged goods brands in retail and DTC.
  • B2C SaaS Fundraising ConsultantsFundraising guidance for consumer apps and subscription products.
  • B2B SaaS Fundraising ConsultantsFundraising guidance for B2B software and platform companies.
  • Agency Fundraising ConsultantsFundraising help built for agencies and professional service firms.
  • Marketplace Fundraising ConsultantsFundraising for multi-vendor marketplaces and platforms.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What does a fundraising consultant actually do?

They help you decide whether to raise, set a defensible valuation, structure the round, and build a deck that holds up with investors. On MentorPass that work happens in focused sessions: bring your deck or your numbers and leave with specific changes and next steps.

How much does it cost?

You book by the session, not on a retainer or a percentage of what you raise. You get senior operator time for the questions that matter most, without a long engagement or a placement fee.

How are these consultants vetted?

Every operator on this page has raised capital, written checks, or closed exits themselves. The roster is ranked on real session counts and ratings, so the people at the top have proven both their track record and their coaching. Ben Zises was the first investor in quip and Caraway; Ryan Lewendon has exits at BODYARMOR and Vita Coco.

Explore more

See all capabilities

Hire a fundraising consultant who's done it before

Pick a consultant and book a call — or tell us what you're working on and we'll route you to the right operator in the network.

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Contact

4.97

Jimmy DeCicco

Co-Founder, Super Coffee

Ben Zises

Founder, SuperAngel.Fund | Investor #1 in quip, Caraway, Arber

Marcello Bottoli

CEO Vestacy | Fmr. CEO Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, Pandora | Growth equity investor

Vetted operator
20+ sessions

On MentorPass

Hire Founders & Operators from Top Brands

Brand positioning
Financials
Go to market
View profile
  • 02Ben Zises

    Ben Zises

    Vetted operator

    Founder, SuperAngel.Fund | Investor #1 in quip, Caraway, Arber

    Ben was the first check into quip, Caraway, and Arber, and now runs SuperAngel.Fund. He sees the deck the way the people writing the check see it, because he is one of them. One founder said his feedback on their investment deck was instrumental and made the round materially more compelling; another came to him mid build and left with the links and documents to keep going.

    Pitch deckAngel roundsInvestor feedbackFounder coaching
    View profile
  • 03Marcello Bottoli

    Marcello Bottoli

    Vetted operator

    CEO Vestacy | Fmr. CEO Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, Pandora | Growth equity investor

    Marcello ran Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Pandora as CEO and now invests growth equity into consumer brands. He has scaled brands to the size investors pay up for, and he writes the checks too. Founders describe advice that is strategic and never forceful, including practical guidance on licensing and long-term brand value.

    Growth equityScaling brandsDeal structuringValuation
    View profile
  • 04Ryan Lewendon

    Ryan Lewendon

    Vetted operator

    M&A Advisor and CPG Attorney | Exits at BODYARMOR, Vita Coco, Promix

    Ryan has closed M&A deals at BODYARMOR, Vita Coco, and Promix as both dealmaker and attorney. When the question is how to structure a round or prepare for a sale, he has papered the deals himself. Useful when you need someone who knows the terms, not just the pitch.

    M&ADeal structuringExitsLegal
    View profile
  • 05Suze Dowling

    Suze Dowling

    Vetted operator40+ sessions

    Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer, Pattern Brands

    Suze co-founded Pattern Brands and acquired and operates GIR, Open Spaces, and Onsen as a DTC operator and investor. She has been on the buy side of consumer acquisitions, so she knows what raises a brand's value and what scares investors off. With 40+ sessions she is one of the most booked operators here, and reviewers say she comes prepared and leaves you with definitive next steps.

    DTC operationsBrand acquisitionsInvestor readinessGo to market
    View profile
  • 06Mark Rushmore

    Mark Rushmore

    Vetted operator

    Co-Founder, SURI

    Mark co-founded SURI and took a purpose-led consumer brand from concept to global market entry. He has built the kind of brand that raises on a clear story, and he can pressure test how yours reads to capital. Good fit for founders building a sustainability-led consumer brand from early.

    Consumer brand buildingMarket entryFounder coachingPositioning
    View profile
  • 07Drew Fallon

    Drew Fallon

    Vetted operator

    COO, Mad Rabbit Tattoo

    Drew runs operations at Mad Rabbit Tattoo and demystifies finance and accounting for consumer brands. Fundraising lives or dies on the numbers, and he is the operator who can get your financials in shape before you raise. Helpful when the question is revenue growth versus EBITDA and what investors actually want to see.

    FinancialsFundraising prepEBITDAOperations
    View profile
  • 08Kara La Forgia

    Kara La Forgia

    Vetted operator

    CPG Advisor and Investor

    Kara helps CPG brands break into Sephora, ULTA, and Target, and she invests too. Retail distribution is one of the biggest levers on a consumer brand's valuation, and she helps founders fundraise around it. One founder called her the most helpful session they had taken, citing her network and her read on founder funding.

    Retail distributionCPG fundraisingInvestor networkGo to market
    View profile
  • 09Maya Bakhai

    Maya Bakhai

    Vetted operator

    Fundraising Advisor and Connector

    Maya advises founders on fundraising and connects them to investors, talent, and operators. Raising is partly a network problem, and she works the intros alongside the strategy. A fit when you have the pitch but need warm paths to the right capital.

    Investor introsFundraising strategyFounder coachingIdea validation
    View profile

    • You walk an investor through your deck and fix what loses them before the meetings that count.

  • Should we raise capital next year or stay bootstrapped?

    You decide raise versus bootstrap with someone who has done both, weighing dilution against the constraint that is actually holding you back.

  • I want advice on how to valuate it and structure the deal on a minority.

    You price the round and structure terms with a dealmaker who has papered minority deals and exits.

  • Should we focus now on revenue growth or on EBITDA?

    You know the lever that moves your valuation and you build the plan to pull it before you go to market.

  • We are exploring an exit and want advice on multiples and what investors look for.

    You prepare the business operationally and financially for the sale, with a clear view of the factors that move deal terms.

    • Exit and M&A prep

    Get the business ready operationally and financially for a sale, and understand the multiples buyers pay.

    3. Leave with a game plan

    Get specific, prioritized advice you can act on this week — and keep working with them ongoing if it clicks.

  • Keep them on

    Found your match? Keep your fundraising operator on as an ongoing advisor as you scale.

    • We came to Ben as we are in the process of building our pitch deck to raise investment for our sun care company. Ben is very knowledgeable, gave us great advice, and even shared a few links and documents that would be very helpful for us at this stage. I recommend booking a call with Ben if you want to consult about your business.
    From a session with Ben Zises
    Jimmy is one of the most knowledgable founders of a company we had the privilege to meet. He is a straightforward mentor who will equip you with the tools of how to run your business better than anyone else. He's a mentor who has skin in the game and his experience demonstrates his impeccable understanding of the beverage and nutritional industry. A valuable mentor who has created a valuable product first hand and witnessed the highs and lows and will help you understand the reality ahead of you. Highly recommend this mentor and what he's done for the RTD bev market.
    From a session with Jimmy DeCicco
    Kara has been the most helpful of all mentorpass sessions ive taken to date. She is so willing to help guide the retail journey in any way possible . She has a wealth of knowledge , network, and experience that is sure to benefit any dt2 owner looking for a clearer picture of what to expect with retail and wholesale partnerships . As an added bonus she is also very well versed in founder funding and very willing to help in any way she can.
    From a session with Kara La Forgia
    Who you actually getTop 1% fundraising operatorsJunior account managersUnvetted freelancersHard to find senior talent
    Proven at your stageBuilt & scaled real brandsA playbook, not your contextVaries wildlyIf you can afford them
    CommitmentPer call — no lock-inMonthly retainerPer projectSalary + equity
    CostPer session$$$$ / month$$ / project$$$$$ + overhead
    Ongoing supportKeep them on as an advisorLocked into scopeChurn and rehirePermanent headcount
  • Media Fundraising ConsultantsFundraising for media, content, and publishing brands.
    • Can I just get my pitch roasted before I raise?

    Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons founders book. Walk an investor through your deck, hear where it loses them, and fix it before the meetings that count.

    I have never led a raise. Is that a problem?

    No. Plenty of founders here came from product or technical roles and never raised directly. The point of the session is to borrow the experience of someone who has, so your first raise is not run on guesswork.

    Can I keep working with the same consultant?

    Yes. Many founders book the same operator across a raise, from deck to term sheet, and several reviewers mention multiple sessions over a year.