Trusted Budgeting and Forecasting Experts

Saeed Darabi is the founder and CEO of MoneyPantry.com, a leading personal finance blog helping readers save money, earn extra income, and make smarter financial decisions. With years of hands-on experience in content marketing, SEO, and entrepreneurship, Saeed provides practical, actionable advice that resonates with everyday readers. His insights have been featured in articles on budgeting, side hustles, money management, and more, making him a trusted source for journalists looking for expert commentary on personal finance trends and strategies.

I'm a specialist commercial finance broker with 16 years of experience helping Australian business owners access commercial property finance. As founder of Smart Business Plans, I've overseen $550 million in commercial finance across more than 3,300 clients, with a 92% approval rate working across a panel of 60+ specialist lenders. My expertise sits at the intersection of commercial property, business finance, and wealth strategy — particularly for small to medium business owners looking to buy their own premises, invest through their SMSF, or fund development projects. I work exclusively in the commercial space, which means I specialise where the major banks often can't or won't go. I'm also the author of The Premise Effect (2026), which makes the case for why Australian business owners are leaving millions on the table by renting rather than owning their business premises. I'm available to comment on: commercial property finance, SMSF borrowing, business lending, commercial mortgage rates, Australian property market trends, and small business wealth building.

I am the Founder of Bountisphere, a personal money management platform designed to help Americans regain control of their money. My background is unique in Fintech: I hold a PhD in Classical Studies and have years of experience in AI and Behavioral Science. I realized that traditional budgeting apps fail because they ignore human psychology. That is why I built Bountisphere to turn the tangle of everyday money management into a simple Money Calendar. We combine behavioral insights with AI-powered coaching to help users stop looking backward at their expenses and start forecasting their future daily balances. Prior to Bountisphere: I was the inaugural COO at Memre.ai, bringing advanced learning algorithms to market. I served as Founding Editor of Westbrae Literary Group. I am available to comment on: The psychological shift from "Tracking" to "Forecasting." Why "Financial Peace of Mind" requires visualizing the future, not just budgeting the present. How AI is changing personal finance for Americans.

Aishwarya Korde is a Project Manager specializing in Financial Controls and Forecasting for infrastructure and telecom projects, with expertise in budgeting, cost control, and data-driven financial analysis. She leads forecasting, variance analysis, and executive reporting while aligning finance with operations to optimize project cost efficiency and performance. Her work also extends into research, where she explores the use of predictive analytics and blockchain to enhance financial governance in project environments.

James Vanreusel spent 8 years with a Wall Street investment bank. He generated around $8 Million in annual sales through his relationships with hedge and mutual funds, before moving into private equity and asset management. After leaving Wall Street, he became a CFA Charterholder and went on to found three microfinance banks in the South Pacific. He also created a holding company based in Singapore that delivered growth at 600%. In 2014, he moved to San Francisco and set up Vanreusel Ventures: a team of CFO consultants and financial analysts, working with for-profit and non-profit clients across the US. They help emerging companies to grow and scale, by building teams and systems that will expand with the business. All while developing the finance skills and mindset of the CEO. The result is a framework to see the business through the early years, in readiness for its first full-time CFO. The #1 Key To Creating A Thriving Business is James’ first book – drawing on the first 20 years of a career that’s taken him deep into the world’s financial markets. Here is a link for your free book: https://vanreuselventures.com/free-book/

Eric Bowie is the founder of Smart Money Bro and creator of the 4 Step Financial Reset, a financial framework designed to help working professionals organize their finances and build long-term wealth. He reaches a large audience across multiple platforms, including more than 725,000 YouTube subscribers and 50+ million views, a LinkedIn network of more than 24,000 connections, and more than 8,000 subscribers to his financial newsletter. Eric is the author of two books, Manage Your Way to Millions and How to Buy a Great Used Car with Cash, both focused on practical financial decision-making and long-term financial stability. He has been investing in the stock market for more than 30 years and has owned and managed real estate for more than 25 years. Professionally, Eric has spent more than two decades in federal government service, including nearly 20 years in federal contracting where he manages large financial agreements and enforces financial structure and accountability. Through his content, writing, and financial education platform, Eric focuses on the structural side of personal finance — helping households bring order to income, spending, debt, and investing so they can eliminate financial chaos and build lasting wealth. Eric regularly provides commentary on household finance, financial behavior, wealth-building strategy, debt elimination, and why many high-income households still feel financially stressed.

I founded Commercial Funding Partners in 2012 with a clear mission: build a performing portfolio of customers who return because we treat them right and help them grow responsibly. After six years at a competitor and seeing how customers were often handled at deal end, I knew there was a better way to do business in commercial equipment finance. We’re a national direct lender with capacity from $250,000 to over $100 million per project, serving manufacturers, contractors, healthcare providers, transportation companies, and others across the U.S. What sets us apart is speed paired with judgment. Our small, senior-level finance committee allows us to make decisions quickly—often the same day—and months faster than SBA processes, where time value often outweighs minor rate differences. We listen to the story behind the balance sheet and underwrite context, not just numbers. We structure real-world solutions through progress funding, 100% project financing, sale-leasebacks, and tax-aware terms that banks often can’t provide. We don’t do deals we wouldn’t sign ourselves. Over 40% of our business comes from repeat clients, many with long-standing relationships that improve with each transaction. I’m active in industry leadership with ELFA, NEFA, and AACFB, where I chaired the Education Committee for four years and received the President’s Award. Before CFP, I worked at IBM and helped manage and grow Plumbers Supply Company through its acquisition by Wolseley. I hold a BS from the University of Utah and an MBA from Westminster College. Our goal is simple: be the first call for our customers and help great businesses grow smarter and faster.

Baruch Mann is an independent financial expert and commentator focused on consumer finance, investing, and personal wealth decision-making. He specializes in analyzing banking products, credit cards, investment platforms, and alternative assets, helping consumers understand costs, risks, and long-term trade-offs before making financial decisions. With years of hands-on experience reviewing financial products and market offerings, Baruch is known for breaking down complex financial topics into clear, practical insights grounded in real use cases and data. His work emphasizes transparency, fair comparisons, and consumer-first analysis rather than promotional narratives.

Hello. I am CFO with 20+ years of turning finance into a growth engine. Ranked among the TOP 3 CFOs in Ukraine (2022, 2023) and Member of the Expert Council at the CFO Forum. I’ve worked across multiple industries – from global tech companies to large industrial groups – helping leaders make better decisions through clear, actionable financial insight. I make complex financial topics understandable, translating numbers, forecasts, and strategies into insights that resonate with a broad audience. My experience allows me to offer an inside view of how business decisions are actually made – from managing risk and investment to leading organizations through uncertainty and transformation. My perspective connects finance with leadership, ethics, and real-world impact. For me, finance stoped being only reporting the right numbers and cutting costs. It is about shaping what comes next – responsibly, transparently, and with long-term value in mind.

The sun ☀️ and wind 💨 are free and infinite resources, yet their inherent intermittency creates volatility that costs the sector billions annually, severely complicates market strategies, and poses a constant risk to the electrical grid that powers our world. At Steadysun, we have made resolving this paradox our core mission. We turn this chaotic uncertainty into a measurable, strategic, and competitive advantage. Our approach is built on a radical rejection of simplicity. While most forecasting solutions rely on a limited number of meteorological models, we view this as fundamentally insufficient—akin to piloting an aircraft while looking through only one window. We have engineered an AI brain 🧠, a proprietary and powerful intelligence designed to operate with a full 360-degree vision. This engine is continuously fed by an unparalleled diversity of data in the market. It aggressively aggregates and analyzes information from over twenty specialized meteorological models, ranging from global experts to hyper-local specialists, leveraging the strengths of each. Crucially, we augment this with real-time data from satellites 🛰️ tracking cloud formation, live readings from ground sensors providing on-the-spot conditions, and years of deep historical datasets that serve as our AI’s memory, allowing it to learn from and eliminate past errors. This massive data fusion is our signature: the multi-model approach. It enables us to detect weak signals that others miss, delivering power generation forecasts of exceptional reliability and predictive accuracy. For our clients, this advantage is profound and tangible. It grants power producers the ability to sell their energy at optimal prices 📈 and plan maintenance without sacrificing peak production. It equips traders with the confidence required to manage risk and capitalize on volatile market opportunities. And for grid operators, it provides the indispensable tool needed to anticipate every ramp event and guarantee security of supply for everyone. We are not just selling data. We are selling confidence—the confidence necessary to invest massively in and operate a sustainable, reliable, and profitable energy future. 🚀

Edita Evoyan is a financial coach and business mentor who helps professionals and families make clearer, more confident decisions about money. With a background in architecture and interior design, she brings a unique, systems-based approach to financial strategy: simplifying complexity, building structure, and helping people design plans that align with real life goals. In her work, Edita focuses on practical financial education, retirement planning concepts, risk awareness, and long-term wealth-building habits. She’s known for translating intimidating financial topics into simple language, helping audiences cut through noise, misinformation, and overly technical advice. Edita also mentors and trains aspiring financial professionals on communication, leadership, and building an education-first business with integrity and compliance in mind. She frequently speaks on the mindset shift from employee to owner, creating additional income streams, and building scalable skills without sacrificing family priorities. Media outlets typically feature Edita for approachable commentary on financial confidence, modern wealth habits, retirement planning basics, and the real-world behaviors that drive better outcomes.

Brett Farmiloe is the Founder & CEO of Featured. Featured connects subject-matter experts with top publishers to increase their exposure and create quality, ready-to-publish Q & A content. More than 50,000 experts answer questions on Featured to get their insights published in articles on Fast Company, Entrepreneur.com, and 1,000+ more publishers. With 1M+ answers received, Featured is unlocking the full potential of human knowledge, one answer at a time. Previously, Brett founded and ran Markitors, a digital agency for small businesses, for 10 years before a successful acquisition. More stuff... Brett's first company, Pursue the Passion, was a career education startup that took Brett and three friends on two cross country roadtrips to interview people about how they found passion in work. One of the biggest takeaways? That people don't have a meaningful outlet to share the expertise they've accumulated in their lifetime. Other career highlights: - Helped the actor Hugh Jackman launch a charitable coffee company (acquired by Keurig) - Published Author (sold 1,000 copies...lots of them to people in Duluth, MN) - Keynote Speaker (100+ speeches from Alaska to Miami, including a TEDx) - First Mailchimp Expert west of the Mississippi - Founder of Digital Marketing company that is one of the best places to work in Arizona (Best Companies 100, Phoenix Business Journal) - Contributor to Forbes, SHRM, Thunderbird, Huffington Post, Mashable, TIME, NextWeb, Etc - Once was sponsored by a food company with unlimited supply of Hot Pockets. Proceeded to eat Hot Pockets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 30 days to bootstrap a startup. Never has ate a Hot Pocket again. Projects In Development... // Revival of the World Pillow Fight Championships

Timothy Gocklin, MBA, MSF, is the Editor-in-Chief of Terrene Globe, a finance news platform covering global markets, macroeconomic trends, and investment strategies. With advanced degrees in business administration and finance, he provides data-driven insights on economic policy, stock market movements, and international finance.

Peter Reagan is a respected financial strategist at Birch Gold Group with more than 15 years of experience in the precious metals market. His market commentary has been featured in outlets including Newsmax, ZeroHedge, and GoBankingRates. At Birch Gold Group, he helps investors understand how gold and other precious metals can strengthen long-term financial security. His clear guidance and commitment to education have made him a trusted voice in an evolving economic landscape. Known for his practical approach and genuine commitment to investors’ success, Peter makes financial concepts feel accessible and empowering. He brings clarity to uncertainty, helping people make confident decisions about their future. Whether sharing insights in the media or supporting clients one-on-one, he remains focused on education, integrity, and building lasting trust with those he serves.

My leadership philosophy is hinged on accountability, transparency, and foresight. I believe the very best leaders create systems that let others move with confidence. Whether it be modernizing FP&A platforms, optimizing treasury and controllership functions, or leading M&A integrations, my approach to any business challenge will combine analytical precision with human understanding. A certified CPA and CFE, trained in PMP and Six Sigma, I bring both rigor and empathy into leadership. For me, true financial leadership is about the design of operating models that allow others to perform at their best In every engagement, I try to redefine what finance can mean for a business, operating with a strategic compass guiding every decision, measuring progress toward goals, and driving growth. When finance serves as a source of direction and stability, organizations move more quickly, teams align more effectively, and transformation becomes both achievable and sustainable.

Rishi Upple, FCMA, is a UK based commercial finance leader with over 20 years’ experience shaping strategy inside global blue-chip organisations. With a BA in Economics and Fellowship of CIMA, he operates at the intersection of numbers, narrative, and decision-making. Known for bringing clarity where complexity dominates, Rishi focuses on commercial insight, performance optimisation, and helping leadership teams make better calls under pressure. His approach blends rigorous financial thinking with real-world pragmatism; grounded, human, and outcome-led. Beyond the spreadsheet, his work explores leadership resilience, personal performance, and how finance leaders can create momentum without burnout; commercially sharp, but culturally aware.

We provide financing solutions from $25,000 to $10,000,000+ for small businesses and middle market companies. As passionate entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, it's our mission to share our experiences and expertise with small and medium sized businesses looking for help and advice in securing financing for their business. While i'm not in the office I enjoy spending most of my time with family and close friends. Whether it be on the beach surfing, or in the mountains skiing, my favorite thing to do is to just be outdoors.

Ben Feng is a CPA and founder of Hopkan Partners, a Sydney-based bookkeeping and business advisory firm. With over 10 years in financial and management accounting at ASX-listed companies and multinationals, he helps Australian business owners cut through the noise on their numbers — translating financial data into clear strategy and actionable decisions. His expertise spans bookkeeping, management accounting, cash flow analysis, business profitability, and tax compliance for small and medium businesses.

With a blend of business acumen and certified financial coaching, my role as Founder at Personal Financial Strategy centers on guiding individuals to financial empowerment. Leveraging years of expertise in debt resolution and new business development, I consistently deliver tailored solutions that resonate with the needs of working families.My specialty is: effectively using resources to alleviate financial stress. My "School of Hard Knocks" lessons learned, combined with a strategic approach to personal finance management, have enabled me to significantly impact lives by streamlining processes and improving financial well-being.

Albert Richer is the Founder & Editor of WhatAreTheBest.com, a large-scale research platform analyzing more than 20,000 structured categories across software, consumer products, and niche industry verticals. He specializes in product evaluation, comparative market analysis, long-tail category research, and data-driven ranking methodologies that help businesses and consumers make confident purchasing decisions. At WhatAreTheBest.com, Albert oversees the full architecture behind the platform—from data collection and review standards to automated scoring frameworks and industry taxonomy design. His work blends large-scale content engineering with real-world buyer insights to identify the best products and tools across thousands of industries.