Our Team

Founder

David Mozaffarian is a leading industry expert having administered strategic and operational advice to hundreds of startups across a wide breadth of industries, including SaaS, enterprise software, health tech, renewable energy, consumer hardware, and medical device. David graduated from University of California at Berkeley in 2008 with dual degrees in Operations Research & Management Science and in Rhetoric. In 2019 he drew from his prior 10 years of industry experience to create Formation Financial with the intent of providing comprehensive financial and HR support to early stage startups while fostering client relationships based on trust and proactive engagement.

Chief Financial Officer

Andrew Berry has run the Finance and Accounting function for a variety of start-ups from pre-seed to Series C across the nation. His focus areas include business strategy, financial planning & analysis, financial forecasting, budget vs. actual reporting, fundraising, Board meeting prep & presentations, and cap table management & valuation. At Formation Financial, Andrew provides CFO consulting services to startups in the health and wellness industries. Andrew has a B.A. in Mathematics from Cornell University, and an MBA with a focus in Social Entrepreneurship from University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business.

VP Finance

Hannah Raskin has extensive experience advising startup founders, executives, and investors. She has worked with Seed through Series C companies closing funding rounds and M&A. She spent seven years in venture lending at Silicon Valley Bank before joining Formation Financial. Hannah has an MBA from University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business where she focused on financial modeling, turnarounds, and new venture finance.

Director of Accounting and Controller

Grace Yao is a Corporate Controller with a focus on small and mid-sized business. Before joining Formation Financial, Grace accumulated 25 years of experience at KPMG and regional CPA firms focused on audit, accounting, financial reporting, and tax reporting for publicly-traded and privately-held enterprises. She strives to optimize each client’s resources by leveraging technology to achieve efficiency in reporting while maintaining data integrity. Grace earned her B.S. in Accounting and Business Administration from the University of Kansas.

Controller

Jie Zhou is a seasoned finance professional and CPA with over 12 years of experience in helping companies establish proper business processes, accounting systems, and controls. As Controller at Formation Financial, she prepares month-end closes that are diligence and audit-ready. Jie graduated from State University of New York (SUNY) with a B.S. in Accounting.

Controller

John has almost 10 years of experience helping small and mid-sized businesses with full cycle GAAP accounting and process improvement. His attention to detail has prepared companies for audits, and his financial analysis skills have identified areas for optimization of profit and cash flow. As a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), John can explain the "why" behind the numbers, not just the "what." John has a B.A. in Business Management Economics from University of California, Santa Cruz.

Controller

Denise has over 10 years of CPA experience spanning many industries, including start-ups, manufacturing, non-profit, education, arts, construction, and professional service. She began her career as an auditor with Moss Adams after graduating from University of Oregon with a B.S. in Accounting. Outside the office Denise enjoys spending time with her family, exploring the great outdoors, golfing, fishing, hiking, crabbing, wine tasting, dancing, or just enjoying beautiful southern Oregon.

Senior HR Strategist

Bruce is a versatile executive with extensive experience covering all facets of human resources. Bruce's passion is supporting small to mid-sized business to maximize their organizational and financial results through alignment of HR strategy, leadership, talent and processes. Bruce has led human resources functions with operations throughout the United States, Asia and Europe. During his career, he has worked with organizations such as The Coca-Cola Company, the world's largest beverage company and VWR International, LLC, a global laboratory supplier to the world's top pharmaceutical and biotech firms. He earned his B.S. in Sociology form Western Michigan University and his MBA from the University of Phoenix School of Business. In addition, Bruce holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation through the HR Certification Institute.

Senior HR Strategist

Ammie has over 10 years of experience in Human Resources and Recruiting in a number of different industries. Ammie is passionate about connection, innovation, growth, learning new things in ever-changing and evolving environments, and solving complex problems that can impact the lives of others. Ammie has a B.S. in Business Administration with a Human Resources Management focus, an MBA in Human Resources Management from Louisiana State University, and holds certifications from PHR and SHRM.

Accounting Manager

Since 2009, Rachael has worked in both public and industry accounting, specializing in the healthcare sector. Prior to joining Formation Financial, she was Vice President of Accounting/Controller, managing and directing a full accounting team through month-end close and ancillary service distribution for hospitals. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting (BBA) and Master of Science in Accounting (MS) in 2009. She has had her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license for over 10 years.