John Kula

I help companies innovate boldly and scale securely. Throughout my career in the financial sector, I’ve specialized in seeing the risks that others miss—turning complex security challenges into strategic business advantages. My background ranges from publishing thought leadership on financial security to protecting over 16 million clients for a major brokerage, work that earned a CEO award for corporate impact.

But I am not just a risk manager; I am a builder and a strategist. I have partnered with numerous startups to shape their initial ideas, refine product features, and ensure they are building on a secure, scalable foundation from day one. Alongside my corporate and startup work, I bring hands-on governance experience, having led complete operational and structural turnarounds for large state-level organizations.

Because I understand both the mechanics of innovation and the realities of enterprise risk, I bring the most value to three types of boards:

High-Growth Startups & Scale-ups: I help early-stage founders shape their product vision and lay down secure, compliant foundations so they can move fast without stumbling over preventable risks.

Fintech & Consumer Platforms: I guide companies managing massive customer bases on how to protect user trust, navigate regulations, and prevent fraud—without sacrificing a seamless user experience.

Organizations in Transition: I help non-profits and associations modernize their operations, redesign their governance blueprints, and deploy smarter technology to eliminate administrative friction.