Fundraising Fox
Michael Vaughan
InvestorSenior Advisor at Stripes · CEO, IG US Holdings, parent of tastytrade, tastylive, tastyfx and tastycrypto at tastytrade · Co-Founder and General Partner at Vera Equity
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Writes $250K – $1M checks · typically $500K
Find your path to Michael
481 people in our graph share verified history with Michael — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Michael AronsonunlockedMichael: together at TicketLeap (2008–2011)
Michael: together at TicketLeap
Michael: together at J.G. Wentworth
×2Michael: together at Venmo
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About
Fintech operator, investor and advisor with 20+ years at high-growth tech companies; former COO of Venmo through its Braintree and PayPal acquisitions. An active angel investor across 75+ companies and currently an operating partner at growth equity firm Stripes.
Contact· self-published, not guessed
Experience
- tastytradeCEO, IG US Holdings, parent of tastytrade, tastylive, tastyfx and tastycryptocurrent2025 — presentChicago, Illinois, United States
- IG GroupChief Executive Officer, IG North Americacurrent2025 — presentChicago, Illinois, United States
- StripesSenior Advisorcurrent2025 — present
- StripesOperating Partner2022 — 2025New York City Metropolitan Area
- Vera EquityCo-Founder and General Partnercurrent2021 — present
- Stem Disintermedia Inc.Board Member2019 — 2023Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
- Oak HC/FTVenture Partner2019 — 2022Greater New York City Area
- First Round Fast TrackMentor to Startup Founder/CEOs2019 — 2022Greater Philadelphia
- CIBOBoard Member2020 — 2021Greater Boston
- Verse Technologies IncBoard Member2019 — 2020Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- PayPalVenmo, COO2013 — 2019
- VenmoChief Operating Officer2011 — 2019Greater New York City Area
- TicketleapVice President of Business Development & Sales2008 — 2011Greater Philadelphia Area
- J.G. WentworthManaging Director, Channel Partners & Business Development2004 — 2007Greater Philadelphia Area
- Telephia IncDirector, Product Operations1999 — 2004San Francisco Bay Area
- SynygyConsultant1998 — 1999
Skills & more
Executive ManagementAngel InvestingVenture CapitalSales ManagementSales OperationsInside SalesDirect SalesBusiness IntelligenceProgram ManagementProduct ManagementProduct DevelopmentOperations Management
+12 more
Start-upsStrategyEntrepreneurshipBusiness DevelopmentCRMAnalyticsBusiness StrategyChannel PartnersInvestmentsMentoringLeadershipStrategic ThinkingFrom Michael's professional profile.
Investments
Per curated public sources.
Colleagues at Stripes
Aidan Lynch
Principal, Head of Business Development & Capital Markets at Stripes
Alex Gochal
Tax Director at Stripes
Aliza Reisner
Principal at Stripes
Allie Mallette
Controller at Stripes
Amelia Armstrong
Executive Assistant at Stripes
Andrew Xu
Investor at Stripes
Ashley Scully
Senior Associate, Talent at Stripes
Barb Messing
Operating Partner at Stripes
Network4
Alex CookScout
Partner at Tiger Global Management
Bryan CiambellaScout
General Partner at PROOF
Chloe SteinbergScout
Partner at Sapphire Ventures
Diogo MyrrhaScout
Partner at Peak Ventures
Investors connected to Michael in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Michael Vaughan?
- Fintech operator, investor and advisor with 20+ years at high-growth tech companies; former COO of Venmo through its Braintree and PayPal acquisitions. An active angel investor across 75+ companies and currently an operating partner at growth equity firm Stripes.
- Where does Michael Vaughan work?
- Michael Vaughan is Senior Advisor at Stripes.
- What check size does Michael Vaughan write?
- Michael Vaughan typically writes checks of $250K – $1M.
- What companies has Michael Vaughan invested in?
- Investments tracked here include Affinity, Allowance, Ballerine, Jerry, Laminate, Lendtable.
- Where did Michael Vaughan go to school?
- Michael Vaughan studied at The Wharton School (Bachelor of Science - BS, Economics; Concentrations in Entrepreneurial Management and Operations & Information Systems); University of Pennsylvania (Bachelor of Science - BS, Economics); The Hill School.
Founder mafias
The Wharton School mafia785
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Fred WilsonMBAFounded Union Square VenturesSarah GuoLauder InstituteFounded HeyGenJosh KopelmanBachelor's degreeFounded First Round +1Aydin SenkutMBAFounded FelicisKunal BahlMarketing and Operations StrategyFounded SnapdealJack AbrahamBachelors of Science in Economics *Dropped outFounded Atomic Labs +4
PayPal mafia129
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Peter ThielCo-founder & CEOFounded Palantir Technologies Inc. +1Reid HoffmanBoard member from 1998; Executive Vice PresidentFounded LinkedIn +3David SacksCOO / Head of ProductFounded YammerKeith RaboisExecutive Vice President, Business Development, Public Affairs & PolicyFounded Opendoor +1Joe LonsdaleIntern, FinanceFounded Opto Investments +5Elon MuskCo-founder (X.com); CEO 2000Founded Tesla +5
Oak HC/FT mafia9
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Stripes mafia7
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
The Hill School mafia4
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Same school
Also attended The Wharton School2,000
Sarah GuoFounder & General Partner of ConvictionJosh KopelmanFounder and Partner at First Round CapitalAydin SenkutFounder & Managing Partner at FelicisJack AbrahamFounder, CEO & Managing Partner of AtomicKatie RiesterPartner, Head of Investor Relations at Felicis VenturesTrevor OelschigInvestment Team at General Catalyst
+ 1,994 more
Also attended University of Pennsylvania1,428
Brian ActonCo-founder of WhatsApp; co-founder of Signal FoundationKunal BahlCo-founder of Snapdeal; co-founder of Titan CapitalDasha MaggioPartner at Felicis Ventures, writer on venture capital and founder psychologyLeah von SiemensPartner at Manta Ray VenturesEghosa OmoiguiFounder and Managing General Partner at EchoVC PartnersAkshat GoenkaInvestor at Moonfire Ventures
+ 1,422 more
Also attended The Hill School20
Natalie MullinsInvestor at Bain Capital CryptoColten HabeckerSenior Associate at Mainsail PartnersDouglas HudsonManaging Partner at Braxton Capital Ventures Pte Ltd.Peter MunsillManaging Director, Public Fund Capital Partnerships at Lead Edge CapitalCristobal CuartCo-Managing Partner at All Seas Capital PartnersMiguel OjangurenSenior Associate at Oquendo Capital, SGEIC,
+ 14 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Stem Disintermedia Inc.5
Also worked at First Round Fast Track27
Juan Carlos SotoVenture Partner at Copper Sky CapitalErica WaichmanHead of People & Community at Canvas VenturesCamila Sgai FrancoProduct Fellow at Mighty CapitalRob Schoder, Jr.Venture Partner at Barrel VenturesAlan DaySenior Associate, Investments at New York Life VenturesMichael Josephbuilder, investor, optimist
+ 21 more
Also worked at CIBO14
Noubar AfeyanInvestor at Flagship PioneeringBrett WongPrincipal at Anterra CapitalSusan Hunt StevensExecutive in Residence at Earthshot VenturesJoseph PianelliOperating Partner at Stage 1 VenturesIgnacio MartinezGeneral Partner at Flagship PioneeringRyan RichtFounder at Well Principled
+ 8 more
