Hire the Best Fundraising Consultants in Georgia

Featured in The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur and Nutrition Business Journal. CFA Charterholder. Worked with companies such as Jefferies, Bank of America, Saputo, Hormel, Humble Brands, TestingMom, Ancient Harvest-Pamela's, Aerflo, Uncaged, Mondra & Bute Island Foods. Have executed $300M+ in deal value and capital raises, reviewed 1,000+ pitch decks, and deployed ~$20M in invested capital. Are you raising capital? Thinking about funding your next round of growth? Need to communicate your value clearly to your board or investors? My goal is to help you close your round faster, at better terms, with materials that move investors from "interested" to "yes." My name is Bakley, and as a CFA Charterholder and fractional CFO I help founders and operators raise capital, forecast their financials, and run sharper investor relations — combining traditional capital markets expertise with AI-powered workflows that make the whole process faster, more thorough, and more responsive than working with a traditional advisor. Here are the areas I cover: ✔️ Fundraising strategy & guidance to maximize your raise ✔️ High-converting pitch decks that move you into the next phase of diligence — and ultimately get you the money ✔️ Targeted investor & backer databases for outreach ✔️ Financial models, forecasts, and KPI dashboards that drive investor interest ✔️ AI Automation for Finance & IR Workflows I can help you with your raise — from positioning and narrative through model build, investor outreach strategy, diligence support, and post-close investor reporting. Here are a few things I've done for past clients: 1) Raised over $300M in client capital 2) Awarded best-in-class for financial modeling 3) Drove 50% revenue growth and 1,000 bp margin improvement at a TestingMom 4) Automated 90% of recurring financial reporting and IR processes Technologies & Tools - Claude & Anthropic API (AI / natural language processing) - n8n (workflow automation) - Airtable (investor CRM & data ops) - Microsoft Power BI (dashboards & investor reporting) - Microsoft Excel & Google Sheets (financial modeling) - QuickBooks (accounting & reporting integration) - Microsoft PowerPoint & Google Slides (pitch decks & investor materials) Send me a message and let's talk about your raise.

Your Business Deserves a Winning Plan & Investor-Ready Pitch Deck — Let’s Make It Happen! Hi, I’m Scherita Vaughn 👋🏾 — a seasoned business strategist, financial consultant, and pitch deck specialist with over a decade of experience helping entrepreneurs secure funding and scale their ventures. With 400+ business plans and pitch decks created for over 200 startups across diverse industries, I bring clarity, strategy, and investor insight to every project. 🚀 Why a Business Plan & Pitch Deck Matter Whether you're pursuing investors, grants, SBA loans, or venture capital, your business needs: ✅ Investor-ready business plans ✅ Visually compelling pitch decks ✅ Market research & financial forecasting ✅ Clear growth strategies that stand out from the competition 🔥 Why Choose Me? Proven Results: Helped clients raise over $5 million through grants, loans, and private funding Global Expertise: Business plans approved by the US and UK governments for funding and grant applications Experienced Strategist: 400+ custom-built plans and decks tailored to specific industry needs Investor-Focused Approach: In-depth market research, competitive analysis, and clear financial projections After-Sale Support: I work with you until everything is pitch-perfect — your satisfaction comes first 🌍 Industries I’ve Worked With 💻 SaaS & Tech 💳 FinTech 🪙 Cryptocurrency 👗 Fashion & Apparel 🍽️ Restaurants & Food Trucks 🏨 Hospitality & Real Estate 🏭 Manufacturing 🛍️ Retail & E-Commerce 🏥 Healthcare & Insurance 🛠️ Service-Based Startups ❤️ Nonprofits & Social Enterprises 🚚 Trucking & Transportation 🌱 Cannabis & Agriculture If your industry isn’t listed, chances are I’ve still worked in it! 📌 What’s Included 📄 Business Plan Executive Summary Company Overview Market & Industry Analysis Go-to-Market & Marketing Strategy Financial Projections (3–5 years) Competitive Edge & SWOT Analysis Professional charts, visuals, and formatting 🎨 Pitch Deck Clear, concise slide structure Beautiful, branded design Engaging market insights and positioning Key growth metrics & financial data Persuasive storytelling tailored to investors 📁 Delivered in PDF, Word, and PowerPoint formats—complete with visuals, spreadsheets, and easy-to-digest data. 💬 What Clients Say ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Scherita masterfully transformed our vision into a polished, investor-ready pitch deck and business plan. Her ability to simplify complex financials and tell a compelling story made a big impact. Highly recommended!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I couldn’t have asked for a better presentation. Punctual, knowledgeable, and professional—Scherita delivered exactly what we needed." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Her branding and storytelling expertise brought our business to life. The attention to detail, market research, and financial modeling were exceptional. A seamless experience from start to finish." Ready to Build Something Big? I know what investors, lenders, and grant funders look for — and I’ll help you deliver exactly that. 📩 Let’s connect! Message me to discuss your business goals and how I can support you. 🔹 Quick responses & clear communication guaranteed 🔹 Click “Invite to Job” and tell me more about your project 💡 Let’s bring your vision to life — together.

Get 3X-5X more investor meetings 🦄 $𝟱𝗕+ 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗩𝗖𝘀: 𝗮𝟭𝟲𝘇, 𝗦𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗼𝗶𝗮, 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱, 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿, 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸 + 𝗞𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗹𝗮 🏆 15+ years capital markets experience 🥇 #1 on Upwork worldwide 🌟 The founders I work with are pitching at the high-stakes table. I help them crush it: ● "SoftBank is leading the round - $70M on 725 pre-money" ● “Sequoia wants to lead the round” ● “On our first Series A pitch, we got a verbal offer from Andreessen Horowitz” ● "Someone from the audience at the JP Morgan event stood up and told us BEST PITCH EVER" Founders that work with me are at LEAST 2Xing their raises. ⚡︎I cannot help everybody, but we may be a great fit if you are thinking: ● "There's millions on the line and I want the BEST" ● "Our story has changed since last round!" ● "I know how to run my business, but maybe I'm too close to it" ● "I'm NOT a pitch expert, and I don't have time to mess around with powerpoint!" ● "The last pitch we did was embarrassing - I don't want that EVER again" ● "I need a full pitch package that I KNOW 100% will tell our company’s story RIGHT" We focus on Series A - D rounds ($2M minimum if Late Seed) 🦄 Past clients include: Eterneva Place Technology PATH water SVES 40+ Venture Capital / Private Equity / Hedge Funds Working with me, you will ★ Stop struggling with powerpoint - we handle the Pitch Story, Investor Strategy, Verbal Talk Track, Market Research, Design & Pitch Strategy ★ Put your best foot forward for your one shot with that Tier 1 investor ★ Anticipate investor objections and pre-handle them ★ Receive turnkey, investor-grade, futureproofed documents that raise capital ★ Captivate investors with the elite pitch strategies that $1B+ founders use in their raises ★ Work with an experienced full-stack team that regularly wins business over Goldman Sachs ...and even save money by taking my high-quality work and reusing it in your sales decks My clients have a LOT to say about me: ✅ 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝑬𝒗𝒂𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 - 100% 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕! -Shark Tank Winner with multiple VC backing, raised $10M in 3 weeks ✅ 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂 $30𝑴 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒍 & 𝑰𝑷𝑶 -Lead investor of Consumer business ✅ 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒚… 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒏 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝑪𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝑳𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑫 𝑰𝑻... -Biotech CEO with $500M raised + 4 exits + 1 IPO ✅ 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑬𝒗𝒂𝒏’𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 -Founder who raised $10M in 8 weeks Not every business is my client, though. Some signs we might not be a good fit include: ✗ The company is struggling to pay salaries - can’t do that in good conscience ✗ ”Respect for others” is not a core value - we love working with awesome people we respect I've pitched 100s of investors and successfully raised for my own Consumer Products business. I’ve also been an investor, advisor and director – and now I run our inhouse VC - so I’ve got a 360 view from every seat at the boardroom table. I know what it takes to generate investor documents that you feel confident pitching and investors feel safe investing in. 🔢 My stats: ● #1 globally on Upwork in Pitch Decks... and the entire Finance category ● $5B+ raised: SAFE, equity, convertible, debt, bridge, mezz ● Clients raised $22M / week in 2023 on avg + 3 IPOs ● Over 2,000 Pitch Decks + Business Plans built ● Over 1K financial forecasts built from scratch ● Featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, INC, Business Insider + more 🦄 About my company Unicorn Capital: INTEGRITY IN EXCELLENCE above all things: Excellent work, on time, every time. We only take on projects we are certain we can knock out of the park. Our time is LIMITED: We work fast, but we have 40% Repeat Clients + 40% Referral + over 10 Upwork project invites DAILY + 5+ from Paid Ads + other inbound. We have to choose new clients carefully. We have a waitlist. (This is not a sales tactic. It is reality.) What we look for in a new client: ● Open mind, relaxed attitude ● Values integrity & relationships ● Focused on improving, lets their actions speak louder than words ● Knows our minimum scope, and wants the BEST 🇺🇸 Discount for US military veterans, active service military, first responders and founders w/full-sleeve tattoos Sound like a fit? Next steps: 📺 Watch the videos on my Upwork profile and in my work examples 🟢 Press '...' button then ‘Send Message’ button in the top right-hand corner 💬 Write me a personalized note including why you think we’re a good fit to work together Expertise: Consumer, Luxury, Manufacturing, Cannabis, Ecommerce, CPG, PE, VC, Pharma, Healthcare, Medtech, Biotech, B2B, SaaS, Tech, Fintech, Capital Raising, Pitch Decks, Investor Decks, Pitchbook, Information Memorandum, CIM, Machine Learning, AI & OpenAI ChatGPT, LLM, ML, Financial Modeling, Investor Narrative Strategy

I LAUNCH ventures. I’m a Strategist, Impact Innovator, Thought Partner and Coach. I'm agile, both a thinker and doer, and seamlessly flow among levels to fill the gaps between vision and execution: • 30,000 feet: innovative strategy and tenacious creativity • 10,000 feet: management planning and tactical leadership • Boots on the ground: tangible, iterative action; bring it to life. -- My Super Powers: I unlock potential (in people and ideas) by harnessing the power of the two F's: FINANCE + FEELINGS. I joke that I’m a cross between BRENÉ BROWN... • Sharp, relatable (and sometimes comedic) analysis of our social psychological dynamics at play in any interaction, individually and collectively in our organizations, for the purpose of empowering, coaching, and journeying WITH you. AND SHARK TANK... • Business savvy and tenacious strategic creativity to bring entrepreneurial and financial solutions to life through innovative early-stage investment, business development, and landscape analysis. -- CORE INDUSTRIES: • Impact Investing (values-aligned investment strategy) • Social Enterprise (entrepreneurship, new initiative launch) • Catalytic Philanthropy (creative funding models for social impact) • Financial Sustainability (business modeling, development strategy) -- HOW I CAN HELP YOU: An overview of the hats I can wear to take you from idea through launch, from concept to tangibility, or from good to even better. I serve those DEPLOYING ASSETS (impact investors, foundations, family offices, etc.) and those BUILDING SOLUTIONS (start-up entrepreneurs, social enterprises, non-profit executives, visionary individuals, etc.). 1) EXECUTIVE STRATEGY COUNSEL Leadership can be lonely. With C-Suite expertise and being an innovative entrepreneurial thinker, I can be your executive sounding board and coach. 2) LAUNCH STRATEGIST Starting something new (program, initiative, venture)? I can turn that idea into action, and get the ball rolling. Now. 3) FINANCIAL IMPACT & INVESTMENT STRATEGIST Do you have capital that you want to activate toward a cause? I can help you get started or navigate the menu of creative financial structures. 4) PITCH COACH I’ve been a seed stage investor and vetted over 600 global enterprises across sectors in one year alone. I can demystify behind the curtain in investors’ and funders’ minds. -- Some of my NOTABLE VENTURES: • Currently building a community venture accelerator and funding platform in my hometown of Atlanta with an intentional focus on low-income entrepreneurs, especially single mothers. • Co-founded a $5.5 Million global impact investment portfolio with a focus on empowering underserved women--including the investment thesis, social impact thesis, global pipeline across 5 continents, virtual due diligence process, and post-investment advisory for a private foundation seeking to deploy direct private investments of up to $250,000 USD across multiple sectors and emerging markets. In one year alone, I recruited and vetted over 600 global ventures for investment consideration. This portfolio continues running today by my co-founder and makes early-stage investments across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. • Founding team and program creator for a high-profile public-private partnership between the U.S. and Japanese governments and private industry following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake to revitalize the region hit by the devastating tsunami. This partnership and its programs continue today with high-level access on Capitol Hill, the Japanese Parliament, and among Fortune 500 companies. -- MORE ABOUT ME: I’m committed to empowering human potential, my own included. I’m a natural connector and catalyst, of people and ideas. From my own journey, I can relate to the deep satisfaction, self-confidence, and societal good that arises when you can remove the blockers (whether emotional, logistical, or financial) to being able to express the compassion that lives in your heart tangibly out in the world. Whether struggling to scale your business, tackling a need you see in your community, or aligning your financial capital with your personal values and interests, all these paths begin with caring about something enough to want to try to help. I can help you convert that feeling of CARE into effective ACTION. I thrive in navigating the ambiguity and risk (and exciting possibility) at the early stages of launching new programs, product lines, businesses, investment deals, and career/industry pivots. With my deep compassion for helping others (Enneagram #2) and tenacious strategic creativity, I want to journey with you to catalyze your ideas and impact in the world. -- MY VALUES: My relationships with clients are like all relationships I cherish in my personal life, built on trust. I value integrity, authenticity, transparency, deep listening, and self-awareness. If I’m not the right person to help you, I’ll do my best to point you elsewhere.

Your B2B business is growing but you don't feel in control. You want to launch a new product or startup but are unsure of the next steps. Growth is uneven. I’ve been there too. It's often about bringing Clarity to Clutter! TESTIMONIALS FROM SOME OF MY CLIENTS: “George has been an outstanding partner in developing a well thought out and effective business plan” “He has been a valuable advisor and coach for my business. George has helped me think through and put in place systems for realizing more predictable growth and managing more growth profitably.” “George was great to work with. He has great business knowledge and had awesome ideas and insights.” “Excellent business writer, very knowledgeable and extremely communicative.” NOT MANY FREELANCERS HAVE SUCH DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE AND ABILITY TO DELIVER VALUE... Business leaders need partners that can bring a seasoned perspective but also deliver what’s needed today. You need help to focus on what’s most important today, fix it, and then move on to the next area. My clients have built momentum for a new product or new business launch. They have turned their operations around to regain the growth and profit momentum they once had. For the last three decades, serving as an operating executive and consultant, I’ve learned that leaders know when they need help. The bigger problem can be defining the problem and identifying the right help to address it. When stuck, you need perspective and insight. Someone that has been where you are, that can quickly see what you’re facing, and offer valuable input. But, having only advice doesn’t always move the needle. You need value delivered to help regain or build momentum. Here are a few examples: •Writing a business plan –for a startup, restructuring or launching a new product begins with grasping the vision, considering all elements that contribute to or inhibit success, modeling financially, and then constructing a story that simply and realistically communicates this to investors, partners, customers or employees. •Startup plans – keep it simple, testable, and flexible until customer value is identified, with a low-cost, scalable business model. •Investor presentations – tell a compelling, understandable and emotional story that resonates. •Market research – identify the market segments and customer influence points before launching. For non-profits its developing campaigns that target all the constituencies. •Go to Market plans – taking a product or service to market needs well-designed marketing and sales programs that are cost-effective and coordinated. •Operational improvement – identifying what’s working and what needs changing, positioning for growth or stability, declaring the key metrics that indicate progress. •Financial projections - modeling change that manages cash flow and projects profits aligned with the vision. For non-profits, it’s starting from the beginning each year to identify the funds needed. Your business needs constant care and continuous change. Staying focused on what’s most important until it’s addressed is one of the biggest challenges you face. My broad perspective helps me keep you laser-focused. I could go on and on. I am a student of business and love to dig deep and share ideas. But I'd rather hear about what you’re facing today... To be candid, I stay busy and rarely have time to take on a new client. Even then, I screen very carefully to make sure it's a good fit. So if you need something in a rush, done cheap, or doesn’t require much thinking, please look elsewhere. It will save us both time and energy. Otherwise, feel free to contact me using one of the buttons at the top of the page, and I'll do my best to get back to you ASAP. Best, George

TechStars Mentor | Startup and Accelerator Advisor | London Business School MBA | $900M+ in Pre-seed to Series C+ Raises | Top-rated Investor Pitch Deck & Fundraising Specialist Did you know that only 1% of startups land funding? Founders quickly learn that developing a strong pitch is time consuming and incredibly difficult. When they do hit the road, they find that investors are almost always unresponsive, misaligned, or respond negatively. But this doesn’t have to be you. I help business founders and owners stand out from the crowd, engage with the right investors, and accelerate the fundraising process through: ・𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗸𝘀 that win attention. A bespoke design or redesign that combines deep expertise and proprietary methodologies to tell your story with clarity, credibility, and impact. ・𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 that works. Maximize your fundraising efficiency and success with custom-researched investors whose interests and track records align with your business. ・𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 that converts. Targeted messaging, investor Q&A prep, and strategic guidance to drive connections and start conversations. Trying to navigate fundraising on your own is like learning plumbing to fix a major home issue - hire a plumber instead. Work with me to save time, effort, frustration, and exponentially boost your chances of a successful raise. I personally work on all of my engagements, so I only have bandwidth for a limited number of clients who are serious about raising capital. Message me now for a quick chat and let's see if we have a fit - this conversation just might shape the future of your business.