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Aaron, Cofounder/CEO/CFO at Unconventional Ventures: Advize Career Interview
This interview with Aaron, Cofounder/CEO/CFO at Unconventional Ventures, reveals a fascinating career trajectory from investment banking to consulting and entrepreneurship.
Beginning with college internships and fueled by a drive for problem-solving, this leader emphasizes the importance of expertise, attention to detail, and genuine curiosity in the fast-paced world of startups.
The role demands constant communication and the ability to manage multiple priorities, offering the satisfaction of adding value to early-stage companies by implementing effective teams, systems, and processes.
Success hinges on understanding business pacing and building deep industry knowledge, rather than rushing into entrepreneurship for monetary gain.
Aspiring consultants should consider boutique firms for hands-on experience, while valuing entry-level positions that provide business and industry understanding.
This professional credits their career success to embracing extreme ownership, strategic networking, and leveraging their first-generation and Hispanic background for unique connections and perspective, all deeply shaped by the impactful experience within the Tillman Scholars program at WP Carey, providing a unique insight into how leadership and thoughtfulness can thrive in unexpected places.
This story is sure to get students to consider building their foundational understanding before running off and building a business, because they can learn so much!
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Aaron Chavez
Cofounder/CEO/CFO
Unconventional Ventures
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey | Barrett
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Finance
Entrepreneur
Business Strategy
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
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Career Path of a Cofounder at Unconventional Ventures
Aaron began professional development in college, securing internships at Barclays Investment Bank that translated into a full-time banking offer after graduation and, after three years in investment banking, left to establish "my own consulting firm" which evolved into the co-founding entity, Unconventional Ventures, the current business. During college, Aaron also gained experience as a peer programmer and assisted in managing the program, indicating diverse business-related activities before focusing on investment banking.
Main Responsibilities of a Chief Financial Officer at Unconventional Ventures
As Cofounder/CEO/CFO at Unconventional Ventures, Aaron focuses on business, financial, and operational strategies, advising founders from the idea stage to companies with around $5-10 million in revenue. Aaron's role is to help founders "keep the spinning plates spinning" by ensuring they have the right teams, systems, and processes in place to manage their resources and navigate the challenges of building a business.
A Day In The Life Of A Cofounder At Unconventional Ventures
For Aaron, a fractional CFO's day is characterized by tackling "new problems, but encountered the same way," involving constant communication and a variety of tasks ranging from training teams on new systems to building financial models. The work also extends to educating founders and producing content, both "free and paid," showcasing their multifaceted role in supporting entrepreneurship.
Most Important Skills For A Cofounder, CEO, Or CFO At Unconventional Ventures
For a role like Cofounder/CEO/CFO at Unconventional Ventures, Aaron emphasizes that "true expertise in the tasks that you are assigned" is paramount, stating that job titles mean little compared to the ability to effectively execute, which involves more than just claiming a skill on a resume. Further, Aaron underlines the importance of a "true attention to detail," illustrated by an example where attention to detail was tested using banking pitch deck slides, and notes that such skill "will change the world that you live in."
Favorite Parts of Being a Cofounder and CEO at Unconventional Ventures
As a Cofounder/CEO/CFO at Unconventional Ventures, Aaron is most involved in the hands-on, high-risk nature of working with early-stage companies, relishing the opportunity to add value through significant influence; it's about "being interested in what I'm doing and working with people that I wanna work with," even if that means working at unconventional hours. The emphasis isn't on monetary gain, but on the impact and the quality of the work and the people involved.
Biggest Challenges Faced by a Cofounder at Unconventional Ventures
Aaron's biggest challenge as a Cofounder/CEO/CFO at Unconventional Ventures is the daily grind of "keeping the plate spinning," but after six years, experience has given a better understanding of business pacing, making it "a lot easier to navigate" despite the constant demands. By "knowing the pacing, knowing the goals, and just honestly having a thousand reps," this career professional is able to navigate challenges more smoothly.
Favorite Parts of Working in the Startup Industry as a Cofounder
Aaron, Cofounder/CEO/CFO at Unconventional Ventures, enjoys the constant problem-solving aspect of the industry, stating, "I love building things...I'm a good fixer. I'm a good problem identifier." This passion is fueled by working with startups facing novel challenges, a deliberate focus as Aaron only supports businesses from "idea to, you know, five to 10 [million in revenue]" because "those needs, those problems, those interests, those are the things that captivate me."
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Business Industry, According To A CEO At Unconventional Ventures
According to Aaron, a Cofounder/CEO/CFO at Unconventional Ventures, people who thrive in the industry are "genuinely curious," going beyond surface-level understanding to build real-world knowledge that enables them to navigate uncharted territories by applying known skills to new challenges. This confidence in oneself while executing is "undervalued in a huge way" and is essential for success.
What A Cofounder At Unconventional Ventures Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Startup Industry
Aaron, a Cofounder/CEO/CFO at Unconventional Ventures, wishes one had fully appreciated the value of deep industry knowledge before jumping into entrepreneurship, suggesting many are "too quick to jump to entrepreneurship" without first building crucial skills and understanding. Aaron emphasizes that founders with "expert problems" based on lived experience are far more likely to succeed than those simply motivated by wealth, stating the focus should be on providing value, with wealth following as a result.
Entry-level Positions for Aspiring Cofounders, CEOs, and CFOs
For aspiring consultants, Aaron suggests prioritizing "boutique consulting firms" to gain proximity to customers and problems, unlike the siloed experience at larger firms like Deloitte or McKinsey, also mentions that the more hands-on experience gained, the better. Beyond consulting, Aaron advocates for any entry-level role offering genuine business or industry understanding, even if seemingly "menial," as this provides invaluable context for future senior roles, highlighting that taking junior roles is "incredibly undervalued and underrated" in preparation for senior roles.
Significant Career Lesson from a Cofounder at Unconventional Ventures
Aaron, Cofounder/CEO/CFO at Unconventional Ventures, believes the most significant lesson in a career is "the value of taking extreme ownership to heart," suggesting to always analyze what could have been done better to positively impact a project, even if failing, to ultimately become more proactive and self-aware. Viewing all work as a team sport and understanding how to make a material impact can lead to "pretty outsized returns in all areas."
College Experiences That Helped a Cofounder and CEO at Unconventional Ventures Succeed
Aaron believes two key things prepared them for success: deeply understanding the finance industry, going beyond just numbers to grasp its context and workings, and the "undervalued" skill of networking, which involved strategically understanding the campus landscape and cultivating relationships to build a network where give and take was a constant. This early emphasis on relationship management and showing up taught them invaluable lessons about business that transcended academics, and ultimately set the foundation for Unconventional Ventures.
How Identity Has Influenced a Cofounder at Unconventional Ventures's Career
Being a first-generation college student meant Aaron's path was his own, free from legacy or expectation, allowing him to genuinely ask "what do I want from it? What do I want it to be?" while being Hispanic provided an attribute for unique connection and community, broadening perspective and offering different tastes of what's out there, leading to an ability to connect with people in ways that others cannot.
Becoming a Cofounder at Unconventional Ventures
Aaron found the most impactful experience at WP Carey to be involvement with the Tillman Scholars program, which challenged and helped instill what it means to be a leader and a person navigating the world with the inspiration of Pat Tillman, while also providing a "community that aligned... so closely" and led to the career professional's first best friend. Even though Aaron was initially disillusioned at not getting into Harvard, the program affirmed introspection and thoughtfulness, proving that such a community could exist "even at [a] random business school."
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