Leading Through Uncertainty: Lessons from Wall Street, the Military, and Startups
How to Inspire Confidence, Drive Change, and Stay Decisive When the Stakes Are High
Joe Beard is an entrepreneur and experienced financier focused on creating disruptive solutions at the intersection of technology and structured finance. He is currently the Co-Founder and CEO of CollateralEdge, a fintech platform that is re-envisioning debt capital delivery for the middle market. Joe is also a Co-Founder of Venture Dallas, the premier venture capital focused conference in the DFW region.
Prior to launching CollateralEdge, Joe served as a Partner at Perot Jain, an early stage focused venture capital firm, where he led investments in over 45 companies across 4 countries and managed the portfolio.
Earlier in his career, Joe spent approximately ten years as an investment banker at firms such as Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and Bear Stearns where he executed over $10 billion in M&A and financing transactions.
Joe spent several years working in Silicon Valley at Applied Materials in Product Marketing prior to attending business school.
As a former Army Captain, Joe spent several years in the military based in Hawaii and Texas.
Joe received his BS in Discrete Mathematics from the United Stated Military Academy at West Point and his MBA from Columbia Business School where he was a Robert A. Toigo Fellowship recipient. Joe was recognized as one of the most influential business leaders in DFW as part of the D CEO’s 2024 Dallas 500. He was also recognized by Pitchbook as one of the top Black Founders and Investors to Watch in 2025. He previously served on Boards for the West Point Association of Graduates and the North Texas Advisory Board for UMB Bank. Joe currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce and Capital Factory.
Joe is married with four children and resides in Rowlett, TX.