Ed Frindt

Ed Frindt (BA ’04) holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA in Accounting & Finance with High Honors from Loyola University Chicago. He is an Adjunct Professor at Rockhurst University, serves on many nonprofit boards, and is an active mentor in the KC and Chicago startup communities. In his free time, Ed enjoys soccer, international travel (40+ countries, including two World Cups), and can't get enough Cleveland sports or Loyola Ramblers basketball. 

Ed is a Managing Director at KCRise Fund, a venture capital firm with over $90 million in assets under management. He brings over 15 years of experience in venture capital, private equity, and the alternative investment space. Before joining KCRise, Ed was Director of Finance at OCA Ventures in Chicago, where he was responsible for researching and analyzing investment valuations, conducting financial due diligence, and assisting OCA’s portfolio companies in navigating operational processes. 

Prior to OCA, Ed held progressive roles with Chicago Growth Partners, a private equity firm specializing in middle-market buyouts in the technology, education, and healthcare sectors. There, he helped build its finance and accounting functions following its spin-out from William Blair & Company. As Vice President, he oversaw financial operations for its $1.2 billion group of funds, managed investor reporting, and designed the firm’s internal portfolio company valuation process. Ed began his career in Ernst & Young’s PE and hedge fund advisory practice and obtained his Series 7 and 63 licenses as a finance associate at Wachovia.