10 Morgan Stanley alumni who founded companies
Each of these Morgan Stanley alumni who founded companies worked at Morgan Stanley, in wealth management, technology, AI, M&A and fixed income roles, before starting the company they run now as founder or co-founder. A reader can learn how people who worked at Morgan Stanley went on to build companies, from the founders themselves.
Professionals to explore
Anoushka Mirchandani
LinkedInExperience: Founder & CEO · Simmer App AI
Anoushka Mirchandani was Head of Market Structure for Fixed Income at Morgan Stanley from 2023 to 2024, and has been Founder & CEO of Simmer App AI since 2024. Anoushka Mirchandani describes Simmer as teaching finance fundamentals so people can build long-term wealth.
Barry Phelps
LinkedInExperience: Founder & CEO · AlphaScript Solutions
Barry Phelps was Vice President, Technology M&A at Morgan Stanley from 2017 to 2024, and has been Founder & CEO of AlphaScript Solutions since 2025. Barry Phelps describes AlphaScript as an AI-native data and content platform for M&A.
Brian McDonald
LinkedInExperience: Founder · Grantd
Brian McDonald was Managing Director I Head of Direct & Institutional Businesses for Morgan Stanley at Morgan Stanley from 2018 to 2025, and has been Founder of Grantd since 2025. Brian McDonald describes Grantd as an AI-native startup focused on equity compensation advice.
Connor Florczyk
LinkedInExperience: Founder & CEO · Briefly Wealth
Connor Florczyk was Private Wealth Analyst at Morgan Stanley from 2022 to 2026, and has been Founder & CEO of Briefly Wealth since 2026. Connor Florczyk describes Briefly as AI client intelligence for financial services.
Derrick C.
LinkedInExperience: Founder · Cadenova
Derrick C. was Associate, Technical Product Manager at Morgan Stanley from 2019 to 2024, and has been Founder of Cadenova since 2025.
Eric Chang, CFA
LinkedInExperience: Co-Founder & CEO · Claira
Eric Chang was in Artificial Intelligence Strategy & Product Development at Morgan Stanley from 2017 to 2019, and has been Co-Founder & CEO of Claira since 2024.
Larry Wilson
LinkedInExperience: Co-Founder · Arrow Investment Analytics
Larry Wilson was Managing Director at Morgan Stanley from 2018 to 2024, and has been Co-Founder of Arrow Investment Analytics since 2024.
Michael Beddows
LinkedInExperience: Founder & Chief Architect · Pyramidal
Michael Beddows was Head of AI/ML & Automation, Technology Business Development at Morgan Stanley from 2017 to 2022, and has been Founder & Chief Architect of Pyramidal since 2022. Michael Beddows describes Pyramidal as building infrastructure for the AI-agent economy.
Peter Williams
LinkedInExperience: Co-Founder · Fullbor Software
Peter Williams was Executive Director at Morgan Stanley from 2000 to 2005, and has been Co-Founder of Fullbor Software since 2026.
Scott Gregory
LinkedInExperience: CEO, Co-Founder OptEngage, Inc. · OptEngage, Inc.
Scott Gregory was Head of Next Best Action, Content Solutions | Business Development | Analytics, Data & Innovation at Morgan Stanley from 2018 to 2023, and has been CEO and Co-Founder of OptEngage, Inc. since 2024.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's role at Morgan Stanley, such as wealth management, technology, investment banking or markets, to the part of the path from employee to founder you want to understand. Check when each company was started to judge how recent the person's experience of the early stage is.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What from your work at Morgan Stanley turned out to be most useful when you started your own company?
- 02How did you decide what problem your company would work on?
- 03What did you have to learn quickly that your Morgan Stanley role had not prepared you for?
Reaching Morgan Stanley alumni who founded companies
How can I contact one of these Morgan Stanley alumni who founded companies?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 10 companies, including Simmer App AI, AlphaScript Solutions and Grantd, based on profile data retrieved on October 25, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Morgan Stanley alumni who founded companies?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
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You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these Morgan Stanley alumni who founded companies a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.