Bret Schaffer is a Senior Investment Banker at Plethora Businesses, specializing in company sales, recapitalizations, growth capital raises, and debt placements. With over 20 years of investment banking experience, Bret has advised on complex transactions, negotiated major venture capital commitments, and managed risk, intellectual property, and operational strategies. He also brings deep expertise in Chapter 11 reorganizations, having successfully led a major restructuring and sale.

Before joining Plethora, Bret was a key member of the team that launched Mavent, Inc., a pioneering SaaS company that developed the mortgage industry’s first automated compliance systems and later joined the Company as an executive. He was the lead author of the Company’s business plan, found and engaged the venture capital firm whose investment ultimately grew to $25 million, secured the initial meetings, and co-led the negotiations that resulted in the investment. He also leveraged his capital markets contacts to introduce the Company to its first enterprise customer and secure the initial meetings that led to the engagement. Mavent subsequently grew to 62 employees, served leading financial institutions including Fannie Mae, Morgan Stanley, and National City Bank, and was acquired by Ellie Mae. The platform was later integrated into ICE Mortgage Technology, where it remains a cornerstone of mortgage compliance automation.

Earlier in his career, Bret held roles in software engineering and IT, including positions at Display Data Corporation and Logicon, and co-founded AutoLogic, a custom software firm for automotive dealers. His technical foundation and entrepreneurial success in SaaS give him unique insight into technology-driven businesses and growth strategies.

Bret holds a B.A. in Economics from UCLA, an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University, is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and maintains Series 7, 63, and 79 licenses.