My day job is being the vice president of sales and partnerships at Priority Commercial Payments. Our company offers a fintech solution that addresses companies’ account payable(AP) pain points.

Every company has an AP workflow that’s some version of the following: You order something, it arrives, you verify the invoice and load it into your accounting software. At some point you print the checks, sign them, get them out in the mail. A surprising number of companies still has an antiquated, highly manual process that’s tedious and very costly per transaction.

Our service keeps the integrity of the existing AP process—which is what you need for peace of mind, especially because it’s regulatory by nature—but turns it into an electronic process. You send one file of all your payments due and we handle each payment via single-use virtual cards—kind of like a credit card for your payments.

Finance professionals are always trying to find ways to optimize working capital—always waiting for accounts receivable to catch up to accounts payable. This is one way to do that. Plus, our product also includes a rewards feature, which is similar to rewards on a consumer credit card. But your rewards aren’t in golf clubs, they’re in cash that goes right into your account.

Our product leverages innovation to turn what’s traditionally been a cost center into a profit center. Plus, you have built-in fraud protection.

COVID accelerated interest in our product. When people couldn’t go into their offices, AP managers were working out of their houses and running commercial printers out of their garages just to get checks out the door. For us to say, “Get us your payment file—just one file—and we’ll take care of everything. That was invaluable.”

I came into this role at the beginning of COVID—I was one of those unusual people who made a voluntary job move during the pandemic. I’d learned about Priority Commercial Payments’ technology firsthand as one of its customers and I was impressed by what I’d seen. I loved the idea of being at the forefront of innovation—and here I am.

My most memorable caffeine was the coffee that saved me during a “guys weekend” with my friends.

I’m one of those people who can get a significant migraine without coffee first thing. I’d taken a red eye to connect with my friends and hit the ground running without my coffee. All the fun things we’d planned were a headache blur. I finally ended up taking a four-hour power nap laying on the floor behind a DJ’s booth! One of my friends finally figured out the lack of caffeine was the problem. We went on a late-night Dunkin’ Donuts run and I was a new man.

My current caffeine of choice is espresso.

My favorite places for caffeine is Ledger Coffee Roasters at the Garver Feed Mill. They have great coffee and a great staff. I’ve been making their coffee at home during COVID.

The people I’d love to share a cup of caffeine with are my father, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.

I lost my father to ALS in 2012. He was such a great father. I was blessed to have him.

I’d love to pick Martin Luther King Jr.’s brain and learn how I can make a difference. I’d love to learn about his leadership skills and what it takes to change people’s hearts. My father actually reminded me a lot of Dr. King in that regard.

Malcolm X was such a compelling speaker. And I really appreciate the way he educated himself and would like to hear his thoughts on impacting change. Having the chance to get three of the smartest men I can imagine together and listening to them speak would be incredibly powerful.

World problem that could be solved with the right amount of caffeine: Economic disparity.