Mark Frischmuth

About Mark Frischmuth

I spent 20 years in financial services helping people build wealth — and seeing how many never got the opportunity. That experience led me to found Equity Forge, where we\'re building infrastructure for people to take ownership of their economic future.Equity Forge is creating pathways from verified volunteering → paid marketplace work → startup equity participation, all on one platform.The insight came from founding and leading DemocracyLab, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to empower people who use technology for public good. DemocracyLab\'s talent matching platform has facilitated over skilled volunteer placements since launching in 2018. We discovered that 85% of volunteers were motivated by professional development — they weren\'t just donating time, they were building careers. But their contributions disappeared the moment they left a project. No portable record, no verified credentials, no compounding value.Equity Forge solves this by building authentic professional identity from activity tracking, documented artifacts, peer attestation, and manager verification. When credentials are trustworthy, they become worth investing in — and that investment compounds over time.We\'re expanding DemocracyLab\'s proven model into paid work and equity participation — helping professionals earn compensation proportional to the value they create.We practice what we build. Our team earns ownership through the same proven Slicing Pie dynamic equity model that we\'re making available for others.I\'m currently recruiting our founding technical team. If you\'re interested in what we\'re building, I\'d welcome a conversation.

Experience

1. Founder

   Equity Forge

   Jan 2025 — Present · OR, US

   Founder & CEO building infrastructure that transforms how people build skills and wealth. Leading strategy, fundraising, governance, and team building as Equity Forge expands from nonprofit volunteer matching into paid marketplace work and startup equity participation. Recruiting our founding technical team and designing the dynamic equity model we use internally and are building for others.

Education

• Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, University of Washington

  Master of Public Administration - MPA

• Miami University

  BA, Philosophy

• UW Foster School of Business

  Master of Business Administration - MBA