Matt Acalin is a seasoned Technical Product and Financial Strategist with more than 20 years of cross-disciplinary leadership experience spanning Fintech, Enterprise and Startup SaaS, Artificial Intelligence, and E-commerce. With a unique blend of deep technical acumen and rigorous financial expertise, Matt has consistently delivered transformative results at the intersection of product innovation, data science, and operational execution.
Matt currently serves as Chief Product Officer at Passio AI, where he is leading the company’s strategy to develop a portfolio of specialized health and nutrition apps powered by computer vision and AI. Focused on personalized consumer experiences and scalable monetization, Matt is architecting a modular product foundation that supports rapid experimentation, data integration, and go-to-market velocity. His work is redefining how everyday users engage with food intelligence while laying the groundwork for strategic partnerships with digital health and wellness companies.
Previously, Matt was Head of Product and Founding Team Member at Brightflow AI, where he played a pivotal role in building the company’s foundation and growth trajectory. Under his leadership, Brightflow AI generated over $18 million in revenue and facilitated $98 million in loan activity. Notably, Matt developed and launched a proprietary machine learning-based Credit Score leveraging ten separate financial data APIs—an innovation that transformed how underwriting and servicing are automated in the e-commerce finance ecosystem. He also led initiatives that improved key business KPIs: reducing uninstall rates by 61%, enhancing sales forecast accuracy through Bayesian optimization, and decreasing late payment rates by 91% via a new automated billing system.
Matt currently serves as Head of Product and Founding Team Member at Brightflow AI, where he has played a pivotal role in building the company’s foundation and growth trajectory. Under his leadership, Brightflow AI has generated over $18 million in revenue and facilitated $98 million in loan activity. Notably, Matt developed and launched a proprietary machine learning-based Credit Score leveraging ten separate financial data APIs—an innovation that transformed how underwriting and servicing are automated in the e-commerce finance ecosystem. He has also led initiatives that improved key business KPIs: reducing uninstall rates by 61%, enhancing sales forecast accuracy through Bayesian optimization, and decreasing late payment rates by 91% via a new automated billing system.
As a cross-functional leader, Matt has managed teams of 25+ and overseen the entire product lifecycle—from vision and strategy to go-to-market execution. He brings mastery in agile development, UX/UI design, onboarding, A/B testing, monetization, and product-led growth methodologies. His strategic mindset is always anchored in measurable outcomes, backed by a robust command of metrics, prototyping, and data analysis.
Before Brightflow AI, Matt was a Venture Capital Investor and Product Innovation Lead at Convivialité Ventures, the corporate venture arm of a global $11.6B wine and spirits conglomerate. There, he helped deploy over $50 million in investments and built a custom interactive wedding bar package tool, showcasing his ability to bridge product ingenuity with consumer insights.
Earlier in his career, Matt held critical roles at Upwork, where he managed financial reporting, tax compliance, and performance analytics for a 10-million-user base. His work at Upwork drove down support requests, improved freelancer retention, and enhanced job performance ratings through innovative feedback systems and compliance tools. His career also includes foundational experience in private equity and venture capital at Summit Partners, where he sourced over $1.5 billion in deals and led full-cycle due diligence across multiple verticals, including healthcare, technology, and CPG. Additionally, during his tenure at General Electric’s Financial Management Program, he delivered enterprise-level forecasting and automation solutions across energy, healthcare, and real estate divisions.
Matt holds an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, where he was a CJ White Fellowship recipient and co-directed a startup incubator. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance and Information Systems, magna cum laude, from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management and received the prestigious Semper Esse Excellentia Award. He is also a CFA Charterholder, demonstrating his depth in financial strategy and ethical governance.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Matt is a lifelong learner with a passion for technology, AI, and the sciences. He’s a piano player who enjoys the works of Ben Folds and Danny Elfman, has a love for poetry and current events, and frequently explores topics like quantum mechanics in his free time. Matt is also an experienced public speaker, having delivered webinars and marketing presentations, and is comfortable in high-visibility advisory or board-facing roles.
With his proven track record of leading cross-functional innovation, financial diligence, and AI-driven growth, Matt Acalin brings a distinctive voice and strategic value to any boardroom or executive team. His ability to synthesize technical, financial, and user-centered perspectives makes him a powerful asset for companies aiming to scale with intelligence and agility.
Character: Matt Acalin demonstrates integrity, curiosity, and a strong commitment to continuous learning and meaningful innovation.
Knowledge: He brings deep expertise in product leadership, financial strategy, AI/ML technologies, and SaaS business models.
Strategic: Matt excels at connecting high-level product vision with execution, using data-driven insights to scale operations and drive measurable impact.
Communication: He is a confident and engaging communicator, skilled at aligning cross-functional teams and articulating complex ideas to diverse stakeholders.
