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Asif Rahman

Role: Head of Private Equity at Brex Met Date: 2025-05-31
Based In: NYC Company: Brex

Contact Information​

  • Connected through Ryan VanGundy

Professional Background​

  • Head of Private Equity at Brex (started 3 weeks prior to 5/31/25)
  • Previous experience in private equity and finance
  • Focused on tech-oriented private equity work

Current Role at Brex​

  • Company Size: 1,000 employees
  • Revenue: $500 million
  • Valuation: $10 billion on paper (believes real value closer to $5 billion)
  • Employee Breakdown: 40% engineers, 30% sales, 30% other
  • Received equity marked at $4 billion valuation (discount from current paper valuation)
  • Company planning IPO rather than acquisition (too big to be acquired)

Industry Perspective​

  • Believes fintech was overvalued in 2021 bubble
  • Sees Brex and Ramp as the two major players in the space
  • Views private equity industry as transitioning toward tech integration
  • Recognizes brand importance when working with millionaires and fundraising

Personal Background​

  • Has girlfriend whose family is from Chinatown, NYC
  • Lives in expensive NYC market (noting $5k minimum for apartments)
  • Active in NYC social scene (mentions Mercer Club, various restaurants)

Living Situation & NYC Experience​

  • Currently staying with/connected to Ryan VanGundy's loft situation
  • Aware of NYC cost pressures and social dynamics
  • Appreciates unique venues and exclusive experiences
  • Part of discussions about potential event hosting at Ryan's rooftop

Business Philosophy​

  • Focused on execution and not "fucking up" his current opportunity
  • Sees Brex as providing credibility in tech circles
  • Planning to leverage success for future opportunities
  • Interested in becoming "private equity as a service" for major tech companies
  • Targeting companies like Stripe, OpenAI for future expansion

Strategic Thinking​

  • Understands importance of brand recognition in fundraising/deal-making
  • Sees opportunity to become go-to person for PE services once proven at Brex
  • Views current role as foundation for building broader business relationships
  • Recognizes timing importance with macro market conditions

Connection Points​

  • Close enough to Ryan to stay at his place
  • Part of NYC tech/finance social circles
  • Interested in exclusive events and networking opportunities
  • Understands high-end hospitality and venue value

Investment & Market Views​

  • Expects Brex IPO in near future
  • Believes 2021 valuations were inflated across fintech
  • Sees current market as more realistic
  • Planning for seven-figure upside from equity position

Personality & Style​

  • Direct communication style
  • Focused on execution and results
  • Appreciates quality experiences and venues
  • Socially connected in NYC
  • Strategic about career progression

Potential Collaboration Areas​

  • Could be valuable for understanding fintech/PE industry
  • Has network access through Brex connections
  • Interested in exclusive event experiences
  • May have insights into corporate event hosting/spending

Recent Updates (July 2025)​

Euro Trip & Social Connections​

  • Recent Travel: Just returned from London/Stockholm trip (Wimbledon season)
  • Network Expansion: Connected with Harvard Business School alumni in Stockholm
  • Social Integration: Building international relationships through Ryan's network

Brex Performance & Growth​

  • Early Success: Already closing deals and getting noticed by senior leadership
  • Organizational Learning: Mastering corporate politics and incentive structures at scale
  • Strategic Analysis: Studying company org chart for game theory applications
  • Quote: "When you have 1,000 employees and you're trying to get other people to do shit, you just got to really dig into how is this going to help them look good"

Intellectual Interests​

  • Historical Content: Daily consumer of history/educational YouTube content
  • Analytical Mindset: Appreciates pattern recognition and strategic thinking
  • Open to Learning: Receptive to new educational content recommendations

Gary's Strategic Interest​

  • Tulsa Project Involvement: Gary planning to involve Asif in major manufacturing/education initiative
  • Timing Alignment: Asif's PE expertise relevant to Gary's new role with Dr. Alexander
  • Potential Role: Could provide financial structuring expertise for ecosystem building

Transcripts​

Transcript IDDateSummary
2025-07-08-gary-asif-rahman-tulsa-project-brex-update2025-07-08Gary reveals major strategic pivot to Tulsa project with Dr. Alexander, discusses Asif's Brex success
2025-05-31-gary-ryan-asif-nyc-loft-conversation2025-05-31Meeting at Ryan's Bowery loft discussing education consulting, business strategy, and NYC opportunities

Notes​

Asif represents Gary's connection into the high-level fintech world through Brex. His position as Head of PE at a major fintech unicorn provides access to significant corporate networks and decision-makers. His recent success at Brex (already closing deals within months) demonstrates strong execution capability.

His international network building (Harvard connections in Stockholm) and appreciation for strategic thinking make him a valuable connector. The combination of financial expertise, tech industry access, and intellectual curiosity about historical patterns aligns with Gary's evolving focus on long-term institutional building.

His mastery of corporate politics and incentive structures at scale could be particularly valuable for Gary's work with Dr. Alexander in building manufacturing/education ecosystems. Gary specifically mentioned wanting to involve Asif in the Tulsa project, suggesting recognition of his strategic value beyond just fintech connections.

His strategic thinking about becoming "PE as a service" for major tech companies shows entrepreneurial mindset that could align with Gary's broader strategic initiatives around building influential networks and creating value for high-growth companies.