About Gestalt
We Built What We Wished We'd Had
Gestalt didn’t start with a technology idea. It started with frustration.
Our founders spent years inside financial institutions as CROs, executives, and data leaders. They watched institution after institution pour money into the same unsolved problem: getting clean, unified data from disparate systems into a foundation that could actually drive decisions.
They saw 18-month projects that delivered nothing. Talented data engineers hired at premium salaries who left within a year. Board meetings where leadership couldn’t answer basic questions because the data lived in five different places.
And they realized something…
Every financial institution was trying to build the same foundational components. The same data warehouse architecture. The same integrations. The same compliance frameworks. The same reporting infrastructure.
So they built it once. And built it right.
Now, whether you’re a credit union CFO trying to escape Excel, a sophisticated lender evaluating build-vs-buy, or a platform provider looking to embed analytics, you don’t have to start from scratch. The foundation already exists.
Meet Some of the Gestalt Team
Stephanie Hanson
CEO & Co-Founder
Stephanie lives to organize chaos. Whether it’s the chaos of traveling with a family of seven, or the chaos of starting a new company, it’s just the excitement she needs to feed her soul. She has spent her career in lending; most recently serving as founder and CEO of defi SOLUTIONS, where they built the company from the ground up to create leading-edge originations solutions for lenders to maximize profits and adapt to rapidly evolving markets.
Little known facts…
- When not at work, you can find her traveling, organizing or playing games
- She has a thing for Weird Al Yankovic
- Strength Finders Top 5: Command, Achiever, Arranger, Responsibility, Communication
- Enneagram 8: Challenger
Justin McClintick
CTO/CPO & Co-Founder
Justin has a passion for building and investing in products and teams that scale. His unique breadth of technology and business acumen has allowed him to pull organizations together through focus and mission. He is a highly motivated entrepreneurial product leader. He has worked with executives and thought leaders from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies across many verticals, most recently fintech. Notable strengths include Executive Relationships, Product Strategy, and Team Building.
Little known facts…
- His favorite activities include brewing beer, movies, video games, and poker
- He can’t spell to save his life
- He’d revisit Alaska and Hawaii in a heartbeat
- Maximizer personality
- Enneagram 7: The Enthusiast
Kevin Navarre
Head of Data and Engineering
Kevin is an impassioned leader focused on placing data and analytics at the center of the enterprise. He brings a systems-thinker attitude to Gestalt, along with over 20 years of experience in data and technology and a skillset that includes a wide array of industry knowledge, nuance, and know-how. He has spent the past 10+ years in the fintech space and enjoys the challenge of building financial data insights to help lenders succeed.
Little known facts…
- Enjoys travel, especially to the Caribbean!
- Spends a lot of his time watching football, aka soccer. Whether it is his four kids playing the game or watching his beloved Reds, it is year-round.
- He loves to cook, especially Texas BBQ.
- Brunch is best!
- Myers-Briggs: ESTP | Enneagram Type 8/7: The Challenger/The Enthusiast
Aaron Smith
CRO & Head of Partnerships
Aaron is a seasoned business development executive with over 20 years of experience in building strategic alliances and driving revenue growth. As Gestalt’s Chief Revenue Officer, he leads partnerships with financial institutions, helping them harness the company’s innovative data warehouse technology. Known for his authentic leadership and relationship-building, Aaron thrives on creating solutions that deliver tangible value. Prior to Gestalt, he held senior roles at TransUnion, where he led successful initiatives across multiple industries.
Little known facts…
- His favorite activities include golfing, reading about history and philosophy, and cooking
- He is an avid sports fan, cheering for the Washington Huskies and Pittsburgh Steelers
- Enjoys wine and whiskey tastings
- Myers-Briggs: ENTJ | Enneagram Type 7: The Enthusiast
Denise Brown
COO & Head of Customer Success
Denise is a seasoned executive with a passion for innovation through data, analytics, and technology. As Gestalt’s COO, she leads customer success, helping customers leverage data and analytics solutions to drive business value. A former risk & technology leader at companies like CarMax, Harley-Davidson, Toyota Bank and financial services startups, Denise brings a risk management, compliance, analytics, and AI transformation lens to help customers set data strategy and execute toward data-driven growth and profitability.
Little known facts…
- Volunteers as a nonprofit Board director; other hobbies include cooking, gin, wildflower identification, football, and hosting parties
- Travels to Europe yearly – favorites: Paris, Prague, Greece, Italy’s Cinque Terre and the Basque country
- Myers-Briggs: ENTJ ; Strengths Finders Top 5: Connectedness, Learner, Arranger, Achiever, Restorative
Board of Advisors
Backed by Leaders at These Companies
