David Klein

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, CommonBond

David Klein is CEO and co-founder of CommonBond, a financial technology company on a mission to give students and graduates more affordable, transparent, and simple ways to pay for higher education. Prior to CommonBond, David worked in consumer finance at American Express, and started his professional career at McKinsey & Company, where he advised clients in financial services.

David started CommonBond when he decided to go back to school to pursue his MBA, having to pay his way 100% with student loans. That's when he experienced firsthand high rates, a confusing process, and poor service. He knew there had to be a better way, so he created one. To date, CommonBond has funded over $2B of student loans. The company is also first and only finance company with a "1-for-1" social mission: for every loan CommonBond funds, it also funds the education of a child in need. Additionally, CommonBond has been named to the World's 50 Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company, TIME's 50 Genius Companies, and the Forbes Fintech 50.

David graduated from Brandeis University with a BA in Politics, Economics, and International Business, and attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He frequently speaks on topics related to student debt, social impact, and personal finance, and can be seen on FOX Business, CNBC and Bloomberg West. David is also a contributor to Forbes, Inc, American Banker, The Hill and TechCrunch. He was named to Crain’s New York 40 Under 40 list in 2016 and is a 2017 Ernst & Young New York Entrepreneur of the Year award winner. For his work on student loan employee benefits, David was named a 2017 Benefits Technology Innovator by Employee Benefit News.