Kikoff Appoints Chief Financial Officer and Chief Legal Officer

John Kaelle has more than 25 years of experience in finance leadership across fast-growing consumer, marketplace, and SaaS companies, including two IPOs. Most recently, he was CFO of StockX, where he built the company’s financial systems to support global expansion. Before that, he was the first CFO at Marin Software, leading its 2013 IPO, and held senior finance roles at Shutterfly, helping the company grow after going public. He also began his career in investment banking and public accounting.

He brings strong experience in building finance teams that support growth, manage complexity, and prepare companies for the public markets over the long term.

Robert Mahnke has nearly 30 years of legal experience in complex litigation, government enforcement, and financial services law. He worked for almost five years at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, where he led investigations into major technology and financial mergers. He later held senior legal roles at eBay and PayPal. He became Chief Legal Officer at fintech companies such as Uplift and Plastiq, where he built legal and compliance teams for payments, lending, and BNPL businesses.

Kickoff says it is well-positioned for continued growth with a stronger leadership team, profitability, and ongoing investment in its systems and products. The company remains focused on helping customers achieve financial security through better tools and infrastructure.

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Kikoff enters its next phase of growth after a strong 2025, with revenue surpassing $300 million and more than doubling year over year while remaining profitable. The company now serves millions of users across its platforms, including Kikoff, Grant and Catch and continues to show strong performance at scale. With a growing product portfolio and a disciplined business model Kikoff is positioned to expand access to credit building, and financial tools for underserved consumers.

“John and Rob are exactly the caliber of leaders we need at this stage of Kikoff’s growth. John brings significant experience building finance organizations that support scale and accelerate growth, and Rob brings rare depth at the intersection of fintech, regulation, and technology law. Together, they strengthen our ability to execute and build on the momentum of our record 2025 results while continuing to serve our customers,” said Cynthia Chen, CEO of Kikoff.

About Kikoff

Founded in 2019, by Cynthia Chen, Kikoff is a personal finance company focused on helping people achieve financial security. Products like Kikoff, Grant, and Catch help users build credit, access money when needed, save and improve their overall financial well being.

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