When Paul Cloutier went looking for a name for his financial services start-up, he didn't find it with branding agencies or consultants. He stumbled upon it in a church hymnal.
Levanto (Latin for "lift") fit in well with his idea of helping successful people get a better grip on their finances through budgeting and spending. Levanto Financial's software put together a budgeting plan for its customers (households with six-figure incomes) and monitors how they keep to it, providing near real-time information on their spending habits. That way even people who make a lot of money can stay within their financial means.
"Think of the pressure to spend," says Paul Cloutier, founder and CEO of
Levanto Financial. "I have to have an iPad. I have to have an iPhone. I have to have a Cadillac."
Cloutier launched the Troy-based start-up 18 months ago. Today he employs six people and an intern. That team is working to build Levanto Financial's customer base from a few hundred people today to a few thousand in the near future.
"We will be a household name with thousands of financial professionals using our software platform in their offices," Cloutier says.
Source: Paul Cloutier, founder and CEO of Levanto Financial
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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