Who We Are
Bridge Finance Group (“BFG”) is a private credit company primarily focusing on early-stage, high-growth companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry. Our firm specializes in equipment financing & leasing in the food, beverage, pet, and VMS categories. Our unique sector expertise and comprehensive financing capabilities allow us to lend without the typical constraints associated with traditional lenders. BFG strives to be the most efficient, supportive, and effective alternative financing firm for early to mid-stage growth brands in the US and Canada.
Our Team
Grant Christopher
President, Co-founder and PartnerGrant co-founded Bridge Finance Group with the vision of helping early-stage companies in the consumer-packaged goods industry finance their capex needs in an efficient, borrower friendly structure. Grant loves helping brands succeed which is why he’s also been an active investor in the CPG space for close to 15 years. In Grant’s spare time you can find him on the golf course, eating Mexican food or spending time with his family.
Hudson Penn
Vice President of Business DevelopmentHudson has spent the second half of his career in early-stage CPG. Before startup life, Hudson was an investment banker for JPMorgan in New York. He has never met a stranger and has relocated 6 times since graduating from the University of Georgia building a national network he leverages to accelerate startups’ growth. His personal mission statement: “To never stop exploring, connecting and sharing my passion for life. Empowering the next generation of great entrepreneurs to change the world.”
Mitch McIntire
Vice President of Risk & UnderwritingMitch joined Bridge Finance Group in March 2021 as the VP of Risk and Underwriting. Mitch is impassioned by helping consumer-packaged goods entrepreneurs grow their brands with the assistance of flexible, private capital solutions. Prior to joining Bridge, Mitch served in progressively senior credit underwriting and credit management roles at Frost Bank and Texas Capital Bank. In his spare time, Mitch enjoys spending time with his wife and dog, playing golf, and watching the Dallas Stars.
Colton Ngumoha
Senior AccountantColton joined Bridge Finance Group in October 2022. Before Bridge, Colton worked in various industries, with a few being Information Technology, Financial Services, and Construction. He is excited about working in the CPG space and using his experience to help Bridge help its customers. Outside work, he enjoys spending time with family, reading, watching basketball, and supporting his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame.
Jake Kingery
Credit AssociateJake joined Bridge Finance Group as an Associate in April 2024. Having an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for financial analyses, Jake is dedicated to empowering Bridge’s customers to grow and thrive in the CPG market. Prior to joining Bridge, he worked as a commercial credit analyst developing his underwriting capabilities at b1Bank. In his spare time, Jake likes to golf, run, spend time at his family’s cabin in the Ozarks, and read.
Drew Betzer
Director of Business DevelopmentDrew brings over 14 years of experience launching companies and leading business development efforts spanning the technology, CPG, and real estate industries. The first business he started was a functional bottled coffee company that spawned his interest in the CPG space. Drew brings a “think-like-a-founder” mentality to Bridge and is committed to being a value-add partner for all the companies we work with. Outside of work, you can find Drew enjoying time outdoors or spending time with his wife and kids in their hometown of Austin, TX.
Joe Warnock
Co-founder and PartnerJoe has been an active investor for more than 20 years across multiple industries and asset classes with an underlying common thread of entrepreneurship and value creation. Joe focuses on investing with and behind passionate entrepreneurs. Bridge Finance Group has been a valuable tool for providing efficient capital solutions that help create long term value for many companies that Joe has invested in. Joe enjoys spending his free time with his family and outdoors, skiing, cycling, and fishing.
Clayton Christopher
Co-founder and PartnerClayton is passionate about entrepreneurship and loves helping food and beverage companies scale. Clayton was the co-founder and former CEO of Sweet Leaf Tea as well Deep Eddy Vodka. He was also the co-founder of Waterloo Sparkling Water and CAVU Venture Partners. When not working, he loves cycling, sailing, and spending time with his wife Carly, their two children, James and Charlotte, and their yellow lab Betty.
Dustin Donnell
Co-founder and PartnerDustin has a diverse entrepreneurial and investment background and brings 15+ years of professional investment experience in Private Equity and Venture Capital. He understands the importance of streamlined operations and efficient capital structuring within every company and loves that Bridge can provide effective solutions to its partner companies that help facilitate their growth and success. When not working, Dustin enjoys traveling with his wife and three kids, and golfing with friends.