Beyond the Exit: Why Divvy’s Alex Bean Believes True ROI Means Return on Impact

For most entrepreneurs, selling a billion-dollar company would be the final chapter—the ultimate validation of long nights and relentless ambition. For Alex Bean, co-founder of Divvy, that milestone became only the beginning of a deeper journey.

In 2016, Bean and longtime friend Blake Murray launched Divvy, a financial-technology company designed to simplify corporate spending with intelligent software and smart credit cards. Within five years, the startup scaled rapidly, attracting thousands of businesses and a major acquisition in 2021.

Yet, just months after the sale, Bean faced a surprising realization: the summit he had worked so hard to reach wasn’t the destination he thought it would be.

“I was 36 when we sold Divvy,” Bean recalls. “I was proud of what we built, but I still had more than half my life left. I needed to figure out what fulfillment actually meant.”

The Rollercoaster Ride of Building Divvy

Looking back, Bean speaks of Divvy’s rise with both pride and humility. His experience distilled two timeless lessons for entrepreneurs: master your product-market fit and master your emotions.

“Everything starts with understanding your target customer,” he explains. “If you can’t define who you’re serving, you’re not ready to start. Then you must know what they care about most—saving time, saving money, or making money—and build entirely around that.”

Bean and Murray used what they called the ‘Billboard Theory’, crafting a message that captured Divvy’s value in one bold line: ‘Never go over budget again—with a free product that saves you money.’ That clarity became the company’s north star.

But beneath the data, growth charts, and investor decks, Bean found that startup life is a study in emotional endurance.

“There were days I’d walk in the door and tell my wife, ‘We’ve done it—we’ve built a unicorn,’” he laughs. “Then two days later, I’d come home thinking it was all over. That’s when I learned: things are never as good as they seem, and never as bad. The trick is to stay grounded in the middle.”

Life After the Exit: Redefining ROI

When the acquisition closed, Bean suddenly had what every founder dreams of—financial freedom, time, and choices. But the question that followed was far less comfortable: Now what?

“I’d spent my life climbing one mountain,” he says. “Then I realized I’d reached the top—and had to find another one.”

He experimented with projects, consulted startups, and spent time with family. Yet something was missing. “I tried things that filled my calendar,” he admits, “but not my soul.”

That period of reflection led to Factory for Good—first a book, then a movement—centered on helping entrepreneurs and families turn their wealth into purpose.

The Birth of Factory for Good

Factory for Good emerged from Bean’s personal reckoning with success. “I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs,” he says. “I’ve seen money do incredible things for families—and I’ve seen it tear them apart. When the Divvy sale closed, I had to ask myself, how do I make sure this becomes a force for good rather than something corrosive?”

His answer: retool the factory.

“Everyone has a factory that prints money,” Bean explains. “But once you’ve made enough to live comfortably, you need to retool that factory to print good. That’s where true ROI—Return on Impact—comes in.”

Through Factory for Good, Bean and his team work with families to identify the causes that matter most to them—education, humanitarian aid, environment, or community development—and then vet nonprofits to ensure their giving produces measurable results.

“Unlike most philanthropic groups, our client isn’t the charity,” he clarifies. “It’s the family. We help them define their mission, measure their impact, and experience the joy of giving with purpose.”

The initiative aims to help 500 families create personal giving blueprints and collectively impact one million lives.

“Philanthropy shouldn’t come from guilt,” Bean says. “It should feel like building again—strategic, creative, and deeply meaningful.”

Tandem Ventures: Paying It Forward

Bean’s entrepreneurial drive remains alive through Tandem Ventures, the early-stage venture capital firm he co-founded with partner Mckay Dunn. Based in Utah, Tandem invests in seed and Series A startups while providing what Bean calls “founder therapy”—hands-on mentorship from someone who’s been in the trenches.

“For the first couple of years, I didn’t even calculate what money could be made,” he admits. “I just loved working with founders. Helping them navigate challenges, make key hires, and scale is deeply rewarding.”

Tandem’s “Operation Leverage” program connects portfolio companies with talent, customers, and investors—bridging networks to accelerate growth. “It’s all about helping founders go further than we did,” Bean says.

From Wealth to Worth

Through both Tandem and Factory for Good, Bean is reshaping what success looks like after the exit. For him, financial wealth is only the beginning; legacy is what follows.

“If all you do is hand your kids money, it rarely ends well,” he reflects. “But if you teach them to create and give meaningfully, it changes everything. It’s a one-plus-one-equals-three equation.”

That philosophy defines his mission moving forward: to build systems that multiply both prosperity and purpose.

“I’ve been blessed with opportunities few people get,” he says. “Now I want to see if one person—just one—can impact a million lives. That’s the new mountain I’m climbing.”

Connect with Alex Bean

• Factory for Good: factoryforgood.com
• Tandem Ventures: tandemvc.com