Interview

Chris DiPasquale brings decades of financial leadership and operational expertise to the Board of Advisors. With a proven track record supporting major global brands, he brings essential structure, discipline, and precision to BA’s next chapter of growth. 

As part of the leadership team alongside Jimmy Ralph and Kevin Killoran, Chris has successfully launched and scaled ventures across fast-paced industries such as wireless and retail. Their partnership is built on trust, execution, and strategic alignment. Now fully integrated within the BA ecosystem, Chris and his team are delivering real value— positioning BA as a dynamic platform for cross-industry collaboration, innovation, and potential funding opportunities for high-impact initiatives. 

Q: Chris, let’s start from the beginning. How would you introduce yourself?

Chris DiPasquale: My background is in accounting and finance, and I’ve dedicated my entire professional career to this space. Over the past two decades, I’ve focused on building and scaling ventures, particularly in the wireless and retail industries. 

Throughout my career, I have specialized in projects that demanded speed, precision, and discretion— helping major companies test bold new concepts without delays from corporate bureaucracy. We executed boutique pilots for global leaders like T-Mobile and Procter & Gamble, enabling them to test new product lines or store formats quickly and efficiently. If a concept succeeded, it scaled; if not, it was executed with excellence, allowing for a clean pivot.

Q: What would you say is your superpower?

Chris DiPasquale: My strength lies in translating vision into structured, executable action. Entrepreneurs often see boundless possibilities and are eager to move quickly. My role is to ensure that the foundation is sound from day one. I don’t slow initiatives down; I enable sustainable execution. Knowing when to say no is important—but knowing how to say yes responsibly is even more critical. 

Q: How does your experience working with major brands help you contribute to BA?

Chris DiPasquale: Working with Fortune 500s taught me how to represent the smaller, more agile player without ever feeling small. We’d be the ones negotiating with companies that had massive legal teams, layers of executives, and yet we always held our ground. That experience is directly relevant to BA. We can take that same sharp, efficient mindset and apply it to every opportunity that arises within the group.

Q: You’ve spoken a lot about team alignment. Why does that matter here?

Chris DiPasquale: Alignment is everything, especially when you move fast. In my experience, the best teams don’t need to be in constant meetings or check-ins—they just trust each other. That kind of trust allows you to divide and conquer, then come back and move decisively. At BA, that’s critical. You have incredibly dynamic minds in the room. When that’s paired with real operational alignment, it becomes unstoppable.

Q: How do you envision the future of BA in the coming years?

Chris DiPasquale: Mike Calhoun has done something remarkable—he’s built a room full of the best minds in business. The next step is activating those minds. I see BA evolving from a referral-based network into something more powerful: a platform for launching new ventures. We’re not just here to solve individual business problems. We’re here to create entirely new opportunities—new partnerships, new revenue streams, maybe even new companies. And in some cases, BA can help facilitate access to funding or strategic support to make those ideas real.

Q: How do you personally see your role within BA’s future?

Chris DiPasquale: My job is to make sure every big idea has the right framework. Whether it’s legal, financial, or operational, I make sure it’s solid from day one. That’s what allows us to scale without chaos. So when someone brings a bold opportunity to the table, I’m not just evaluating risk—I’m working on how to make it executable. That’s where I bring value. 

Q: What do you wish more entrepreneurs understood about the CFO mindset?

Chris DiPasquale: CFOs are not here to say no—we are here to build intelligently. The best CFOs don’t kill ideas; they find ways to fund them, protect them, and help them scale. Entrepreneurs should push boundaries—that drive is critical to innovation. But sustainable growth requires infrastructure that can support that speed and ambition. 

That’s my role: ensuring that the biggest ideas are not just exciting today, but still standing strong a year— and a decade—from now.