The Architect
Juwon Lee
Principal Capital Architect · $300M Strategic Exit · $4B+ M&A
Bridging the gap between Wall Street rigor and Startup agility. 15+ years building finance infrastructure across CFO, restructuring, and investment banking.
“Most startups don't die from lack of product.
They die from broken Unit Economics.”
The Rare Triple
Most fractional CFOs come from one of three backgrounds. Juwon has lived all three — which is why acquirers, creditors, and boards all read his work the same way.
01 · Operator
The CFO Seat
4 years as an operating CFO. Managed a comp reset, a COVID pivot to online, a professional test-prep expansion, and a bankruptcy-adjacent recovery — all on the same P&L.
02 · Banker
The Buyer Side
$4B+ in deals at Jefferies, including $1B+ refinancings and cross-border sales. Knows what the M&A model asks before a founder even sees the data room.
03 · Turnaround
The Restructurer
AlixPartners VP — Chapter 11 treasury, court filings, and 13-week cash flow forecasting from the inside. Knows exactly how and why things break in distressed companies.
Current advisory focus
Beyond Margin Kinetics engagements, Juwon advises select founder-led companies on AI-powered finance automation, GTM systems, and cross-border market entry — including Upgrade Tutors (U.S. market launch), ColomboAI (fractional CFO for an AI-native startup), and StoryBox English (K-6 language learning, Johns Hopkins curriculum validation).
Career Trajectory
2023–Now
Margin Kinetics
Founder · Principal Capital Architect
Build capital efficiency infrastructure for Series A/B SaaS founders. Productize the sell-side CFO playbook behind a $300M strategic exit. Advise founder-led companies (Upgrade Tutors, ColomboAI, StoryBox English) on AI-powered finance automation, runway, and GTM.
2019–2023
The Princeton Review · Tutor.com
CFO & Head of Strategy
Joined with a bankruptcy-adjacent mandate. Secured an emergency LA-based credit line, centralized compensation control, closed unprofitable locations via zero-based analysis, and pivoted to online-first before COVID. Delivered $27M EBITDA swing ($7M loss → $20M profit) on $100M → $130M revenue. Led the full $300M+ sell-side process end-to-end — diligence materials, buyer presentations, Bain Capital ↔ Korean parent ↔ Chinese PE coordination, through CFIUS/FOCI compliance.
2017–2018
AlixPartners (Zolfo Cooper)
VP — Turnaround & Restructuring
Chapter 11 advisory for distressed companies. Built treasury and 13-week cash flow frameworks for media analytics and printing solutions engagements. Managed interim treasury/AP functions, court filings, and creditor communications through full Chapter 11 lifecycle.
2015–2017
Jefferies Investment Banking
Associate — Industrials Group
$4B+ in M&A and leveraged finance deals. Notable: $875M Global Gateway South acquisition (EQT Partners), $1.41B TKC Holdings refinancing, $1.328B Hanjin TTI stake sale to MSC, $330M building products distributor sale. Owned financial modeling (DCF, LBO, merger models), valuation, and buyer/creditor coordination.
2013–2015
Kellogg School of Management
MBA — Finance
Northwestern University. Full-time MBA with Finance concentration.
2009–2013
Samsung Techwin (now Hanwha Aerospace)
Manager — Investor Relations & Corporate Finance
IR lead for 1,000+ institutional investors. Supported $532M aerospace subsidiary IPO. Ranked #1 among peer group.
2006–2008
Korean Air Force · MND
First Lieutenant — Interpreting Officer
Led Korea–U.S. international defense negotiations ($2.7B in negotiated cost savings, Meritorious Service Commendation).
Education
- →Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern) — MBA
- →The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business — BSBA Finance & Real Estate, Cum Laude (GPA 3.6/4.0)