Creighton’s passion is empowering the next generation of innovators by sharing real-world lessons in finance, venture capital, and entrepreneurship. His journey began in investment management, where he spent four years working with top-tier firms like Western Asset Management (over $600 billion in AUM) and Rochdale Investment Management ($6 billion in AUM, investing in equity, fixed income, and venture capital). Shortly after Rochdale was acquired by City National Bank, Creighton was accepted to Harvard Business School—an inflection point that fueled his pivot into the startup world.

After earning his MBA, Creighton immersed himself in early-stage ventures. He learned to code, raised seed money for a career coaching app, and then moved on to Spooler to support product management, culminating in a $500K seed raise. Next came Fitspot, a Techstars-backed fitness technology platform, where he served as Head of Product and helped secure additional funding. He later led product at a startup called Emmasson—an experience that taught him the hard realities of entrepreneurship when the venture proved to be fraudulent. From there, he co-founded HackHive, a human resources startup backed by $300K in pre-seed capital. In 2018, Creighton launched Guided Compass, a B2B career development app that has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue and remains active today.

Currently, Creighton divides his time among startup consulting, investing, experimenting with AI products, and teaching. His consulting engagements have included product management for an AI software development tool, fractional CFO work for a crypto startup, and fundraising support for an LA-based lounge. He is especially intrigued by how AI agents can propel entrepreneurs forward.

Creighton serves as a Lecturer in UC Irvine’s Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship program and has previously taught strategy to MBA students at Cal State LA. His academic credentials include dual bachelor’s degrees in music and finance from Emory University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He has also passed the Series 7, Series 66, and the first exam for the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) certification. Through his diverse background—spanning institutional finance to scrappy startups—Creighton brings practical, hands-on insights to students eager to start, manage, and invest in businesses.