About Finance Catalyst
To steward well and equip good stewardship
Finance Catalyst exists to help business owners understand their numbers and make better decisions. We are a small firm, and we work closely with every client. We get in the weeds with you.
Our story
Finance Catalyst started because we kept seeing the same thing: growing businesses making big decisions without the financial picture that larger companies take for granted.
Our name comes from Luke 16:10: “Whoever is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much.” We believe that stewarding a $500K business well is what prepares you to steward a $50M business well.
We are a small team. No layers of management. Every client works directly with the people who run this company.
70% of businesses that fail are actually profitable. They don't have a revenue problem. They have a visibility problem. That is what we fix.
Meet the team
A team that has built and run businesses themselves.
Dawson Schrader →
Co-Founder & Fractional CFO
Dawson opened his first business at 19, a coffee shop that taught him more about cash flow and margins in ten months than most people learn in a decade. After years in the trades (warehouse work, flooring, electrical, insurance), he found his way into fractional finance through Mike Scheffert. Now he helps growing companies get their financial house in order so they can stop guessing and start deciding. He works from a treehouse office on the family farm his family has stewarded for six generations, just south of Lincoln.
Mike Scheffert, FSCP
Co-Founder & Fractional CFO
Mike is an FSCP-certified CFO based in Lincoln and the founder of Finance Catalyst. He partners with growing businesses to prevent costly financial mistakes and bring clarity to their numbers. With experience as CFO and Controller at Stahla Services since 2019 and as a fractional CFO for over a dozen companies, Mike focuses on aligning financial strategy with operations, optimizing processes, and driving sustainable, profitable growth.
Mike Nass
Co-Founder & Fractional CFO
Mike has spent years working alongside business owners, leading teams and getting the financial side of the house sorted out. He's built and run his own businesses, partnered with other owners, and served as both Integrator and fractional CFO across multiple companies. He works in security, IT services, HVAC, lighting, and medical devices with companies doing $2-$15M in revenue. Mike's approach is simple: figure out what matters most, make a plan, and stay in the work until it's done.
Peter Oquist, CMA
Fractional CFO
Peter is a CMA-certified Chief Financial Officer with experience building and modernizing finance functions for mid-sized organizations. A proven leader in financial strategy, systems transformation, internal controls, and executive partnership. Known for translating financial data into clear, decision-ready insight and building scalable teams and processes that support long-term growth.
Jared Lee
Fractional CFO
Jared helps growing businesses close the gap between profit and cash. With 25+ years of experience managing companies across healthcare, startups, and multiple industries, he brings a practical, operator’s perspective and a knack for turning complex financials into clear, actionable insight.
Scott Daniel
Co-Founder, Leadership Catalyst
Nearly a decade at Gallup. EOS Implementer. Scaling Up Coach. StoryBrand Guide. After 500+ executive planning sessions, Scott knows what happens when the money side and the people side of a business don't talk to each other.
What we stand for
These are the principles we actually operate by, not words on a wall.
Stewardship
Your money is a responsibility. We treat it that way.
Integrity
We say what we see, even when the numbers aren't pretty.
Empathy
Every business is different. We listen before we advise.
Empowerment
We want you to understand your finances, not just hand them off.
Community
We're invested in Lincoln and the businesses that make it run.
Innovation
We use modern tools to give you better financial insight, faster.
Guiding principles
“Whoever is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much.”
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”
“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost?”
Part of a bigger vision
Finance Catalyst and Leadership Catalyst work together in the Catalytic Ecosystem. We handle the financial side. Leadership Catalyst, led by Scott Daniel, handles organizational health and executive coaching. Clients often work with both.
Learn About Leadership Catalyst →Want to learn more about working together?
Let's talk about your business and see if we are a good fit.