“Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse. If you’re comfortable while you’re doing it, you’re probably doing it wrong.” - Ted Lasso
Payton grew up in Layton, Utah, just north of Salt Lake City, as the third of six children. From an early age, he was shaped by the example of his dad, who taught him the value of hard work, wise investing, and being intentional with money. Those lessons like knowing where every dollar goes and putting it to work became foundational to the way Payton thinks about finance, responsibility, and impact.
He went on to attend Brigham Young University–Idaho, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Financial Economics. One of his most memorable college experiences came in a finance class where students used Bloomberg terminals, built financial models, and managed a mock investment portfolio over the course of the semester. The class, and especially the professor, sparked Payton’s deeper interest in investing, Excel “magic,” and the discipline of financial modeling.
After college, Payton was eager to begin his career and cast a wide net across finance, accounting, and audit roles. He landed his first job as a fund accountant with UMB Fund Services, later moving into another fund accounting role at MUFG Investor Services. Those early roles taught him the importance of accuracy, speed, and a customer-service mindset, whether working with internal colleagues or external partners.
Joining Founders Circle Capital as Accounting Manager marked a meaningful leap in Payton’s career. While his fund administrator roles gave him a strong foundation in accounting, FCC has helped him better understand the “why” behind the numbers and how accounting connects to broader business decisions. He finds his work most fulfilling when he can provide clean, organized financial information that helps teammates make sound decisions and move the business forward.
Payton first connected with FCC through a recruiter, and after his first interview, he began learning more about the firm and the venture capital industry. The more he explored, the more excited he became about the work and he was quickly hooked.
Outside of work, Payton loves sports and plays soccer and basketball a few times a week with old high school friends. He is also a big movie fan and enjoys movie date nights with his wife, as well as taking their kids to the theater whenever they can.
