Joshua Himan
I’m Josh and my journey started 15 years ago when I left the military determined to buy a business. Despite holding a finance degree, when I got the financials for the business I wanted, I couldn’t make sense of how the numbers came together. I hired professionals, but their valuations conflicted. The pressure mounted as I was about to put up a significant amount of my net worth as collateral, and I could not sleep. From that moment, I vowed to never be put in this position again and have been on a quest to know how these private SME companies are valued.
My valuation and financial due diligence experience comes from being in the trenches with big checks being exchanged and the stress that goes with it. Over these 15 years I have analyzed hundreds if not thousands of these businesses and have made and lost money investing in them.
Along the way, I have become a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) and a Business Certified Appraiser (BCA), to go along with having read over 400 books on private business valuation and SME transaction analysis.
Having invested, operated, and valued hundreds of private businesses for private equity firms, business brokers, and aquisition entreprenuers has given me insights that I am eager to share with the world.
My goal is to teach you real-world application with academic rigor, and to take difficult concepts in finance and SME transaction analysis and break them down into manageable learning outcomes that practitioners can use right away.
Joshua's credentials:
- Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA)®
- Business Certified Appraiser (BCA)®
- Certified Machinery & Equipment Appraiser (CMEA)®
- Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA)®
- Professional Bookkeeper (PB)®
- Profit and Growth Expert (PGE)®
- Certified Turnaround Analyst (CTA)®
- Accredited Small Business Consultant (ASBC)®
- Masters of Science in Applied Economics (MSAE) — Johns Hopkins University
- Masters of Science in Finance (MSF) — George Washington University
- B.B.A. in Finance — Radford University
- Certificate Forecasting in Organizations — Johns Hopkins University
- Certificate Real Estate Finance and Investment — New York University
Alex Melesko
I'm Alex, a quantitative expert and finance professional with extensive experience in data analysis and investment strategy.
Prior to Business Valuation Advisors, I was a Senior Data Scientist for Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, founded by Ray Dalio. I also have experience as a quantitative analyst at a mutual fund and as a corporate financial analyst.
Throughout my career, I have demonstrably improved investment processes by designing and building systems, as well as creating innovative analysis and investment techniques.
My background includes both fundamental and quantitative analysis and, have taught these concepts to hundreds of students being an adjunct professor.
My goal is to translate complex financial concepts into actionable strategies, to make this a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their understanding of the financial markets, both conceptually and practically.
Alex's credentials:
- Charted Financial Analyst (CFA)®
- Master of Science in Computational Finance (MS) – Carnegie Mellon University
- Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Carnegie Mellon University
- Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Actuarial Science – University of Connecticut
Commitment To Serve
The commitment to serve comes from the top. Josh Himan, Founder and CEO of Business Valuation Advisors, has a strong commitment to serve. When he graduated from college with a degree in finance, the United States was still fighting the war on terror. Josh joined the United States Marine Corps and was deployed to Afghanistan. During his tour, he was severely injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and permanently paralyzed from the chest down. Fourteen men from his Battalion gave their lives in service to our country. Josh is inspired to give his all to everything he does and serve his clients to the very best of his ability in memory of his 14 fellow Marines who perished in Afghanistan. He lives on and serves for them.
Giving Back—An Important Part of Business Valuation Advisors Corporate Culture
Business Valuation Advisors believes in giving back to the local and regional community. We are a proud sponsor of the National Capital Cinderella Ball, an event that brings together the children from military families who live with a life-limiting illness or disability. Josh Himan was an honored guest in 2011 and has been supporting the Ball ever since. Driver Rehabilitation Center of Excellence LLC (DRCE) helps people with disabilities regain their independence through driving. Josh Himan was the Co-Founder of this life-changing organization.
