Our Story
Sophia Collier launched efund in 1995 as an innovative payment solution. It quickly became the top-performing money market fund in the United States and we later sold its assets to a major insurance company. In 2008, she and Chula Reynolds expanded efund into a multi-asset investment company.
Today, efund has a robust portfolio of early-stage ventures, alongside significant investments in real estate and financial markets. Our early-stage portfolio includes 35 companies, with exits to major acquirers such as Apple and other global firms. In support of our real estate portfolio, we operate a nationally ranked property management firm in Houston, Texas.
Our team, with 150 years of combined experience, has completed transactions exceeding $2.5 billion. We’ve successfully worked in early stage investing, the financial markets, and real estate, bringing skills such as marketing, technology and operational excellence.
We look forward to the future with optimism and believe we live in a time of tremendous opportunity and promise.
Our Values
Chula Reynolds
Principal
Chula specializes in real estate and technology investments and led our investment in SourceDNA, later acquired by Apple. She was a founder of The Capital Network and an early investor in Dell Computer and other Austin-based startups. Reynolds has developed notable real estate projects in Texas, including the 92-acre Parkline development. Chula has served as Shareholder Representative to the Board of King Ranch, Inc.,
a company founded by her great, great grandparents, which engages in ranching, agribusiness, and energy-related enterprises and
is the United States’ largest juice orange producer. She previously served on the Finance Commission of Texas.
Sophia Collier
Principal
Sophia leads efund as investment strategist. She is an entrepreneur and artist with a 40-year career including executive positions and successful startups and exits in consumer products, financial services and real estate. She was the CEO of Citizens Advisers, Inc., with 45,000 shareholders, for 16 years. She personally managed portfolios for the City of New York, State of Alaska, and other institutional clients. She co-founded American Natural Beverage at 21, leading to over $100 million in sales and a successful exit to Seagram Beverage Company. Additionally, Collier is an accomplished artist known for her unique water surface replicas exhibited in museums and held in collections globally.
Matt Esh, CFA
Chief Financial Officer
Matt puts analytics into action for our portfolio. He creates sophisticated models to drive growth. He is a master Excel user and Python coder. Matt developed key forecasting applications for Chevron, earning the Chairman’s Award in 2013. As CFO of HerbThyme Farms, he led three acquisitions, creating North America’s largest fresh herb producer. Previously, Matt was a Director at KZC Catalyst Partners, responsible for transaction origination and portfolio management, and began his career as a research analyst at Bear Stearns, covering the Internet sector.
Christine Boyd, CFP®
Director of Operations
Christine is a business operations professional with expertise in financial services, fiduciary management, and client relations. She spent 14 years at Frost Bank, and also worked in business operations at Indeed. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of South Carolina and completed the Financial Planning Program at The University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, Christine is a CFP® Professional.
Sonia Saltzman
Director of Community Engagement
Kimberly Locke
Executive Assistant
Kimberly has built a career in executive support, project management, and customer success, working closely with leadership on outreach, communication, and project coordination. She led a tech company’s digital overhaul, managing a team to revamp the website, brand identity, and tech stack, launching on time. Kimberly values positive relationships to boost team morale and productivity. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, mountain biking, and spending time with her dogs and adult children.
Cory Broad
Growth Strategist
Cory brings insight and vision to creative challenges, including branding, marketing, communications and business strategy. He oversees the websites for efund and its various subsidiary entities. He designs growth-oriented campaigns across a range of media types. His diverse background includes teaching visual art at Brown University, baking artisan bread, and building affordable homes.
