Barry Cynamon

Director of Program Design
Student Freedom Initiative (“SFI”)

Accountable to the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director for the planning, design, and development of the Student Freedom Agreement higher education funding model and associated capital management strategies for SFI. Helped the SFI board identify the characteristics most important for the SFA and then worked with the legal team to write a plain language contract and clear disclosures. Developed a comparison calculator to help students and their trusted advisors evaluate the terms of the SFA. Leads the implementation and management of the origination and servicing platform to accept applications, disburse funds, and ensure every participant has an agreeable servicing experience. Responsible for building and maintaining models to forecast student outcomes to benchmark performance of SFI’s financing and other support programs.

Previously responsible for contract design, modeling, and organizational strategy as Chief Financial Officer of Better Future Forward, one of the first non-profit organizations to provide income contingent financing for higher education. Author of widely cited articles on household finance and economic growth. In a former life, helped small and medium companies realize millions of dollars of topline growth by unlocking insights from their own data. Graduate of University of Chicago (MBA) and Washington University in St. Louis (BA, Economics and Mathematics).