About IndieFi
Our Story
IndieFi was founded to support people everywhere in making smarter, more sustainable financial decisions and building the life they want. We saw how overwhelming personal finance can feel when the path is unclear, and how hard it is to stay consistent without a system that supports day-to-day execution. IndieFi was built to change that.
The platform blends education, action, and consistent execution. We provide structured guidance, planning tools, and automations that help people create a plan, execute it with confidence, and make adjustments as life evolves. Our goal is to help families build a sustainable financial future that lasts for generations.
Why We Built IndieFi
- Education First: We translate complex financial ideas into clear, practical guidance.
- Actionable Plans: We help you map goals into steps you can execute consistently.
- Tools + Automation: We provide tooling that supports repeatable actions and reduces friction.
What Drives Us
Financial independence should be attainable for anyone willing to commit to the journey. IndieFi delivers a structured process that builds insight and momentum at every step. You bring the discipline; we provide the framework, education, and tools to keep you moving forward.
Meet Our Founders
Erik Mekelburg, Ph.D.
Erik blends academic finance research with over two decades in enterprise software at SAP and Sibros. He has worked as a software engineer, consultant, and senior sales leader. Erik teaches Ph.D. level quantitative methods at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business, previously led analytics courses at Portland State University, and earned a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Denver, an MBA from the University of Warwick in England, and a BA from DHBW Ravensburg in Germany. He is passionate about using technology to streamline complex workflows and helping motivated people make smarter financial decisions. He remains actively involved in academic research, and the following are recent publications:
- Pooling and winsorizing machine learning forecasts to predict stock returns with high-dimensional data — Journal of Empirical Finance (Sep 2024)
- Unlocking the black box of sentiment and cryptocurrency: What, which, why, when and how? — Global Finance Journal (Feb 2024)
- BeFi meets DeFi: A behavioral finance approach to decentralized finance asset pricing — Research in International Business and Finance (Apr 2023)
Ceara Hintz, Ph.D.
Dr. Ceara Hintz is a multifaceted professional with a passion for academia, strategic management, and financial intelligence. She holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from the University of Denver, an MBA from Regis University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and International Business from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Dr. Hintz brings deep experience from Deloitte’s advisory practice and Accenture’s CFO practice, where she advises technology clients on Pre-IPO filing, company risk, and innovation strategies. She currently serves as an adjunct professor in the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, teaching financial and managerial accounting courses within the MBA program.
As a trained quantitative researcher, her work explores the intersection of accounting and strategic management, with a focus on leadership characteristics and accounting conservatism. Her research emphasizes transparency in financial reporting and its impact on business stakeholders. Outside of work, she enjoys running, swimming, cycling, and spending time with her three children. She lives in San Francisco and loves traveling and staying active through fitness classes.
Moving Forward Together
IndieFi continues to evolve alongside our community. As you strengthen your financial skills and confidence, we expand the platform to meet you where you are — from education and planning to execution systems and long-term resilience. Together, we can build a more secure financial future.