_{At GFA Exchange, we focus on what every finance provider needs - diverse, financially healthy clients, with the strongest potential for growth.}

Fair. Inclusive. Authentic. These values define who we are and drive everything we do.

We empower financial institutions to manage risk and unlock growth by using inclusive, data-driven insights to identify and support high-growth, underserved businesses.

Who We Work With:
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SME Lenders - Lend smarter and expand responsibly with real-time risk insights.
‍Venture Capitalists - Discover high-growth, overlooked startups before your competitors do.
‍Private Equity Firms - Improve post-acquisition performance with deeper portfolio intelligence.

‍Our Core Services:
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AI-Powered Benchmarking & Monitoring Platforms - Custom-built for financial institutions to track SME performance, portfolio risks, and growth opportunities.
Portfolio-Benchmarking & Insights Reporting - One-off reports or subscription-based insights to optimise your decision-making.
‍Client Risk Management & Growth Strategy Consulting - Tailored advisory to help you identify, support, and scale high-growth businesses.

‍All services can be accessed individually or combined for a fully integrated solution.

Why Partner With Us?
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Precision Financial Intelligence - Get real-time, data-driven insights to make confident financial decisions.
‍Market-Driven Growth Insights - Spot untapped opportunities and emerging market trends.
‍Next-Gen Performance Benchmarking - Track business performance against real-time market intelligence.
‍Smarter Returns - Optimise capital deployment with AI-powered analytics that unlock new revenue streams.

‍Our Vision & Commitment:

‍With over 40 years of experience in finance, technology, and inclusion, our leadership team is at the forefront of financial impact and positive change.

‍For us, inclusivity isn’t a trend—it’s a strategic advantage. It’s not a buzzword for PR or brand positioning.

It’s the foundation of who we are and what we do.

Contact us today to learn more about how our services can support your organisation.

Our team

With over 40 years of core experience across Finance, Business Growth Support and Global Technology and Software Design, our award-winning team understand the practical and real-life business growth challenges.

Joel Blake OBE

founder & Ceo

Joel has over 20 years' experience of inclusive business growth support. From providing consul to No.10 Downing Street advisers, to public speaking on international stages, Joel is passionate about inclusive finance and SME growth.

Previously, he co-founded a financial lending firm, is the former President of the Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce, and was awarded an OBE in 2016 for Services to Business Support and Enterprise.

Milan Miskov

PRODUCT LEAD

With 20+ years of technology and product experience in Belgrade, US and the UK, Milan has a proven track record of managing complex projects, utilising the latest tools and advanced technologies to help drive SME growth.

He has previously worked with Google, Visa-Mastercard, Coca-Cola, and Virgin Media among many others, helping to drive innovation to support the
growth of businesses.

John Macpherson

STRATEGY ADVISOR

John is a business leader with over 20+ years of extensive B2B commercial experience in FinTech, financial services and data management with global firms, across global markets and geographies.

Having previously worked for JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, CitiGroup and Nomura, John also supports the wealth and asset management market as Chair of the Investment Association (Engine).

Theodora Hadjmichael

INDUSTRY SUPPORTER

Theodora is Chief Executive of Responsible Finance, the UK's leading body for the development and support of the responsible finance industry.

Theodora spent 6 years building the robust evidence base of data on member performance and industry trends. She previously worked in economic development consulting and community finance in the US.

Mark Body

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

Mark is the former Global CFO for HSBC ServCo, a £18 billion business unit with the global HBSC Group. He has also held several executive and finance positions within Standard Chartered, Aviva and KPMG.

Mark is a Fellow of the CMI and the Association of Taxation Technicians, alongside advisory board member of Norwich Business School the Metropolitan University in Hong Kong.

Marcus Scott

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

Marcus is the former COO of The CityUK, the UK’s leading lobby group for the financial services sector. He was instrumental in the work of the ReCapitalisation Group recommendations to UK government on the £100bn COVID finance debt.
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Prior to The CityUK, Marcus built up over 10 years' experience as a CFO for a number of technology companies, developing start-ups and high growth businesses.

Sam Roberts

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

Sam is a Demand Generation expert who helps B2B SaaS companies increase qualified revenue through marketing.

Sam has over 8 years of experience working across early to mid-stage B2B tech companies (from securing series A investment through to supporting the £65 million acquisition of a global CX vendor).