Upwork's Brian Levey Named an Inaugural Member of the SEC's Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee

Upwork UPWK, the largest freelancing website, today announced that Chief Business Affairs and Legal Officer, Brian Levey, has been named to the newly formed Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He is one of 15 appointed members to the Committee.

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Upwork's Chief Business Affairs and Legal Officer, Brian Levey, has been named to the newly formed Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). (Photo: Business Wire)

The Committee was established by the SEC Small Business Advocate Act, and is designed to provide a formal mechanism for the Commission to receive advice and recommendations on Commission rules, regulations and policy matters relating to small businesses, including smaller public companies.

Levey intends to leverage his 25+ years of business, regulatory and legal learnings from working with innovative public and private companies to effectively advise the Committee. From his work as a corporate attorney focused on IPOs and strategic financial transactions, to his extensive background guiding marketplace platforms that foster entrepreneurs such as eBay Inc. and now Upwork, Levey has spent much of his career helping companies scale their capital infrastructure efficiently and effectively.

"Serving on the Commission's Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee enables me to contribute to the same institution that provided me a real-life introduction to the financial markets years ago when I had a legal externship at the Commission during college," said Levey. "I believe this Committee can further efforts to enhance marketplace efficiencies, serve as a resource for growing businesses and unlock economic opportunities for entrepreneurs across all regions of the United States."

Levey joined Upwork as its only in-house attorney in 2013 when it was still a privately-held company. In October 2018, he helped navigate Upwork through its successful IPO process. The company is now the largest global freelancing marketplace, enabling more than $1.7 billion in gross services volume in 2018. The company enables businesses to find and work with highly-skilled freelancers. As the pace of change accelerates, businesses increasingly need access to specialized, knowledge-based talent to compete. In addition, knowledge workers are now seeking more flexible work options. Nearly three quarters (72 percent) of high growth businesses in the U.S. now embrace freelance talent.¹

Levey is based in Upwork's Mountain View headquarters. He will attend the Committee's first meeting to be held on May 6th in Washington, DC, coinciding with the kickoff of National Small Business Week.

About Upwork

Upwork UPWK is the largest freelancing website. It enables businesses to find and work with highly skilled freelancers. As an increasingly connected and independent workforce goes online, knowledge work -- like software, shopping and content before it -- is shifting online as well. This shift is making it easier for clients to connect and work with talent in near real-time and is freeing professionals everywhere from having to work at a set time and place. Our company's mission is to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. Upwork offers Upwork Plus, an offering tailored for small businesses to help them connect with top-tier freelance talent.

Upwork is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., with offices in San Francisco and Chicago. For more information, visit our website at www.upwork.com, join us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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¹Future Workforce Report, https://www.upwork.com/i/future-workforce/fw/2019/

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