John Waldmann

Identity and role

John Waldmann co-founded Homebase in 2014 and is its CEO. He signed the March 24, 2020 letter to Congress as a Homebase representative. Homebase makes scheduling, time-tracking, and team-management software for small businesses that employ hourly workers. The letter quotes Homebase directly: "Hourly workers worked 59% fewer hours last Saturday" (archived letter text).

Biography

Waldmann's pre-Homebase career and education are cited to his LinkedIn profile (self-reported). He co-founded Homebase (company releases, the 2014 founding year is company self-description); by 2024 Homebase reported serving more than 100,000 small businesses.

The March 24, 2020 letter and pandemic relief

Waldmann signed the coalition letter, which asked Treasury to direct "upwards of $500 billion" to small businesses through non-bank lenders and stated, "We seek no gain from this crisis." Homebase originated no loans. It made its real-time hours-and-employment data public. Because Homebase clocks in millions of hourly shifts, its 2020 data tracker became a high-frequency read on the small-business economy as the shutdowns hit. The St. Louis Fed used Homebase data in a real-time labor-market read , and Kurmann, Lalé and Ta estimated small-business employment and hours from Homebase records (paper page).

Where they are now (2025–2026)

Waldmann remains CEO. In April 2024 Homebase raised a $60 million Series D led by L Catterton . A 2025 founder interview gave later footprint figures and described an AI-focused rebuild.

Sources held in this archive

Original source documents and archived captures

• Rushi Patel of Homebase Houston Innovators Podcast / InnovationMap, May 2024
• The real-time impact COVID-19 is having on small businesses Homebase blog, 2020
• Kurmann, Lalé & Ta, real-time small-business employment with Homebase data Drexel
• OnDeck letter to Congress Mar 24, 2020 (archived text)
• Homebase leadership expansion release Rushi Patel CRO; 100,000+ businesses; 2.5M workers
• Homebase raises $60M Series D PR Newswire, Apr 3, 2024
• Reading the Labor Market in Real Time St. Louis Fed On the Economy, June 9, 2020

Sources

• Homebase raises $60M Series D (PR Newswire, Apr 3, 2024): Homebase raises $60M Series D PR Newswire, Apr 3, 2024 (original: prnewswire.com · stored capture)
• Homebase leadership expansion release (Rushi Patel CRO; 100,000+ businesses; 2.5M workers): Homebase Continues Leadership Expansion Appointing Philip Moon As Chie 3aa12c9164a2111d (original: prnewswire.com · stored capture)
• Beyond the Prompt transcript, "Rebuilding from Inside: How John Waldmann Led an AI Shift Without Breaking His Team": Beyond the Prompt transcript, "Rebuilding from Inside: How John Waldmann Led an AI Shift Without Breaking His Team" (original: podcast.beyondtheprompt.ai · stored capture)
• Reading the Labor Market in Real Time (St. Louis Fed On the Economy, June 9, 2020): Reading the Labor Market in Real Time St. Louis Fed On the Economy, June 9, 2020 (original: stlouisfed.org · stored capture)
• Kurmann, Lalé & Ta, real-time small-business employment with Homebase data (Drexel): Kurmann, Lalé & Ta, real-time small-business employment with Homebase data Drexel (original: lebow.drexel.edu · stored capture)
• The real-time impact COVID-19 is having on small businesses (Homebase blog, 2020): The real-time impact COVID-19 is having on small businesses Homebase blog, 2020 (original: joinhomebase.com · stored capture)
• Rushi Patel of Homebase (Houston Innovators Podcast / InnovationMap, May 2024): Rushi Patel of Homebase Houston Innovators Podcast / InnovationMap, May 2024 (original: houston.innovationmap.com · stored capture)
• OnDeck letter to Congress (Mar 24, 2020): OnDeck letter to Congress Mar. 24, 2020 (original: ondeck.com) our copy of the letter
• LinkedIn, John Waldmann profile (self-reported): LinkedIn, John Waldmann profile (self-reported) (original: linkedin.com · stored capture)