If you’re a member of Spark Plaza, you know that the first Friday of every month is reserved for one of our favorite traditions: Members-only Lunch. The workspace generously caters a delicious meal for everyone to help foster community, connection, and collaboration among members.

It was at one of these Friday lunches that we at FoundersForge had the chance to meet Alaina Bradley, a trailblazing woman founder in the investing space.

Day trading often carries the stereotype of the “typical finance bro” — aggressive, intimidating, and male-dominated. Alaina flipped that narrative. From the very beginning, she approached investing with transparency, patience, and a focus on community, showing that women could not only participate in trading but lead and reshape the conversation entirely.

She is the founder of what was formerly known as OptionsBae, now called InvestingBae. Her story is the kind of entrepreneurial journey that inspires everyone who hears it.

In 2020, like many Americans, Alaina received a stimulus check. But instead of spending it right away, she made a decision: she used it to start investing. Her very first trade? A call option on AMC stock. She made $200 on that trade, and just like that, she was hooked.

At the time, she was working in collections and auctioning, not exactly a job that brought joy to people’s lives. As she put it bluntly, “It sucked.” But after that first trade, she began documenting her experience in a trading journal. As she learned, she started sharing her journey. Friends and strangers alike began asking her for advice, and she gladly shared what she knew.

Knee-deep in the pandemic, the social audio app Clubhouse became a hotspot for conversations around niche interests, and investing was one of them. Alaina began hosting and participating in investment discussions, and people followed her from room to room to hear her insights. 

Her following exploded in 2021, and soon she was hosting a weekly session called Market Prep, which at its peak drew 8,000 participants. The attention was so significant that Bloomberg and The Verge took notice.

Her approach was refreshingly simple: she wanted her community to feel calm and pressure-free, a self-care experience for people navigating the often stressful world of investing. By prioritizing education, self-care, and accessibility, Alaina not only taught investing but reshaped the culture, showing that trading isn’t just for your typical finance bro — it’s for anyone, especially women ready to take control of their financial futures.

In August 2021, Alaina took the leap: she quit her job and went full-time into building her brand and business. She began charging for her services that same year. A key moment in her journey was finding a mentor, Jay Fleming, who helped her put processes in place and build a solid business foundation.

“Having a mentor is crucial,I didn’t go to business school, so having someone to guide me was a game-changer.” says Alaina.

Today, her community feels like family. With over 7,000 members on Slack and more than 54,000 followers on Instagram, she continues to empower thousands, especially women, to explore trading and investing with confidence.

And to think, it all started with a stimulus check, a bit of courage, and a willingness to share what she was learning.

It’s remarkable that someone just a few doors down from us here in Johnson City has built such a thriving global community. But innovation like this isn’t scarce in our city — women founders like Alaina, and teams behind startups such as Personality Pool, and Green Llama along with small businesses like The Generalist are making waves every day, proving that Johnson City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is vibrant, diverse, and increasingly led by women. These women are challenging old narratives and inspiring a new generation to step confidently into spaces traditionally dominated by men.

Read her new book, Trade Brain, and see how women like Alaina are reshaping investing and entrepreneurship here.