About Us
Facts First is a small group of number crunchers. We think information is healthy and helpful. We have no political agenda, no political or corporate backers, and no one is talking us up on either Fox News or MSNBC.
Frankly, who we are is irrelevant. It’s what we offer that’s important. And all we offer is all the facts you need, in an easy-to-understand format, and in one location. Yes, this data exists in other formats and in other locations, but we built this site to make being informed, convenient and easy for all.
No Opinions. Just Facts.
Core Values
Our team shares a common set of core values that guide the vision for this website. These include:
- A belief in openness and transparency
- Making numbers simple and accessible for all
- A commitment to maximum accuracy and admitting/fixing mistakes when we make it
Working With Us
Interested in partnering with us? We welcome the opportunity for others to verify our data, share our content, and even contribute to the site. Please contact us here.
Working For Us
We are always looking for top talent to join our team. If you have a passion for data and share our core values, you can contact us here
The Team
AJ Ratani, Founder
AJ is a digital entrepreneur who is passionate about facts and information. AJ created Facts First because he was tired of seeing inaccurate data and misinformation everywhere especially in politics. AJ’s vision was to create a first of it’s kind non-opinion site where you know the data is accurate and can start from a common place prior to interpreting the data.
Brian Sachtjen, Co-Founder, Data
Brian is a data scientist that builds fraud models for a large financial institution. He is passionate about democratizing access to data, and delivering it with the appropriate context so that people can make the most informed decisions possible.
Ben Carter, Co-Founder, Technology
Is a technology expert, who loves the challenge of leveraging technology to create applications that change the status quo. Ben has technical prowess in many areas: programming, software architecture, product design, and managing teams of expert engineers. These valuable experiences allowed me to join Facts First and create an online experience that will combat misinformation and educate using visual data showing the cross-section of political change against financial change. He hopes to see more people engage on data and facts instead of charged rhetoric.
Kai Hecker, Co-Founder, Design
Kai is a user experience and interface designer with a background in photography and the arts. He has a passion for designing and visualizing data and data-heavy applications and making the mundane accessible.
