Louis Shansky – Tilt

Tilt, founded in 2016 as Empower Finance and based in San Francisco, is a financial technology company dedicated to expanding access to fair credit and enhancing financial security for its users. The company’s product suite has grown—both organically and through strategic acquisitions. Prompted by this growth, the company recently changed its name to “Tilt,” uniting the company’s expanded offerings under a single brand and nodding to the idea that financial services today are often not a level playing field for many consumers.

Louis Shansky | Tilt | General Counsel

The company’s mobile application offers features such as cash advances of up to $400 without interest, late fees, or credit checks, and a line of credit service called Thrive, starting at $200, aimed at helping users build good credit history. Additional tools include automated savings, personalized budgeting, and credit score monitoring, which are designed to improve financial outcomes seamlessly. Tilt is also working on integrating credit card products from Petal, which it acquired last year, into its mobile app. The company operates on a subscription model, charging an $8 monthly fee after a 14-day free trial.

Ranked as one of the fastest-growing private companies and recognized by Forbes as a future billion-dollar startup, Tilt’s success is not just due to its cutting-edge products but also the strategic support of its legal team.

General Counsel Louis Shansky is at the helm of that legal effort, whose lean yet dynamic team is crucial to driving growth through acquisitions and product innovations. Shansky’s leadership has been essential to integrating new companies and maintaining compliance while keeping up with the rapid pace of product development.

“Tilt was a busy place when I joined–operating at scale, with multiple financial products, in multiple geographies, and actively working on new products and strategic acquisitions,” Shansky says. “My goal was to not only understand the business but to cultivate a commensurate internal legal function while simultaneously facilitating the ‘next’ growth initiative.”

Navigating acquisitions

Tilt’s team, under Shansky’s leadership, has been pivotal in facilitating acquisitions such as Petal and Cashalo. Integrating these new companies into Tilt’s ecosystem while ensuring compliance has been no small feat.

“We are a small team, so we need to maximize our impact,” Shansky says. “That means being nimble and proactive—and ruthlessly prioritizing where you spend your time.”

Cashalo, a financial technology company based in the Philippines, was one of the most complex acquisitions. Shansky had to adapt to new legal landscapes while working with a lawyer stationed 12 time zones away.

“It’s about trusting the people you hire and empowering them to make judgment calls,” Shansky says. “I’m not a Philippines-qualified lawyer, so I must rely on her expertise and support her judgment. I ensure we evaluate risk similarly by exercising curiosity and asking probing questions. Gaining confidence in her ability to manage legal issues on the ground has been crucial.”

The Petal acquisition also posed challenges, particularly in harmonizing operations between the new entities and Tilt’s tech infrastructure. The legal team focused on understanding legal requirements and the underlying tech frameworks and support systems to make the transition seamless.

“The regulatory framework for credit cards is extremely complex, and any number of internal and external services are needed to bring those products to market,” Shansky explains. “For internal counsel, it’s not enough just to say what the law requires. To ensure the business is on solid footing, you need to do the work to understand the underlying technology and help the business understand whether it meets those requirements.”

Building legal strategies to sustain growth

Shansky’s philosophy revolves around building robust internal capabilities without overextending the budget.

“We try to balance internal expertise and judicious use of external counsel,” Shansky explains. “For issues core to the business and its products, I want my team to operate from first principles—read the law, read the regs and commentary, research how the market has interpreted those requirements and build that internal expertise. Outside counsel is invaluable for one-off issues or particular questions, but you become less efficient—both in time and money—when you rely on outside counsel for day-to-day needs.”

With Tilt’s growth trajectory, Shansky recently hired the company’s third U.S. lawyer to focus on corporate and financing work. As the legal department grows, Shansky has a deliberate approach to hiring.

“I’m not someone who aspires to manage a large team,” he says. “I believe in hiring as needed and focusing on people who can operate autonomously. I want to empower the people that work for me to be self-sufficient and take ownership of their roles.”

Tilt’s legal team also explores technology to enhance efficiency, particularly in handling routine legal tasks. Like many in-house attorneys, Shansky is considering how, if at all, to take advantage of AI technology.

“I see potential in leveraging AI for legal operations, especially in processing high-volume agreements like NDAs or employment contracts,” Shansky says. “There’s a human trust factor that, in my view, AI technology hasn’t fully addressed, but as a small legal team, we must stay open to ways to increase efficiency.”

For Shansky, technology should not replace critical thinking or judgment. Instead, it serves as a tool to streamline processes that can be standardized.

“I’m cautious about relying on AI for substantive legal analysis, but it can point me in the right direction when orienting myself with a new legal issue,” he explains. “The key is understanding where technology fits and where human expertise remains essential.”

A nonlinear path to legal mastery

Shansky’s journey to Tilt began with earning a psychology degree from Western Michigan University and a JD from DePaul University School of Law. He spent about a decade in private practice, ultimately becoming a partner at Mayer Brown, before pivoting to in-house roles where he could focus more on practical legal work rather than client management.

Before joining Tilt in 2024, Shansky served as general counsel for nearly three years at Upgrade, Inc., where he developed a passion for fintech. He then joined startup X1, helping to build and launch their X1 Card product, which Robinhood subsequently acquired.

“Going in-house was about finding the right balance of legal work and business involvement,” he says. “I’m naturally intellectually curious, which can be valuable in growing companies. Because I interact with virtually all parts of the business, I can be more than just a lawyer—I can be a dot connector.”

Known for his approachable and unpretentious demeanor, Shansky isn’t the stereotypical corporate lawyer. With tattoos, a love of punk rock and a dedication to playing guitar when time permits, he doesn’t fit the mold of a traditional legal executive. Still, his determination, curiosity, and hands-on approach have made him indispensable to Tilt’s strategic growth.

“I’m fortunate that I think the folks here at Tilt largely trust my judgment, which affords me a seat at the table for important decisions,” Shansky reflects. “What I value the most out of a role is the diversity and novelty of workload.  Tilt offers that in spades—every day presents new challenges and opportunities to grow.”

As Tilt continues to expand its product offerings and global presence, Shansky’s thoughtful, hands-on legal strategies will undoubtedly be instrumental in shaping the path forward.