Tilman is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Flourish Ventures, an early-stage investment firm backing mission-driven entrepreneurs and industry influencers working toward a fair financial system. He serves on the board of a number of portfolio organizations and as chair of the Advisory Council to the U.N. Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance. Tilman started his professional journey as a journalist in Germany before earning a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from the EU-affiliated European University Institute in Italy and joining the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C.