Chris Laia retired last year after nine years in the legal department of military financial services group USAA, but when he received a LinkedIn message from a former colleague about a new in-house role, he decided he would consider it.

After meeting the executive team of health care equity crowdfunding startup RedCrow in Mill Valley, California, he said “it was easy to get excited” about the job. Since January, he’s been general counsel and chief compliance officer for the company.