After working in the payroll industry for most of his career, Craig Lewis felt it was time to explore how technology could transform the industry and deliver greater financial freedom.

Lewis is the founder and CEO of Gig Wage, curating an online platform designed to help businesses track and pay 1099 workers. Lewis has long worked in the payroll technology industry, helping business owners build financial infrastructure. That’s why he started his own company to do that and more.

“Our goal is economic empowerment, and that really applies to everyone, including gig workers, the companies that pay them, my staff, my investors and shareholders,” Lewis told Lifewire in a phone interview.

“After years of selling payroll technology, I thought, maybe I should learn how to build it and gain some insight into this aspect of building a business.”