Jonathan McAlister was born in Denver, Colorado in 1981. His interest in business journalism began early, sparked by watching his father—an accountant—review financial newspapers at breakfast. Jonathan pursued this interest academically, ultimately enrolling at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a focus on Markets and Consumer Analytics.

After graduating in 2003, he began his career as a junior reporter at a regional business publication in Colorado. Over the next decade, Jonathan became a recognized voice covering small business development, capital markets, and emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems. By 2015, he was serving as Senior Business Editor for a major online magazine.

However, Jonathan increasingly felt that mainstream business media lacked accessible, high-quality reporting for small and mid-market entrepreneurs. He saw a gap between corporate-level financial journalism and the everyday business owner trying to understand growth strategies, operational models, and market transitions.

In 2018, Jonathan decided to create United Business Mag, an independent digital publication dedicated to providing actionable business intelligence for startups, SMBs, local businesses, and solo entrepreneurs across the United States. He self-funded the initial development, hired a small remote editorial team, and launched the website in early 2019.