Originator and sponsor with nothing to hide (7)
I believe the answer is:
founder
'originator' is the definition.
(I know that founder is a type of originator)
'sponsor with nothing to hide' is the wordplay.
'sponsor' becomes 'fund' (I've seen this before).
'with' indicates putting letters inside.
'nothing' becomes 'O' (looks like zero - 0).
'to hide' becomes 'er' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'fund' going around 'o' is 'found'.
'found'+'er'='FOUNDER'
'and' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for founder that I've seen before include "collapse" , "Sink, come to grief" , "Sink like originator?" , "Beginner" , "Creator" .)