Fintech Coffee Break

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host, Isabelle Castro. This week I shared my coffee break with Don Muir, CEO and founder of Arc. This episode was a special one. It was the last one of a very busy year and I wanted to kind of take stock of what had happened and how it had affected the fintech ecosystem.Arc works closely with startups and fintechs and has had a great insight into what's going on in the landscape. Since the March banking crisis, the company has been growing at breakneck speed, rolling out products in response to the evolving conditions. We spoke about the last year what it has meant for fintech, and Don's outlook for the year ahead.

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host, Isabelle Castro. This week, I joined Dani Fava, Group President of Product Innovation at Envestnet, for my coffee break to talk about the promise of generative AI for financial advisory.With AI being one of the topics of the year for finance, I wanted to ask her how she sees the technology impacting financial advisors and the customers they serve. Particularly, I wanted to get her thoughts on the mistakes and hallucinations Gen AI users come up against and how the space will develop while facing potential regulatory shifts.

Hi Guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break, I'm your host, Isabelle Castro. This week, I shared my coffee break with Nico Simko, CEO and founder of Clair, an earned wage access and banking app. Now, I've covered earned wage access before, but Clair is a different player within the space. The company approaches earned wage access like a loan, also offering employees other banking services. I asked him about this approach and why he went through the long, arduous process to be able to do this. I also asked him his opinion on regulations rolling out in the space and where he expects it to develop going forward. 

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host, Isabelle Castro. This week I shared my coffee break with Alana Levine and Nikki Senyard from Fintel Connect to talk about affiliate marketing and the role of the influencer in building big name financial brands. We spoke about what it takes to scale customer acquisition and how technology feeds into the process as more consumers turn to social media to support their service choices and engagement and financial products.

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host, Isabelle Castro. This week, I shared my coffee break with Ed Mallon, Chief Investment Officer at Pagaya.This year has been difficult for lenders and the consumers they serve. Rates are at record highs, and ratings agencies are applying added pressure. Meanwhile, the heightened cost of living has increased the need for consumer credit, particularly among the financially fragile, who are the first to be disregarded by lenders as they tighten their approval rates. Pagaya has positioned itself to work within this environment, providing banks with an ability to accept more loan applications using alternative data. I spoke to Ed about our approach and possible strategies for lenders during this difficult time. 

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host Isabelle Castro. This week I shared my coffee break with Andrew Jamison, co-founder and CEO of Extend. SMBs have continued to be underserved by the banking ecosystem, and have been hit with even more challenges as the year has rolled out. I spoke to Andrew about why the sector is still an area ripe with opportunity and how partnering with banks rather than competing with them has allowed Extend to maximise that impact. He also had some really insightful ideas about where the space is headed in the future, and shared his plans of where extend will be growing next in their quest to solve problems for SMBs. 

This year DeFi seems to be going through a bit of a dip. Amid regulatory concerns of the crypto industry and the broken trust following the failure of large Cefi players last year, it looks like development has slowed. However, large financial institutions and fintechs are still engaging in the blockchain space, which had me wondering what is going on with crypto and DeFi? Is it over, or just begun? I brought Matt Homer of the Department of XYZ back on the show to talk about it. Matt has traveled a lot this year to different conferences around the world, engaging in the global sentiment. We discussed the shift within crypto adoption and the position of “decentralized” networks.

This week, I sat down with Andrew Davies, global head of regulatory affairs at ComplyAdvantage. Fraud levels continue to affect the financial industry with statistics showing the estimated money laundering as a percentage of global GDP remaining the same for years. However, Andrew said now is a better time than any for that to changeComply advantage recently released a new tool tackling KYB, which could make a huge difference in how businesses handle risk of fraud. Andrew told me about the solution, and the impact it can make on the wider economy. 

This week I spoke to Chirag Shah, CEO and founder of Nucleus Commercial Finance. Nucleus has been in the fintech space for some time, providing financing solutions for Small and medium businesses with a tech-focused vision. I caught up with him to get his views on the prospect of a super app for SMBs and how embedded finance, and particularly innovation in embedded finance, will make the super app dream just that bit closer to reality. 

This week, I spoke to Laura Merling, Chief transformation and operations officer at Arvest Bank. Community banks have faced a difficult environment, and there have been concerns in the media about whether there still is a place for them in the banking ecosystem. We spoke about the idea of the community bank and how they can approach the digital age, still keeping their engagement with the communities they 

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host Isabelle Castro. This week I sat down with Josip Rupena, CEO and founder of Milo, to talk primarily about providing mortgages and other financing for foreign nationals. Foreign nationals looking to invest in US properties often met with roadblocks to get approved. US banks are often difficult to work with from a foreign country, and international clients can face fluctuations in whether they will be served.Josip saw the issue mirrored in applicants with crypto while bringing him to launch a crypto-backed mortgage last year. However, with continuing challenges in the lending sector, Milo has since been brought back to focus on their original target, foreign nationals. I spoke to Josip about Milo's approach and where the company was going next to serve them.

Hi Guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host, Isabelle Castro. This week, I sat down with Daniel Ballen, Co-Head and Partner at Portage Capital Solutions, to talk about the startup funding environment.Startups have been facing a frigid climate for funding, exacerbated by March's banking crisis and ongoing rate hikes. Demand is high, but supply is low, and VCs have had to adjust their strategies. I spoke to Daniel about his outlook for fintech funding and how Portage has adapted its approach. 

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host, Isabelle Castro. This week, I sat down with Yaacov Martin, CEO and co-founder of Jifiti, an embedded lending platform offering embedded BNPL.Conditions for lending have become increasingly challenging as 2023 has rolled out. An uncertain economy and rate hikes have made lenders uneasy. BNPL, a sector facing increased scrutiny and regulation, has been caught in the middle. I spoke to Yaacov about the macroeconomic effect on lending and how Jifiti's partnerships with banks have affected its impact on the company and the customers they serve.

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host, Isabelle Castro. This week, I sat down with Tim Astanov, SVP of product commercialization and partnerships at Tabapay to talk about the company's support of digital tipping platforms. This was a relatively new area for me. So, we delved into the importance tipping has on the economy, looking at how tipping platforms can change the lives of millions of employees. We also spoke about how Tabapay's solution can support these platforms, navigating the difficult regulatory implications and bringing transparency to the system.

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host Isabelle Castro. This week I sat down with Joe Robinson, co-founder and CEO of Hummingbird, to talk about generative AI and chat GPT and fighting financial crime. Hummingbird is on a mission to fight financial crime using better communications and technology. AI is a huge component. We spoke about how the advancements in AI were shaping the way companies can detect fraud, but also how the technology was being used by the criminals themselves requiring out-of-the-box thinking to stop their attempts. 

This week I sat down with Jonas Gross, Chairman of the Digital Euro Association.CBDCs are a touchy subject, sparking many opinions and concerns. The European commision is making significant headway with the exploration of a digital euro, recently publishing a proposal for regulation. The big descision on whether they will take investigation further will be decided in OctoberI spoke to Jonas about the recent developments, what he thought of them and some of the ongoing concerns around CBDCs

This week I sat down with Ralf Kubli from the Caspar association to talk about real world asset tokenisation. Real world asset tokenisation, Seen as a tool to improve efficiency and accessibility to financial instruments, is set to be a trillion dollar market. Despite the ‘crypto winter', multiple instances of alleged fraud, and the US' regulatory stonewalling of crypto companies, businesses continue to invest in the infrastructure. But Ralf feels we could be headed for disaster due to the way assets are tokenised. for him, “The real prize is in the tokenization of financial obligations of cash flows over time. Confused?  I know I was, which i why I had to get him on the show. 

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break, I'm your host Isabelle Castro. This week I shared my coffee break with Stacy Greiner, Director of Product Management at DailyPay.DailyPay is a forerunner in the US and wage access space. Working with employers all over the country, they empower them to offer their employees access to wages they have already earned on demand, moving away from the traditional first and 15th-of-the-month salary. While DailyPay is transparent and offers employees different options for access, some of which are free. That is not the case across the industry. The fairly nascent space has been the subject of criticism about dubious fee structures, at times offering little benefit over expensive loan options. Regulators have only just started tackling the space, with vulnerable employees at times being caught in the crossfire. I spoke to Stacy about DailyPay's approach and the potential of earned wage access should predatory actors be eradicated. 

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break, I'm your host Isabelle Castro. This week I shared my coffee break with Eric Satz, CEO and founder of Alto. Alto is an investment FinTech focused primarily on individual retirement accounts, so IRAs. The platform offers investors the opportunity to invest retirement money in alternative assets, moving away from traditional strategies. Eric and I spoke about why the traditional 60:40 approach is no longer the best way, what alternative assets bring to the mix, and why crypto, despite being volatile, is a suitable asset to add to an IRA portfolio.

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break, I'm your host Isabelle Castro. This week I shared my coffee break with Jonathan Dixon, Director of Regulatory Affairs at Eventus. This year, it has been difficult to ignore the mounting pressure on regulators regarding crypto. Whether it's been stonewalled or embraced the sector has been crying out for clear guidelines. Earlier this year, Europe made history by passing the MICA law, one of the first comprehensive regulatory frameworks addressing digital assets. While it's only a first step, it's a major step for the industry. Eventus focuses on trade surveillance on a global scale, an important part of regulatory compliance. So I sat down with Jonathan to talk about the implications MICA might have. We spoke about the European rules, the effect on businesses in Europe and how businesses can remain. 

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host, Isabelle Castro. So not that long ago I caught up with Novicap's founder and executive chairman Federico Travella in Paris. In a beautiful studio overlooking Montmarte, we sat down to discuss the topic of Supply Chain Finance. Now, while Novicap is focused on financing for the full supply chain. What I was really interested in for this conversation was deep to financing further explained that this area that is approached by few has huge potential for global development and economic stability. We spoke about this opportunity, the challenges involved and why now is a critical time for attention. 

Hi guys welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break I'm your host Isabelle CastroThis week I shared my coffee break with Craig Ramsey, Global Head of Real-Time Payments and Banking at ACI Worldwide.With the FedNow Network launching this month, real-time payments are front of mind. ACI Worldwide is a real-time payment solutions provider for businesses and was part of the FedNow Pilot program that was launched in early 2021. I spoke to Craig about their experience, what he expects the impact of FedNow in the US to be, and where it will fit into the global ecosystem of real-time payments. 

Hey guys welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break I'm your host, Isabelle Castro.Back in May, I sat down and shared my coffee with Ben Borodach, co-founder and CEO of April.April focuses of the challenging task that faces all US adults every year- tax returns. Turning away from previous approaches that only digitise tax forms, April looks to make taxes a part of everyday life. Incorporating regular advice and tips, users of April's app can keep track of their taxes and make informed decisions about their finances.I spoke to Ben about this approach, why it hasn't been done before and what the knock on effects of this tool could be.

Hi Guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break, I'm your host Isabelle Castro.This week we have a recording from my trip to New York in May, where I sat down with Kevin Greene from Tassat. Tassat provides financial institutions with private permissioned blockchains, to facilitate transactions at any time of day, all through the year.  Leveraging blockchain technology the company believes this approach can improve extensively on the efficiency and security of legacy rails.  In light of FedNow's imminent launch, I sat down with Kevin to see how Tassat viewed the introduction of a new real-time payment system, and how it will affect their business.  

This week I turned my attention to Donor Advised funds (or DAFs) and shared my coffee break with Adam Nash of DaffyDaffy is a platform facilitating charitable giving by integrating it into consumers' regular budgets. Users set a yearly target and choose the regularity of the payments into a fund -  putting their charitable donations to work and unlocking tax-deductible benefits. One-off payments can also be made, opening out the function flexibly. This approach has allowed their users to save an estimated $2 million on taxes last year, as well as increasing charitable donations to US causes. 

Hi Guys welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break, I'm your host, Isabelle Castro. This week I shared my coffee break with Len Covello, CTO of Engage People. Customer Loyalty programs are an area that has become increasingly important to brands, in the US, an Accenture report found that there are 3.3 billion loyalty memberships and customers interact with an average of more than six on a regular basis. Studies have found that loyalty programs can boost customer engagement and business revenue, providing a platform for businesses to reward and encourage ongoing relationships with their customers.  Engage People focuses on creating impactful loyalty programs. Spanning different verticals from financial institutions to hospitality, they work to create connections between customers and their clients, lowering costs of redemption and enhancing data management. I spoke to Len about how they were doing that, and what he sees for the future of the booming sector. 

Hi Guys, Welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break, I'm your host, Isabelle Castro.A couple of weeks ago, I shared my coffee break with Simon Grunfeld, Head of Web3 at Cogni. Cogni is a digital bank that has, in the past year, made its way into the Web3 space. First releasing a non-custodial wallet last month, they launched a KYC protocol for crypto companies to maintain compliance. I spoke to Simon about the importance of self-custody and how it's critical to the crypto space's ability to move on from the CeFi collapses of last year. 

Hi Guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break, I'm your host Isabelle Castro.While at Fintech Nexus' USA conference, I sat down with Lauren Crossett, CRO of Pinwheel, before Day One to talk about alternative data and how it can impact people's access to credit. Pinwheel focuses on providing access to income and payroll data, allowing financial institutions to use a broader view of a client when making decisions on credit. This can help consumers usually excluded from the credit system, to access loans, credit cards, and other products. 

Hi guys, welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break, I'm your host, Isabelle Castro, and today I shared my coffee break with Matthew Homer, managing member of The Department of XYZ fund. Matt's career has wound through the fintech and regulatory sectors, and his work at XYZ brings those two areas together in the field of VC. Paying particular focus to blockchain-based companies, they aim to be the “regulator in on the cap table,” providing insight to navigate the challenging environment. On the back of Consensus 2023, I caught up with him at Fintech Nexus' New York office to discuss the turbulent regulatory landscape of US crypto. 

Hi guys. Welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host, Isabelle Castro, and today I shared my coffee break with Alex de Vries, founder of Digiconomist.The Digiconomist is laser focused on tracking the ecological impact of DeFi's largest blockchains. Paying particular attention to bitcoin, Alex has conducted a number of studies into digital currencies and how their increased adoption is compounding issues of emissions and waste without being properly addressed. I spoke to Alex about his environmental outlook on blockchains, particularly bitcoin, and what can be done to solve the problem.  

Hi guys. Welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host, Isabelle Castro, and today I shared my coffee break with Benjamin Gabay, Co-Founder of CrunchDAO.CrunchDAO brings together thousands of data scientists and PhDs, pooling their collective ideas and strategies through gamification to create predictive financial insights. Now collaborating with financial institutions, they leverage the decentralized nature of the DAO to build more accurate machine-learning models that can power the institutions' growth.Heavily involved in improving understanding of DeFi in the wider community of France, they have also been involved in building the country's first DeFi certification.I spoke to Benjamin about why they chose the DAO structure and gamification to approach financial machine learning and predictive insights. 

Hi guys. Welcome to the Fintech Coffee Break. I'm your host, Isabelle Castro, and today I shared my coffee break with Robert Mann, Co-Founder and CEO of Standard C.Standard C is a compliance and risk management software and advisory service for small businesses and community banks. Focused primarily on high-risk and complex businesses, Standard C establishes digital identity credentials, enabling the companies' streamlined access to financial services.  I spoke to Robert about the issue of small business access to finance and why the digital identities are so powerful. 

Today i shared my coffee break with Dean Tribble, CEO of AgoricAgoric has been working to develop a hardened Javascript coding language for blockchain. By applying one of the most used coding languages worldwide, they hope to maximize the decentralized potential of Web3 technology. I spoke to him about what the could mean for fintech and the adoption of blockchain. 

Today I shared my coffee break with Manning Field, CEO of Follow. Follow is an invesment platform that connects the movements of finance-focused influencers with individual investors. Users can subscribe to creators' financial feed, setting up portfolios that automatically mimic their movements.We spoke about their approach and the effect social media has had on investing. 

A few weeks ago, I sat down in London with Matt Bullivant, OakNorth's Director of ESG Strategy. Greenwashing has been cited as the ultimate enemy in the race to meet net zero targets, and a lack of transparency in ESGs has been fuelling the flames of skepticism. For fintech, scope three carbon emissions are an area where companies can significantly impact reaching sustainable goals.OakNorth has been particularly focused on supporting sustainable growth within their own company as well as providing tools to shed a light on others impact on the environment. They form a part of many international consortiums campaigning to do the same. I spoke to Matt about the issues with ESGs, the power of scope three emissions, and why fintech could be integral to meeting net zero goals. 

This week, I shared my coffee break was Steve Smith COO at Esker. Esker is a global cloud platform and automation solutions company driven by AI. We spoke about the explosion of invoice to cash, and how automation of the procure-to-pay cycle using AI is essential in improving productivity and sustainability of businesses.

Today I shared my coffee break with Michelle Alt, Partner and co-founder of Klaros. We sat down to talk about the recent Silicon Valley Bank crisis, and what her view is for possible regulation and innovation and its wake.Klaros is an advisory and investment firm focused on innovation in Financial Services, helping clients navigate the difficult regulatory landscape facing financial institutions as they develop for the future.