Wharton FinTech Podcast

In this episode of the Wharton Fintech Podcast, host Sabrina Fathi speaks with Catherine Porter, Chief Business Officer at Prove, a leading platform in digital identity verification and authentication. Catherine shares her journey from Silicon Valley to spearheading innovation in identity security. They explore how AI is reshaping fraud prevention, the future of portable identity, and how Prove is helping companies build trust in an increasingly digital world.

In today's episode, Jackson Ellis hosts Melissa Wasser, the Partner and Head of the Fintech Capital Network at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a leading venture capital firm backing bold entrepreneurs building the future through technology. Tune in to hear about: - Melissa's career journey from Goldman Sachs to FT Partners to leading fintech support at a16z - How the Fintech Capital Network helps founders navigate fundraising, M&A, and strategic partnerships - The tradeoffs between equity and debt financing, and how fintech founders can structure smarter capital strategies

In today's episode, Zoey Tang speaks with Marc Andrusko, Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), where he focuses on fintech and B2B software investments. Marc's current investment interests span capital markets, AI applications, payments infrastructure, and companies operating at the intersection of fintech and other sectors. Marc shares how his journey—from working in interest rate sales and trading at Goldman Sachs to leading personal financial management at Plaid—influenced his perspective on fintech and broader B2B applications. In addition to his work at a16z, Marc is known for hosting what some may call "the Met Ball of finance"—a gathering that bridges executives and startups within New York City's vibrant financial services ecosystem. Tune in to hear about: -Marc's path from Goldman Sachs to Plaid and eventually a16z -Opportunities in Capital Markets -AI and Finance -AI x Accounting (read more about Marc's latest perspectives here: https://a16z.com/generative-ai-in-accounting/) For more FinTech insights, follow us on: Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech

In today's episode, Wesley Aster speaks with Ezra Kebrab, Founder and CEO of Caliza, a cross-border payments platform leveraging stablecoins to eliminate geographic barriers by allowing companies around the world to open digital dollar accounts for their users to save and transact. Ezra shares how is personal journey - from his childhood to his experience at Visa and Intuit - inspired him to build infrastructure for the next generation of global payments. Tune in to hear about: - Ezra's path from Intuit and Visa to launching Caliza - The problems Caliza solves for businesses in Brazil and the company's recent expansion to Mexico and Asia - The advantages of using stablecoins over traditional cross-border systems like SWIFT - Caliza's 2024 raise with Initialized, Quona, Abstract Ventures, Digital Currency Group, and others For more FinTech insights, follow us on: - Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech - Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech - Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech

In this episode of the Wharton Fintech Podcast, Sabrina Fathi sits down with Tom DeBow, CTO of Schonfeld Strategic Advisors, to explore how AI and advanced technology are reshaping modern hedge funds. Tom shares insights from his journey through top-tier firms like SAC Capital and Alphadyne, and dives into Schonfeld's pragmatic yet forward-thinking approach to AI adoption. From developing the firm's in-house AI tool to enhancing talent workflows and unifying data systems, Tom discusses how AI is driving smarter, faster decision-making across the organization without replacing the human edge.

In today's episode, Kimberly Zhang sits down with David Fortunato, CEO of Wealthfront, for an in-depth conversation on how technology is transforming wealth management, and what it takes to build a truly digital-first financial advisor. David shares his journey from early software engineer to CEO, reflecting on how an engineering mindset helped shape Wealthfront's product-led culture and commitment to automation. Tune in to hear about: • How Wealthfront is navigating the shifting landscape of wealth management • The company's approach to making institutional-grade financial strategies accessible through innovative products • David's thoughts on the future of WealthTech and leading a company that's reshaping how a generation grows their money

In this episode of the Wharton Fintech Podcast, host Sabrina Fathi sits down with Marshall Hayner, Co-Founder and CEO of Metallicus. A true pioneer in the blockchain space, Marshall shares his journey from the early days of Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Stellar to building a compliance-first digital asset infrastructure that bridges blockchain and traditional finance. Marshall reflects on how his background in cryptography, early product innovation, and respect for the banking system led him to reimagine how blockchain can serve as secure, regulated infrastructure. He also unpacks why compliance isn't a roadblock to innovation — but rather the unlock that will shape the future of digital finance.

In today's episode, Kimberly Zhang sits down with David Blumberg, Founder and Managing Partner of Blumberg Capital. David shares his journey from his early days in venture capital to building a leading early-stage investment firm, with a deep dive into his rules of thumb in identifying and supporting groundbreaking technologies from inception through exit. Tune in to hear about: - The impacts of technological evolution on early-stage venture investing - The expectations for funds to provide value beyond capital and to foster strong ecosystems to drive success - David's long-term vision for Blumberg Capital and how to stay ahead of the curve in identifying and nurturing the next wave of innovation

In today's episode, Ben Newman sits down with Sam Gaynor, managing director at Altamont Capital Partners, for an insightful conversation on investing across the insurance landscape. Sam shares his path to private equity, how Altamont navigates the complexity of investing in insurance businesses, and his perspective on when it makes sense to build vs. buy a company. Tune in to hear about: - Why private equity has traditionally shied away from insurance—and why Altamont is leaning in - Altamont's investment in Accelerant, a risk exchange transforming the specialty insurance value chain through advanced data ingestion, transparency, and analytics - Altamont's approach to de novo financial services investments

In today's episode, Kimberly Zhang sits down with Kevin McColly, CEO of Coinstar, for a conversation on the evolving role of cash in a digital world. Kevin shares his journey at Coinstar from financial analyst to CEO and how the well-known coin giant is making moves into financial innovations by bridging the gap between physical and digital finance. Tune in to hear about: • How Coinstar is expanding into cryptocurrency and digital wallets • The role of cash in an increasingly digital economy and what that means for financial accessibility • Kevin's perspective on the future of fintech, innovation, and adapting to changing consumer behaviors

In today's episode, Djavaneh Bierwirth and Kimberly Zhang welcome Stephany Kirkpatrick, the Founder and CEO of Orum, for an exciting discussion about the future of payments, entrepreneurship, and the role of technology in financial infrastructure. Stephany shares her journey as a non-technical founder, her mission to transform how money moves, and her perspective on the evolving U.S. payments landscape. Tune in to hear about: • The $80 trillion opportunity to make money move by modernizing payments infrastructure • How Orum is simplifying and accelerating payments with unified API-based solutions • The challenges and advantages of being a solo, non-technical founder in the fintech space • Stephany's vision for the future of payment orchestration and how faster payments will redefine business operations

In today's episode, Jackson Ellis hosts Rex Salisbury, a solo General Partner at Cambrian Ventures, a venture capital fund focused on early stage fintech investments. Tune in to hear about: - How to build a fintech community - How AI will impact fintech - How the new administration may impact the fintech landscape

In today's episode, Kimberly Zhang sits down with David Rolf, the Head of Visa Ventures, for a fascinating discussion on technology, investing, and the payments industry. David shares his journey as both a father and a leader of one of the most strategic investment arms in fintech, and shares his thoughts on VISA Venture's unique position as well as emerging markets and technologies that are already making waves. Tune in to hear about: - How Visa Ventures partners with startups to drive innovation beyond traditional venture capital - The key attributes Visa looks for in AI and other applied technologies - David's insights on balancing innovation with regulation, staying informed in a fast-evolving field, and anticipating the future of fintech investing

In today's episode, Kimberly Zhang hosts Prashant Fuloria, the CEO of Fundbox – an embedded working capital platform transforming the way small and medium-sized businesses access and manage capital. With a career spanning leadership roles at Google, Facebook, and Yahoo, Prashant brings deep expertise in product innovation and a passion for empowering SMBs through smarter financial solutions. Tune in to hear about: - What sets Fundbox apart as a seamless, AI-driven embedded working capital platform - How advanced AI and data analytics are reshaping SMB lending - Prashant's personal journey through academia and tech innovation

In today's episode, Kimberly Zhang hosts John Taylor Garner, the Founder and CEO of Odynn - an embedded loyalty and fintech next-gen program manager that is transforming the way banks and fintechs engage with their customers through smart loyalty solutions. With a background in volatility trading and a passion for travel and rewards, John brings a wealth of experience and innovation to the loyalty space. Tune in to hear about: - The early challenges and milestones of building Odynn, and the lessons learned along the way - What sets Odynn apart as a holistic loyalty optimization platform - How AI and machine learning are driving a new era of customer loyalty solutions - The future of customer retention and emerging trends in the banking and fintech sectors

In today's episode, Wesley Aster hosts Carlos Netto, the Co-Founder and CEO of Matera, a leading provider of core banking, instant payment, and QR code payment solutions for financial institutions. Tune in to hear about: - Carlos' journey from co-founding Matera in the 1980s to the Company's pioneering role in enabling real-time payments in Brazil - How Matera harnessed Brazil's Pix payment system to grow 4x since 2020 - Matera's recent $100M raise with Warburg Pincus and strategic expansion into the U.S. For more FinTech insights, follow us on - WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech - WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech - WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech

In today's episode, lead host Djavaneh Bierwirth speaks with Shan Aggarwal, VP of BD & Corporate at Coinbase, as well as the Head of Coinbase Ventures. Shan discusses his broad spanning role at Coinbase and leadership of the company's venture arm, his journey from studying neuroscience to investing in crypto, and the evolution of Coinbase Ventures as the crypto ecosystem has grown and matured over the last six years. They also explore key investment areas such as Web3 social media platforms and stablecoin based cross-border payments, as well as discuss the cyclical nature of the space. Tune in to hear Shan's insights on the future of crypto investing. [01:27] Shan's Journey: Shan discusses his unconventional path from studying neuroscience to becoming a key figure in the crypto investing space. [10:39] On-Chain Social and Web3: Insights into Coinbase Ventures' investments in the evolving world of Web3, including platforms like Zora. [15:59] Simplifying Crypto UX: How Coinbase is supporting companies in make crypto more user-friendly and accessible to mainstream users. [16:59] DeFi and Cross-Border Payments: The potential of decentralized finance and how crypto is revolutionizing global payment systems. [19:35] Coinbase Ventures' Evolution: Shan discusses how the venture arm of Coinbase has grown from a side project to a major force in the crypto ecosystem. [27:11] Cyclical Nature of Crypto: A discussion on the cyclical nature of the crypto industry and how it impacts innovation and investment. [31:42] Crypto Valuations: Shan's take on high valuations in the crypto space and how investors should think about value in this emerging industry.

In today's episode, lead host Djavaneh Bierwirth speaks with Daniel Marovitz, Senior Vice President of Fintech at Booking.com. Daniel shares his journey from studying East Asian languages to leading fintech innovation at one of the world's largest travel e-commerce companies. We explore the complexities of cross-border payments, the evolution of digital payments in the travel industry, and the strategies Booking.com employs to enhance the travel experience. Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:27 - Daniel's career journey 7:53 - Challenges of cross-border payments in travel 12:17 - Booking.com's payment innovations 16:58 - Partnering with local payment methods 21:31 - Balancing payment method complexities 29:26 - Evolution of Booking.com's fintech strategies 37:26 - Connected trip concept 38:37 - Build vs. partner decisions in fintech 45:04 - Advice for aspiring fintech entrepreneurs 47:26 - Closing thoughts

Zoey Tang sits down with David Jegen and Sarah Lamont from F-Prime Capital to discuss the State of Fintech 2024 Report. In today's episode, we discussed -Latest updates in the fintech ecosystem -How should fintech companies cope in a more stringent regulatory environment? -Ten years in, where fintech startups have disrupted, been embraced, been outmaneuvered or outlasted? -Predictions for 2024 About F-Prime Capital: F-Prime Capital is an independent venture capital group that grew from Fidelity Investments. They have been backing entrepreneurs building ground-breaking companies for over fifty years. F-Prime has more than $3B under management and has invested in companies from Alibaba and Prosper to Toast and Flywire.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of FedNow's debut, Zoey Tang sat down with an esteemed panel of experts, Nick Stanescu, Carlos Brandt, and Rocio Wu. In today's episode, we discussed -Latest updates about FedNow -Lessons learned from Pix and other international instant payment network -Factors that drove differences in adoption across markets -Exciting innovations in the instant payment space About guests featured on today's show: Nick Stanescu is the Executive Vice President and Chief FedNow Executive at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. He leads the FedNow® Service, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at revolutionizing the US payments landscape with round-the-clock instant payment and settlement services. Carlos Brandt is a senior advisor at the Central Bank of Brazil for Pix and payments in general. He was the Head of management and operations for Pix since the launch in 2020. He has been instrumental in the design and implementation of Pix, Brazil's highly successful instant electronic payment system that has significantly increased financial inclusion and transformed the country's payment ecosystem. Rocio Wu is a Principal at F-Prime Capital, where she leads investments in FinTech and enterprise software. With a rich background in investing and operating roles at companies like Google and Amazon in Europe, LatAm, Asia, and the US, Rocio brings a global perspective on innovation and technology in the payments sector. For more FinTech insights, follow us on: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Zoey's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoeytang1007/

Kajol Char hosts Zuben Mathews, co-founder and CEO of Brigit. Brigit is a personal finance application dedicated to bringing financial stability to Americans by helping users avoid overdrafts, access instant cash, build credit, and budget effectively. This episode delves into Zuben's journey to founding Brigit. In this episode you will hear about: -Zuben Mathews' firsthand experience with personal finance challenges -Brigit's holistic product suite -Regulatory opportunities -Power of cashflow data -And much more! About Zuben Mathews Zuben Mathews is the Co-Founder and CEO of Brigit. Zuben Mathews first immigrated to the U.S. on a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Chicago, where he worked two jobs to make ends meet. After school, he learned the ins and outs of finance by working in investment banking at Deutsche Bank for over eleven years. He then spent a year as Managing Director in Mergers & Acquisitions at Infosys before co-founding Brigit in 2017. About Brigit Brigit is a personal finance application dedicated to bringing financial stability to all Americans by helping users avoid overdrafts, access instant cash, build credit, and budget effectively. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Kajol's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kajol-char/

Podcast lead Djavaneh Bierwirth hosts Jenny Xia Spradling, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of FreeWill, a Bain Capital-backed startup on a mission to create access to estate planning for all individuals and promote high-impact charitable giving. In this episode, Jenny discusses her journey from founding her first fintech startup to disrupting estate planning with FreeWill. In this episode we discuss how FreeWill's technology: supports nonprofits with planned giving programs simplifies complex donations of stocks and crypto assets provides innovative software solutions for fundraising And more… For more FinTech insights, follow us on - WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech - WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech - WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech - Djavaneh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djavaneh/ About FreeWill FreeWill is a social-good enterprise offering online tools that empower Americans to address commonly faced estate planning needs and make charitable donations in tax-advantaged ways, all for free. FreeWill also features a charitable giving platform that makes it easier for nonprofit fundraising teams to unlock transformational non-cash gifts. Through its partnerships with 1,500+ nonprofits who understand that major gifts often are part of estate plans, the company is also able to provide a comprehensive suite of estate planning and related tools to consumers free of cost. To date, FreeWill has generated nearly $10 billion in planned and real-time gifts for more than 10,000 nonprofits while helping more than 1 million consumers create wills and plan their estates.

In today's episode, Wesley Aster hosts Mrinal Manohar, the co-founder & CEO of Casper Labs, a pioneer in AI governance technologies leveraging blockchain to revolutionize AI governance. Tune in to hear about: - Mrinal's journey from computer science to private equity, and ultimately to founding Casper Labs - The mission of vision of Casper Labs to enhance transparency in AI systems - Insights into Casper Labs' collaboration with IBM consulting and its impact on generative AI auditability - The unique challenges and opportunities at the intersection of blockchain and AI - Mrinal's outlook on the future of blockchain in enterprise AI and evolving regulatory landscapes For more FinTech insights, follow us on - WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech - WFT Twitter: http://twitter.com/whartonfintech - WFT Instagram: http://instagram.com/whartonfintech

Kajol Char hosts Doug Ricket, founder and CEO of PayJoy. PayJoy is the leading financial platform dedicated to serving the underserved in emerging markets by providing access to smartphones, finance, and the modern financial system. This episode delves into Doug's inspiring journey and his vision for PayJoy's future. In this episode you will hear about: - Doug's early career and his love for tech and international development - PayJoy's origin story - PayJoy's innovation - Opportunities for growth - And much more! About Doug Ricket Doug Ricket is the Founder and CEO of PayJoy. Prior to founding PayJoy, Doug founded a residential summer school for female high school students to study engineering at MIT, helped take Google Maps global, and built the wholesale distribution network for d.light solar products throughout West Africa (among many other accomplishments). He earned an MBA from Stanford Business School, his Masters of Engineering from MIT, and his Bachelor's degree from MIT. About PayJoy PayJoy is the leading financial platform for the underserved in emerging markets. By opening the door to smartphones, finance, and the modern financial system to those who have been traditionally excluded, PayJoy is helping the underserved escape poverty and gain economic freedom. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: https://medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: x.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Kajol's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kajol-char/

In today's episode, Wesley Aster hosts Jonathan Whittle, the co-founder and Managing Partner of Quona Capital, a global venture capital firm investing in fintech in emerging markets. Tune in to hear about: - Jonathan's journey from entrepreneur to investor and how his experience as a founder has shaped his approach to investing - Quona's mission to drive financial inclusion, its recent advanced impact verification from BlueMark, and success stories from its portfolio. - Insights into fintech opportunities in Brazil and Mexico, and how regulation influences innovation in Latin America For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech

Joshua Benadiva hosts Oded Zehavi, co-founder of Mesh Payments, whose innovative approach to expense management is reshaping how companies handle their finances globally. In this episode, they discuss: - Oded's rich background with giants like PayPal and Payoneer and how it paved the way for founding Mesh Payments. - The intricate challenges of launching fintech solutions in international markets and the strategies to overcome them. - How Mesh Payments is revolutionizing cross-border B2B transactions through the use of card networks. - The pivot of Mesh Payments during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the evolving needs of remote and distributed teams. - The transformation from a payment-centric to an automation-centric company, enhancing the operations of the office of the CFO. About Mesh Payments: Mesh Payments enables robust automation and management for any spend category from procurement to T&E via a single platform and is built from the ground up for a modern work environment. Mesh makes it easy to manage and control global spending across multiple entities and currencies, from saving on FX with local currency cards to customizing policies, approvals, automations and integrations. Today, more than 1,500 companies rely on Mesh to power global spend, automate manual accounting tasks, and optimize finance workflows. About Oded Zahavi: With a career that spans across major players like PayPal and Payoneer, Oded Zahavi brings a wealth of experience to the fintech industry. His journey from these companies to founding Mesh Payments showcases his deep understanding of financial technologies and market strategies. His insights are particularly keen on scaling operations internationally and navigating the complex global compliance landscape. For more FinTech insights, follow us on: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Joshua's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbenadiva/

Kailee Costello hosts Davi Strazza, the North America President at Adyen. Adyen is a global fintech platform for enterprise businesses, offering end-to-end payments, data, and financial management in a single solution. Tune in to hear about: - Adyen's unique value proposition, and how Adyen runs their platform across the world under a single tech stack - Why Adyen attained bank licenses and the opportunities this offers, such as short term loans, issuing and with FedNow - What Adyen is doing to enable FedNow - How Adyen partners with fintechs like BILL and Plaid - How Adyen's offering and focus areas have evolved over the past few years - Davi's career path and motivation for joining Adyen - Key differences between Davi's previous role as President Latin America and current role as President North America - Industry outlook and the future for Adyen For more FinTech insights from Wharton Fintech, follow us on: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Kailee's Twitter: @KaileeCostello_ Kailee's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaileecostello/

Nate Gee hosts Eric Sager, COO of Plaid, whose technology links fintech apps and financial institutions in a network empowering the fintech solutions that millions of people use. In this episode, they discuss: - How Plaid has transformed the fintech landscape in the past decade - Eric's journey into fintech and becoming Plaid's COO - The role of APIs and open banking in modern financial services - The growth of digital finance in recent years - Instant payments and alternative payment rails - Other fintech trends and how Plaid fits in - And much more! About Plaid Founded in 2013, Plaid has become essential infrastructure in the fintech world, connecting over 100 million users to financial services and facilitating integration among more than 12,000 financial institutions and 8,000 fintech apps worldwide. Plaid's technology enables simpler, faster, and more transparent financial services, making it a cornerstone in the ongoing evolution of digital finance. About Eric Sager With over 20 years of experience in financial services, Eric Sager joined Plaid as COO in 2019. Before joining Plaid, Eric held senior roles at BlueVine and Square. Originally from Germany, Eric worked at Bain & Company in Europe after graduating from Harvard Business School in 2006. For more FinTech insights, follow us on: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Nate's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-c-gee/

Zoey Tang sat down with serial Investor, VC, Former Techstars Exec Jon Zanoff. Previously featured on the Wharton Fintech Podcast before, Jon is the founder of Empire Startups, one of the the largest FinTech communities of entrepreneurs, investors, bank innovators, and operators. As a fintech legend in New York, Jon is back on the show to share latest updates about Empire Startup and the New York Fintech Week on Apr. 8th - Apr. 12th. For more FinTech insights, follow us on: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Zoey's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoeytang1007/ Previous episode with Jon: https://bit.ly/3VBahpY

In today's episode, Wesley Aster and Djavaneh Bierwirth host Graham Weaver, the founder and managing partner of Alpine Investors, a people-driven private equity firm that invests in software and services businesses. Tune in to hear about: - Graham's journey from starting Alpine in his Stanford dorm room to growing the firm to $16B in AUM - Graham's personal growth and investment philosophies, as well as how he thinks about driving long-term impact - Alpine's latest $4.5B fund 9, and Graham's experience fundraising in a challenging market

Trevor Prince sits down with John Beccia, the Co-Founder and CEO of FS Vector, and Edin Trto, a Managing Director at Canaccord Genuity. FS Vector is a strategic consulting firm in the FinTech industry, focused on regulatory issues and other critical functions. In this episode, John and Edin discuss how their teams prepared FS Vector for its first institutional capital raise, how they navigated market volatility during their process, their outlook on the FinTech regulatory landscape, and much more.

In today's episode, Wesley Aster hosts Justo Benetti, SVP Head of Americas at dLocal. Justo formerly served as VP of Strategic Solutions at Worldpay. In this episode you will hear about: - Justo's background and new role at dLocal - Payment processing in emerging economies - Managing regulatory complexity across emerging markets - dLocal's $100M investment in Argentina, and how Argentina's new presidential administration will impact the fintech sector - Global fintech trends

In today's episode, Joshua Benadiva hosts Irana Wasti, Chief Product Officer at BILL. Irana was previously the Chief Product Officer at Typeform and President of GoDaddy EMEA. In this episode you will hear about: - How to be a successful product manager in fintech - How Irana measures and implements successful strategies for building for small businesses - Best practices for managing product organizations in fintech - BILL's strategy to provide value as a full-stack financial operations platform - How BILL leverages machine learning and AI throughout its product - How to lead a product-led growth team and how to measure success, activation rates, and customer value For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Josh's Twitter: @josh_benadiva Josh's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jbenadiva/

Rhea Advani Bobba hosts Tess Bloch, co-founder and Head of Operations of Spade, a fintech startup reshaping the card ecosystem with real-time merchant intelligence. They delve into how Spade is revolutionizing transaction data clarity, enabling FIs to enhance fraud detection, authorize more transactions, and foster innovation in financial products and services. They discuss the journey of Spade from its inception and path to product-market fit. The conversation also covers the challenges and successes faced in expanding globally, the importance of a clear ROI for financial institutions, and Spade's ambitious plans for the future. About Tess Tess Bloch is the co-founder and Head of Operations of Spade. In her current role as Head of Operations, Tess leads Spade's operations, finance, sales, and people teams, and grew the employee headcount 5x. Before co-founding Spade, Tess spent two years at the leading income and employment connectivity API, Pinwheel, where she started as the Chief of Staff before becoming its Head of Operations. In these roles, she helped scale the Pinwheel team 14 to 100 employees and supported growth that helped the company raise a $50M Series B. Previously, Tess also worked for McKinsey & Company in London, where she focused on payments, private equity, and public and social sector work, but her passion for fintech didn't start there. Already, before graduating from Stanford, she realized her interest in the financial services ecosystem early on in her career, starting an internship at Venmo in her freshman year and taking time off during her junior year to work there full time. About Spade Spade provides real-time merchant intelligence for the card ecosystem. Spade leverages its ground truth database to link any card transaction to a real merchant identity – providing granular merchant, category, and geolocation information. Spade leads the market in terms of merchant coverage, geolocation matching accuracy, and speed of transaction enrichment. Customers such as Mercury, Sardine, Ramp, and Unit trust Spade's data to authorize more transactions, prevent fraud, and build more innovative features. — As always, for more Fintech insights and opportunities to collaborate, please find us below: WFT LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/wharton-fintech-club/ WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Blog: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Home: www.whartonfintech.org Rhea's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rheaa/

Kailee Costello hosts Ed McLaughlin, the President & Chief Technology Officer of Mastercard Tune in to hear about: - Evolution of payment systems: Mastercard's journey into the digital era - Adapting to the digital payment landscape: Mastercard's evolution and innovations - Navigating quantum computing: securing payment systems and anticipating future challenges - Quantum computing's potential in fraud detection and loyalty enhancement - Mastercard's AI-powered fraud detection and prevention strategy - The frontier of Generative AI technology - Mastercard's role in global economies: ensuring resilience, security, and innovation - Fostering fintech innovation: Mastercard's collaborative approach - Shaping the future of payments: Mastercard's vision and innovations - Consumer-facing interface of blockchain and stablecoin - Harnessing technology for financial inclusion For more FinTech insights from Wharton Fintech, follow us on: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Kailee's Twitter: @KaileeCostello_ Kailee's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaileecostello/

Trevor Prince sits down with John Mitchell, the Co-Founder and CEO of Episode Six. Episode Six is a provider of payments infrastructure to firms across the financial services industry seeking to build customized products for their customers. In this episode, John discusses his background in the payments industry, Episode Six's business model and growth story, his view of the payments industry, and much more. About John Mitchell: John has served as the CEO of Episode Six since its founding in 2015. Prior to E6, John was the Chief Executive Officer of Rêv Worldwide which provides innovative, end-to-end payment solutions to global partners. John also spent seven years at NetSpend Corporation where he was responsible for shifting the firm's strategy to serving underbanked Americans. John holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Texas.

Zoey Tang and Rocky Gowni sat down with Rex Salisbury and Nik Milanovic. In today's episode, we discussed -Latest updates from This Week in Fintech and Cambrian -Nik and Rex's experiences as solo GP -Their perspectives of the latest fintech ecosystem and what to look forward to in 2024 About Nik Milanovic & This Week in Fintech Nik is the founder of This Week in Fintech. He has been a key organizer in building the fintech community, bringing together fintech enthusiasts all over the world. Last year, he also started the Fintech Fund as the solo GP. About Rex Salisbury and Cambrian Rex is the Founder & Solo GP @ Cambrian VC. He started Cambrian previously in 2016 to cultivate a community focused on founders and builders in fintech. His community building had accidentally led him into the world of venture, as he ultimately became a founding member of a16z's fintech practice, investing in companies such as Tally, Deel, and Oyster Technology. For more FinTech insights, follow us on: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Zoey's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoeytang1007/ Previous episodes with Nik & Rex: -https://medium.com/wharton-fintech/nik-milanovi%C4%87-founder-of-this-week-in-fintech-and-general-partner-of-the-fintech-fund-on-9023790f242c -https://medium.com/wharton-fintech/podcast-with-rex-salisbury-founder-of-fintech-devs-and-pms-e40869eb4de1

Nate Gee hosts Gal Krubiner, Co-founder and CEO of Pagaya, whose AI-driven network of investors, lenders, and borrowers aims to reshape the credit underwriting process and extend financial opportunity to more consumers. In this episode, they cover: - Gal's motivation for founding Pagaya - How qualified loan applicants can be left behind in traditional credit underwriting - Pagaya's AI-driven lender network and how it works - The future of AI in financial services - Pagaya's IPO in 2021 - And much more! About Pagaya Technologies Pagaya was founded in 2016 with a goal to promote financial inclusion through improved credit underwriting and evaluation. It aims to build the leading AI network to enable better outcomes and create new credit opportunities for financial services providers and their customers. The company became publicly listed in 2021 (NASDAQ: PGY). About Gal Krubiner Gal Krubiner has served as Pagaya's Chief Executive Officer since he co-founded the company in 2016. Prior to co-founding Pagaya, Gal focused on structuring and distributing sophisticated credit and asset-backed securities products at UBS AG. He's also held other roles in investments, entrepreneurship, and financial markets. Gal graduated from Tel Aviv University in 2012. For more FinTech insights, follow us on: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Nate's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-c-gee/

In today's episode, Joshua Benadiva hosts Dan Kimerling, founder and Managing Partner of Deciens, a leading early-stage fintech venture capital firm. Dan shares insights into the fintech industry, emphasizing the importance of timing in entrepreneurship and the need for businesses to have increasing returns and moats as they scale. In this episode you will hear about: - Dan's journey in the fintech industry and the founding and selling of Standard Treasury - The challenges and opportunities within the fintech space - The role of coaching in venture capital and the importance of customer satisfaction in the banking industry About Dan Kimerling: Dan Kimerling is deeply committed to investing in transformative companies at their inception, holding board positions in several Deciens portfolio companies like Chipper, Therma, and Treasury Prime. Before Deciens, he co-founded and led Standard Treasury to its acquisition by Silicon Valley Bank, establishing leading API solutions for the financial services industry. Standard Treasury garnered recognition from American Banker and SWIFT for its innovation. Post-acquisition, Dan headed API Banking and Open Platform at SVB. His early career included a stint at TechCrunch and an educational journey at the University of Chicago, where he achieved honors and won prestigious awards. Dan is recognized by Forbes' "30 under 30," is a Kauffman Fellow, and actively contributes to the University of Chicago's Polsky Council and the Young Presidents' Organization. He enjoys a personal life filled with reading, cooking, biking, and skiing in Chicago and Albuquerque. About Deciens: Founded in 2017 by Dan Kimerling, Deciens Capital is a venture capital firm dedicated to ushering in the next generation of financial services. By focusing exclusively on early-stage investments, Deciens aims to support foundational companies reshaping industries and regions, including significant collaborations with Chipper Cash, Treasury Prime, and Therma. The firm prides itself on being the initial significant investment for companies poised for substantial growth, deep market impact, and the establishment of strong competitive moats in sizable markets. Deciens' portfolio showcases a commitment to groundbreaking fintech ventures such as Treasury Prime, Chipper Cash, and several others, emphasizing its role in the digital transformation of traditional financial institutions. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Josh's Twitter: @josh_benadiva Josh's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jbenadiva/

Zoey Tang sits down with Sarah Hinkfuss and Saanya Ojha from Bain Capital Ventures. At BCV, Sarah and Saanya partner with growth-stage founders building the next generation of software products, with a particular focus in Fintech. Before joining Bain Capital, Sarah started her investing career on the growth team at KKR. She previously worked at Applied Predictive Technologies, an enterprise SaaS company in the predictive analytics space that was acquired by Mastercard in 2015. Saanya is a proud Wharton alum. After starting her career at Goldman Sachs, she joined Coatue in 2019 and then Bain Capital Ventures. In today's episode, we got to know about Sarah and Saanya's stories and their views on the impact of Generative AI on Financial Services. -- As always, for more Fintech insights and opportunities to collaborate, please find us below: WFT LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/wharton-fintech-club/ WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Blog: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Home: www.whartonfintech.org Zoey's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoeytang1007/ About Bain Capital Ventures Bain Capital Ventures is the venture arm of Bain Capital, one of the world's renowned private investment groups with $165B AUM. BCV is currently investing out of fund ten ($1.9BN) with a wide mandate, writing checks starting from $1M and up to $100M.

In today's episode, Joshua Benadiva hosts Asaf Horesh, Managing Partner at Vintage Investment Partners. Asaf recently co-led a $200m raise for Vintage's new growth fund. In this episode, he discusses the importance of building meaningful relationships in venture and the unique structure of Vintage's investment strategies. He explains the structure and metrics of Vintage's data platform and shares insights on trends in early-stage fintech investments. Asaf also discusses the challenges faced by companies with valuation issues and the targeting of specific verticals in the secondary market. He offers advice for those looking to grow their careers in venture and fintech. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Josh's Twitter: @josh_benadiva Josh's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jbenadiva/

Russell Matambo hosts Wemimo Abbey and Samir Goel, co-CEOs and co-founders of Esusu, a leading Fintech platform that reports on-time rental payments to credit bureaus so renters can build credit while building owners and property managers maximise their portfolio health. They discuss how Esusu is expanding financial access in the US, Esusu's growing pains and lessons learnt along the way, Samir and Wemimo's principled and purposeful leadership as Co-CEOs, and much more! About Wemimo and Samir: Wemimo Abbey and Samir Goel are co-CEOs and co-founders of Esusu. Esusu is the leading Fintech platform providing rent reporting, property management analytics, and rental assistance to unlock financial access and stability for renters and property owners in the US. In 2023 alone, Esusu unlocked $21.9 Billion in new credit activity for Esusu renters, by enabling 107,000 renters establish credit score for the first time while helping many more with existing credit scores increase theirs by at least 36 points. Most recently, Esusu was valued at $1 billion in their $130 million Series B round. Prior to Esusu, both Samir and Wemimo founded social enterprises and had successful corporate careers. Samir Co-Founded Transfernation, a nationally recognized non-profit that used technology to direct over 5 million pounds of excess food to nearly 2.5 million people in underserved communities across New York City. Wemimo on the other hand founded Clean Water for Everyone, a global social venture providing affordable access to clean water for 250,000+ people in six countries. He also founded a data analytics company gathering data on NGOs operating in Africa, which was acquired in 2014. Collectively Wemimo and Samir have been featured in over a dozen major business publications including but not limited to the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30, the 2022 Fortune 40 Under 40 and the 2023 TIME 100 lists. -- As always, for more Fintech insights and opportunities to collaborate, please find us below: WFT LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/wharton-fintech-club/ WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Blog: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Home: www.whartonfintech.org Russell's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/russell-matambo-cfa-a5900039/

Kailee Costello hosts Jack Zhang, the CEO and co-founder of Airwallex. Airwallex is revolutionizing the way that businesses operate globally; their financial infrastructure provides a modern tech stack for businesses of all sizes to operate internationally without the challenges of the current global financial system. They discuss: - Airwallex's growth story - How Airwallex built their global money movement infrastructure - AI opportunities Airwallex is pursuing, including using LLMs to improve KYC and onboarding processes - Why Jack does not expect crypto to play a significant role in cross-border payments For more FinTech insights from Wharton Fintech, follow us on: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Kailee's Twitter: @KaileeCostello_ Kailee's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaileecostello/

In today's episode, Joshua Benadiva hosts Bobby Morrison, Chief Revenue Officer at Shopify. Bobby was previously the Chief Revenue Officer at Intuit and a Senior Vice President at Verizon. In this episode you will hear about: - What makes Shopify unique and so fast-paced - Bobby's vision for the future of enterprise e-commerce - Shopify's product-led growth motion with enterprise e-commerce - Using Shop Pay, highest converting checkout experience, to illustrate the value of Shopify with little integration costs - How Shopify thinks about partnerships vs. building features themselves, what they call "main quests" vs "side-quests" - Building out omni-channel features and working alongside ERPs - Why massive brands are moving over to Shopify For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Josh's Twitter: @josh_benadiva Josh's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jbenadiva/

Matt Watson, Origin Co-Founder and CEO - Financial Advice for Everyone by Wharton Fintech Podcast

In our final episode of 2023, Trevor Prince sits down with Tommy Nicholas, the Co-Founder and CEO of Alloy. Alloy is a platform that provides banks and FinTechs with a unified operating system for risk, fraud, and credit evaluation and monitoring in retail financial services. In this episode, Tommy discusses his background, Alloy's business model and what it took to scale the company, Tommy's outlook on Alloy and FinTech heading into 2024, and much more. About Tommy Nicholas: Tommy has served as the CEO of Alloy since co-founding the company in 2015. Prior to Alloy, was the Head of Product at Knox Payments, and spent time as a software developer. He was born and raised in Richmond, VA, and graduated from the University of Virginia, where he received a Bachelor's in History and African American Studies.

In previous episodes we've touched on emerging fintech payments products that are attempting to take a piece of the payments pie. Today, we're going to talk about Fiserv with Sunil Sachdev on the fintech giants' approach to Embedded Finance and the changing paradigm in payments. About Sunil Sachdev: Sunil is a global fintech executive with a significant breadth of experience in banking, acquiring, DeFi and payments at companies such as American Express, Meed, Pershing and Fiserv. He has worked at Fiserv for nearly a decade in various roles and geographies, including leading the Fiserv payments business in international markets when Fiserv partnered with SWIFT to launch real-time payments in Australia. In recent years, he headed up the U.S. Community Bank segment for Fiserv before taking on a new role leading the Fintech and Growth segment to build out Fiserv's self-service, low-code services and extend the dual-core and banking-as-a-service capabilities from Fiserv. These diverse experiences have helped deepen his appreciation for the power of collaboration between financial institutions, fintechs, brands and other businesses looking to extend banking and payment capabilities to their customers around the world. In 2023, Sunil was tapped to stand up the Embedded Finance business with true horizontal accountability across banking, merchant acquiring and issuing businesses at Fiserv. Sunil and his team leverage the full power of Fiserv for the benefit of its clients, including financial institutions, brands, ISVs, merchants and fintechs. About Fiserv: Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE: FI), a Fortune 500 company, aspires to move money and information in a way that moves the world. As a global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps clients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and excellence in areas including account processing and digital banking solutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce; merchant acquiring and processing; and the Clover® cloud-based point-of-sale and business management platform. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Rhea's Twitter: @rheaadvani Rhea's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rheaa/

In today's episode, Kailee Costello hosts David Brear, the CEO and co-founder of 11:FS and one of the hosts of the Fintech Insider podcast. In today's episode, David shares his insights on 3 topics: 1. How digital technologies and fintechs have unleashed innovation in commercial banking. We talk about the unmet needs of SMEs and why David expects to see a transition to more service-based models in the future. 2. The banking battlefield. The competitive landscape is shifting from being about the “number of customers you can acquire” to a landscape where digital is increasingly important. We discussed strategies that incumbent banks can take to stay competitive. 3. How fintech and financial ecosystems differ across different global markets. We spoke about the impact of generational and cultural differences, and why David expects there to be different winners in different regions. Check out the 11:FS podcast ‘Fintech Insider': https://content.11fs.com/podcasts/fintech-insider For more FinTech insights from Wharton Fintech, follow us on: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Kailee's Twitter: @KaileeCostello_ Kailee's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaileecostello/

Russell Matambo hosts Henry Ward, CEO and co-founder of Carta, a global equity management platform on a mission to unlock the power of equity ownership for more people in more places. They discuss Henry's entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of simultaneously innovating and scaling a company, Carta's mission to democratise ownership, and much more! About Henry: Henry is the CEO and co-founder of Carta. Carta manages over three trillion dollars in equity for over two million people globally. The company is trusted by more than 40,000 companies, and over 7,000 funds and SPVs to manage cap tables, compensation, valuations, liquidity, and more. Prior to Carta, Henry was founder and CEO of Secondsight, a portfolio optimization platform for retail investors. He also held leadership positions at software companies including Reddwerks Inc. and BetweenMarkets. Henry graduated from the University of Michigan with a BGS in Mathematics and Computer Science and holds an MSC in Market Finance from EDHEC Business School. -- As always, for more Fintech insights and opportunities to collaborate, please find us below: WFT LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/wharton-fintech-club/ WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Blog: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Home: www.whartonfintech.org Russell's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/russell-matambo-cfa-a5900039/

Russell Matambo hosts Serigne Dioum, Group CEO of MTN Fintech, an African mobile financial services platform and subsidiary of MTN, Africa's largest mobile network operator. With a footprint of 16 countries, over 69 million customers, and an annual transaction value of over US$220 billion, MTN Fintech is among the largest mobile financial services platforms in Africa. They discuss MTN's ambition to scale Africa's largest fintech platform, the strategic importance of carving out MTN Fintech and its partnership with Mastercard, and much more! About Serigne: Serigne Dioum is the Group CEO of MTN Fintech. Prior to this, Serigne was the MTN Group Executive for Mobile Financial Services. Serigne joined the MTN Group in September 2013, and has since then been responsible for driving MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) and related mobile financial services products and services across the MTN footprint. Serigne is passionate about financial inclusion and is spearheading MTN's ambition to build Africa's largest fintech platform, accelerating economic and social development through digital innovations for the benefit of citizens across the continent and beyond. Prior to joining MTN, Serigne headed Orange Money Skill Centre from 2008 to 2010 where he coordinated the launch of Orange Money in several Orange affiliates. Serigne holds a qualification in Telecommunications Engineering from the French institution ENST Bretagne. -- As always, for more Fintech insights and opportunities to collaborate, please find us below: WFT LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/wharton-fintech-club/ WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Blog: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Home: www.whartonfintech.org Russell's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/russell-matambo-cfa-a5900039/

Zoey Tang sits down with Vinay Nair, founder and CEO of TIFIN, a fintech platform that drives personalization for wealth using AI and investment intelligence. TIFIN operates a collection of fully-owned subsidiaries in wealth and investments that are shaping the future of investor experience. Vinay was also the Founder and Chairman of 55ip, which was successfully sold to J.P. Morgan. As a serial entrepreneur and investor, Vinay was also a former finance faculty member of Wharton. His teaching focuses on venture capital, private equity, and entrepreneurship. He is also recognized as an expert in the areas of sustainable and responsible investing and has written “Investing for Change”, a book published in 2008 by Oxford University Press. In the episode, Vinay covers his journey from academics to entrepreneurship, how TIFIN is helping transform Wealth Management for consumers and financial advisors, and how TIFIN is pioneering in the space using Gen AI through partnership with incumbents.