Podcasts about lending club

This week, we begin with the story of Paloma Corona, the owner of a thriving preschool in Los Angeles who needed money to expand to a second location. She thought she was borrowing at an annual percentage rate of 13 percent. In reality, the effective APR was 170 percent. She also thought she was taking out a loan. Instead, she was placed in a merchant cash advance—an increasingly common form of financing that can sidestep many of the laws governing traditional loans. The daily payments quickly began draining not only the profits from her business, but also her personal savings. Her business survived, but only because a nonprofit lender stepped in to refinance the debt. Paloma's story is especially troubling because she wasn't reckless, uninformed, or running a failing business. She was trying to build a good business. But she was up against a financing industry that has become remarkably skilled at making extraordinarily expensive money look fast, easy, and affordable.My guests today have all been fighting this problem from different vantage points. Jay Goltz owns a picture framing business and a home furnishings store in Chicago. Ami Kassar helps business owners secure SBA and other responsible financing. And Louis Caditz-Peck, who helped build LendingClub's small business operation, is now executive director of the Responsible Business Lending Coalition.In our conversation, we talk about why good businesses get steered into bad financing, how brokers can earn more by recommending the most expensive products, why offers embedded in platforms such as QuickBooks, PayPal, and DoorDash can be especially tempting, and what business owners should do before accepting fast money. We also ask what seems like a remarkably simple question: What could possibly be the argument against requiring every small business financing company to disclose, clearly and prominently, the true annual percentage rate it is charging? This episode is brought to you by Grasshopper Bank.

What if the secret to happiness wasn't a grand epiphany, but a bad movie playing at 2AM? In this episode, Sean sits down with Ben Narasin, a veteran venture capitalist who has backed companies like LendingClub, Rippling, and Omada Health, to explore what decades of investing at the highest level teaches you about life, patience, and staying true to your standards. Ben reveals why lowering the bar in venture is the beginning of the end, and how he learned to sit with the discomfort of seeing 2,500 pitches in a year and funding just one, without letting that silence become a compromise. You'll also hear his counterintuitive advice to founders: stop optimizing your valuation pitch and start treating your investor relationships like a marriage, because you'll be living with that choice for ten years or more.──────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Jonathan Krinsky, Chief Market Technician at BTIG, explains the quiet outperformance in small-cap stocks and what it could signal about the market's next phase. Scott Chronert, U.S. Equity Strategist at Citi, assesses the broader outlook and where investors should focus as leadership continues to evolve. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz discusses cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and the company's stock performance. He also weighs in on the growing clash between Anthropic and the U.S. government and what increased scrutiny could mean for the AI industry. A look back on Alan Greenspan's life and legacy after his passing. Priya Misra of JPMorgan Asset Management breaks down the rate outlook and explains what fixed income markets are signaling about inflation, growth and future Fed policy. Consumer credit, spending and lending trends with Scott Sanborn of Happen Bank, formerly LendingClub. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of the Get Out of Debt Guy podcast, Steve Rhode and Damon Day start with a little “other guy” nonsense, AI trading experiments, Robinhood, crypto, and the old LendingClub days before landing on the real meat of the show.Damon shares a tough call with a 71-year-old woman living on Social Security who is carrying about $80,000 in debt, including credit card debt and IRS debt. From there, Steve and Damon walk through the uncomfortable but necessary reality of debt relief options, including bankruptcy, debt management plans, debt settlement, paying in full, credit score fears, retirement pressure, and why some people keep punishing themselves financially long after there may be a better way out.This episode is really about the emotional side of debt. The math can be simple, but the feelings can make it brutal.For more debt help, consumer debt advice, credit card debt information, bankruptcy insights, debt settlement warnings, and financial recovery articles, visit https://getoutofdebt.orgDamon Day can be reached at https://damonday.com

Elliott Lorenz took an unusual path into consumer lending, moving from applied mathematics and high-frequency trading into the business of pricing credit risk. Today he is the CEO and co-founder of Edge Focus, a technology-enabled private credit firm that sits between consumer lending platforms and the institutional investors who want to deploy capital into the asset class. In this episode, Elliott explains how the firm's credit engine works, why speed is its biggest edge, and how he reads the recent wave of criticism aimed at private credit.What We CoveredFrom engineering and applied math to high-frequency tradingWhat Michael Lewis's Flash Boys got right and wrong about HFTSpotting an edge in LendingClub's public loan dataTurning a data-science hobby into Edge FocusThe Origin credit engine and how it makes decisionsExpanding a lender's credit box with an orthogonal view of creditModeling with a single month of payment historyUpdating a credit model within a dayThe Lens portfolio analytics toolWhere alpha comes from beyond the underwriting modelFraud and asset liability mismatch in private creditBuilding the EDGEX ABS shelf and partnering with FortressProving ML models are free from biasWhere consumer lending goes over the next few yearsKey TakeawaysEdge Focus competes less on having a single better model and more on combining technology, capital, and platform relationships in one package, which Elliott calls the firm's "big unlock."The firm can incorporate even a single month of payment history into its models and push an update within a day, letting it react to macro shifts faster than firms that wait 12 to 24 months for data.Most of the recent private credit criticism falls into two buckets, fraud and asset liability mismatch, and Elliott sees the fraud cases as largely idiosyncratic and the redemption problems as a function of investors misjudging illiquid assets.Because Edge Focus invests its own capital alongside partners rather than acting as a pure technology vendor, its incentives are tied directly to loan performance.About Elliott LorenzElliott Lorenz is the CEO and co-founder of Edge Focus, a technology-enabled private credit firm focused on consumer lending. He trained as an engineer and applied mathematician, earned a master's in finance from Princeton, and spent several years in high-frequency trading before bringing those modeling techniques into consumer credit in 2013.Connect with Fintech One-on-One:Tweet me @PeterRentonConnect with me on LinkedInFind previous Fintech One-on-One episodes

Welcome back to Fintech Recap. I'm Alex Johnson, joined as always by my partner in recapping, Jason Mikula. We kick things off with the accelerating trend of fintech companies becoming banks. Chime's CEO confirmed it's a matter of when, not if — reversing their "we're a software company" stance. Mercury got conditional OCC approval for a national bank charter the same week it raised $200M at a $5.2B valuation. We explore what the fintech-to-bank stampede does to your valuation (our case studies are Chime, SoFi, and LendingClub), and why some companies chartering today might wish they hadn't. Then, BaaS Island calls us back (I'm a sucker for the sirens' song). The OCC issued a consent order against Community Federal Savings Bank, a single-branch institution in Queens that grew from $140M to $900M in assets by running fintech partner programs for Airwallex, Wise, Payoneer, among others. We discuss why the OCC acted, and why the order is unusually narrow. From there, we walk through two executive orders from the White House on fintech and bank regulation and the Federal Reserve's convoluted master account situationship. Finally, in our Can't Let It Gos: Jason can't let go of SpaceX dumping on retail investors as exit liquidity for their VCs, and I can't let go of PayPal's settlement with the DOJ over a fair lending investigation into a program that never made a single loan. Truly, this will haunt me forever! This episode is brought to you by Persona.  The best fintechs expand what's possible for users. Persona does that for fraud prevention. Their recently upgraded link analysis tool surfaces connections in real time, letting you spot deepfakes, identity farms, and fraud rings during onboarding and investigations.  They just published their Fraud Leader's Guide to Link Analysis, a practical look at today's top risk signals, automating decisions, and scaling link analysis for fraud prevention. Download it now: http://withpersona.com/ftt-fraud  Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/  And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnsonTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Send us Fan MailI sat down with Renaud Laplanche, Co-Founder and CEO of Upgrade, a consumer fintech valued at $7.3 billion. Since 2017, Upgrade has originated over $45 billion in credit to 7.5 million customers, crossed $1 billion in annualized revenue, and has been cash flow positive for years. Renaud also founded Lending Club and took it public in what was the largest US tech IPO of 2014. He is one of the most accomplished entrepreneurs in fintech and someone I personally admire. We discussed building a multi-product platform from day one, how a company acquisition became their best customer generation engine, the first AI-native product Upgrade is shipping soon, and much more. Outside fintech, Renaud is an avid Sailor holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest Newport to Bermuda sailing crossing. Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today's global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.Do you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join ~85,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3jWIpqp

Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I'm Alex Johnson, joined by Kiran Aware (Chief Consumer Credit Officer at LendingClub) and Michelle Young (Credit Product Lead at Plaid) for our new series Facing Credit, where we unpack what's happening in credit and lending right now. Today's conversation explores credit underwriting as a system, and why more lenders are finally starting to treat it that way. First, we zoom out to the macro picture and ask how lenders are navigating a market full of uncertainty and changing consumer behavior. Kiran explains how LendingClub thinks about borrower stability, while Michelle shares what lenders across the market are looking for in a more complete picture of risk. Next, we focus on credit underwriting as a system. Kiran breaks down how LendingClub has built a full decisioning operating system across underwriting, pricing, verification, fraud, servicing, and collections. Michelle explains why alternative data is no longer a useful label, and why user-permissioned cash flow data has become more important across origination, verification, and monitoring. Finally, we tackle AI in credit, near-term and long. Explainability requirements mean LLMs won't land in core underwriting tomorrow, but AI's already changing what's possible in verification and fraud workflows. The longer horizon points toward credit systems that identify new signals autonomously and self-optimize in real time. But what happens when consumers have AI agents making decisions on their behalf, and fraudsters are using the same technology to attack the system? Tune in for a rich conversation about what lenders are really building when they underwrite credit (and why the industry is more open than ever to reimagining the system itself). This episode is brought to you by Plaid.  Plaid helps lenders approve more creditworthy borrowers without taking on more risk, combining real-time cash flow data with behavioral insights. It's a fast, familiar experience people trust, and that actually converts. Learn more at www.plaid.com/ftt Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Kiran LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiran-aware-6491984/  Follow Michelle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-boros-young-5a586983/ Follow Alex Johnson:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson X: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

In this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast, host Stewart Alsop sits down with Lars van der Zande, founder and CEO/technical architect of Inkwell Finance, for what Lars describes as his first-ever podcast appearance. The conversation covers a wide range of blockchain infrastructure topics, including Lars's work with Sui and Solana blockchains, the innovative capabilities of Ika's programmatic wallets and blockchain of signatures, and how Inkwell Finance is building revenue-based financing solutions for on-chain entities—from AI agents to protocols. They explore the evolving landscape of crypto regulation, the merging of traditional finance with blockchain technology, the future of decentralized legal systems, and how the user experience barrier is being lowered through technologies that eliminate constant transaction signing. Lars also discusses Inkwell's embedded financing approach and their pre-seed fundraising round.Links mentioned:- Inkwell's website: inkwell.finance- Inkwell on Twitter: @__inkwell- Lars on Twitter: @LMVDZandeTimestamps00:00 Introduction to Inkwell Finance and Technical Architecture02:06 Understanding Sui and Solana: Blockchain Dynamics05:55 The Role of Ika in Inkwell Finance11:51 Leviathan: Revenue Generation and Financing in Crypto17:38 The Future of AI Agents and Programmatic Wallets23:23 Smart Contracts: Legal Implications and Future Directions25:06 The Future of Inqvil Finance25:42 Decentralization and Its Evolution27:32 The Merging of Traditional and Crypto Systems29:33 Global Financial Dynamics and Market Reactions31:48 The Collapse of Traditional Financial Systems32:46 Jurisdictional Shifts in the Crypto World33:59 Legal Systems and Blockchain Integration35:57 On-Chain Credit and Financial Opportunities39:29 The Role of AI in Finance41:30 Learning from Peer-to-Peer Lending History43:14 Disruption in Insurance and Risk Management44:54 On-Chain vs Off-Chain Data46:54 The Evolution of the Internet and Blockchain49:12 Future Subscription Models in BlockchainKey Insights1. Ika's Revolutionary Blockchain Signature Technology: Lars discovered Ika, a blockchain of signatures built on Sui that enables any blockchain transaction to be signed without revealing the underlying message. Using patented 2PC MPC technology, Ika splits key shares across validators and encrypts them in transit, performing complex cryptographic operations that allow smart contracts on Sui to generate signatures for transactions on any other blockchain. This eliminates the need to build separate smart contracts on each blockchain, fundamentally changing how cross-chain interactions work and opening possibilities for truly interoperable decentralized applications.2. Programmatic Wallets vs Traditional Wallets: Traditional wallets like MetaMask require manual user approval for every transaction through a front-end interface, but Ika's D-wallet introduces programmatic wallets with policy-based controls embedded in smart contracts. These wallets can execute transactions based on predetermined conditions checked against on-chain data like Oracle prices, without requiring individual user signatures. For example, a Bitcoin D-wallet can hold native Bitcoin without wrapping or bridging to a custodian, and smart contract policies determine when and how that Bitcoin can be transferred, creating unprecedented security and automation possibilities for decentralized finance.3. Inkwell's Revenue-Based Financing Model: Inkwell Finance is building Leviathan, a revenue-based financing platform for on-chain entities including protocols, AI agents, and individual traders with verifiable track records. Borrowers receive capital based on their on-chain performance metrics like sharp ratio and drawdown, with loan repayment automatically deducted from their revenue stream. The profit split structure allocates approximately 60% to borrowers, 30% to lenders, and 10% split between Inkwell and integrating platforms. This creates a sustainable lending model where flight risk is minimized through D-wallet policy controls that restrict how borrowed capital can be used.4. Wallet-as-a-Protocol and the Future of User Experience: The crypto industry is moving toward embedded wallet solutions that eliminate the friction of traditional wallet management, with Wallet-as-a-Protocol representing the next evolution beyond services like Privy and Dynamic. Unlike current embedded wallets that lock users into specific applications, Wallet-as-a-Protocol enables single sign-on across multiple applications while users maintain control of their keys. Combined with app-sponsored gas fees, this approach allows non-crypto-native users to interact with blockchain applications without knowing they're using crypto, removing the biggest barrier to mainstream adoption and creating web2-like user experiences on web3 infrastructure.5. AI Agents as Financial Entities: AI agents are emerging as revenue-generating entities with on-chain transaction histories that create verifiable track records for creditworthiness assessment. Inkwell Finance is specifically targeting this market, recognizing that AI agents will need wallets and capital to operate effectively. The programmatic nature of D-wallets pairs perfectly with AI agents, as policy controls can restrict agent behavior to specific smart contract interactions, preventing unauthorized fund transfers while allowing automated trading or revenue generation. This creates a new category of borrower that operates 24/7 with completely transparent performance metrics, fundamentally different from traditional loan recipients.6. Cross-Chain Liquidity Without Asset Transfer: Ika's technology enables users to take loans against revenue generated on one blockchain and deploy that capital on entirely different blockchains without moving their original liquidity positions. For instance, someone earning yield on Sui's Fusol protocol could borrow against that revenue stream and deploy capital on Solana opportunities, effectively creating multiple on-chain businesses that generate their own credit scores and revenue to service debt. This ability to read state across different blockchains from within smart contracts opens possibilities for multi-chain strategies that don't require withdrawing capital from productive positions, maximizing capital efficiency across the entire crypto ecosystem.7. The Convergence of Traditional Finance and Crypto Infrastructure: The regulatory landscape is rapidly evolving with initiatives like the Genius Act and Clarity Act creating frameworks where traditional financial systems merge with crypto infrastructure through mechanisms like stablecoins backed by US treasuries. Companies are increasingly establishing entities in the United States to access capital networks and Delaware's established legal framework while issuing tokens through jurisdictions like Switzerland. This hybrid approach, combined with emerging concepts like Gabriel Shapiro's "cybernetic agreements" that make smart contract parameters legally enforceable in traditional courts, suggests the future isn't pure decentralization but rather a sophisticated integration of on-chain and off-chain legal and financial systems.

Welcome back to Fintech Recap. I'm Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my partner in recapping, Jason Mikula. Even if we aren't sailing to BaaS Island, the news keeps flooding in. We kick off with crypto market structure, which nearly cleared Congress before imploding. The Clarity Act would've locked in broad crypto rules, including limits on stablecoin yield. Banks had momentum to close a key Genius Act loophole (until Coinbase pulled support at the last second). The backlash was swift: other crypto firms were blindsided, lawmakers were furious, and Brian Armstrong ended up in Davos, facing off with Jamie Dimon (who, reportedly, told him to stop lying on TV).  Then it's onto banking charters. NewBank got conditional OCC approval. Ford, GM, and PayPal all made ILC moves. Affirm filed in Nevada, citing "flexibility and diversification," but this is about control. With rising scrutiny on partner banks and consent orders in the air, a charter gives Affirm cleaner economics and regulatory insulation. Like Square and LendingClub before it, the goal is clear: own the balance sheet, shift volume gradually, and keep options open. From there, Capital One's surprise acquisition of Brex for $5B. Most commentary focused on the exit. More interesting is what CapOne wants: startup spend volume and a wedge into high-growth business banking. Integration will take time, and as Ramp scales faster on a leaner model, pressure around ROI will be mounting. Plus, in our Can't Let It Go corner, we look at fintech's dumbest lawsuit: Prism v. TomoCredit. A fake cash flow underwriting product. A stolen trademark. Fabricated and backdated blog posts. An agreed settlement … that Tomo then refused to sign or memorialize. Meanwhile, the site still takes credit card details from consumers who can't unsubscribe. And somehow, it's still going! This episode is brought to you by Plaid.  Plaid helps lenders approve more creditworthy borrowers without taking on more risk, combining real-time cash flow data with behavioral insights. It's a fast, familiar experience people trust, and that actually converts. Learn more at www.plaid.com/ftt Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/  And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnsonTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

If you want high-dollar procedures done more often in your practice, this is the episode for you. Kiera specifies what needs to be in place, including skillset, morale, and language. This kind of case acceptance goes beyond the everyday appointments, and Kiera explains the difference. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera. And today I feel like this is my bread and butter. I feel like this is what Kiera Dent was made to do. And I cannot wait to teach you guys the secret to getting patients to say yes to those high dollar, high ticket cases. We're talking the 20, the 30, the $40,000 cases. But the great news is these principles can be applied to your smaller cases too, because I just think that like how to do this and this is what Kiera's really good at. And I have a practice that ⁓ implementing incorporating these tactics.   has been able to grow every one of their locations, multi-millions every single year. And people look at these practices, they see their stats and they say, how did you get these numbers? And they said, it all started the day we brought Dental A Team into our company. And that's just a huge testament to me, to the work that we do, to what our consultants do. And for anything, it comes from a passion of being able to help more patients get the dentistry that they need and deserve. So I just feel like there's so much fun to case acceptance and ⁓   It's not about selling, it's about words are free. And so let's use our words to the best of our ability. Let's use our words to the best experience for our patient. And let's help all of them have the trust, the clarity and the confidence to be able to say yes to those. You guys, Dental A Team is obsessed with helping you and your teams have more profitable practices, happier practices, happier teams, happier patients. We are obsessed with that. And our mission is to positively impact the world of dentistry in the greatest way possible.   and doing it in a tactical, practical, let's do this. So I really want you guys to hopefully take this on, take the system, take the tactics and help more patients say yes. And to just be proud of the dentistry you're able to do. Now, step one is you've got to be really, really good at dentistry. I can sell any dentistry. Like I feel like I'm a miracle girl for practices. I feel like there's easy ways to do this. But step one is we've got to have great dentistry. Otherwise our treatment coordinators and   our team and our patients that makes it very, very hard actually for us to want to sell dentistry. So step one of this is going to be you've got to actually do great dentistry. Okay, that's step one. So if you're not good at something, please don't sell it, go get good at it. But also please don't make it worse than it is. You might actually be a great clinician, but you don't give yourself the credit for that. So I'm on a mission to help the best dentists thrive, the best dentists do great dentistry and to help more patients.   So that's step one is I got to make sure that you guys are doing really, really, really good. Step two is getting patients to say yes, especially for these higher dollar ticket ⁓ items. We've got to make sure that we've got dialed in systems. ⁓ I use the example from Disneyland that people can feel perfection. And so does our team feel well oiled? And this means that our hygiene team is teeing up treatment. We're all looking for it. If our associate doctors are not doing this treatment and they're referring to our general doc, our, our owner doctor,   We've got to make sure all the associates and the hygiene team are trained on what to look for, how to present this, how to tee it up. Do we bring them back for consult? Can we diagnose it? What's the process for that? And if you want these high dollar procedures to be done more often in your practice, training your hygienist and your associates is one of the best investments of your time. So everybody's looking for it. We basically become a referring practice to our doctors that do these procedures. ⁓ I really do believe that   everybody. So hygienist looking for it. Hygienist should be the first person and this goes for all treatment planning, but we're going to dive it into these higher dollar ones because there is a little bit different on how we actually present the treatment plan. But all these first steps should be all parts of high case acceptance. Now just also give a little credibility. ⁓ Implementing these processes usually take for just general dentistry, it usually gets you up to a 75-ish percent acceptance rate up to 90.   Now, if we're higher than that, I know we might not be diagnosing as much as we need to, but in general dentistry, we should be cracking pretty high case acceptance. Now for my like 20, 30, 40, $50,000 cases, right around a 35 to a 45 % acceptance rate is going to be the targets we're looking for. And that is dollar for dollar, not one for one acceptance rate. So if that helps you guys, that's what we're going for. ⁓ But step one is do great dentistry.   Step two is believe in the dentistry. And then step three is going to be where everybody is speaking the same language. hygienists should be the first person to tee up all dentistry. They should be the one showing the x-rays, showing the intraoral photos, showing all of that so the patient can absolutely 100 % see what we see. We want that patient to be bought in. We don't want to just try and help them like, okay, like you might have this. We actually speak in the same terms as the rest of our patients.   ⁓ In one practice what we did is we actually had the doctors tell us exactly how they diagnose treatment We as consultants recorded it on our phones and we had the whole team hear it and then we gave them all these recordings and the whole team has to listen to it and this was our fastest easiest way to get everybody up to par like driving into the office driving home from the office like listen to it in the office like you've got Christmas music playing but instead it's it's all the ways that we diagnose and describe this that way everybody says it the same way so the patients hearing it   multiple times in the exact same way. Now when the doctor comes in, there should be a handoff from hygienist to doctor. We call it the I creep. So introduce, compliment the patient, recap the treatment and say something personal. Hygienist, you want a fast exam? This is how you get it done. Doctors, you don't want to do that awkward dance of like, how do I get to know you without getting to know you, but I need to get to know you? This is how you do it. Introduce, compliment, that puts the patient more at ease, recap treatment already discussed, and then something personal about them.   Then doctors, we get them into a yes frame of mind. We're going to say, can I lean you back? Can I do a full exam on you? Yes, yes. You want to actually get them in the frame of mind of saying, yes. It's true psychology. Again, words are free. It's not manipulation. It is genuinely setting the stage to get a patient open-minded. They don't want to be at the dental office already. So how can I help them get into this higher frame of mind? Then after that, doctor's going to comprehensively diagnose. And then they're going to recap with what we call the NDTR handoff.   So next visit, date to return, time needed for appointment, re-care scheduled. This is going to be more for your general procedure. Then we take that, hygiene, then takes ordinal assistant, takes them up to the front office, say the exact handoff. Amalia's amazing up front. Dr. Smith wants to see Kiera back for that crown on the upper right. She wants to see her back for, you know. ⁓   an hour and a half and wants to see her in two weeks and she already has her cleaning scheduled. And then from there, the front office team picks it up. Let's get you scheduled in two weeks. I've got Monday or Wednesday, which works best for you. We need an hour and a half and then we go over financing. That patient has now heard this multiple times of the exact same thing. And that same process, just with a small fine tuning is going to be for these larger cases. Typically larger cases, yes, they are found in hygiene, but oftentimes it's going to be a little bit longer of a   consult if you will, ⁓ because we want to make sure that we have the before and after photos. We want to make sure we build trust with them. This is where having the hygiene team tee it up. This is where we have the perfect handoffs between doctor and hygienist. And then the doctor has to have confidence and clarity. So you've got to work this like pre-treatment build to make sure that the patient feels like they already know kind of what we're looking at. If it's all built up like this, it's very warm, it's very consistent.   everybody's on the same page. Your team feels like your patient feels like your team has their stuff together. And that's what we want. So I would look at this, like how are we doing on pre-treatment? Not even if just large cases, but how are we doing with those handoffs? How is the handoff from hygiene to doctor? How is hygiene teeing up treatment? How is everybody talking about treatment? Are we all on the same page or are we all on different pages? What does that look like? And then from that,   We wanna make sure that we're really, really, really good on visuals. So are we doing scans? Are we doing mockups? Do we have photos of before and afters of the cases? Do we have clear and simple explanations? Do we have ⁓ more like this is information. So if we're doing an all on X case, do we have information about what this happens and what are the steps? And do we have it broken down into really easy steps for them? I actually changed up treatment plans on these larger cases to step one is extraction in place.   Step two is impressions and step three is delivery. Those are very patient friendly. If our case is 45,000, I break it down to step one is, you know, 19 ish thousand and then step two is going to be like 11,000 and then step three is whatever the remainder of that is. This way it's very simple. They can pay in full for some practices or we pay per appointment. Now with these larger cases on AR and also on production and collections to make sure we're not having these huge spikes.   Sometimes it does make sense to have the patient pay as they go. Other practices want a pay in full. Both are totally fine. But what we've got to do and what we also have to realize is when we go into the finances. So typically when I'm presenting like a one to $7,000, I'm gonna schedule them first, I'm gonna present the dollars, I'm gonna talk the insurance as a coupon. ⁓ Here's total treatment, here's your insurance estimate, and then this is the total when I see you on Wednesday. Or if you would...   require a deposit, take the deposit then, and then ask what questions they have. Then we go into financing options, but it's just a very clear, very confident space that we're gonna walk into. Now, if I'm presenting a 20 or 30 or $40,000 case, it's psychology. It's a smooth flow from front to back. It is the confidence that we are gonna do the best for you. Here's what's going on. Let's talk about it. What questions do you have? I wanna make sure that you're very confident moving forward. Dr. Smith is the absolute best dentist.   to create this and to do this treatment for you, like you were in good hands. Notice in there, I edified my doctor. I made sure that I asked them what questions, not do you have questions? The last thing I ever wanna do is have my patient tell me no. I wanna keep them always in a yes frame of mind. Now, we're gonna look at this of cost. I'm not going to plant weeds in my flower garden on purpose. I don't wanna say like, is a big investment for you. Why am I saying that? It's not a big investment. This is an investment.   This is you taking care of yourself. This is you deserving this. Like how exciting is it to be able to eat food that you haven't been able to eat for the last however many years? How exciting is it to smile with confidence? I am going to radically focus on the positives for this. And then I'm going to go after and ask them what questions they have. I don't want to pre-assume question marks that they have. When people come in for these 20, 30, 40, $50,000, they're not going to be sticker shocked to see that it's that amount. Some of them might.   But the general population knows just like I use the example of when we were doing IVF, IVF is $50,000 per procedure. It's not ⁓ a cheap procedure. And the buyer is very educated when they walk into that. So it's not like what 50 grand? You didn't tell me that. It is more a great, this is what it is. What questions do you have? I want to be here as a support. Now for some offices, they do offer financial avenues that some people might not have thought about. For example, polling from a 401k.   For example, a home equity line of credit, going to a bank, you might work with a local bank and having some of those options just so people can see. And I will tell you an IVF, they did actually offer this with us and they put that in our sample, like our folder that we took home with us, just because they wanna make it to where it's easier for us not to have a barrier or a concern. I will say that a lot of times these larger cases are a two-part close, not a same day close. That does not mean that people don't just hand over their credit card and pay you.   80,000 or 150,000 right there on the spot. I've seen it done many times. So I'm not going to assume that people need that, but this will be a tool in my tool belt. Lending Club, Cherry, some of these are going to be better at financing higher amounts. ⁓ And so we're gonna look for that. Sometimes applying for financing in the office through Care Credit, or like I said, Cherry or Sunbit, or some of these others. Lending Club, look to see who you can use. It's going to really help. do know Cherry is a very big fan favorite. ⁓   that does help fund some of these higher ones. A local bank is a great thing and have a direct line to your person that's a loan processor there that can actually help these people get loans. It's a $50,000 procedure. That's like buying a car. There are loans for this and it's not uncommon to do that. And so helping the patient of whatever questions they have. They might have questions about the recovery time. They might have questions of the payment options. They might have questions all the way around. So,   Be really crystal clear in your practice of do we collect in full before we start initial records? If so, it might be a two part close where they've got to go find out their financial options, but you set the followup because again, you're a concierge of these, we're a high end, this is a high end surgery, we are completely changing their world. For my IVF, I had a financial coordinator who talked to me, I had a treatment coordinator who talked to me, I had a nurse who talked to me, there were steps through this whole process to make me feel confident.   Confidence is going to buy these and close these cases for you. Your treatment coordinator being exceptionally confident. They don't have to know all of the dentistry, but they do need to be confident talking dollars, looking for solutions and being confident in the dentistry you do. I will say all the time, people will hear me. No matter what size treatment plan, people are buying the doctor's confidence and they're buying the treatment coordinator's confidence. If you're confident that this is the best dentistry that people are ever going to get, you will close radically more cases.   Also your psychology, what am I thinking? Am I thinking like, that's a big number. If I am, people are going to feel that versus like it's a number, it's a treatment plan. This patient deserves great dentistry. So we really have to make sure and also with payment options, not being over the top on these financial avenues. You offer them 70 different options, they're going to be very confused. I prefer two to three that I'm very confident in. I know the ins and outs of them, things that most people use. I might have a few of these that are just a little bit more.   like unconventional, for example, the 401k or the home equity line. A lot of people don't even think about those as options, but they are viable options. ⁓ And then from there, we wanna just make sure that we are dialed in and we have a very, very solid followup on these if we don't close same day. But practice it, track your stats, look to see how you're doing on it, review your stats with your treatment coordinator and doctor every single week.   record yourself and listen to yourself back. And I know that sounds wild, but this office that we've added multi-millions to five locations, the treatment coordinators literally record themselves and send it to me and we listen to it. I role play with them for years. Every other week we are role playing. We are talking about it. What's going well, what's not going well. What's the psychology, what's the breakdown. I had a treatment coordinator the other day get on with me and she said, you know, Kiera, like 45 grand is like my large case for me.   But what I'm struggling with are these like perio ones where we're charging like 900 for gingivitis and I just don't know how to get through it. And so sometimes also presenting the other side of the coin. What happens if they do nothing? What happens if they start now? A lot of these things, but what I've learned is closing these cases is a finesse. There is clarity on schedule first. There is clarity on being direct in our treatment plans.   There is clarity on having a very simple process of step one, step two, step three. There's a very clear, like very strong correlation of higher acceptance when it's that clear, that direct, that confident. Because if I'm going in for surgery, the last thing I want is somebody who's like wishy washy or we can do it this way or what do you think or what do you want or you know, if you need it or if you want it. No, I need somebody who knows what they're doing. This is a $50,000 case. This is a $20,000 case.   We need to have our ducks in a row. We need to be very thorough. We need to be very confident in it. And we need to present this plan and help more patients. So when we look at all this, number one, we got to do great dentistry. And number two, everyone needs to be speaking the same language. And we need to have the psychology that everybody wants our dentistry. And we're great here. We need great handoffs, that warm handoff of teeing it up from hygienist to doctor. Everybody's speaking the same language. We need to be showing them.   testimonials, this is what it's gonna look like, transformations, this is how your life is going to change, this is how this one patient said. And then from there, we're going to make sure that we also are really, really strong on our how we schedule, how we do our handoffs, how we present the dollars and the financial clarity and the very, very clear next step for them. And then very, very strong follow-up. If a patient doesn't schedule in the office with me, it's two days, two weeks, two months of follow-up. I am going to be very rigid with my follow-up. I'm going to have a follow-up.   And then I'm going to review every single week my progress. I'm going to look at what I closed, what I didn't close, what was said. I'm going to listen to my calls. I'm going to listen to the doctor exams because usually, and I hope every one of you hears this, usually cases are won or lost by one or two words. It's not usually all the rest of it. We've got to have all the other pieces in place. But usually when I listen, I hear one or two words that tips a patient in one direction or the other, like,   It's very small, it's very much psychology, it's very much what you're hearing that's not being said is usually what's winning or losing this. I tell everybody sequence matters on how you present treatment plans. We can have a combination lock that the combinations one, two, three, and we can put three, two, one. I had all the right numbers, but in the wrong order and I don't open it. Same thing with presenting these larger cases. I can have all of the dots, but in the wrong order and I won't close. So this is something of.   realizing that when patients say yes, they trust you, they understand, they feel safe, they feel seen, they feel heard, they feel your confidence, and they feel very confident in their decision that this is the best absolute option for them. So I really hope that you realize that high value, high dollar dentistry is partnering with patients. It's transforming their life. It's giving them the confidence and they didn't have, it's giving them life experiences that they didn't have. And so this is a dialed in of how do we get more patients to say yes?   How do we get more patients to optimal health? How do we make sure that patients are getting the best dentistry with you? Now, if they come to you and they give the objections, time, money, spouse, la-di-la-di-la, those are just to me, top line levers that are telling me of an underlying root problem. And I need to listen for that. I need to answer that. And I need to listen to what's not being said and respond to what they actually need. So this is what I love to do. This is how we help a lot of offices.   ⁓ I'm obsessed, like we said, we role play with people, we help them, we transform them. And if we were able to boost your case acceptance one or 2%, what would that do for your practice, let alone 10, 15, 20 %? This is something we're obsessed with and I hope that you guys just heard some great tips, some great tools that you will go implement in your practice. Case acceptance to me is one of the greatest gifts you can give your patients. Doing great dentistry is what this is all about and helping patients see that and say yes to you is the greatest gift you can give them. So if we can help in any way, reach out.   Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. Go change lives, go change smiles, go be confident in yourselves and just know I'm rooting for you. I'm here in any way we can help you. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.  

LendingClub CEO Scott Sanborn discusses consumer credit amid holiday season spending. Sanborn spoke with Bloomberg's Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textIn this episode of In the Suite, host Tina Powell sits down with Marla Sofer, fintech founder and visionary behind Knomee, the AI-powered behavioral finance platform helping advisors uncover their clients' financial identity.With 25+ years across JP Morgan, BlackRock, and Lending Club, Marla shares how she turned industry experience into innovation — building technology that connects advisors and clients at the human level.We explore:The birth of “financial identity” and what it means for personalization in wealthHow AI enhances trust, empathy, and client connectionThe vulnerability gap in women's wealth conversationsHow to build women's networks inside financial firmsThe transformative power of imagining your “future self”Resources Mentioned:Knomee WebsiteKnowing Me Knowing You Podcast Knomee Wealth Leadership Roundtables Hidden Brain Podcast ⏱ Chapter Markers: 00:00 – Welcome + Why Marla's story matters 01:08 – From JP Morgan & BlackRock to founding Knomee 04:29 – What Knomee is and who it's for 09:00 – Behavioral finance and risk redefined 13:24 – The idea behind “financial identity” 17:35 – How often clients should re-engage with Knomee 21:43 – The role of AI in creating connection 26:26 – The vulnerability gap for women and wealth 33:03 – Building women's networks inside firms 36:26 – How to start a women's initiative that lasts 39:15 – Advice for women aiming for the C-suite 43:06 – Launching the “Knowing Me, Knowing You” podcast 46:45 – Nomi at Future Proof and Wealth Leadership Roundtables 48:47 – Best health + wellness tip: find your posse

In this episode, product growth leader Sandhya Ganesh talks with host Shannon Peavey about the way Tinder builds product-led growth into its culture and its business strategy. She defines common acronyms for measuring success and shares details of her unique path from engineer to product manager. Sandhya offers advice on developing the right mindset to cultivate explosive success.Chapters:1:08: Sandy defines “growth product” and “product-led growth”5:22  Acronym soup10:08 Stickiness metrics11:02 The marketing-product growth partnership14:14 Sandy's journey from engineer to growth product manager19:06 Critical skills and mindset for product growth21:54 How approaches differ in B2B vs. B2C26:00 Strengthening relationships with your teammates28:33 How Tinder tested rewards programs30:45 The importance of secondary and counter-metrics33:00 Why to hypothesize when experimenting34:15 Why failure needs to be part of the cultureWhere to find Sandhya:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandhya-ganesh/Resources:Deloitte Consulting https://www.deloitte.com/Tinder https://tinder.com/Lending Club https://www.lendingclub.com/

About the Episode:  Are you earning more than ever… but still living paycheck to paycheck? You're not alone. In this episode of the Monday Money Tip Podcast, Megan and Joe dive into a surprising reality: over 50% of six-figure earners live paycheck to paycheck (source: LendingClub).

Is it better to be broke or in debt? Most people assume that having no money is the worst possible financial situation. But what if living paycheck to paycheck with $0 is actually safer — and smarter — than earning good money while drowning in debt?In this episode, we break down the real difference between being broke and being in debt, and why $0 net worth is better than -$10,000. From the psychological impact to the financial traps most people fall into, this episode exposes the truth about debt, the dangers of living beyond your means, and why broke might actually mean you're on the right path.What you'll learn in this episode: o Why being in debt is more dangerous than being broke o The real cost of debt: mentally, emotionally, and financially o The freedom that comes with living within your means o What lifestyle creep is and how it silently builds debt o Why minimum payments are a trap, not a solution o How broke people can still win — and why they often do o The only kind of debt that might be okay (your home) o What you need to focus on if you're serious about financial freedomKey facts mentioned in this episode: o Over 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck (LendingClub, 2023) o Americans hold over $1.16 trillion in credit card debt (Federal Reserve, 2024) o The average credit card APR is at a record-high 22.8% o 47% of U.S. adults say money issues affect their mental health (Bankrate, 2023) o 28% of people struggle to make minimum payments each month o Being debt-free with low income often beats high income with high debtSubscribe to the channel for more empowering content on personal finance, investing, and self-improvement. Don't miss out on the opportunity to unlock your true financial potential and live a life of abundance. It's time to invest in yourself and create the future you deserve!Articles Used:o https://ir.lendingclub.com/news/news-details/2023/60-of-Americans-Now-Living-Paycheck-to-Paycheck-Down-from-64-a-Month-Ago/o https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/research/consumer-debt-study/#:~:text=Credit%20card%20borrowers%20continued%20to,much%20of%20the%20additional%20increaseo https://www.bankrate.com/loans/personal-loans/money-and-mental-health-survey/#americans-mental-healtho https://www.lendingtree.com/credit-cards/study/average-credit-card-interest-rate-in-america/o https://www.lendingtree.com/credit-cards/study/credit-card-debt-statistics/#:~:text=Fewer%20than%20half%20of%20adult,May%202024%20Federal%20Reserve%20study**Support the Stream By Shopping at Our Store** Buy Your Financial Mirror Gear: https://www.thefinancialmirror.org/shop YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thefinancialmirrorRumble: https://rumble.com/TheFinancialMirrorFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefinancialmirr0rX: https://twitter.com/financialmirr0rInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefinancialmirror/Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/thefinancialmirrorIf you are in need of a Financial Coach, don't waste another day of being in debt, not planning for retirement, or simply wondering where your money went each month. Today is the day to take control of your finances and I can help, no issue is too big or too small. Contact me at https://www.thefinancialmirror.org/#DebtFreeJourney #LivingPaycheckToPaycheck #BrokeButFree #FinancialFreedom #GetOutOfDebt #MoneyMindset #PersonalFinanceTips #StopLivingInDebt #WealthBuilding #DebtFreeCommunity #MoneyTruth #PaycheckToPaycheck #CreditCardDebt #FinancialIndependence #BudgetingTips

As the complexity and demands of technology continue to rise in our business lives, CEOs need to explore all available avenues of how to identify and attract top talent. This is where nearshoring comes in. Nearshoring is a valuable vehicle to augment existing teams, support rapid scaling, or bring new knowledge into an organization quickly. To learn more about nearshoring we turned to Brian Samson, an entrepreneur who has lived and established multiple companies in Latin America. Because of this he holds unparalleled insight into leveraging untapped talent pools of highly educated individuals in Central and South America. Brian holds a passion for helping businesses thrive by introducing great talent to great companies but along the way we also learned he is a caring human who will always be found rooting for the Chicago Cubs. Here are highlights of our conversation: -      Nearshore Defined: Moving jobs or tasks within the same time zone, as opposed to offshoring which involves moving across an ocean. The benefit of nearshoring is finding highly skilled talent regardless of the location that speaks English and works the same business day as the US. -      Challenging Latin America Misconceptions: The discussion focused on myth busting some perceptions of Latin America, particularly Mexico, based on media portrayals and personal experiences. -      Fostering Children: Brian shared his personal experience of becoming a foster family after hearing about the challenges faced by children in the foster care system. He punctuated the need for more good homes for the 440,000 children in the foster care system in the US, adding that less than 3% ever make it to college. Brian Samson is a seasoned entrepreneur with a nine-year track record as the founder and CEO in the Nearshore (LATAM) industry. Having lived in Argentina and established multiple companies throughout Latin America that serve the U.S. market, Brian has an unparalleled insight into leveraging untapped talent pools. His journey includes raising $2 million as a founder, scaling his company to 80 team members, and achieving three successful exits. He has held significant roles such as Department Head at Lending Club during its pre-IPO phase, which IPO'd with a $10 billion valuation, and was part of the executive team at Sosh before its acquisition by Postmates and eventually Uber. Brian holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson and leads as a General Partner at Hang10X Capital, making numerous investments in promising ventures.Away from his professional endeavors, Brian's personal life is equally fulfilling. He and his wife are licensed foster parents and have adopted a baby girl from foster care, now raising two toddlers along with a Boston Terrier puppy in their Oahu home. A Chicago native and a staunch Cubs fan, Brian enjoys the island life, which includes the beautiful weather and vibrant community. With a passion that wakes him every day since 2015, Brian is committed to connecting exceptional talent across the Americas with hyper-growth companies in the U.S. Connect with Brian:Website: www.plugg.techLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansamson/ Connect with Allison:Feedspot has named Disruptive CEO Nation as one of the Top 25 CEO Podcasts on the web, and it is ranked the number 6 CEO podcast to listen to in 2025! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/ceo_podcasts/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/ Website: https://www.disruptiveceonation.com/ X: @DisruptiveCEO   #CEO #brand #startup #startupstory #founder #business #businesspodcast #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the complexity and demands of technology continue to rise in our business lives, CEOs need to explore all available avenues of how to identify and attract top talent. This is where nearshoring comes in. Nearshoring is a valuable vehicle to augment existing teams, support rapid scaling, or bring new knowledge into an organization quickly.   To learn more about nearshoring we turned to Brian Samson, an entrepreneur who has lived and established multiple companies in Latin America. Because of this he holds unparalleled insight into leveraging untapped talent pools of highly educated individuals in Central and South America. Brian holds a passion for helping businesses thrive by introducing great talent to great companies but along the way we also learned he is a caring human who will always be found rooting for the Chicago Cubs.   Here are highlights of our conversation:   -      Nearshore Defined: Moving jobs or tasks within the same time zone, as opposed to offshoring which involves moving across an ocean. The benefit of nearshoring is finding highly skilled talent regardless of the location that speaks English and works the same business day as the US.   -      Challenging Latin America Misconceptions: The discussion focused on myth busting some perceptions of Latin America, particularly Mexico, based on media portrayals and personal experiences.   -      Fostering Children: Brian shared his personal experience of becoming a foster family after hearing about the challenges faced by children in the foster care system. He punctuated the need for more good homes for the 440,000 children in the foster care system in the US, adding that less than 3% ever make it to college.   Brian Samson is a seasoned entrepreneur with a nine-year track record as the founder and CEO in the Nearshore (LATAM) industry. Having lived in Argentina and established multiple companies throughout Latin America that serve the U.S. market, Brian has an unparalleled insight into leveraging untapped talent pools. His journey includes raising $2 million as a founder, scaling his company to 80 team members, and achieving three successful exits. He has held significant roles such as Department Head at Lending Club during its pre-IPO phase, which IPO'd with a $10 billion valuation, and was part of the executive team at Sosh before its acquisition by Postmates and eventually Uber. Brian holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson and leads as a General Partner at Hang10X Capital, making numerous investments in promising ventures. Away from his professional endeavors, Brian's personal life is equally fulfilling. He and his wife are licensed foster parents and have adopted a baby girl from foster care, now raising two toddlers along with a Boston Terrier puppy in their Oahu home. A Chicago native and a staunch Cubs fan, Brian enjoys the island life, which includes the beautiful weather and vibrant community. With a passion that wakes him every day since 2015, Brian is committed to connecting exceptional talent across the Americas with hyper-growth companies in the U.S.   Connect with Brian: Website: www.plugg.tech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansamson/   Connect with Allison: Feedspot has named Disruptive CEO Nation as one of the Top 25 CEO Podcasts on the web, and it is ranked the number 6 CEO podcast to listen to in 2025! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/ceo_podcasts/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/  Website: https://www.disruptiveceonation.com/  X: @DisruptiveCEO     #CEO #brand #startup #startupstory #founder #business #businesspodcast #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every bank that decides to get into the Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) space already has an existing legacy business. Most of those legacy businesses have very little crossover with fintech and BaaS, so internally at the bank, there is a completely new skill set that needs to be developed. But then there are those banks that were born digital and for which BaaS is a natural extension of their existing business.My next guest on the Fintech One-on-One podcast is Mike Butler, the CEO of Grasshopper Bank. I first had Mike on the show back in 2019, when he was the CEO of Radius Bank - that was the bank that LendingClub acquired in 2021. So, Mike is back at the helm of another digital bank, bringing his deep experience in BaaS and digital banking. And he has big plans for Grasshopper.In this podcast you will learn:How Mike went from selling Radius Bank to becoming CEO of Grasshopper.The core offerings of Grasshopper.Why Grasshopper has a "work from away" culture.How much they focus on BaaS versus serving customers directly.The core learnings he brought from Radius Bank to Grasshopper.Who Mike thinks of as his main competitors.How the BaaS challenges of 2024 impacted Grasshopper.Why you can't dip your toe in the water when it comes to BaaS.How the expectations of fintechs have changed.The types of fintechs they work with today.Why they decided to acquire Auto Club Trust, an insurance company.Where Mike sees the future growth for Grasshopper.Connect with Fintech One-on-One: Tweet me @PeterRenton Connect with me on LinkedIn Find previous Fintech One-on-One episodes

Desde el retorno de Trump al poder en Estados Unidos, cada vez son menos los inmigrantes que siguen creyendo en el famoso eslogan del "american dream". La agresiva ofensiva lanzada desde la Casa Blanca frena el flujo migratorio en la frontera y al mismo tiempo siembra temores entre los latinos ya instalados. A tal punto que muchos, desanimados, ya están planeando regresarse a sus países de origen. Con ellos conversamos en Washington. Reportaje multimedia: audio, texto y video. Solo el 27% de las personas que viven en Estados Unidos creen en el "sueño americano" según una encuesta de Ipsos y ABC News. Es un proyecto de vida cada vez más lejano para los cerca de 48 millones de migrantes que trabajan en el país para sobrevivir y están ahora a merced de las políticas migratorias de la Administración Trump. El Ejecutivo conservador amenaza con finalizar programas de ayuda, como el TPS (protección temporal), el DACA (que resguarda a quienes llegaron en la infancia) y el de asilo.Según Diana Fula, activista por los derechos de los migrantes, varias familias la han contactado recientemente porque no quieren seguir escondiéndose y quieren regresar a sus países. “El 'sueño americano' se ha convertido en una pesadilla porque lastimosamente este país no está siendo gobernado con los valores que dice tener", asegura a RFI. "Se ha convertido en una pesadilla porque las comunidades están siendo criminalizadas y nuestra gente perseguida”. "Tienen miedo hasta de ir a la iglesia"Aunque el número de arrestos en la frontera sur de Estados Unidos llegó a su punto más bajo en los últimos 25 años, con apenas 8.300 detenciones en febrero, y las deportaciones también hayan bajado considerablemente, los migrantes siguen atemorizados por las campañas de las policías migratorias.“O sea, creo que ahorita es claro que nuestra gente tiene miedo", concluye Fula. "Tienen miedo de llevar a sus hijos al colegio, tienen miedo de ir a la iglesia”.La situación de angustia y desesperanza se refleja en la disminución de un 94% en febrero de los cruces hacia Panamá a través del peligroso "tapón" del Darién, en comparación con el año anterior. De hecho, es muy posible que por primera vez, más migrantes crucen el Darién hacia el sur que hacia el norte, según reportes en Estados Unidos. Para Daniel García, migrante venezolano que hoy trabaja en una barbería del barrio latino de Washington, y que también pasó por el Darién, las duras condiciones económicas llevan a que muchos cuestionen su permanencia en este país. “El sueño americano es todo lo contrario, aquí nadie duerme, aquí es todo el día trabajando, nadie descansa. Aquí uno se toma un día y ya se te descuadra la semana, el alquiler, la comida, todo, ¿entiendes?” Uno de cada seis dólares de impuestosLa inflación en los precios de comida, alquiler y servicios públicos lleva a que el 62% de las personas en Estados Unidos vivan mes a mes, sin poder ahorrar, según un estudio del Lending Club.Daniel también quisiera regresar a su país. “Mi objetivo es trabajar lo más posible acá. Trabajar el tiempo que pueda, hacer mi dinero e irme para mi país, montar allá mi negocio, en mi país, tranquilo, cerca a la playa”.Para todos ellos, Donald Trump parece haber dejado de lado que los inmigrantes representan una fuerza crucial para la económica estadounidense. Cada inmigrante pagó en 2023 uno de cada seis dólares recolectados en impuestos, y representan casi el 20% de la fuerza laboral, según el Consejo Americano de Inmigración. Pero también son esenciales en la otra punta de la economía de la primera potencial mundial puesto que solo en 2024, los inmigrantes consumieron por encima de 1,7 billones de dólares.

Desde el retorno de Trump al poder en Estados Unidos, cada vez son menos los inmigrantes que siguen creyendo en el famoso eslogan del "american dream". La agresiva ofensiva lanzada desde la Casa Blanca frena el flujo migratorio en la frontera y al mismo tiempo siembra temores entre los latinos ya instalados. A tal punto que muchos, desanimados, ya están planeando regresarse a sus países de origen. Con ellos conversamos en Washington. Reportaje multimedia: audio, texto y video. Solo el 27% de las personas que viven en Estados Unidos creen en el "sueño americano" según una encuesta de Ipsos y ABC News. Es un proyecto de vida cada vez más lejano para los cerca de 48 millones de migrantes que trabajan en el país para sobrevivir y están ahora a merced de las políticas migratorias de la Administración Trump. El Ejecutivo conservador amenaza con finalizar programas de ayuda, como el TPS (protección temporal), el DACA (que resguarda a quienes llegaron en la infancia) y el de asilo.Según Diana Fula, activista por los derechos de los migrantes, varias familias la han contactado recientemente porque no quieren seguir escondiéndose y quieren regresar a sus países. “El 'sueño americano' se ha convertido en una pesadilla porque lastimosamente este país no está siendo gobernado con los valores que dice tener", asegura a RFI. "Se ha convertido en una pesadilla porque las comunidades están siendo criminalizadas y nuestra gente perseguida”. "Tienen miedo hasta de ir a la iglesia"Aunque el número de arrestos en la frontera sur de Estados Unidos llegó a su punto más bajo en los últimos 25 años, con apenas 8.300 detenciones en febrero, y las deportaciones también hayan bajado considerablemente, los migrantes siguen atemorizados por las campañas de las policías migratorias.“O sea, creo que ahorita es claro que nuestra gente tiene miedo", concluye Fula. "Tienen miedo de llevar a sus hijos al colegio, tienen miedo de ir a la iglesia”.La situación de angustia y desesperanza se refleja en la disminución de un 94% en febrero de los cruces hacia Panamá a través del peligroso "tapón" del Darién, en comparación con el año anterior. De hecho, es muy posible que por primera vez, más migrantes crucen el Darién hacia el sur que hacia el norte, según reportes en Estados Unidos. Para Daniel García, migrante venezolano que hoy trabaja en una barbería del barrio latino de Washington, y que también pasó por el Darién, las duras condiciones económicas llevan a que muchos cuestionen su permanencia en este país. “El sueño americano es todo lo contrario, aquí nadie duerme, aquí es todo el día trabajando, nadie descansa. Aquí uno se toma un día y ya se te descuadra la semana, el alquiler, la comida, todo, ¿entiendes?” Uno de cada seis dólares de impuestosLa inflación en los precios de comida, alquiler y servicios públicos lleva a que el 62% de las personas en Estados Unidos vivan mes a mes, sin poder ahorrar, según un estudio del Lending Club.Daniel también quisiera regresar a su país. “Mi objetivo es trabajar lo más posible acá. Trabajar el tiempo que pueda, hacer mi dinero e irme para mi país, montar allá mi negocio, en mi país, tranquilo, cerca a la playa”.Para todos ellos, Donald Trump parece haber dejado de lado que los inmigrantes representan una fuerza crucial para la económica estadounidense. Cada inmigrante pagó en 2023 uno de cada seis dólares recolectados en impuestos, y representan casi el 20% de la fuerza laboral, según el Consejo Americano de Inmigración. Pero también son esenciales en la otra punta de la economía de la primera potencial mundial puesto que solo en 2024, los inmigrantes consumieron por encima de 1,7 billones de dólares.

Today's guest is Ben Narasin, a seasoned entrepreneur turned venture capitalist with over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience and a decade in early-stage investing. Ben is the Founder and General Partner of Tenacity Venture Capital, a firm dedicated to high-conviction investments in early-stage technology companies. His portfolio boasts early investments in notable companies like Dropcam, Lending Club, and Kabbage. Before we dive in, consider this: Startups that secure early VC funding have a nearly 50% higher chance of scaling successfully, according to a Harvard Business Review study. Navigating this dynamic environment requires not just capital but also strategic insight and adaptability. Ben's extensive experience as both an entrepreneur and investor provides a unique perspective on identifying and nurturing groundbreaking startups." I'm your host, Chelsea Alves, and I'm thrilled to welcome Ben Narasin to the podcast! From Entrepreneurship to Venture Capital Chelsea: Ben, welcome! To start, can you share a bit about your journey from being a 25-year entrepreneur to becoming a venture capitalist? Chelsea: Your entrepreneurial background includes founding Fashionmall.com in 1993, one of the first e-commerce companies, which you led to a successful IPO in 1999. How did this experience influence your approach to investing? Identifying Promising Startups Chelsea: You've been the lead partner on numerous deals, with your latest involving Kapital, a financial software company, in August 2023. What key factors do you look for when evaluating early-stage startups? Chelsea: With a diverse portfolio spanning fintech, digital marketplaces, mobile, and connected devices, how do you stay ahead of emerging trends and technologies? The Role of Tenacity Venture Capital Chelsea: Tenacity Venture Capital focuses on high-conviction investments in early-stage technology companies. Can you elaborate on what sets Tenacity apart from other venture capital firms? Chelsea: The firm invests across various technology sectors, including AI, fintech, hardware, logistics, marketplaces, mobile gaming, robotics, and SaaS. How do you decide which sectors to focus on, and what excites you about these industries? -Supporting Founders Beyond Capital Chelsea: Beyond providing capital, how does Tenacity support its portfolio companies in achieving their growth objectives? Chelsea: You've emphasized the importance of matching portfolio companies with top investors for follow-on rounds. Can you share some insights into this process and its impact on a startup's success? The Future of Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship Chelsea: As the venture capital landscape continues to evolve, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for both investors and entrepreneurs? Chelsea: For aspiring entrepreneurs looking to secure venture capital, what advice would you offer to help them stand out and succeed? -Wrapping Up Chelsea: Ben, this has been an enlightening conversation! Where can our listeners connect with you and learn more about your work with Tenacity Venture Capital? Chelsea: Thank you so much for joining us and sharing your expertise! For our listeners, if you found this discussion valuable, don't forget to subscribe to the Unmiss Podcast and leave a review. And if you're looking to enhance your startup's visibility and performance, check out Unmiss.com's free Website Audit tool—it provides actionable insights to improve your digital presence. This has been the Unmiss Podcast. See you next time!

Visit our Substack for bonus content and more: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/kristen-berman Many of the most successful products launched in Silicon Valley lean heavily on behavioral design to increase engagement. Former Design Better guest Nir Eyal talks about this in his books Hooked and Indistractable, and today we have another expert in this field, Kristen Berman, who co-founded Irrational Labs with professor and researcher Dan Ariely in 2013. We chat with Kristen about how to design products that change behavior, and also about the darker side of behavioral design, which in extreme cases can create addictive products. We also learn how Kristen uses behavioral science on herself, to achieve goals and encourage positive habits. Bio Kristen Berman is a leading figure in applied behavioral economics and behavioral product design. In 2013, she co-founded Irrational Labs with Dan Ariely, collaborating with major organizations such as Google, PayPal, Facebook, and Netflix to enhance user health, wealth, and happiness. She was also on the founding team of the behavioral economics group at Google, a collective that supported over 26 teams within the company, and hosted the global behavioral change conference StartupOnomics. In addition, Kristen co-founded the Common Cents Lab at Duke University, where her leadership guided over 50 experiments aimed at improving the financial well-being of tens of thousands of low- to middle-income Americans. Her expertise has been featured in outlets like The Stanford Social Innovation Review, TechCrunch, and Scientific American. As a co-author of the workbooks series Hacking Human Nature for Good alongside Dan Ariely, Kristen has provided practical guidance on changing behavior that is widely used by prominent companies—Google, Intuit, Netflix, Fidelity, and Lending Club among them—for their business strategies and product design. *** Premium Episodes on Design Better This is a premium episode on Design Better. We release two premium episodes per month, along with two free episodes for everyone. Premium subscribers also get access to the documentary Design Disruptors and our growing library of books, as well as our monthly AMAs with former guests, ad-free episodes, discounts and early access to workshops, and our monthly newsletter The Brief that compiles salient insights, quotes, readings, and creative processes uncovered in the show. Upgrade to paid *** Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show: Masterclass: MasterClass is the only streaming platform where you can learn and grow with over 200+ of the world's best. People like Steph Curry, Paul Krugman, Malcolm Gladwell, Dianne Von Furstenberg, Margaret Atwood, Lavar Burton and so many more inspiring thinkers share their wisdom in a format that is easy to follow and can be streamed anywhere on a smartphone, computer, smart TV, or even in audio mode. MasterClass always has great offers during the holidays, sometimes up to as much as 50% off. Head over to http://masterclass.com/designbetter for the current offer. To get $100 towards your first bed purchase, go to http://thuma.co/designbetter. *** If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please contact us at: sponsors@thecuriositydepartment.com If you'd like to submit a guest idea, please contact us at: contact@thecuriositydepartment.com

[Editor's note: This interview was recorded on November 13 and in the fast-moving transition to a new administration, some items discussed here as possible or unlikely have already come to pass.]The new Trump Administration is going to have a dramatic impact on leadership at Federal banking regulators as well as on the new rules impacting fintech. So, I thought it would be useful to bring on an expert to tease out this impact and how fintechs can adapt to the changing of the guard.My next guest on the Fintech One-on-One podcast is Armen Meyer, the Co-Founder of the American Fintech Council, the former head of public policy at LendingClub and a public policy expert. We cover a lot of territory on this show as Armen prognosticates on what the change of administration could mean for fintech.In this podcast you will learn:Armen's history with fintech and forming the American Fintech Council.What changes we are likely to see at the top of the regulatory agencies.Why the Federal Reserve will see a lot of noise under Trump.Why the CFPB will not focus their attention on Section 1033.What might happen with the new BNPL rules.The future of the credit card late fee rules.What might happen with EWA, overdraft rules and regulating big tech.The impact on BaaS bank consent orders.How the state regulators may react to the changes at Federal agencies.How the pendulum swing back and forth between Democrats and Republicans impacts banking and fintech.What the end of the Chevron Doctrine might mean for fintech.Whether we will see some kind of new limited fintech or payments charter.Why Armen is optimistic for the new Trump Administration.Connect with Fintech One-on-One: Tweet me @PeterRenton Connect with me on LinkedIn Find previous Fintech One-on-One episodes

Hans Morris is used to following fintech trends. He's a managing partner at Nyca Partners, a fintech venture capital firm in New York and San Francisco, and the chairman of the board of Lending Club. In today's Punk Rock-themed show, Hans talks to Al and Steve about some of his portfolio investments that touch on juicy industry themes, like: Generative AI (and interesting ways to use it), automated tax prep services and fresher ways to screen tenants than requesting their credit scores.Hans will also share some of his favorite wine picks just in time for the holidays.

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger Picture China's housing market is crashing, we have seen this before back in 2008. Newsom goes after oil companies while [KH] flip flops on oil. This holiday season is going to be the worst one we have seen in a long time. Trump says there is a way to get rid of income taxes and go back to the 1890 or so. The [DS] is now panicking, MAGA is voting early which is allowing people to see how many people have voted. By knowing the number this is going to be a problem for the [DS] because when they make up the difference  the number will not add up. There comes a point where the election is to big to rig. Trump lets everyone know that MAGA is close to 200 million people. [DS] prepared to delay the election to count but they will move to phase II of their plan.   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Economy https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1848743363387719922   70 of China's major cities this year. Even as China rolls out pandemic-like stimulus, their real estate market continues to collapse. China needs a major economy restructuring. https://twitter.com/US_OGA/status/1848444343541239858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1848444343541239858%7Ctwgr%5Edf58b5915d0d7d096237f6ec6ff6bfa8d563c957%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffreebeacon.com%2Felections%2Fkamala-harris-climate-official-reverses-her-reversal-of-harriss-support-for-fossil-fuels%2F Retail Expert Warns of Weak Holiday Shopping Season with Consumers ‘Stressed by Inflation' A former Target executive and retail expert is warning of a not-so-jolly holiday shopping season as Americans struggle in President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris's (D) economy. “They're increasingly stressed by inflation and the exhaustion of their pandemic-era savings. When you take a look over the last several years, what you see month after month, everyone talks about, the consumer's still spending. They might be, but they're spending less than the growth of inflation,” he stated. In 2023, a LendingClub study found a majority of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, as polling at the time showed only 14 percent of voters believed Biden's economic policies were helping them, Breitbart News reported. “Now and the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is very, very short, so that's going to be bad. The election's going to weigh on things and the geopolitical situation as well, so I think it's going to be a pretty weak Christmas,” he said. The nation has seen a wave of retail stores closing down amid challenges between physical locations and the growth of the internet, Storch noted. He added:   Trump cited the rising cost of basic grocery staples under the Biden-Harris administration compared to when he was leading the nation: Source: breitbart.com https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1848441460699631760  for every American. In 2024, the US paid a total of $1.16 trillion of interest on this debt in its first year above the $1 trillion mark. In interest alone, the US paid $3,360 for every American during fiscal year 2024. What is the long-term plan here? https://twitter.com/TRHLofficial/status/1848667730527862837   $35.8 trillion—equivalent to $1,450 per American added in mere weeks. Each citizen now bears $103,700 in national debt. Meanwhile, interest payments surpassed $1 trillion in 2024, costing every American $3,360 in interest alone. This fiscal irresponsibility is an unsustainable gimmick to hide the true state of the economy. https://twitter.

In this episode of the Operate Podcast, we take a behind-the-scenes look at the birth of fintech P2P and marketplace lending with Peter Renton, one of its pioneers. Peter shared his extensive background, starting from his early days as a self-directed investor to founding key fintech companies like Lend Academy and LendIt, which later became Fintech Nexus. We discussed his journey into peer-to-peer lending and its evolution as institutional investors entered the space. The conversation spans the rise of fintech innovation, the challenges of scaling peer-to-peer platforms, and the role of community banks in the future of financial services. Peter recounted the bubble in the fintech lending space around 2015 and how the industry adapted following the Lending Club debacle in 2016. He also shared his advice for fintech founders, emphasizing the importance of diversification in funding sources and customer acquisition strategies.  We delved into notable companies like Upstart and their pivots in the fintech landscape. Additionally, Peter reflected on the transition from LendIt to FinTech Nexus to encompass a broader range of fintech innovations for their content and events. We touched on the increasing interest of banks in fintech events from 2016 onwards and the changing landscape post-pandemic. Peter discussed emerging trends in fintech, such as embedded lending, mobile wallets, and new payment rails. He highlighted the necessity for community banks to adopt technology and attract younger customers. Lastly, Peter introduced his new consulting venture, Renton & Co, aimed at guiding fintech companies through content strategy, marketing, and market analysis. Enjoy this comprehensive look at the past, present, and future of fintech.   CHAPTER MARKERS: 00:00 Preview  00:34 Intro 00:47 Sponsor 01:19 Meet Peter Renton: A Fintech Pioneer 02:50 Peter's Early Fascination with Finance 04:04 Discovering Peer-to-Peer Lending 05:36 Building Lend Academy and LendIt 09:21 The Evolution of Marketplace Lending 18:39 Reflections on the Fintech Lending Boom 27:19 Kudos to Dave Girard (UpStart) and Team 28:04 The Shift to FinTech Nexus 29:04 Expanding Beyond Lending 32:16 Challenges and Stress of the Events Business 32:48 The Impact of the Pandemic 33:54 Future of FinTech and Embedded Lending 37:47 The Role of Community Banks 42:38 Advice for Community Bank CEOs 49:18 Peter's New Venture: Renton & Co

Lex chats with  Danielle Sesko about insurance and innovation in the fintech sector. They discuss the purpose of insurance and why it exists, the structure of insurance companies, the challenges of insurance innovation, and the integration of insurance into digital lending platforms. Sesko explains that insurance is necessary because most people cannot sustain a total loss of their assets, such as their homes or businesses. She also discusses the regulatory structure of insurance in the US, which is regulated on a state-by-state basis. Sesko describes the product she is working on at TruStage, which provides insurance coverage for loans in the digital lending space. The insurance is designed to protect both the borrower and the lender in case of unexpected events, such as job loss or disability. Sesko explains the technology integrations between insurance and digital lending platforms and the economics of the product. She also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the insurtech industry. MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION TruStage's Website: https://bit.ly/3WibyC1Danielle's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3XUZNmp Topics: InsurTech, Insurance, Digital Lending, Lending, embedded finance, embedded insurance, API, fintech Tags: TruStage, Payment Guard, Lending Club, FDIC ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT 

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Marla Sofer. Marla had an epic career in financial services and fintech. Along the way she developed an entrepreneurial itch that wouldn't go away. Realizing she only has one life to live, Marla decided to align her work with her values and leapt into entrepreneurship. A key motivator was her daughter, who, after hearing Marla's dreams, asked, "When are you going to do it?" Realizing that Marla was modeling more for her daughter than she thought, Marla took this as a double dare that she wanted to go after. Marla, Founder and CEO of Knomee, is a seasoned financial services and fintech executive, founder of two women's networks driving change and inclusion in corporations, frequent speaker on topics related to the future of financial services, wealth, and asset management, startup advisor, 2020 Woman of Silicon Valley, 2021 Woman in WealthTech to Watch, and proud mom, and wife. She led partnerships quantified in billions of dollars at J.P. Morgan and BlackRock before leaping into fintech in 2015 to improve customer experiences. Her experiences at Microsoft, Carta, Invesco, Xignite, and Lending Club influenced her decision to create a solution that would improve personal financial wellness and enable financial services companies to better serve their customers and prospects.

This episode of The Get Down podcast features an insightful conversation on financial inclusion and the potential of emerging technologies like blockchain and AI. Special guest Betsabe Botaitis shares her unique career journey from traditional banking to entrepreneurship in FinTech and web3, and how her diverse experiences have fueled her passion for impacting underserved communities. Plus, host Ritzy P and Cleve Mesidor discuss the direction of butterscotch Media now that the podcast has launched!Be sure to sign up for our newsletter, Chews! Betsabe Botaitis serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Hedera, a trusted blockchain layer for enterprises, where she is responsible for overseeing all financial and accounting activities, including token economics and strategy. Prior to joining Hedera, Betsabe held senior finance positions at various high-growth companies including Uplift, Kueski, LendingClub, and Citigroup. Betsabe is on the advisory board of the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center and is a member of the Fortune Most Powerful Women.This episode discusses:Betsabe's nonlinear career path from large financial institutions to startups and her role as CFO of Hedera.How blockchain technologies like stablecoins can revolutionize access to financial services globally.The importance of finance professionals having an understanding of both traditional and newer digital assets.Potential for blockchain to improve data integrity and decision-making in healthcare and longevity.Blockchain has the ability to solve long-standing problems of trust and efficiency across multiple industries. By leveraging the emerging technologies like blockchain and AI, we can create more inclusive and equitable financial systems worldwide. We hope you walk away feeling inspired by Betsabe's commitment to using her skills and experiences to empower underserved communities.Thanks for tuning in! To get the full scoop on creating a more inclusive Web3, DeFi, and Bitcoin space, make sure you catch every episode – we're packed with actionable tips and insights. If you found this episode valuable, spread the word and share it with someone who needs to hear this. Don't forget to follow, rate, and review our podcast on your favorite listening app – it helps us reach even more people who are passionate about building a better future for everyone in the crypto space.CONNECT WITH BETSABE BOTAITIS:LinkedInHederaCONNECT WITH BUTTERSCOTCH MEDIA:Check us out on our website butterscotch.media and subscribe to our newsletterFollow us on X @butterscotch360Watch our content on YouTube

Miguel Armaza interviews Charles Moldow, General Partner at Foundation Capital, a 30-year old venture capital firm with $3+ billion in AUM. Charles joined Foundation in 2005 and over the last two decades has led early-stage investments for many companies, 14 out of which either went public or were successfully acquired. Some of his investments include Lending Club, DOMA, Rappi, Rover, and OnDeck Financial.I learn a lot every time I talk to Charles and I hope you'll enjoy this conversation as much as I did.We discuss:Why data is the new gold and a framework on how to invest in the sector. The reason why different market dynamics require different types of founders to succeed. Thinking selectively about credit-driven fintechs. Valuable portfolio and liquidity management lessons… and a lot more! Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today's global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.Do you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 65,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

In this episode, I sit down with Renaud Laplanche, founder and CEO of Upgrade. Renaud talks about his move from Lending Club to starting Upgrade, focusing on innovation in consumer fintech. He shares insights on the unique features of the Upgrade Card, the strategic partnerships with credit unions, and the future of consumer finance. We dive into his strategies for building successful fintech companies and what sets Upgrade apart in the industry.

This episode was produced remotely using the ListenDeck standardized audio & video production system. If you're looking to jumpstart your podcast miniseries or upgrade your podcast or video production please visit www.ListenDeck.com. You can subscribe to this podcast and stay up to date on all the stories here on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon and iHeartRadio. In this episode, the host John Siracusa had a remote chat with Renaud Laplanche, Co-founder & CEO of Upgrade.  Renaud was previously CEO of Lending Club where he is also a co-founder.  In this episode we go in depth about his journey from corporate lawyer, to MatchPoint (acquired by Oracle) and Lending Club which was created in a time when peer to peer lending was not even an idea.  Today at Upgrade he's creating something that is not obvious yet.  Throughout the interview Renaud realizes that he loves to create non-obvious things that change industries.   Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon and iHeartRadio to hear next Thursdays episode with Lamine Zarrad from StellarFi. About the host: John is the founder of ListenDeck a full-service podcast and video production company, which has produced over 1500 episodes of various podcasts. He is the host of the ‘Bank On It' podcast, which features over 600 episodes starring high profile fintech leaders and entrepreneurs. Follow John on LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium

Today on Banking Transformed, we have the privilege of revisiting Scott Sanborn, CEO of LendingClub, the leading digital marketplace bank in the U.S. Since its inception, LendingClub has challenged the traditional banking model, leveraging technology and data to deliver better rates and products to its members. Scott shares his insights on the company's journey since acquiring Radius Bancorp in 2021, and the future prospects for growth since successfully exiting from the three-year Operating Agreement required of new banks. Finally, Scott provides his vision for the future of banking, and how he sees LendingClub's role in shaping this future.

Lex chats with Nelson Chu, founder and CEO of Percent -  the modern credit marketplace. Nelson kicks off the discussion b by walking through his inspiration for building the private credit marketplace and the challenges of operating in the fintech industry. He explains that Percent aims to provide a better alternative investment platform for credit investors by offering shorter durations and lower minimum investments. Nelson also discusses the importance of infrastructure in the private credit market and the need for technology to streamline processes. He highlights the different types of investors and borrowers that use Percent's platform and the challenges of building a three-sided marketplace. Nelson also touches on the impact of macroeconomic factors, such as interest rates, on the private credit market and the role of data and AI in the industry. MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION Percent's Website: https://bit.ly/3x3w8MgNelson's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4a5Nwym Topics: Private credit, lending, borrowers, underwriting, AI, artificial intelligence, investment, alternative investment, fintech, marketplace Companies: Percent, Lending Club, LendIt, Prosper, Blackstone ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT 

LendingClub CEO Scott Sanborn joins to discuss the state of the credit and loan market. He speaks with Bloomberg's Sonali Basak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the dynamic world of entrepreneurship, few stories are as captivating as Renaud Laplanche's journey. From the picturesque streets of Paris to navigating the entrepreneurial waters in the South of France, Renaud's experiences have shaped him into a serial entrepreneur with a remarkable track record.

President Biden's visit to a local restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, over the past weekend didn't quite pan out as his White House advisors had planned after a keen observer pointed out something intriguing on the diner's menu. The administration has been diligently pushing 'Bidenomics,' the moniker given to the president's economic strategy, as a boon to the working-class citizens of the United States. However, the ground reality paints a contrasting picture compared to the administration's portrayal of improved livelihoods for working-class Americans. In August, a survey conducted by Lending Club shed light on the fact that 60 percent of American households were functioning on a paycheck-to-paycheck basis. It wasn't just the low earners that were affected as the survey revealed that this trend spanned across income groups, with 45 percent of those raking in more than $100,000 per annum also included. This harsh reality was inadvertently put under the spotlight during President Biden's visit to a diner in North Carolina, according to the Daily Mail UK.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Nicole gives you a way to fight back against a system that's typically set-up against you: lending. Along the way, she shares insights from a recent conversation with Scott Sanborn, the CEO of LendingClub, who shares Nicole's passion for making lending more equitable. Nicole and Scott unpack who gets hurt in traditional systems of lending, how to use credit as a tool and "good debt." Originally aired 05.23.23

The small business lending space has seen a lot of innovation over the last decade with fintech leading the way. But there is still much more work to do as many small business still lack the access to capital that they deserve.My next guest on the Fintech One-on-One podcast is Steve Allocca, the head of Funding Circle USA. He has worked at some of the biggest names in fintech (PayPal, LendingClub, Bluevine and now Funding Circle) working on this challenge of helping small business access capital. Funding Circle is a pioneer in this space and recently they received the news that they have been approved for a new SBA 7(a) lending license.In this podcast you will learn:Steve's deep and varied history in the fintech space.Some of the lessons he has brought to Finding Circle.What attracted him to the role at Funding Circle.The typical terms of their core term loan product.Their approach to underwriting small businesses.The impact on demand of the increase in interest rates.What it means for Funding Circle to be approved to be an SBA 7(a) lender.The timetable for when they will be able to start making SBA loans.How they are building their lending as a service offering.How they interact with the Funding Circle head office in the UK.Some of the new hires they have made to the leadership team.How they can get a clearer picture of small business data.What is top of mind for Funding Circle for 2024.Connect with Steve on LinkedInConnect with Funding Circle on LinkedInConnect with Fintech One-on-One: Tweet me @PeterRenton Connect with me on LinkedIn Find previous Fintech One-on-One episodes

The small business lending space has seen a lot of innovation over the last decade with fintech leading the way. But there is still much more work to do as many small business still lack the access to capital that they deserve.My next guest on the Fintech One-on-One podcast is Steve Allocca, the head of Funding Circle USA. He has worked at some of the biggest names in fintech (PayPal, LendingClub, Bluevine and now Funding Circle) working on this challenge of helping small business access capital. Funding Circle is a pioneer in this space and recently they received the news that they have been approved for a new SBA 7(a) lending license.In this podcast you will learn:Steve's deep and varied history in the fintech space.Some of the lessons he has brought to Finding Circle.What attracted him to the role at Funding Circle.The typical terms of their core term loan product.Their approach to underwriting small businesses.The impact on demand of the increase in interest rates.What it means for Funding Circle to be approved to be an SBA 7(a) lender.The timetable for when they will be able to start making SBA loans.How they are building their lending as a service offering.How they interact with the Funding Circle head office in the UK.Some of the new hires they have made to the leadership team.How they can get a clearer picture of small business data.What is top of mind for Funding Circle for 2024.Connect with Steve on LinkedInConnect with Funding Circle on LinkedInConnect with Fintech One-on-One:Tweet me @PeterRentonConnect with me on LinkedInFind previous Fintech One-on-One episodes

Reports are surfacing suggesting that there is underlying tension amongst the White House staff due to the increasingly critical spotlight the normally supportive mainstream media is casting on President Joe Biden's sinking approval rating. This phenomenon is drawing attention as the upcoming 2024 election cycle is revving up. Over the majority of the previous year, Biden's ratings continue to slip. Interestingly, more and more polls suggest that former President Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate by a significant gap, is on a smooth journey to once again claim the Republican nomination. This information comes courtesy of news outlet, The Hill. An anonymous source close to Biden expressed their dissatisfaction with the biased media attention which persistently focuses on the polling results showcasing Biden's downward trend while disregarding those that paint him in a victorious light. Trump, on the other hand, has prophesied a collapse of the U.S. economy under Biden, countering which, White House officials assert that inflation is under control, stock market figures are promising, and unemployment rates are near historical lows. The Consumer Price Index, which studies a selection of common goods, has indeed been experiencing a decline since the engulfing pandemic. Despite these encouraging economic indicators, The Hill points out that the media coverage of this positive economic climate is insufficient. This in turn impacts the polling outcomes since public opinion is heavily influenced by media headlines. A high-ranking Biden official remarked on the frustrating lack of media coverage. The sentiment was echoed by a Biden ally who shared that in light of this overwhelming 'deep frustration', strategic meetings have been called to assess the situation. They clarify, however, that these meetings do not suggest panic over the President's prospective standing. These gatherings involve deliberations on how best to spread the message about President Biden's age and achievements. Serious concerns are being raised that the communication of Biden's accomplishments have not been persuasive or recurring enough to resonate with the public. The challenge, therefore, is crafting a message that is both potent and penetrative. However, despite the government's optimistic economic projections, according to many polls, a noticeable share of Americans continues to struggle financially. In fact, a recent survey may provide further fuel to the Republicans as they strategize their political maneuvers against Biden and the Democrats leading up to the 2024 elections. Remarkably, the November 2023 PYMNTS and LendingClub survey found that 62% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and around 60% of the country's credit card holders are among this group. The research went on to disclose that an astonishing 80% of these individuals possess at least two credit cards. The study went on to add an even more worrying statistic: cardholders living paycheck to paycheck are twice as likely to carry forward a credit card balance month-to-month than those who do not. Almost a third admitted that they have maxed out their credit card limit of on average $9,200, at least a few times within the past year. In an alarming trend, U.S. consumers have amassed an additional $48 billion in credit card debts during the third quarter of 2023, increasing the total outstanding amount to a staggering $1.08 trillion. This outstanding amount was revealed by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York through an analytical report regarding household debt. Campaigning his 'Bidenomics' approach, the President is steadfast in his belief that his implemented policies have significantly improved the living standards of US citizens. However, what the public tells the pollsters narrates a different story. Many survey respondents stated that it was Biden's policies that pushed them to reduce their Christmas spendings. Furthermore, in multiple cases, individuals reported having to work extra hours or take on additional jobs just to afford celebrating the holiday season. Aided by the Empower's 2023 holiday spending report, it was uncovered that a whopping majority of 74 percent of respondents - 1,000 people conducted in the survey - agreed that inflation caused them to be more frugal during the holiday season. Remarkably, 31 percent of them stated they had to work additional hours so as to afford holiday expenses. Empower's study uncovered further details regarding Americans' spending habits, with over a third of respondents (34%) electing to make savings this year by reducing their budget allocation. Another prominent change in spending behavior amongst respondents included reducing expenditure on non-essential items such as dining out or buying gifts so as to stay within their budget. According to Empower representative Courtney Burrell, the survey gives a glimpse into the current financial situation of most Americans. Budget reductions, compromise on quality of life, and an increase in work hours are the measures employed by many to survive in today's economy. Faced with such high inflation rates, they are forced to cut back on non-essential expenses to make ends meet. While there are people criticizing the media for being biased, there are others who feel that their life situations are not improving regardless of the economic indications. The mainstream narrative focusing on Biden's slipping ratings indicates a negative perception of the Biden administration's efforts at managing the country's economy. For Biden, tackling these ongoing struggles goes beyond mass media manipulation. Efforts must be ramped up to restore confidence in his policy-making and economic management. American households that are feeling the financial squeeze from inflation and rising costs deserve attention, and the President must strive to deliver on that. Ultimately, regardless of spin and media narratives, substantive changes on the ground reflecting in people's wallets will be instrumental in swaying public opinion. The high number of citizens living paycheck-to-paycheck, increased credit card debt, and the struggle to make ends meet all paint a different picture from the government's take on the country's economy. This signifies an urgent calling for more effective and impactful economic reforms. This Post First Appeared on Real News Now: https://www.realnewsnow.com/trump-steams-forward-as-bidens-approval-ratings-tumble/ Visit Real News Now for more breaking news and stories https://www.realnewsnow.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealNewsNowApp/ X Twitter: https://twitter.com/realnewsapp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realnews/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@realnewsnowapp Video: https://youtu.be/PK_RJn2J-xQ  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode, we explore valuable company-building lessons and mistakes shared by 18 of our guests from over last 2 years. So if you're building a business, I hope you find it helpful.This show is divided into four categories of insights:Organizational CultureProduct StrategyLeadership TacticsSales and MarketingEach chapter explores critical aspects of building a tech company, featuring the CEOs, Founders, and leaders of companies like Ramp, SoFi, Gusto, Lending Club, Figure, Upgrade, Melio, and Carta, amongst others.This episode is a treasure trove of lessons learned and strategic advice for current and aspiring fintech builders. We are also including the links to each individual episode on Substack so that you can dive-in to each one of them.Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today's global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.Do you prefer a written summary, instead? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 60,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

As the federal administration continues to promote the financial state produced under its own policies, the catalyzing economic approach often called 'Bidenomics,' a recent report is bound to offer substantial talking points for the opposition leading up to the impending election cycle. An insightful survey disclosed that, as of November 2023, a staggering 62% of consumers were dependent on their forthcoming paycheck for their monthly fiscal needs, according to the data collected by PYMNTS and LendingClub. It was also noted that this precise set of consumers are the owners of nearly 60% of the credit cards circulating within the U.S. market. In an even more surprising twist, a vast 80% of these consumers who live paycheck-to-paycheck holds on average no less than two credit cards, as reported by Fox Business. The informative report went on to highlight that those struggling with paycheck-to-paycheck patterns often carry a higher likelihood, almost twice as much as others, to extend their credit card balance into the consequent month. Adding to the complexity, nearly a third of these consumers stated having hit their credit card limit, calculated to be an average of $9,200, sporadically within the past year as reported by the same outlet, referencing the analyzed data. As if this wasn't concerning enough, the credit card debt has climbed an additional $48 billion during 2023's third quarter, bringing the total liability to an unnerving $1.08 trillion as per the analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent data signals a trying time for American citizens and could be causing a dip in the current administration's popularity. A LendingClub study reveals that around 60% of U.S. residents are now getting by on a monthly salary, with this statistic looming over the forthcoming festive season. Inflation rates and fuel expenses are both noticeably steeper compared to when the current leadership assumed power. Furthermore, the study showed a worrying trend where 40% of shoppers believe their financial standing has deteriorated since 2022, as shared in a CNBC article referencing LendingClub findings. This information was gathered in October, a mere month before the onset of the holiday shopping spree. Simultaneously, a contrasting survey by TD Bank indicates a resurgence in credit card debt, which has now exceeded $1 trillion. Disturbingly, a considerable 96% of buyers predict exceeding their spending budget this holiday season, as reported by CNBC, further adding to the growing consumer debt. Half of these consumers are contemplating incurring additional debt to finance their holiday expenses, according to a separate study by Ally Bank. Only about 23% of those borrowers have hatched repayment plans for the next one to two months.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca is a Co-Founder and General Partner at Canvas Ventures where she leads early-stage investments in Fintech, Healthtech, and AI. Rebecca has been named to the Forbes Midas List five years running, a Woman to Watch: Senior Deal Maker by the Wall Street Journal, and a Top Woman VC by the New York Times. Some of her notable investments include Luminar (NASDAQ: LAZR), Lending Club (NYSE: LC), Practice Fusion (acq Allscripts), Gabi (acq Experian), Check (acq Intuit), RelateIQ (acq Salesforce), CrowdFlower (acq by Appen), Viewics (acq Roche), FutureAdvisor (acq Blackrock), and Figure8 (acq Appen).  Before founding Canvas, Rebecca served as a General Partner at Morgenthaler Ventures. During her time at Morgenthaler, one of her early investments, Doximity (NYSE: DOCS), went public in 2021 and was one of the year's largest IPOs. Before that, she was the VP of NextCard. At NextCard, the first online credit card company, Rebecca helped scale the company from 30 people to 1300 and an IPO.  You can learn more about:  How to invest in the world's changing entrepreneurs   Founding and managing a leading VC firm  How to be a value-adding board member  ===================== YouTube: @GraceGongCEO Newsletter: @SmartVenture LinkedIn: @GraceGong TikTok: @GraceGongCEO IG: @GraceGongCEO Twitter: @GraceGongGG =====================   Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, superstar founders, as well as well-known tech executives in silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company.

In this episode (originally published Jan 3, 2023), Miguel Armaza brings you a curated selection from the best lessons, reflections, and secrets on how to build and manage an amazing board of directors. Whether you're a CEO managing a board, an investor who sits on several, an independent board director, or you just want to learn,  we hope you find it helpful.Over the last of last 12 months, one of the common themes across many episodes, has been to learn about the best practices of corporate board management. Several of our guests have sat or currently sit on the board of some of the most incredible firms in the world and they had a lot to say about it.In this episode, you will hear from:Martin Escobari, Co-President of General AtlanticRenaud Laplanche, Co-Founder & CEO of UpgradePaulo Passoni, Head of Growth Investing at Valor Jackie Reses, CEO of Lead BankMatt Harris, Partner at Bain Capital VenturesDave Nangle, Managing Partner of VEFCollectively, they sit or have sat on the boards of Nubank, Alibaba, Lending Club, dLocal, XP, Upgrade, Incode, VTEX, Affirm, Quinto Andar, Billtrust, Justworks, Creditas, Finix, Acorns, Konfio, and many more.They discuss three main topics:Importance of Diversity in The Board RoomMost of the Work is Done Outside the Board MeetingBuild Your Board Early and Make Sure It Feels Like Any Other Great Team at the CompanyWant more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today's global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.Do you prefer a written summary, instead? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join almost 60,000 readers and listeners worldwide!Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

In today's episode, Rhea Advani hosts John MacIlwaine, Co-Founder & CEO at Highnote. They delve into the evolving payments processing space, emphasizing the rise of innovative embedded finance platforms like Highnote. The conversation also unveils insights into Highnote's latest Credit Issuing product. In this episode, you will hear about: The complexities of payments processing and regulatory challenges faced by fintech companies. Highnote's innovative approach as an embedded platform, emphasizing differentiation and flexibility. Insights into Highnote's latest product, the Credit Issuing platform, and its implications for the market. The future of issuer processing, where legacy platforms coexist with cutting-edge solutions like Highnote. Highnote's strategies for navigating the competitive fintech industry and their vision for the evolving market landscape. About John MacIlwaine John MacIlwaine is the the CEO and co-founder of Highnote, an embedded finance company setting the new standard for modern card platform management through differentiated payment experiences. John has over two decades of experience leading in technical and management roles at global financial companies. Prior to founding Highnote, he served as General Manager of Braintree, a leading global payments platform that powers some of the world's most innovative and fast-growing companies, including Uber, Airbnb, and Dropbox. During his tenure at Braintree, John was instrumental in driving the company's global growth and expansion. Before joining Braintree, MacIlwaine served as the Chief Technology Officer of Lending Club, a pioneering online lending platform that connects borrowers with investors. In his role, John laid the groundwork to establish the company's technical foundation while driving innovation across the organization. Throughout his career, John has been committed to helping businesses move faster and innovate more through differentiated payment experiences. He believes that payments are a critical touchpoint in the customer journey and that businesses must deliver seamless, personalized experiences to stand out in today's competitive landscape. About Highnote Highnote is an embedded finance company setting the new standard in modern card platform management. Purpose-built to realize customer loyalty and engagement through embedded card experiences, Highnote's fully integrated tech stack provides every service needed for innovative companies to launch new ways to use card payments. Utilizing the developer-friendly Highnote platform, product and engineering teams at digital enterprises of all sizes can easily and efficiently embed virtual and physical payment cards (commercial and consumer prepaid, debit, credit, and charge), ledger, and wallet capabilities into their existing products, creating compelling value for users while growing revenue and building a unique and differentiated brand. The company has raised more than $100 million from leading investors and strategic partners and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. For additional information, please visit www.highnote.com. 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/

Today, Nicole gives you a way to fight back against a system that's typically set-up against you: lending. Along the way, she shares insights from a recent conversation with Scott Sanborn, the CEO of Lending Club, who shares Nicole's passion for making lending more equitable. Nicole and Scott unpack who gets hurt in traditional systems of lending, how to use credit as a tool and "good debt."

On this week's show, Kamz is joined by Hedera leadership, Chief of Staff and Head of Global Policy at Hedera, Nilmini Rubin and Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, Betsabe Botaitis. Nilmini Rubin is the Chief of Staff and Head of Global Policy for Hedera. Previously, she worked on the global policy team at Meta, and before that, Nilmini headed Tetra Tech's global team, implementing energy and internet projects that resulted in millions of people gaining access to electricity for the first time. For 12 years, she served as a senior aide on both the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she spearheaded the passage of legislation to provide electricity access in Africa, increase global internet access, reduce corruption through transparency, and reform U.S. foreign assistance. She is an adviser to the Women's Democracy Network and the Energy Growth Hub, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Academy of the Global Teacher Prize, and the International Mindfulness Teachers Association.Betsabe Botaitis is the newly appointed treasurer and chief financial officer at Hedera. She was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. During the Mexican peso crisis in the 1990s. The crisis left many families in financial ruin, and after witnessing her family being negatively impacted, she enrolled in a 6-month course to become a bank teller at 14-years old. Betsabe began her career as a bank teller at Citibank at the age of 15 and rose through the ranks, growing more interested in fintech and financial inclusion as her career progressed. She has since held senior positions at companies like Citigroup, and Lending Club. Botaitis is a member of Hipower, a network of executive women leaders in Silicon Valley, and she was recently awarded Nasdaq's top honor at the annual Latina Disruptors Event. Above all, she is a passionate advocate for economic equality, who has been working in blockchain since 2016. On this incredible panel, we discuss: