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Welcome back to Fintech Recap. I'm Alex Johnson, joined as always by my partner in recapping, Jason Mikula. We kick things off with Block's move into credit scoring. Block stitched together data across Cash App and Afterpay into a proprietary score it's now surfacing to consumers and selling to other lenders, claiming auto lenders could approve 30% more borrowers at identical loss rates using the Cash App score. We dig into adverse selection when consumers choose what to share, where this fits in lender workflows, and the FCRA wrinkle that “transactions and experiences” data can fall outside the definition of a consumer report… Then, we dive into stablecoins. Jason walks through the rebirth of “no KYC” crypto-funded spending cards, including testing several of these services himself (tune in to discover the pattern!). The core mechanic Jason flags is a corporate card loophole: KYB the company, then issue incremental “employee” cards with no legal or regulatory requirement to verify the person behind each card. From there, we zoom out to Bridge, Stripe's stablecoin infrastructure subsidiary. Bridge got conditional OCC approval to form a national trust bank and moved jurisdictions (which include Russia, Belarus, Gaza, South Sudan, and Venezuela) from “controlled” to “prohibited,” while still defining “prohibited” with an “extraordinary situations” carveout. Plus, in our Can't Let It Go corner: prediction markets. CFTC Chair Mike Sig told the Senate during his nomination hearing that he'd defer to the courts on sports betting and prediction markets. But early this year, he reversed course, asserting the CFTC's exclusive jurisdiction and filing amicus briefs against state prohibitions aimed at sports betting. Kalshi and Polymarket loved it, and I'm sure that's unrelated to the fact that Sig's boss's son is an advisor to both. We close with Substack's new partnership with Polymarket to embed prediction markets into journalism, set against a real-world example of the incentive problem: Israeli authorities investigated and arrested military reservists and a civilian for allegedly using classified information to place bets on Polymarket. This episode is brought to you by Plaid. Most lenders see the value of cash flow data. The hard part is getting started—and knowing what to do with it once you have it. Plaid makes it easy to access real-time cash flow and behavioral insights in seconds, through a familiar experience borrowers already trust. No heavy lift. No added friction. 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/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson
This event took place two months before the people of Wales cast their votes in the seventh election to Senedd Cymru (the Welsh parliament) since it was established in 1999. The polls suggest that Plaid is on track to overturn Labour's century-long dominance of Welsh politics to become the largest party in the Senedd for the first time, opening the path to Rhun ap Iorwerth becoming Wales's next first minister. Watch our event recording to hear the Plaid leader deliver a short speech on how he would govern as first minister, followed by a conversation with Akash Paun, Programme Director for Devolution at the Institute for Government, and a Q&A with the live and online audience.
This event took place two months before the people of Wales cast their votes in the seventh election to Senedd Cymru (the Welsh parliament) since it was established in 1999. The polls suggest that Plaid is on track to overturn Labour's century-long dominance of Welsh politics to become the largest party in the Senedd for the first time, opening the path to Rhun ap Iorwerth becoming Wales's next first minister. Watch our event recording to hear the Plaid leader deliver a short speech on how he would govern as first minister, followed by a conversation with Akash Paun, Programme Director for Devolution at the Institute for Government, and a Q&A with the live and online audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Guests include: Middle East analyst Dr Laura James, politics professor Jon Tonge, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, First Minister Eluned Morgan and writer and broadcaster Iain Dale. Paper reviewers: Conservative councillor in Monmouthshire Lisa Dymock and Rachel Cable from Colegau Cymru.
Send a textInvest in pre-IPO stocks with AG Dillon & Co. Contact aaron.dillon@agdillon.com to learn more. Financial advisors only. www.agdillon.com00:00 - Intro00:51 - Stripe Initiates $159B Tender01:29 - Stripe Annual Letter Shows Scale and Faster Cohorts03:16 - Stripe PayPal Optionality Creates a Valuation Spread04:15 - Plaid Employee Liquidity Up-Round at $8B05:19 - Saronic Targets Mega-Round at $8.5B06:18 - Profound Hits $1B at 18-Month Pace07:35 - Cerebras Reopens IPO Window With $10B Compute Deal08:29 - Axelera AI Funds Edge Inference Buildout09:17 - Basis Crosses $1B With Accounting AI Penetration Metrics10:20 - Anthropic Claude Code Security Turns Reasoning Into AppSec11:18 - Anthropic Consumer Momentum Accelerates12:15 - Anthropic Tender Formalizes Late-Stage Liquidity13:02 - Anthropic Targets Mainframe Modernization With COBOL13:55 - OpenAI $110B Round at $840B Post-Money Sets New Bar15:04 - OpenAI Hardware Roadmap Points to 2027 and 202816:12 - OpenAI Consultants Push Enterprise Adoption in 202617:05 - AMD and Crusoe Use Credit to Accelerate Chip Pull-Through18:10 - Starlink Drops Prices To Accelerate Growth, Subscribers at 10M19:37 - Canva Buys Motion and Ad Optimization as Scale Compounds20:44 - Mistral and Accenture Signal Consultant-Led Distribution
In a one-two punch of centibillion-dollar offers, the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery is over. David Ellison-owned Paramount will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Netflix has lost. Plus, Plaid valued at $8B in employee share sale. The new valuation is a 31% increase from $6.1 billion Plaid reached in April. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I'm Alex Johnson, joined in this episode by two guests, Steve Boms (Executive Director at FDATA) and Dan Murphy (Founder of Sunset Park Advisors; formerly CFPB). We're talking about Canada, and why a country that has spent the better part of a decade moving at a pace I have occasionally made fun of in the newsletter is now arguably ahead of the U.S. on open banking regulation. Dan and Steve walk through how Canada deliberately corrected what other countries got wrong, and how timing and learning play a role, too. Canada watched the BPI lawsuit play out in the U.S. They saw the gap between banks' stated preferences and revealed preferences once implementation became real. They built voluminous, specific legislation partly because they learned what happens when you leave room for interpretation. The conversation explores the global policy learning ecosystem, the cultural conservatism baked into Canadian financial services (Steve calls it "conservatism with the lowercase c"), and how a Big Five oligopoly holding 90% of consumer deposits accidentally created conditions for comprehensive reform when external pressure finally arrived. Highlights include: Steve's argument that write access might actually solve liability problems by creating traceable ledgers of who changed what and when Dan's observation about the Amazon Perplexity lawsuit and how it echoes every open banking access fight The distinction between domestic competition policy and international competitiveness policy, and why they usually point in opposite directions This episode is brought to you by Plaid. Most lenders see the value of cash flow data. The hard part is getting started—and knowing what to do with it once you have it. Plaid makes it easy to access real-time cash flow and behavioral insights in seconds, through a familiar experience borrowers already trust. No heavy lift. No added friction. 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 Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenboms/ Follow Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieljmurphy01/ 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
Welcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I do what we do best: talk about fintech startups we're absolutely not giving investment advice on. First up is Kairos, a multi-prediction market trading platform giving traders a single terminal to buy and sell event contracts across Kalshi, Polymarket, and all the other emerging platforms. Their pitch: what the Bloomberg terminal did for Wall Street, Kairos does for prediction market traders. That tees up our bigger idea: as prediction markets expand, how they get liquidity (especially through sports betting) shapes what these markets can become. Next is Vault, which takes a different angle on crypto-collateralized lending. Instead of the usual over-collateralized “borrow to buy more crypto” model, Vault's idea is infrastructure that lets lenders use crypto as collateral to improve pricing or unlock access for other loans. Banks may want this, but they have no ability to take custody of that crypto asset as a part of the collateral process, and monitor the value of it – all of the infrastructure is missing there. Then there's Vennre, a wealth platform for high earners (HENRYs), offering private market exposure across real estate, credit, private equity, and venture through a mobile app with 1:1 financial coaches working with AI. Simon points out they're registered in the UK and Saudi Arabia, Sharia-compliant, and targeting a growing cross-border audience tied to migration and real estate purchases. Finally, we close with Buy Now Pay Maybe, an on-chain “buy now pay later” send-up (more product idea than actual company), where you can pay more for higher odds of getting the item for free, or lose and overpay. Simon frames it as performance art that points at something ugly, which we explore. 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 Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Substack: https://sytaylor.substack.com Follow Alex: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Companies featured: https://kairos.trade/ https://www.collateralvault.com/ https://vennre.com/ https://merch.smallbrain.xyz/
In this powerful episode of the Connect Podcast by California MBA, host and CEO Paul Gigliotti, sits down with Sasha Stair, CMB®, CMO at Xactus, to unpack the massive shift happening in mortgage verification. Say goodbye to outdated, manual, paper-based processes — Xactus 360 delivers dynamic, data-driven verification that adapts in real time. Powered by strategic partnerships with Plaid (bank data) and FICO (advanced scoring), lenders can now consolidate credit, income, employment, identity, fraud, flood, and more into smarter, faster workflows. Episode highlights: - Over 40% of U.S. workers have non-traditional income — how intelligent verification handles complexity without friction - Fannie Mae & MBA stats: ~25% of loans fall out due to incorrect income verification — the costly problem Xactus solves - Combining AI/machine learning automation with expert human consultation for lender-specific customization - Reducing loan fallout, speeding up pipelines, and improving borrower experience - Sneak peek at the upcoming Xactus Mortgage Intent Index — predicting borrower intent before they even apply Whether you're a lender, mortgage exec, or fintech innovator, this conversation reveals how technology + strategic data partnerships are reshaping origination and borrower engagement. Subscribe to California MBA's Connect Podcast for more insider conversations on mortgage innovation, compliance, and growth strategies. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro & Guest Welcome 2:30 Evolution of Verification Landscape 8:15 The Non-Traditional Income Challenge 15:40 How Xactus 360 Works 22:10 Partnerships: Plaid, FICO & More 30:00 Reducing Fallout & Streamlining Workflows 38:45 Future: Mortgage Intent Index 45:00 Sponsor Thanks & Closing
In this episode of Skin in the Game, Saxon Baum sits down with Brian Hollins, co-founder of Collide Capital, for a wide ranging conversation on venture capital, institutional fundraising, and the mindset required to build a differentiated early-stage firm.Brian's story begins just outside Washington, D.C., where he grew up as the oldest of three brothers in a disciplined and competitive household. His middle brother, Mack Hollins, famously received no college football offers, walked on at UNC, and went on to build a nine-year NFL career that includes a Super Bowl championship. His youngest brother served in the Marines. That foundation of resilience, accountability, and high standards continues to shape Brian's approach to leadership and investing.The conversation traces his path from Stanford, where a culture of ambition and innovation pushes students to think boldly, to Goldman Sachs, where he helped build the Emerging Entrepreneurs Coverage Group. During that time, he learned how to create real value for founders before ever writing a check, including early work supporting companies like Plaid. Those experiences laid the groundwork for how he thinks about venture capital today.Brian also explains why he approached business school intentionally, using it as a strategic platform to build relationships and lay the foundation for launching Collide Capital. The discussion highlights the difference between raising a fund and building a firm, and what it takes to earn long-term institutional LP support.The episode concludes with a look at Collide Capital's investment focus on fintech infrastructure, supply chain and logistics, and the future of Gen Z in the workforce and why the best founders are relentlessly focused on solving one core problem.A thoughtful and candid discussion on building with intention and playing the long game. Tune in to this episode. You don't want to miss this one!
Marine Le Pen fixée sur son avenir politique le 7 juillet prochain… Maitres Chirac Kollarik et Bosselut, avocats de Marine Le Pen, sont nos invités.Tous les soirs du lundi au vendredi à partir de 18h57 sur France 5, Anne-Elisabeth Lemoine et toute son équipe accueillent celles et ceux qui font l'actualité du jour.
Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast, where I'm welcoming back Jane Barratt, Chief Advocacy Officer at MX, to talk about Super Bowl commercials and advertising ( and how it overlaps with data privacy, data ownership, open banking, and AI). Fun fact: Jane had a previous career in advertising. What I didn't know is that Jane used to go on live television and review ads from the Super Bowl the day after. In this episode, recorded the day after Super Bowl LIX (déjà vu vu for Jane), we hand out the inaugural Fintech Takes Super Bowl Ad Awards. Then we pivot to what the commercials (including those that were conspicuously absent) reveal about consumer sentiment, what happens when ads start showing up inside AI tools, and more. We also dig into where U.S. open banking stands after a year of regulatory turbulence around the CFPB's Section 1033 rule. Highlights include: Why Levi's won Best Use of Money and Coinbase won Biggest Waste of Money Why almost no major banks and fintech companies, or consumer financial brands showed up (and what that missing marketing spend signals about the economy) Why ads inside AI tools are fundamentally different from ads on Instagram or Google Why the biggest banks keep investing in open banking even with the CFPB's Section 1033 rule still unresolved, and why smaller banks that don't invest in data-sharing risk asset flight to trillion-dollar institutions 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 Jane: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janebarratt/ Follow Alex Johnson: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnsonX: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson
Send a textWelcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Today, Piper speaks with senior editor and senior reporter, Kimberly Loushin about the February breeding issue of The Plaid Horse.Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Kimberly Loushin is the senior editor and senior reporter at The Plaid Horse. She graduated from the University of Georgia, and over the last 11 years, she's covered Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games, World Cup Finals and major horse shows throughout the United States for major equestrian publications. Though she grew up in the hunter/jumper world, she now competes in eventing.Read the Latest Issue of The Plaid Horse MagazineSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services and Windstar CruisesJoin us at an upcoming Plaidcast in Person live event!
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
Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I'm Alex Johnson, joined by Marc Rubinstein, author of the fantastic Net Interest newsletter. In this episode, we bounce through some of Marc's most insightful writing from the past year (linked below) to spotlight the structural forces shaping 2026. We explore why the U.S. has thousands of community banks, the idiosyncrasies of our 30-year mortgage product, the growing industry focus on agentic commerce, and why stablecoin infrastructure is coalescing around large, permissioned systems — and what all of that reveals about regulatory incentives, institutional power, and the future of financial infrastructure. Highlights include: Why the U.S. has thousands more banks than any other developed market How agentic commerce is being driven more by investor decks than consumer behavior Why OpenAI might accidentally save small merchants Why stablecoins are moving onto permissioned, institution-backed rails (and will be increasingly shaped by players like Stripe). 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. Net Interest pieces discussed: Community First: https://www.netinterest.co/p/community-first-ca0 The Policy Triangle: https://www.netinterest.co/p/the-policy-triangle Inside the Affordability Crisis: https://www.netinterest.co/p/inside-the-affordability-crisis Agentic Friday: https://www.netinterest.co/p/agentic-friday Ready Layer One: https://www.netinterest.co/p/ready-layer-one Follow Marc: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-rubinstein/ 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
The elections happening for the Welsh Senedd in 2026 are held at the same time as the English local elections and the vote for the Scottish Parliament – but there's an argument to be made that they're by far the most important ones happening on May 7th.Since it was first elected in 1999, Labour have been the story of Wales. They have held a plurality of seats and have formed all Welsh Governments, be that majority, minority or coalition. They've never received less than 29.6% of the vote in either the constituency or regional list ballots.Yet, four months out, opinion polls have them as low as 10%.In their place stand two diametrically opposed forces: on one side, as in all British politics, stand the right-wing Reform, polling near 30%.And on the other stands the Party of Wales, Plaid Cymru. They currently lead polls with highs of 33% and took one of their biggest scalps back in October, beating the surging Reform in the Caerphilly by-election for a Westminster MP.The addition of a completely new voting system for the Senedd adds a wrinkle to proceedings also, as it moves to a closed-list proportional system in 16 constituencies across the country.With the country on a precipice, we were joined by the Leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, to discuss what the future of Wales looks like and what Plaid Cymru's plan is should they be successful in May.Rhun has been the Leader of Plaid since 2023, before which he was Deputy Leader for five years, and has served as Member of the Senedd for Ynys Môn since 2013. Before this, he worked as a journalist, becoming BBC Wales's Chief Political Correspondent in 2001, a post he held for five years, before moving into presenting roles.Support the showEnjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist?Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member!You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.
Welcome back to Fintech Takes for a special bonus episode of Fintech Recap with Jason Mikula; Latin American sanctions evasion expert and author of a splendid ~5,500 word investigation on Kontigo that demands its own episode. If you haven't yet read Jason's piece, “Kontigo: Y Combinator's Venezuelan Sanctions Evasion Startup” in Fintech Business News Weekly – the spine of this episode – you should (full link below). This episode is a deep dive into Kontigo, a crypto‑fintech startup operating in Venezuela that marketed USDC off‑ramps and debit cards, raised money from Coinbase (among others!), and leveraged U.S. financial infrastructure (like JPMorgan Chase, Checkbook, Rain, Bridge, Lead Bank, and Stripe) … while operating in a heavily sanctioned environment. The rise and fall of Kontigo raises urgent questions about accountability, compliance, and the risks embedded in stablecoin rails. We get into: The foreign exchange arbitrage that made the model profitable Why stablecoins are “speed-running BaaS” (but worse) How product market fit in stablecoins can be code for money laundering, sanctions evasion, or financial crime And the surreal online behavior of the CEO (shirtless hype videos included) Plus, in our Can't Let It Go corner: agave spirit startups, Kontigo's logo that obviously nods at the Petro (Venezuela's failed oil backed cryptocurrency), and our favorite quote of 2026 so far! 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. Read Jason's “Kontigo: Y Combinator's Venezuelan Sanctions Evasion Startup” here: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/p/kontigo-ycombinators-venezuela-sanctions 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/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson
In this episode, we discuss the illustrious career and relationship of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and the ultimate breakdown of their 20 year marriage. Steev shares the incredible synergy of siblings and parents of the music industry and recent Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductees, while Cibeline touches on the upcoming award season, The 2026 Met Ball Theme, and highlights on the wonderful world of winter plaids.Produced and Hosted by Cibeline Sariano and Steev Riccardo
Welcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I do what we do best: talk about fintech startups we're absolutely not giving investment advice on. First up is stablecoin banking startup Kontigo, whose founder declared: “Kontigo is not a bank. Banking services are provided by the freaking blockchain.” We unpack the very fast arc that followed: getting deplatformed through its partner stack, the Venezuela and sanctions questions that can come with being “global by default,” and then the hack (Kontigo promised to reimburse affected users). Next up is Givefront, corporate card and spend management software built for nonprofits. We get specific about what “built for nonprofits” means in practice: IRS 990 reporting, grant restrictions, donor policies, and the go-to-market riddle of reaching over 1.5 million organizations that rarely rip and replace systems. Then there's Beycome, which promises an AI-assisted home buying journey. They charge sellers a flat fee to list their home and close (including a $399 package, marketed as saving sellers an average of $13,185 in fees). We talk about why real estate fees are such a durable profit pool, and why distribution's the hardest part of this business. Finally, we close with Cash App. Okay, not quite a startup at the same level, but there's been a real vibe shift – as evidenced by a slew of new feature releases and capabilities inside Cash App (which we run through!). Plus,closing manifestations (manifesting some good outcomes for Cash App, and more episodes of Not Fintech Investment Advice for 2026). 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 Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Substack: https://sytaylor.substack.com Follow Alex: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Companies featured: https://www.kontigo.com/en https://www.givefront.com/ https://www.beycome.com/ https://cash.app/
The BIGCast Gang ventures into the highly turbulent waters of 2026 fintech and credit union predictions- assessing the bright and dark sides of AI, vibe coding, the outlook for mergers, interest rates and of course, Bitcoin. Glen throws in a Rob Reiner/Stephen King reference for good measure. Links related to this episode: John Janclaes/The CEO Corner: https://theceocorner.com/ Anne Legg/Thrive Strategic Services: https://www.anneleggthrive.com/ Lou Grilli via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lougrilli/ Money 20/20's "Who the F Knows?" predictions: https://www.money2020.com/content/predictions Plaid's 2026 Predictions: https://plaid.com/events/fintech-predictions-2026-watch-now/ December's episode grading our 2025 predictions and marking off the BIGGo cards: https://www.big-fintech.com/calling-bingo-in-a-crazy-year/ Join us for our first CU Town Hall of 2026- Wednesday January 21 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. This session will tackle 2026 predictions in interactive form, covering additional ground including breaking news since this podcast was recorded. The Town Hall is free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Alex Rampell is a General Partner at Andressen Horowitz, where he leads their $1.7BN apps fund. Just last week, a16z announced they had raised $15BN for their latest funds, over 20% of all capital raised by venture firms. At a16z, Alex has led deals into Plaid, Mercury and OpenDoor to name a few. AGENDA: 04:55 How to Do 5x on a $15BN Fund Pool? 09:21 What Two Groups of Funds Will Win the Next Decade in VC? 14:39 What Three Things Are the Best Founders Able to Do? 19:22 The Best Companies Have Hostages, Not Customers 31:37 The Two Types of Deals You Want To Do In VC 38:52 The Importance of Founder/Capital Fit 40:34 Multiple Successive Rounds Are Dangerous… Here is Why? 42:13 Challenges of High Valuations 45:27 The Importance of Ownership in Deals 52:47 Is Triple, Triple, Double, Double Dead 58:33 Advice on Selling Companies 01:11:55 What is the Future of Venture Capital
Welcome back to Fintech Takes. I'm Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my partner in Fintech Recapping, Jason Mikula. In our first episode of the new year, we recap all of 2025 — through the big themes that shaped the industry and set the stage for 2026 (you'll want to catch our predictions at the end). First up, Regulation in the Upside Down. We dig into Trump's second-term reshuffle which replaced independence with centralization. Tailoring became code for deregulation, and regulators started talking less about consumer protection and more about “making community banks great again” (their shorthand for rolling back rules under the guise of helping small banks). Next up, stablecoins. With the GENIUS Act signed into law, 2025 was their breakout year. PayPal, Klarna, SoFi, and even Wyoming launched coins. We dig into whether yield-bearing stablecoins will reshape deposit markets or just become the modern equivalent of the free toaster you used to get for opening an account. Then, it's the latest in the open banking saga. And then, it's looking at gambling as our national culture. (Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket became sports betting apps in all but name, monetizing financial nihilism with bets on divorces, political violence, even war.) Finally, the IPO window reopened. Klarna, Chime, Circle, eToro, Figure, and Wealthfront all went public. (And we both agree that staying private isn't always a sign of strength, but some structure is better than none.) We wrap with 2026 predictions (tune in to find out!), and in Can't Let It Go, we offer up a crypto neobank that launched with a WWE-style promo, plus eerily targeted sports betting ads on YouTube… 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/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson
Join our current events support zoomcast show hosted by Jan Landy and his knowledgeable affable panel of friends and colleagues for an entertaining robust discussion offering opinions on anything related to a working professional life in general.Our ZoomCast isn't just a fountain of knowledge; it's also a opportunity to laugh. Think of it as therapy, but with more jokes and fewer couches. Join us and share your thoughts. Stay updated on life and world events, and enjoy multiple good chuckles along the way.
Aujourd'hui, Bruno Poncet, cheminot, Antoine Diers, consultant, et Zohra Bitan, cadre de la fonction publique, débattent de l'actualité autour d'Alain Marschall et Olivier Truchot.
Fintech went from a full-blown surge to a near standstill in just two years. At its peak, about 25 percent of all venture dollars were pouring into the category. By late 2022, that number had collapsed to almost zero. In this conversation, a16z General Partner David Haber and Plaid cofounder and CEO Zach Perret unpack what actually happened during that cycle and why the market is heating up again.We explore how the industry moved from the explosive growth of 2020 and 2021 into a deep freeze, and why we are now seeing real momentum return. We also dig into the forces reshaping fintech today: AI's outsized impact on fraud and underwriting, incumbents finally embracing external software, the renewed importance of deposits, and the rise of embedded finance across entirely new categories.Zach shares how Plaid has navigated these shifts, what the company is building now, and how he sees the next phase of fintech taking shape. Resources:Find Zach on X: https://x.com/zachperretFind David on X: https://x.com/dhaber Stay Updated:If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
People often ask what I'm actually building with AI all day. In this episode, I break down the 6 active projects I'm coding right now to automate my work and save money:The QuickBooks Killer: Replacing a $30/month subscription with a custom Python & Plaid script for automated tax reporting.Content Agent: Automatically converting podcast audio into a written Substack newsletter.Voice-First Trading Journal: A system to log trading results and tax liabilities verbally into a secure database.Global Earnings Tracker: Monitoring earnings revisions across US and global markets.The Buffett Scan: An automated scanner finding stocks that meet Warren Buffett's investing criteria.Yutori Scouts: Using a new navigator API to dig up better market intel than Google News.
Welcome back to Fintech Takes. I'm Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my Jason Mikula, my partner in recapping — who I've been lucky to see a lot of lately, which makes recording this over the internet feel oddly impersonal? First up, open banking updates. JPMC has updated data-access contracts with Plaid, Yodlee, Morningstar, and Akoya; covering, reportedly, 95% of data pulls on its systems (but is silent on players like Finicity, Stripe, Trustly, and MX). Meanwhile, the CFPB wants to finalize its 1033 rule by year's end, possibly skipping key steps like the small business panel. The rule may allow data fees tied to “cost recovery,” but what counts as cost (and who has the leverage to charge it) is still very much in play. Then it's onto digital IDs. Apple now lets users create an identity credential in Wallet from a passport, using NFC and a liveness check. Jason tested it. It works, but usage is limited to select TSA checkpoints. And adoption faces the same slow climb as Apple Pay, but with higher risks if it fails. Identity credentials aren't like payments: you don't want them glitching at airport security! From there, Green Dot (which some might describe as an OG fintech company) is going private and splitting up. Smith Ventures is buying the non-bank side, while CommerceOne (also backed by Smith) takes over the bank and folds it into a new holding company. It's a move that looks like extraction (pulling the combo out of public markets that never knew how to value it), which raises questions for other banks trying to thread the same needle. Plus, in our Can't Let It Go corner: Jason dives into the latest lawsuit against Meta, where internal docs reveal the company blocked safety features that threatened growth, ran a 17-strike policy before removing sex traffickers (described as a very, very, very high threshold), and drew its own comparisons to Big Tobacco. And I flag a podcast moment so surreal it sounds fake: the CEO of Roblox endorsing prediction markets for kids (as long as they're framed as “educational”). Thanks for listening! This episode was brought to you by Marqeta. Don't sacrifice agility for stability. With Marqeta, launch payments experiences that perform at scale and flex with your business. Learn more at https://marqeta.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
Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Today, Piper speaks with senior editor and senior reporter, Kimberly Loushin about the December education issue of The Plaid Horse.Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Kimberly Loushin is the senior editor and senior reporter at The Plaid Horse. She graduated from the University of Georgia, and over the last 11 years, she's covered Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games, World Cup Finals and major horse shows throughout the United States for major equestrian publications. Though she grew up in the hunter/jumper world, she now competes in eventing.Read the Latest Issue of The Plaid Horse MagazineSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, Windstar Cruises, and Great American Insurance Group Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast in Person live event!
Silicon Valley is three years ahead on AI recruiting — and what's happening there is about to hit the rest of the job market fast.In this episode of SKILLSHARP THE PODCAST, Todd and Brian sit down with Paul Duran, Senior Technical Recruiter at Plaid (previously Facebook, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Blockchain.com), to break down how AI is transforming hiring from the inside.Here's what Paul uncovers:→ Why 95% of applicants never reach a human→ How AI tools like Ashby and JuiceBox actually filter candidates→ What companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, Nvidia, and Microsoft are doing differently→ The biggest ATS mistakes job seekers make→ How to optimize your resume + LinkedIn for AI screening→ What the Bay Area reveals about the future of hiring→ And whether AI will really replace recruiters (his answer may surprise you)If you're applying to jobs and not hearing back, this episode will completely change your strategy.Episode Link (YouTube): https://youtu.be/lLgokZGejQM
0:00 Intro 1:16 Hankook Gewinnspiel Gewinner 2:14 Neuer Porsche E-Cayenne schlägt Tesla Plaid Model X? 11:40 FSD in Südkorea 12:46 Start in Europa für FSD Anfang 2026? Hilf mit! 18:18 FSD Version 14.2 ist da Link zur FSD Petition: https://www.change.org/p/release-tesla-full-self-driving-supervised-in-europe 19:55 Niederlande reagiert: FSD Zulassung in Europa? 27:45 Geheimnis: Tesla wird größter Chiphersteller! 29:49 Kein Taxi: Verzögerungen beim Tesla Robotaxi Hochlauf 37:24 Tesla erhält Lizenz für autonome Fahrzeuge in Nevada 38:25 Tesla Robotaxi App Update 39:58 Outro Ihr könnt meine Arbeit mit dem Tesla Welt Podcast unterstützen indem Ihr folgende Partnerlinks benutzt: Davids Tesla Referral Code: https://ts.la/david63148 - AUTOZENTRUM SCHMITZ: Fairer Tesla An- & Verkauf beim größten Tesla Autohändler: https://www.autozentrum-schmitz.de/ - HANKOOK: Hier geht's zum Gewinnspiel & zu den besten Reifen für E-Autos: https://www.hankook-promotion.de/tesla-welt - SHOP4TESLA: Erhalte 10% Rabatt mit dem Code "teslawelt" auf jetzt alle Produkte: https://www.shop4tesla.com/?ref=TeslaWelt - HOLY: Erhalte 10% Rabatt mit dem Code "TESLAWELT" auf alle Produkte: https://de.weareholy.com/?ref=teslawelt - CARBONIFY: THG Quoten Prämie. Transparent und fair : https://carbonify.de/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=Teslawelt - Der Tesla Welt Merchshop: https://teslawelt.myspreadshop.de/ - Elon Musk Biografie von Walter Isaacson: https://amzn.to/3sETBBi - Deutsche Version: https://amzn.to/45HZfkF - Die mit - gekennzeichneten Links sind Affiliate-Links. Es handelt sich hierbei um bezahlte Werbung. Ein Kauf über einen Affiliate-Link unterstützt den Kanal und für euch entstehen dabei selbstverständlich keinerlei Mehrkosten! Für direkte Unterstützung werdet Tesla Welt Kanalmitglied und erhalte exklusive Vorteile: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK0nQCNCloToqNKhbJ1QGfA/join - oder direkt per PayPal: an feedback@teslawelt.de Folgt mir gerne auch auf X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/teslawelt Musik: Titel: My Little Kingdom Autor: Golden Duck Orchestra Source Licence Download(MB)
Recorded live at Money20/20 USA in partnership with Newline by Fifth Third, Russell Goldsmith and Graham Barrett explore the transformative forces driving the payments landscape. Fifth Third's SVP, General Manager, Tom Bianco discusses the Comerica acquisition, balancing innovation with stability, and the power of strategic fintech partnerships. Brian Dammeir, Head of Payments and Financial Management at Plaid dives into the growth of open banking and the role of trust and data in pay-by-bank adoption, while Ran Goldi, SVP Payments & Network at Fireblocks explains how digital assets, stablecoins and tokenisation are redefining banking infrastructure. An inside look at how traditional institutions and fintechs are collaborating to build the next generation of financial services.
Welcome back to Fintech Takes. I'm Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my Jason Mikula, my partner in recapping, but this time we recorded live from the floor of Money20/20 in Vegas! Expect a shorter and more caffeinated episode where we riff topic to topic, grab bag style. First up, no surprise that AI was the buzzword, especially agentic AI. Conversations this year felt more grounded (not “we're doing AI,” but which use cases make sense and which don't; folks finally have better language and specificity to describe it). Then it's onto the second buzziest topic: stablecoins (mostly cross-border payments and digital dollars in inflation-hit economies), while our friends at the Fed manned a booth pitching “faster payments,” which felt charmingly out of time. Next, we check in on open banking's 14,000 comment letters, where big banks demand cost recovery, Plaid wants free access, and small banks want help surviving. From there, we fly past BaaS Island at warp speed (Evolve Bank's latest unwanted headline!) for a deep dive into the newest Silicon Valley-meets-OCC experiment: Erebor Bank. Founded by Palmer Luckey, financed by tech money, and conditionally approved in record time (raising questions about pay-to-play politics in banking charters). Plus, in our Can't Let It Go corner: Jason vents about the corrosive influence of crypto lobbying, and I read a truly cursed news item: Truth Social launching “Truth Gems,” a crypto prediction-market where users can bet on the future of… anything! (Yes, it's as bad as it sounds.) Thanks for listening! This episode was brought to you by Marqeta. Don't sacrifice agility for stability. With Marqeta, launch payments experiences that perform at scale and flex with your business. Learn more at marqeta.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/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson
Welcome to our new miniseries, Engineering the SMB Capital Stack, sponsored by our friends at Fundbox. This four-part series digs into small businesses, small business lending, and the forces reshaping how small businesses access capital. In Episode 1, I sit down with Prashant Fuloria, CEO of Fundbox (and my cohost for the episodes that follow). We kick things off with The State of SMB Lending, level-setting with data from the Federal Reserve's 2025 report on small business credit (based on a 2024 survey of 7,600 business owners). For the first time since 2021, small businesses were more likely to report that revenues decreased rather than increased in the year prior to the survey. Translation: SMBs are surviving; not thriving. Then, we zoom out from the data to consider why costs are rising, why some businesses are defaulting instead of declaring bankruptcy, and how embedded finance is changing both borrower behavior and lender economics. Prashant brings the long view of Fundbox's credit data to the table: how performance differs across industries, why CAC still kills standalone lenders, and how alignment among banks, fintechs, and platforms is the only sustainable model. It's a foundational conversation for anyone tracking the next decade of SMB capital: rich with data and grounded in the here and now (with a clear sense of where the stack's heading!). Subscribe now to catch what's next: candid, can't-miss conversations with leaders from Plaid, Stripe Capital, and Lead Bank! This episode was brought to you by Fundbox. As a leading capital infrastructure provider behind the digital SMB economy, Fundbox is focused on enabling platforms to embed financial tools directly into their user experiences. Learn more here. 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 Alex: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Follow Prashant: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fuloria/ Learn more about Fundbox here.
Enio Augusto e Marcos Buosi falam sobre tudo que envolve o mundo dos tênis e também de outros acessórios relacionados à corrida.SEJA MEMBRO DO CANAL!!!Aqui tem análises, reviews, dicas, palpites, perguntas, respostas, números, valores e opinião. Informação com bom humor, dúvidas com resposta e conteúdo de sobra. Envie sua pergunta. Escute, aprenda, ensine e divirta-se com a gente.-Tudo sobre o Qiadon Feiying Plaid - REVIEW.-Cupom de Desconto:KEEP RUNNING BRASIL - PFCEste programa tem o apoio e parceria da Keep Running Brasilhttps://www.instagram.com/keeprunningbrasil/https://www.youtube.com/@KeepRunningBrasilhttps://www.facebook.com/keeprunningbrasilhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/keep-running-brasil/https://www.instagram.com/keepers.run/-SEJA MEMBRO DO CANAL NO YOUTUBE
Plaid beat Reform in Caerphilly, Laura spent the morning with Green New Deal Rising, Ireland have elected a socialist president, and Zohran Mamdani is set to win the New York mayoralty next week. All of which is to say, is the Left back? Laura and Seán discuss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On the face of it, the Caerphilly by-election result is a disaster, a drubbing and a humiliation for Keir Starmer's Labour party. A once secure bastion of the Welsh Labour heartlands fell without a squeak from the governing party. Their vote collapsed to a miserable 11 per cent, while Plaid Cymru won with 47 per cent and Reform surged to second place with 36 per cent. The result suggests Labour is on course to surrender a boatload of seats at the 2029 general election, both to Reform and to whatever protest party is best suited to beat the government around the head – be it Plaid, the Greens, the Corbynites, the Islamist independents or the SNP. But is there good news for the PM beyond the headlines? Lucy Dunn speaks to Tim Shipman and James Heale. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Is Welsh Labour dead?Plaid Cymru won a historic victory in the by-election, trouncing Labour who had been dominant for over 100 years.The "middle child" as Plaid's new MS describes them, also beat Reform, who pollsters expected to win the seat.In this episode, Harry Clarke-Ezzidio reports from Caerphilly to analyse the results of the election. He speaks to Rhun ap Iorwerth, Huw Irranca-Davies, Llyr Powell, and Dan Evans.LISTEN AD-FREE:
Our second wave of FinovateFall coverage includes interviews with the founders of Gentreo and Wysh- two young firms aiming to preserve member deposits across life cycles- as well as Veep Software, which delivers early wage access alongside financial education through the FI channel. Also- Glen reveals his Best of Show ballot, and touches on the startling plot twists with Plaid, Chase and open banking (spoilers entirely warranted). Links related to this episode: Wysh: https://www.wysh.com/ Gentreo: https://www.gentreo.com/ Veep Software: https://veepsoftware.io/ Veep's post-interview announcement of its partnership with financial education content provider nudge: https://www.financialcontent.com/article/getnews-2025-9-17-veep-launches-ewa-20-and-announces-first-global-partnership-with-nudge Videos of all 63 FinovateFall demos: https://finovate.com//videos/?filtertype=&showtypes=FinovateFall&videostartyear=2025&showletters=A-Z FinovareFall's Best of Show Winners: https://finovate.com/finovatefall-2025-best-of-show-winners-announced/ Alex Johnson's Fintech Take on the Prisoner's Dilemma aspect of JPMC, Plaid, and open banking: https://fintechtakes.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/
Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Today, Piper speaks with Hilary Yager who is the Program Director of Kind Wins at the Washington International Horse Show. I also talk to Plaid Horse Magazine Deputy Editor Marley Lien-Gonzalez about the September issue of The Plaid Horse magazine.Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Hilary Yager is the Program Director of Kind Wins at the Washington International Horse Show, and is a dedicated advocate for safety, positivity, and respect in sports and beyond. She is Center for Safe Sport Certified and holds certifications in Bullying, Hazing, and Inappropriate Behaviors through the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), as well as Positive Coaching Alliance. Hilary is also trained as a facilitator with Sandy Hook Promise and the One Love Foundation. Through Kind Wins, she brings her expertise and passion for fostering safe, supportive, and empowering environments, helping young athletes learn that respect and kindness are as important as performance. Guest: Marley Lien-Gonzalez is Deputy Editor of The Plaid Horse and an equestrian college student studying Journalism. As a junior, she was a working student for a top-level training and sales barn and competed in the equitation and jumper rings. Since then, she's transitioned to freelance grooming but still rides frequently, and enjoys traveling across the country to work at different horse shows.Read the Latest Issue of The Plaid Horse MagazineSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, Equine Affaire, BoneKare and Great American Insurance Group Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast in Person live event!
In this episode, host Sandy Vance sits down with Krishna Bharathala and Isaac Gateño, members of the Agent Development team at Sierra, to explore how companies can confidently take their first steps into the world of artificial intelligence. Sierra helps businesses build better, more human experiences with AI, and this conversation pulls back the curtain on what that really looks like.If you've ever wondered where to begin with AI adoption, how to overcome common barriers, or what kind of impact AI can have on your organization, this episode is packed with insights. Krishna and Isaac share practical strategies, explain how Sierra tackles real-world challenges like interoperability and security, and highlight ways companies can measure AI success.Whether you're curious about streamlining manual processes, building customer trust, or simply trying to understand the baseline knowledge your team needs to get started, this episode will give you a clear roadmap for moving forward with AI.In this episode, they talk about:How Sierra helps organizations and companies leverage AI to improve customer experiencesWays the Agent Development team addresses interoperability challenges across systemsThe concept of the “agent iceberg” and what it means for building stronger securityFoundational AI knowledge every organization should understand before getting startedCommon goals and barriers companies face when adopting AI solutionsHow to measure AI success through cost savings, faster operations, and improved member satisfactionWhy the best place to start with AI is the area of your company that requires the most manual time and effort to operateA Little About Krishna:Krishna Bharathala is an Agent Product Manager at Sierra. Prior to Sierra he was a two-time start-up founder and, before that, was a Product Manager on Google Ads. He holds an MBA from Stanford, and an MS & BS in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania.A Little About Isaac:Isaac Gateño is an Agent Engineer at Sierra. He is a hands-on technical leader with over ten years of experience building teams, working with cross-functional stakeholders, and managing complex projects at high-growth companies, including Forward Health, Plaid, and Palantir. He has a BS in computer science from Stanford.
Our man on the inside at Guest Relations, Push, is unmasked. You won't believe what this Disneyland Tour Guide just exposed! Shocking behind-the-scenes secrets, and the dark side of the Magic Kingdom that Disney doesn't want you to know! 61 Minutes.
Sam Chaudhary is the co-founder and CEO of ClassDojo, a multi-product education platform used in 95% of U.S. schools and over 180 countries globally to connect teachers, students, and families. In this episode, Sam shares the full arc of building ClassDojo, from early skepticism about education and a failed group-making tool, to creating a communication platform loved by millions. In this episode, we discuss: Why ClassDojo was built for consumers (teachers, students and parents) instead of schools How ClassDojo grew entirely by word-of-mouth Sam's unusual approach to building multiple new businesses The founder mindset required to build an industry leader Why relentless resourcefulness is an underrated skill And much more… References: Accel: https://www.accel.com/ Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/ Bill Gates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamhgates/ Brendan Kereiakes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/product/ ClassDojo: https://www.classdojo.com/ Dominick Bellizzi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominickbellizzi/ Geoff Ralston: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffralston/ Gonzalo Aguilar Málaga: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gonzalodecheck/ Hamilton Helmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamilton-helmer-42983/ Imagine K12: https://www.imaginek12.com// Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/ Liam Don: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liamdon/ McKinsey: https://www.mckinsey.com/ Paul Graham: https://x.com/paulg Plaid: https://plaid.com/ Reid Hoffman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidhoffman/ Roblox: https://www.roblox.com/ Sal Khan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khanacademy/ Superhuman: https://superhuman.com/ Tim Brady: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-brady-7a632510/ Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/ Where to find Sam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samchaudhary/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/samchaudhary Where to find Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-berson-9986094/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/brettberson Timestamps: (01:36) Why education is a “bad market” (02:52) Why enterprise education is broken (03:35) Building for families, not schools (06:53) Early challenges and insights (09:45) Sam's unusual background (11:42) Meeting co-founder Liam at a hackathon (13:22) Getting into Imagine K12 with a group-making tool (19:47) The conversation with Reid Hoffman that changed everything (21:52) Building a network to reach more families (23:30) Scaling by building a community (33:18) Designing for delight and word-of-mouth growth (40:09) Launching the first monetization feature after 7 years (41:35) How to pick markets and when to go broad (46:04) The explosive expansion into the tutoring industry (55:11) Creating safe online spaces for kids (58:01) Harnessing AI in education (59:52) Lessons from ClassDojo's playbook
Sima Gandhi's professional resume reads like a blueprint for success—but her story reveals a far more complex reality. On this episode of She Pivots, Emily speaks with the entrepreneur, lawyer, and former Plaid executive in her first public conversation about the personal journey that reshaped her life. At the height of her career—helping lead one of Silicon Valley’s most successful startups—Sima was privately navigating a painful and deeply complicated relationship with her family. Rather than break her, that experience pushed Sima to reevaluate everything: what she wanted from her life and how she defined success. In the midst of that personal upheaval, she launched her own company, channeling her energy into building something new while privately carrying the weight of her family estrangement. Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share with your friends if you liked this episode! She Pivots was created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight women, their stories, and how their pivot became their success. To learn more about Sima, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you're curious about what it's really like to navigate a multibillion-dollar acquisition deal during a global pandemic, while under intense scrutiny of the Department of Justice, this episode is for you. Jason Pate, Chief Strategy Officer at Plaid, takes us behind the scenes of Visa's $5 billion bid to acquire Plaid and why it ultimately didn't happen. Jason also explains the massive evolution of Plaid from a linking infrastructure company to a thriving network business powering some of the biggest names in fintech. The conversation delves into the company's pivotal moments, including its recent $575 million fundraising round to solve for employee RSU liquidity. Beyond that, Jason shares lessons from his experience, unpacking the importance of understanding a customer's P&L, breaking down how to build durable fintech revenue streams through diversification, and offering candid insights on negotiation, the future of payments, and making big bets to fix something that isn't broken.—LINKS:Jason Pate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-pate-50735310/Plaid: https://plaid.comCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(01:43) Sponsor – Brex | Aleph | RightRev(06:08) Duke and “I Hate Christian Laettner”(07:45) Jason's Product Development Experience and Career Journey(10:38) The Importance of Understanding Your Customer's P&L(12:41) Plaid's Transition From Linking Infrastructure to Network Business(15:23) Sponsor – Navan | Rillet | Pulley(18:55) Building the Plaid Data Network and Ecosystem(25:41) Friction in Payments: Feature Versus Bug(27:46) The Future of Payments: Check-In Versus Checkout(31:21) Negotiations: Less Like Chess, More Like Marco Polo(35:21) Identifying Gives That Aren't Actually Gives(37:10) Plaid's Unsuccessful Acquisition by Visa(40:45) Being Interviewed by the DOJ During the Pandemic(43:49) Plaid's Recent Raise and the Unconventional Reason for It(47:00) Valuations: Fundraises Versus Sales(48:19) Building an Equity Program When Companies Stay Private Longer(50:48) Multi-Product Diversification: The Key to Durable FinTech Revenue(53:07) When & How To Transition From an Infrastructure to a Network Business(59:03) Jason's Philosophy on Ramping Team Members(1:01:04) Lessons From Roger Federer(1:02:52) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Career Mistake(1:04:03) Advice to Younger Self(1:04:48) A Helpful Tactic for Negotiations—SPONSORS:Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.#Plaid #Fintech #acquisition #fundraise #employeeRSU #BusinessTransition This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com
Immad Akhund is the CEO and co-founder of Mercury, a digital banking platform that's become the go-to financial infrastructure for startups. Before Mercury, Immad spent nearly two decades founding companies, learning the hard way what separates a good idea from a great business. In this episode, Immad shares the hard-earned lessons from launching Mercury as his third startup. He unpacks how he recognized this was the right idea to pursue, what strong product-market fit feels like, and why trying to "iterate" your way to success often leads founders astray. In this episode, we discuss: • Mercury's unusual culture playbook – and why it works • How to hire with intention • The trap of weak product-market fit • Shipping under intense pressure during the SVB crisis • And much more… References: • Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/ • Andreessen Horowitz: https://a16z.com/ • Apple: https://www.apple.com/ • Block: https://block.xyz/ • Brex: https://www.brex.com/ • Chime: https://www.chime.com/ • Gusto: https://gusto.com/ • Mercury: https://mercury.com/ • Paul Graham: https://x.com/paulg • Plaid: https://plaid.com/ • Stripe: https://stripe.com/ • SVB (Silicon Valley Bank): https://www.svb.com/ • True Link Financial: https://www.truelinkfinancial.com/ • Varo: https://www.varomoney.com/ • Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/ Where to find Immad: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iakhund/ Where to find Brett: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-berson-9986094/ • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/brettberson Where to find First Round Capital: • Website: https://firstround.com/ • First Round Review: https://review.firstround.com/ • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/firstround • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstRoundCapital • This podcast on all platforms: https://review.firstround.com/podcast Timestamps: (1:07) Hard-won lessons from serial entrepreneurship (2:02) You shouldn't copy-paste advice (6:57) Why personality trumps culture playbooks (8:48) How do you hire for cultural fit? (12:38) The values that shaped Mercury's DNA (14:08) The drivers underpinning Mercury's success (15:50) The significance of product-market fit (20:41) Don't fall into the weak product-market fit trap (25:49) How to evaluate startup ideas that scale (30:14) Mercury's unlikely origin story (33:51) Breaking into the fintech space (37:31) Mindset shift: From “This is hard” to long-term gains (39:43) Building Mercury's MVP (44:25) Overcoming early obstacles to reach launch (47:36) Navigating Mercury's rapid growth phase (51:18) Competition isn't the reason you're failing (55:58) Crisis management during the SVB collapse
In This Episode This week on Breaking Banks, join us as we explore how real-time data is helping lenders understand financial behaviors beyond traditional credit scores, as Plaid, the largest financial data network, and Experian, a leading data technology company join forces via their new partnership. Listen as Michelle Young, Credit Product Lead at Plaid and Ashley Knight, SVP of Product Management at Experian connect with host Brett King to discuss how this new partnership is providing proven risk insights and real-time cash flow data to banks, credit unions and consumer lenders, and the potential it brings for a major change in lending. Datos Insights' Stewart Watterson also joins to offer insights on two critical industry challenges that the availability of real-time cash flow data addresses: creating pathways to credit for underserved consumers, and for financial institutions, expanding the consumer lending addressable market while improving the ability to manage credit risk. It's a win-win! This episode is not to be missed! Lend smarter and get ahead of the curve to learn how cashflow and credit data can fuel business performance and competitive advantages now!
Learn more about the Irish Rebellion in Wexford in 1798 on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #718 . Subscribe now! Maggie's Wake, Marc Gunn, The Almost Irish Band, Avourneen, Téada, The Ciderhouse Rebellion, David Pedrick, Kennedy's Kitchen, Pipedance, Robert Zielinski, Sheridan Rúitín, River Drivers, Emerald Rose, The Bloody Irish Boys, Kilmaine Saints, Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones GET CELTIC MUSIC NEWS IN YOUR INBOX The Celtic Music Magazine is a quick and easy way to plug yourself into more great Celtic culture. Enjoy seven weekly news items with what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Subscribe now and get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2025 This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. You can vote for as many songs and tunes that inspire you in each episode. Your vote helps me create this year's Best Celtic music of 2025 episode. You have just three weeks to vote this year. Vote Now! You can follow our playlist on YouTube to listen to those top voted tracks as they are added every 2 - 3 weeks. THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC 0:08 - Maggie's Wake "Harrison's Way" from Maggie's Wake 1:46 - WELCOME 4:28 - Marc Gunn "Rising of the Moon" from St. Patrick's Day 6:33 - The Almost Irish Band "Wind That Shakes the Barley & Cuckoo's Nest" from Song Henge, Vol. 21 8:44 - Avourneen "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" from Sparrow 11:13 - Téada "Jig / Air / March - Farewell to Stoneybatter / An Raibh Tú ag an gCarraig / March at Kilmore" from Coiscéim Coiligh / As the Days Brighten 15:14 - The Ciderhouse Rebellion with Molly Donnery "Jimmy Murphy" from A Little Bit Slanted 18:28 - FEEDBACK 22:49 - David Pedrick "Tintern" from On the Way 24:10 - Kennedy's Kitchen "Vinegar Hill" from The Hotting Fire 28:13 - Pipedance "The Mountain Road / Jenny Picking Cockles / The Woman of the House / Rakish Paddy" from The Pleasures of Hope 33:03 - Sheridan Rúitín "Boolavogue" from Rebels in the Night 38:05 - Robert Zielinski "Flax in Bloom/The Green Groves of Erin" from The Day Dawn 40:39 - THANKS 45:29 - River Drivers "KELLY THE BOY FROM KILLANE" from Live at SteelStacks 48:44 - Emerald Rose "Mountain Fey" from Sunwise 51:15 - The Bloody Irish Boys "Enniscorthy in a Bottle" from Drunk Rock 55:11 - Kilmaine Saints "Wearing of the Green" from The Good, The Plaid, and The Ugly 57:26 - CLOSING 1:00:18 - Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones "The Dying Rebel" from Let Ye All Be Irish Tonight 1:04:38 - CREDITS The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to follow the show. You'll find links to all of the artists played in this episode. Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you'll get 7 weekly news items about what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage. Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Finally, remember—our planet's future is in our hands. The overwhelming evidence shows that human activity is driving climate change, from record - breaking heat waves to rising sea levels. But the good news? We have the power to fix it. Every choice we make—reducing waste, conserving energy, supporting clean energy, and lobbying our political leaders—moves us toward a more stable climate. Start a conversation today. Let's protect the land and people that we love. Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/. WELCOME THE IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST * Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic musician and also host of Folk Songs & Stories. This podcast is for fans of Celtic music. We are here to build a diverse Celtic community and help the incredible artists who so generously share their music with you. If you hear music you love, please email artists to let them know you heard them on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast. Musicians depend on your generosity to release new music. So please find a way to support them. Buy a CD, Album Pin, Shirt, Digital Download, or join their community on Patreon. You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes, along with show times, when you visit our website at celticmusicpodcast.com. Email follow@bestcelticmusic to learn how to subscribe to the podcast and you will get a free music - only episode. You'll also learn how to get your band played on the podcast. Bands don't need to send in music, and You will get a free eBook called Celtic Musicians Guide to Digital Music. It's 100% free. Again email follow@bestcelticmusic Last month, I led my Celtic Invasion of County Wexford. We visited the National 1798 Irish Rebellion Museum. I learned a lot. In the summer of 1798, in the town of Enniscorthy, a spark was lit that echoed across the centuries. Inspired by the ideals of liberty and self - determination that fueled the American and French Revolutions, ordinary Irish men and women rose up against British rule—hoping to shape a freer, more equal Ireland. The United Irishmen, a movement of Protestants and Catholics alike, dreamed of unity. But their rebellion was met with brutal force. The most haunting chapter came to a head on Vinegar Hill, where rebels made their last stand. Though the 1798 Rebellion was crushed, the spirit behind it lived on. It became a quiet current beneath Irish history, resurfacing again in 1916 during the Easter Rising—and carrying through to modern Ireland. Today's episode features songs and tunes inspired by the 1798 rebellion. These are songs of hope, defiance, heartbreak, and memory. This episode is not about blame. They're about telling the stories of those who dared to dream of freedom. GET AN IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST ALBUM PIN Want to wear your love of Celtic music? Check out our album pins—these are striking lapel pins inspired by our official podcast compilation albums, featuring some of the best Celtic bands we've ever had on the show. Each pin comes with a full digital album download compilation, so you get great music and great style. Get all the details at magerecords.com And if you're a musician, I've got a full blog post with templates and tips to help you design your own album pin jacket. WHAT IS AN ALBUM PIN? THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST! Because of generous patrons like you, the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast releases new episodes nearly every single week. Your support doesn't just fund the show—it fuels a movement. It helps us share the magic of Celtic music with thousands of new listeners and grow a global community of Celtic music lovers. Your contributions pay for everything behind the scenes: audio engineering, stunning graphics, weekly issues of the Celtic Music Magazine, show promotion, and—most importantly—buying the music we feature from indie Celtic artists. And if you're not yet a patron? You're missing out! Patrons get: Early access to episodes Music - only editions Free MP3 downloads Exclusive stories and artist interviews A vote in the Celtic Top 20 Join us today and help keep the music alive, vibrant, and independent.
Zach Perret saw a fintech explosion coming—and built the rails before it arrived.On this week's Grit, the Plaid co-founder and CEO retraces his path from building tools for developers to linking the world's largest banks, and how a failed $5.3B acquisition by Visa became a launchpad.He unpacks the pressure of operating in a tightly regulated industry, why rebuilding trust after the deal collapse was harder than expected, and how Plaid is navigating the shift from startup to staple—while staying obsessed with the end user.Links:Connect with ZachXLinkedInConnect with JoubinXLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.comLearn more about Kleiner Perkins
Bill released 8 albums from 1969-1977 with Sons of Champlin then moved to LA to become a solo artist and session musician, co-writing two Grammy-winning tunes. He was the designated soul singer in Chicago from 1981-2009 and released several solo albums starting in 1990 while continuing to collaborate widely. We discuss "Alone" from Livin' for Love (2021), the title track from He Started to Sing (1995), and "Right On" by Sons of Champlin from Welcome to the Dance (1973). End song: "Plaid" by Chicago from Stone of Sisyphus (1992). Intro: "Please Hold On" from Chicago 17 (1984). Learn more at billchamplin.com. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Support us on Patreon.
The audience has expanded from truckers and nurses to include an 11-year-old and an unhappy teacher in need of Iliza's wisdom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.