WORKWEEK

From newsletters outlining actions we can take to create a more equitable industry to podcast episodes embracing vulnerability in leadership, keeping WTFintech near and dear to your hearts through it all has been the most fulfilling part of 2022. 

Together we addressed crypto winter and powered through many, many layoffs. And we’ve also come together as a community during Fintech Is Femme to connect and learn about other inspiring femmes and create a place for allies to gain exposure to a diverse network of the most badass women in the game.

As we close the door on 2022 and look forward to the new year of growing together, it’s only fitting to take a quick blast to the past. So here are the best WTFintech stories and podcasts you read and listen to this year.

TOP 10 STORIES 

1. Get Funded By Serena Williams? Here’s How. 
2. OnlyFans CEO Ami Gan is on a Mission to Set the Record Straight
3. Advantages of Low-code No-code Fintech
4. Why Being Vulnerable Is the Key to Success in Fintech
5. False Idols: How Billionaire Worship Is Blinding Us to Reality
6. Female Founders Struggle to Obtain Second Funding: Here’s Why.
7. Community Is the Competitive Advantage
8. FTX Fall: Retaining Fintech’s Trust
9. Meet Jenny Just: The Billionaire Running a Fintech Empire
10. Ellevest’s New-ish Chapter

TOP 10 PODCASTS 

1. Live from Money 20/20: Financial Inclusion Is The Only Thing Keeping Fintech From Failing

Live from Money 20/20 I’m joined on stage by two stellar guests moving the needle on financial inclusion. I’m joined by Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President at Women’s World Banking and Shivani Siroya, CEO and Founder at Tala. 

The panel gets into 720 billion reasons for financial equity, helping women and marginalized people across the globe get access to financial products, and how to build a business with empathy. This is a special episode you won’t want to miss.

2. How Vrinda Gupta Is Building Financial Equity Through Sequin  

When you’re rejected by the financial product you’re helping to build, you know you need to learn (and change) the system. Find out how Vrinda is doing that. 

Vrinda and I get into how it felt watching her mom live in fear of being financially frozen out, what it was like to be denied a credit card from the company she was working for, and how Sequin is bringing financial equity and education to a system very much not designed for minority women.

You’ll also hear Vrinda’s plans for the future of Sequin and how she’s helping minority women obtain the knowledge she wasn’t taught at school.

3. How Altro’s Michael Broughton Is Helping Build Credit Through Community

When you don’t have a credit history, accessing even the most basic financial services is almost impossible.

Find out how Michael Broughton (a recent Forbes Under 30 recipient!) is providing a unique solution. Michael grew up in Japan and Korea before returning to the United States, where he founded Altro, the free credit service helping people build credit through recurring payments and subscriptions.

Michael and I talk about the innate discrimination of the credit score system, especially for people of color and those in the LGBTQ+ community. 

You’ll also hear how Altro effectively functions as a not-for-profit to provide solutions for no credit. Michael shares why building a community of investors who share in the mission is important and why financial education is built into the Altro platform.

4. How Dana Auslander Is Creating Equity in Luxury Assets

Dana, through her company Luxus, has blown the world of luxury asset investment wide open. And she’s not stopping there. Find out how this fintech founder is smashing down barriers.

Luxus partners with the world’s premium brands, offering fractional ownership of assets including jewelry, rare watches and precious gems. 

Dana and I get into conversation about Dana’s experiences opening investment doors for women, why luxury investments should be fun, and why hiring amazing people is at the heart of her long term success. 

5. Why US Latino Fintech Businesses Will Create the Next Big Unicorns 

When one in four startups are founded by US Latinos, it’s no wonder they’ve attracted the attention of big investment. Laura Moreno Lucas explains why.

Laura is a partner at L’attitude Ventures, an early-stage institutional fund that invests in technology and technology-enabled businesses led and owned by US Latinos.

Laura and I get into the importance of networks, how education is rebuilding trust in financial institutions, and how underrepresented communities are succeeding, despite the challenges.

6. Suze Orman and Devin Miller – Creating Emergency Safety Nets Through SecureSave

What happens when one of the most famous financial experts in the US teams up with a highly successful founder? They change the world.

Suze Orman, host of the Women & Money podcast and bestselling author, joins one of her co-founders Devin Miller, an entrepreneur and former COO of Guidant Financial, to talk SecureSave. This is the work benefit that provides emergency savings solutions to help employees prepare for life’s unexpected moments.

Suze and Devin and I talk about what it feels like living paycheck to paycheck, why secure employees are more productive, and Suze’s mission to financially educate millions.

7. How Rex Salisbury Is Building a Fintech Community With Authenticity

Only when you’ve done your time in startups can you offer the kind of support Rex has created for other fintech founders. Find out how.

Rex and I dive into why conversation is the key to understanding a founder’s goals, why bringing together is a major high point to his working day, and why writing the second biggest check leads to way more collaboration.

8. How Dani Fava Feels About Embedded Finance and Carving Out Her Own Place in Fintech 

What does embedded finance mean to Dani Fava? It means providing a more secure future for millions of Americans. Find out how.

Dani is Group Head of Product Innovation at Envestnet, transforming the way financial advice and wellness are delivered. Their mission is to empower advisors and financial service providers with innovative technology, solutions and intelligence to make financial wellness a reality for everyone.

Dani and I talk hacking software to buy back 20 minutes of her day, how financial micro moments could change the future, and how Dani carved out her own space in the innovation niche.

9. Meet the COO Fighting for Fintech Equity, With Dr. Iyandra Smith Bryan

Dr Iyandra Smith Bryan has enough energy and experience to achieve anything, but it was in fintech she really found her place in the world.

Iyandra and I get into the kind of conversation you’re going to want to grab a pen and paper for. Iyandra is the C-Suite exec who loves problem solving. She also believes in true authenticity and questioning the rules. 

In this no-holds barred conversation, we tackle everything from wearing heels, to her role as COO at Quantfury, plus how she’s inspiring other women in fintech to step up and take their place at the top table.

10. How Erin Papworth Is Providing FInancial Health For All Through Nav.it

If financial service providers were honest they’d admit, it’s mostly about selling products. But if you’re unsure how these products work, how do you know you need them?

Erin Papworth already has a lifetime’s experience in fintech and is working to educate and empower a whole generation to make the best financial decisions possible and improve financial health outcomes.

We get into conversation about the real truth around financial services, Nav.it’s behavioral science-backed approach, and why getting back to basics is key for future success.