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Timestamps:

1. Grounded from the start: 02:12
2. Calculating the risks: 06:14
3. No regrets: 09:42
4. Staples: 12:48
5. Today’s niche, tomorrow’s emerging market: 16:54
6. Mastering the art of the pivot: 20:09
7. Digital identity defined: 24:37
8. How the pandemic lit a fire: 25:59
9. Web 3 disruption: 31:11
10. Wealth management done right: 48:37

Why Next Gen Identity Tech is Key to Equity

“My life has always been about calculated risks and for me stepping away from corporate America and jumping into the deep end of the pool, not only with startups but a venture capital firm, I always joke I’m a startup funding startups.” Jackie Shoback, Co Founder and MD of 1414 Ventures.

What do you do next when you’ve already led companies like Staples from ambitious startup to billion dollar revenue generator?

You turn your attention to unlocking financial inclusion through Web 3 and the next generation of startups.

Jackie Shoback is used to being described as “badass” and she likes it. As a C-suite executive with more than 25-years of experience at the helm of household names like Staples and Citicorp, she’s now Co-Founder and MD of 1414 Ventures.

Focused exclusively on the digital identity space, Jackie is passionate about securely connecting the real world to the metaverse, and nurturing new founders.

A Homegrown Work Ethic

As the youngest of seven children, Jackie believes her formative years were instrumental in shaping her values and approach to work and business.

As a self-described lifelong learner, her curiosity about what technology can achieve and the benefits it can bring to society play a huge part in the kinds of businesses she’s investing in, through 1414 Ventures.

And she’s not scared of a challenge, having held her nerve and seen great success in Staples and also as Senior VP at Fidelty Investments, both companies that have provided her with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

But why the fintech space? 

“We started looking at this back in 2019, 2020, when we began the quest to start the fund. Over that timeframe the acceleration of all things digital really took off. I felt like the pandemic really lit a fire and the need for better platforms and technology.”

Digital Identity In The Spotlight

At the end of the day, it’s all about data. And digital identity is the tool capturing that data for marketing, ecommerce, cybersecurity and payments. As Jackie says, it sits at the sweet spot of these four circles.

But 1414 Ventures doesn’t just offer capital to help startups develop their digital identity solutions, it offers the expertise and mentorship that only a founder of Jackie’s experience can offer.

“The best way to really help these companies is to provide capital but also hands-on expertise in everything from mentorship and collaboration to providing operational know-how.”

Jackie and her company are keen to invest in companies disrupting the fintech space through Web 3 and its potential to level the playing field. When fintech and digital identity combine, the outcome can be life changing.

 

Better access to fintech services provides the foundation for improving living standards on a global scale and Jackie is leading the charge.

Follow Jackie:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jackie-shoback-9ab5579

You can keep up-to-date with everything WTFinech? at https://workweek.com/brand/wtfintech/

And if you’ve enjoyed WTFintech? Why not try: Chicks of FinTwit, Tech Unlocked, Breaking Banks or Fintech Insider