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Timestamps:

1. When you don’t exist: 13:01
2. Knowing the need: 15:18
3. Handing back power: 16:01
4. What Bliss understands: 19:25
5. A life or death matter: 21:39
6. Financial literacy for all: 27:29
7. Finding hope: 32:09
8. Building: 34:35
9. Life beyond transition: 36:18
10. The truth about being a founder: 38:53

Bulldozing The Barriers

“I’ve been denied loans. I’ve been denied services, just simply based on existing.” Katherine Anthony, CEO of Euphoria.

It takes a special kind of person to turn the tables on their own struggles and help level the playing field for those who come after.

But that’s exactly what Kate Anthony, CEO of Euphoria, is fighting to do. In a world that denies trans people access to basic services, Kate isn’t just breaking barriers, she’s bulldozing right through them. And she’s using fintech to make that happen.

Through the Euphoria platform and its app, Bliss, users can access support and financial planning services, helping them reach their transition goals.

Becoming a Product of Her Own Product

Kate’s own journey to becoming her authentic self started over eight years ago as she made steps towards her transition. But right from the off she faced closed doors, little guidance and open hostility. 

“I was so flustered by the lack of solutions and guidance and tools that could help me learn what to do or afford what I needed to afford. Transition was really this black box.”

And it was the financial impact that hit Kate hard. The trans community, already excluded from financial services, can struggle to track their transition goals. Frustrated by this, Kate began creating her own products to help guide her through gender transition. Helping herself was the first step on the ladder to helping others and that’s been the driving force ever since.

A Growing Industry

At its core fintech services should solve problems. Done right, fintech has the potential to bring equity across the board. An element much needed in marginalized communities like trans people.

“I’m seeing more and more solutions coming online and this gives me a hell of a lot of hope that people are willing to put time, talent and energy behind people like me and solutions that support people.”

But the challenges for trans people remain. A three-pronged rejection by society, the healthcare system and financial services means the fight must go on, no matter how much it grinds you down, something Kate feels every day.

And for many in the fintech space, it’s a huge source of frustration. Knowing the technology exists to make things better but not seeing it rolled out at scale, it’s something Kate feels is indicative of inequality across the US, and not just an issue for trans people.

The Future is Clear

For Kate and others on a similar path, the crossover between financial services and robust mental health is abundantly clear. When people feel supported financially they feel in control of their own destiny, able to plan and save to meet their life goals.

Like any startup Euphoria is ambitious and building. Kate’s goal is to set the journey for users to see past transition, as big as that is, and into the future. What does home ownership look like? How might the adoption process work, alongside other major life events that might feel unattainable at the moment? 

The challenges are real and serious, but Kate is determined to see them through for herself and everyone else going through life with her.

Follow Kate:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robbikatherineanthony

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