Wharton FinTech Podcast

In this insightful discussion, Nick Stanescu, Chief FedNow Executive, Carlos Brandt, Senior Advisor at the Central Bank of Brazil, and Rocio Wu, Principal at F-Prime Capital, delve into the evolution of instant payments. They share updates on FedNow's rapid adoption, now involving nearly 900 institutions. The panel highlights the transformative impact of Brazil's Pix on financial inclusion and contrasts it with U.S. challenges. Innovations in digital payments, fraud management, and collaborative efforts between fintechs and banks are also explored, painting a vibrant future for the payments landscape.

Kajol Char hosts Zuben Mathews, co-founder and CEO of Brigit. Brigit is a personal finance application dedicated to bringing financial stability to Americans by helping users avoid overdrafts, access instant cash, build credit, and budget effectively. This episode delves into Zuben’s journey to founding Brigit. In this episode you will hear about: -Zuben Mathews’ firsthand experience with personal finance challenges -Brigit’s holistic product suite -Regulatory opportunities -Power of cashflow data -And much more! About Zuben Mathews Zuben Mathews is the Co-Founder and CEO of Brigit. Zuben Mathews first immigrated to the U.S. on a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Chicago, where he worked two jobs to make ends meet. After school, he learned the ins and outs of finance by working in investment banking at Deutsche Bank for over eleven years. He then spent a year as Managing Director in Mergers & Acquisitions at Infosys before co-founding Brigit in 2017. About Brigit Brigit is a personal finance application dedicated to bringing financial stability to all Americans by helping users avoid overdrafts, access instant cash, build credit, and budget effectively. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Kajol’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kajol-char/

Podcast lead Djavaneh Bierwirth hosts Jenny Xia Spradling, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of FreeWill, a Bain Capital-backed startup on a mission to create access to estate planning for all individuals and promote high-impact charitable giving. In this episode, Jenny discusses her journey from founding her first fintech startup to disrupting estate planning with FreeWill. In this episode we discuss how FreeWill’s technology: supports nonprofits with planned giving programs simplifies complex donations of stocks and crypto assets provides innovative software solutions for fundraising And more… For more FinTech insights, follow us on - WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech - WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech - WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech - Djavaneh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djavaneh/ About FreeWill FreeWill is a social-good enterprise offering online tools that empower Americans to address commonly faced estate planning needs and make charitable donations in tax-advantaged ways, all for free. FreeWill also features a charitable giving platform that makes it easier for nonprofit fundraising teams to unlock transformational non-cash gifts. Through its partnerships with 1,500+ nonprofits who understand that major gifts often are part of estate plans, the company is also able to provide a comprehensive suite of estate planning and related tools to consumers free of cost. To date, FreeWill has generated nearly $10 billion in planned and real-time gifts for more than 10,000 nonprofits while helping more than 1 million consumers create wills and plan their estates.

In today's episode, Wesley Aster hosts Mrinal Manohar, the co-founder & CEO of Casper Labs, a pioneer in AI governance technologies leveraging blockchain to revolutionize AI governance. Tune in to hear about: - Mrinal's journey from computer science to private equity, and ultimately to founding Casper Labs - The mission of vision of Casper Labs to enhance transparency in AI systems - Insights into Casper Labs’ collaboration with IBM consulting and its impact on generative AI auditability - The unique challenges and opportunities at the intersection of blockchain and AI - Mrinal's outlook on the future of blockchain in enterprise AI and evolving regulatory landscapes For more FinTech insights, follow us on - WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech - WFT Twitter: http://twitter.com/whartonfintech - WFT Instagram: http://instagram.com/whartonfintech

Kajol Char hosts Doug Ricket, founder and CEO of PayJoy. PayJoy is the leading financial platform dedicated to serving the underserved in emerging markets by providing access to smartphones, finance, and the modern financial system. This episode delves into Doug’s inspiring journey and his vision for PayJoy’s future. In this episode you will hear about: - Doug’s early career and his love for tech and international development - PayJoy’s origin story - PayJoy’s innovation - Opportunities for growth - And much more! About Doug Ricket Doug Ricket is the Founder and CEO of PayJoy. Prior to founding PayJoy, Doug founded a residential summer school for female high school students to study engineering at MIT, helped take Google Maps global, and built the wholesale distribution network for d.light solar products throughout West Africa (among many other accomplishments). He earned an MBA from Stanford Business School, his Masters of Engineering from MIT, and his Bachelor’s degree from MIT. About PayJoy PayJoy is the leading financial platform for the underserved in emerging markets. By opening the door to smartphones, finance, and the modern financial system to those who have been traditionally excluded, PayJoy is helping the underserved escape poverty and gain economic freedom. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: https://medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: x.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Kajol’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kajol-char/

In today's episode, Wesley Aster hosts Jonathan Whittle, the co-founder and Managing Partner of Quona Capital, a global venture capital firm investing in fintech in emerging markets. Tune in to hear about: - Jonathan's journey from entrepreneur to investor and how his experience as a founder has shaped his approach to investing - Quona's mission to drive financial inclusion, its recent advanced impact verification from BlueMark, and success stories from its portfolio. - Insights into fintech opportunities in Brazil and Mexico, and how regulation influences innovation in Latin America For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech

Oded Zehavi, Founder & CEO of Mesh Payments and ex-PayPal & Payoneer, talks about reshaping global finance. Topics include fintech challenges, revolutionizing B2B transactions, COVID-19 pivot, automation-centric company transformation, and enhancing CFO operations.

Kailee Costello hosts Davi Strazza, President of North America at Adyen, a global fintech platform. They discuss Adyen's unique value proposition, bank licenses, FedNow, partnerships with fintechs like BILL and Plaid, evolving focus areas, Davi's career path, industry outlook, and future plans for growth in North America.

Nate Gee hosts Eric Sager, COO of Plaid, whose technology links fintech apps and financial institutions in a network empowering the fintech solutions that millions of people use. In this episode, they discuss: - How Plaid has transformed the fintech landscape in the past decade - Eric’s journey into fintech and becoming Plaid’s COO - The role of APIs and open banking in modern financial services - The growth of digital finance in recent years - Instant payments and alternative payment rails - Other fintech trends and how Plaid fits in - And much more! About Plaid Founded in 2013, Plaid has become essential infrastructure in the fintech world, connecting over 100 million users to financial services and facilitating integration among more than 12,000 financial institutions and 8,000 fintech apps worldwide. Plaid’s technology enables simpler, faster, and more transparent financial services, making it a cornerstone in the ongoing evolution of digital finance. About Eric Sager With over 20 years of experience in financial services, Eric Sager joined Plaid as COO in 2019. Before joining Plaid, Eric held senior roles at BlueVine and Square. Originally from Germany, Eric worked at Bain & Company in Europe after graduating from Harvard Business School in 2006. For more FinTech insights, follow us on: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Nate’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-c-gee/

Zoey Tang sat down with serial Investor, VC, Former Techstars Exec Jon Zanoff. Previously featured on the Wharton Fintech Podcast before, Jon is the founder of Empire Startups, one of the the largest FinTech communities of entrepreneurs, investors, bank innovators, and operators. As a fintech legend in New York, Jon is back on the show to share latest updates about Empire Startup and the New York Fintech Week on Apr. 8th - Apr. 12th. For more FinTech insights, follow us on: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Zoey's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoeytang1007/ Previous episode with Jon: https://bit.ly/3VBahpY