Wharton FinTech Podcast

Miguel Armaza sits down with Scott Sobel, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Valor Capital Group, a cross-border venture fund focused on Brazil and United States opportunities, with offices in New York, Silicon Valley, and São Paulo. In this episode, we discuss: - Scott’s journey and why he and his father, Ambassador Clifford Sobel, decided to launch Valor focusing on the Brazilian market - Investing strategy and case studies from some of their most exciting portfolio companies - The incredible fintech opportunity in Brazil and Latin America - What’s driving their big bets in the crypto space - Lessons learned from over a decade of investing and the importance of staying with your winners - And a lot more! Scott Sobel Scott Sobel, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Valor Capital Group, was part of the founding team of the pioneer Internet Telephony company Net2Phone; Scott helped take the company from a piece of software that was first to bridge the PC and the Public Switch Telephony Network to acquiring millions of users, generating over $200M in revenue, an IPO (1999) and the strategic sale of the company to AT&T for $1.4 Billion (2000). Scott went on to hold executives positions in Symbol Technologies working with the Mobile Computing and Wireless Divisions and NCR Corporation based in Singapore responsible for Corporate Development and later the P&L for the Financial Line of Business in the Emerging Markets. Scott was fortunate to be in a position to bring his skill sets, passions, and experiences to support other entrepreneurs in the U.S. and Brazil reach their visions. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Syracuse University. Scott has primarily lived and worked in the emerging markets (China, India, and Brazil) for the past decade, who is a passionate surfer and practices Jiu Jitsu. Valor Capital Group Founded in 2011, Valor Capital Group is the pioneer cross-border venture fund focused on Brazil and United States opportunities, with offices in New York, Silicon Valley, and São Paulo. The firm partners with visionary entrepreneurs building transformative businesses from startup to scale-up. Valor is committed to the success of their portfolio companies by providing capital, operational support and connectivity to global markets. The firm operates in two investment strategies: Growth Equity and Venture Capital. For more FinTech insights, follow us below: Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech Miguel's Twitter: twitter.com/MiguelArmaza Miguel's Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3jWIpqp

Miguel Armaza sits down with Charlie Javice, Founder and CEO of Frank, a company that aims to make the application process for student loans faster and easier. Charlie founded the company in 2016 and has since reached almost 10 million households and raised over $25 million dollars in equity from top industry investors like Apollo, Slow Ventures, Reach Capital, and Tusk Venture Partners. She’s also a proud alum of our very own Wharton School. In this episode, we discuss: - Charlie’s background and how her family history inspired to pursue an entrepreneurial path - Her experience dealing with financial aid at the University of Pennsylvania and how it led Charlie to launch Frank - Their approach to help fix the underserved student loan market - Frank’s journey to reach almost 10 million households - Building company culture and why empathy is the most important trait she looks for in new hires - Valuable advice for entrepreneurs - What she considers her greatest achievement to date - A lot more! Charlie Javice Ms. Charlie Javice is CEO and Founder of Frank, the leading and fastest growing financial wellness platform for college students and frontline workers in the US. Frank helps students apply for FAFSA® in under 7 minutes, match students with scholarships and get exclusive discounts on college courses. For more FinTech insights, follow us below: Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech Miguel's Twitter: twitter.com/MiguelArmaza Miguel's Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3jWIpqp

Ryan Zauk sits down with Kendrick Nguyen, Co-Founder & CEO of Republic. In 2016, Ken co-founded Republic, a platform empowering everyday people, both accredited and not accredited, to invest in the future they believe in. Republic provides access to high-growth startups, real estate, mission-driven enterprises, crypto, video games, and more. Republic has facilitated over $300 million in investments from over one million global community members! Ryan & Kendrick Discuss: - His long journey from immigrant, to lawyer, to startup founder - How Republic works from both the investor and business side - The coming disruption of venture capital - Their onboarding of GumRoad and Backstage Capital - Value aligned investing - And a fun rapid-fire round including a hilarious first job, his thoughts on Naval, the best Vietnamese in the Bay, and more! Link: Republic.Co For more Fintech insights, follow us below: Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech Ryan's Twitter: twitter.com/RyanZauk LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/wharton-fintech-club/

Miguel Armaza sits down with Kelly Fryer, Executive Director of FinTech Sandbox, a nonprofit that promotes innovation in the financial sector worldwide by providing FinTech entrepreneurs and startups with access to critical data and resources at no cost. The Fintech Sandbox accepts new startup applications on a rolling basis, so if you or someone you know is part of a fintech startup that could benefit from this critical program, make sure to apply! We discuss: - Kelly’s background and why she’s so passionate about new technologies and their applications in the financial industry - The importance of access to data and resources for early-stage startups and how the Fintech Sandbox helps democratize access to information - Their application process, program structure, and the kind of startup they typically look for - Driving Inclusive Fintech and why this is one of Kelly’s most important goals - And just a lot more! Kelly Fryer Kelly Fryer is the Executive Director of FinTech Sandbox, where she leads the organization’s strategy, operations, and community. Given her experience both partnering with major financial services companies and cultivating FinTech startups, Kelly is excited to continue to build out FinTech Sandbox’s vision. Prior to the Sandbox, Kelly was the Director of Techstars’ FinTech accelerator program - the Barclays Accelerator, powered by Techstars New York. She managed the accelerator operations and fostered the community for three years, as well as sourced, selected, and advised early-stage FinTech startups. Kelly also spent several years on Bloomberg LP’s Global Data team - managing relationships with financial data providers and banks, running the custom index business, and leading technical projects for the department. Kelly received her MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, focusing on Corporate Innovation and Venture Development. About FinTech Sandbox FinTech Sandbox is a nonprofit that promotes innovation in financial technology and financial services globally by providing FinTech entrepreneurs and startups with access to critical data and resources at no cost. The company accepts new startup applications for its Data Access Program on a rolling basis, and has accepted over 230 startups into the program since launching six years ago. FinTech Sandbox also hosts Boston FinTech Week, next taking place from September 28 - October 1, 2021. For more information, please visit https://fintechsandbox.org & https://www.twitter.com/FinTechSandbox For more FinTech insights, follow us below: Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech Miguel's Twitter: twitter.com/MiguelArmaza Miguel's Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3jWIpqp

In today's episode, Ally McCloskey sits down with Hussein Ahmed, Founder & CEO, and Ryan Conway, Head of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, at Oxygen. Oxygen is a modern financial platform designed for the 21st century economy - providing digital natives, creators and entrepreneurs pushing everyday boundaries a banking partner that understands how they live and work. Oxygen offers a seamless user experience for both personal and business accounts and is available on both iOS and Android. Its users enjoy no monthly fees, early direct deposit, simple transfers, and cashback rewards on everyday purchases. Businesses can easily control their finances with integrated solutions that are elegant, simple and secure. Their motto? Reject ordinary. Banking for the Extraordinary. In this lively conversation, Ally, Hussein, and Ryan cover a wide range of topics including: -Redefining the Gig Economy beyond Uber drivers and DoorDash deliverers to include the full on-demand workforce of creators -The material difference that aesthetics and design can make in customer engagement and NPS scores -Lessons learned from their many marketing 'experiments' - from partnering with influencers to running ad campaigns on the back of muni buses -Why many neobanking startups are 'doomed to succeed' given the segment's funding and press buzz -Reflections on fundraising, particularly after their $17mm Series A -Why building a capital-intensive and reliable fintech startup that handles something as personal and critical as money doesn’t afford you the typical startup luxury of hiring hustlers to move fast and break things And so much more! Hussein Ahmed Hussein, Oxygen's Founder & CEO, is a multi-time founder originally from Egypt. After selling his first company to a PE firm, Hussein completed his PhD in Computer Science at Virginia Tech, earned his MBA at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, built and exited another SMB-focused company called Transpose, and faced the unique challenges of banking with variable income while consulting in the Bay Area. Ryan Conway As Head of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, Ryan leads growth and partner efforts focusing on product, distribution, and revenue. He previously held roles at Mastercard in Digital Partnerships, Worldpay in Payments through the company’s IPO, BlueSnap, and completed his MBA at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. As mentioned in the episode, be sure to check out Oxygen's open roles here: https://jobs.lever.co/oxygen . -- Referenced in this episode: Dribbble: https://dribbble.com Twine: https://www.twine.net Freelancing Females: https://www.freelancingfemales.com -- As always, for more Fintech insights, please follow us below: WFT Blog: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech Ally's Twitter: twitter.com/AllyMcCloskey LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/wharton-fintech-club/

Miguel Armaza sits down with the amazing Kevin Busque, Founder and CEO of Guideline, a modern 401(k) provider for small businesses. Under Kevin’s leadership, Guideline has grown to be the retirement plan of choice for more than 20,000 small businesses, amassing more than $4 billion in assets under management and raising over $140 million in equity from top industry investors like Generation Investment, Tiger Global, Greyhound, Lerer Hippeau, Amex, Propel, Felicis, NEA, and many more. Kevin founded Guideline after seven years as a Co-Founder at TaskRabbit, another massively successful business that was acquired by IKEA in 2017. We also want to extend a special thank you to professor Adam Grant for his help in making this episode a reality, where we discuss: - Kevin’s background and how his upbringing led him down the entrepreneurial journey - Launching Guideline from a house garage and some of their early-day challenges - Navigating the pandemic and why they had no idea how it would affect their business (hint, they actually doubled in size) - The surprising effect of the pandemic on US retirement savings rates, increasing from 8% to 12% - Kevin’s philosophy around culture and why he does not like to take an active role in dictating a company culture - Valuable reflections for entrepreneurs and the importance of always doing the hard things first Kevin Busque Kevin is the founder and CEO of Guideline, a modern and affordable modern and affordable 401(k) for small businesses. Under Kevin’s leadership, Guideline has grown to be the retirement plan of choice for more than 20,000 small businesses, amassing more than $4 billion in assets under management. A World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, Fast Company named Guideline one of the World's Most Innovative Companies and Forbes named it to its Fintech 50—a ranking of the companies shaping the future of money—twice. Kevin founded Guideline after seven years at TaskRabbit, the online and mobile labor marketplace that he co-founded, which was acquired by IKEA in 2017. Kevin has been featured in Inc., the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, and is a contributor for Entrepreneur Magazine. The son of an Army intelligence Sergeant, he grew up in several cities across North America and Europe, but considers himself a New Englander. He now lives in San Mateo, California. About Guideline Guideline launched in 2016 with a mission to create an honest, easy retirement platform that gives people confidence they'll have a retirement they can look forward to. Since its launch, Guideline has grown to support more than 20,000 small business clients, managing more than $4 billion in assets. Guideline handles the heavy lifting—from plan administration and employee onboarding, to compliance testing, government filing, and recordkeeping—to make small business owners’ jobs easier. For more FinTech insights, follow us below: Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech Miguel's Twitter: twitter.com/MiguelArmaza Miguel's Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3jWIpqp

Ryan Zauk sits down with fintech investor & frequent Wharton Fintech collaborator, Michael Sidgmore! Michael is a Partner at Broadhaven Ventures, part of Broadhaven Capital Partners, a leading merchant bank focused on financial services. In addition to Broadhaven, Michael runs a media platform called Alt Goes Mainstream, as well as Community x Capital with Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian. These platforms focus on the emergence of alternative assets, 'culture assets,' investing, and the convergence of community & capital. Michael is ultra-deep in fintech, with years of experience as an investor, operator, advisor, angel, and more in this space. In today’s episode, they discuss: - The evolution of the Alts landscape over the last decade and the major trends that will drive it forward - His investment in and admiration for Republic and its CEO Ken Nguyen - The huge opportunity for wealth managers and alternative assets - The rise of the passion economy with products like sneakers, sports cards, and wine - His collaboration project with Mario Gabriele of the Generalist with Coinbase’s Direct Listing - and much more! Community X Capital: https://comxcap.transistor.fm/ Alt Goes Mainstream: https://altgoesmainstream.substack.com/ -- For more Fintech insights, follow us below: Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech Ryan's Twitter: twitter.com/RyanZauk LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/wharton-fintech-club/

Miguel Armaza sits down with Anna Irrera, Chief Correspondent at Reuters in London where she covers fintech and tech-related developments at some of the world’s largest financial institutions. In her role she works on stories at the intersection of Wall Street and Silicon Valley, including crypto, blockchain, peer-to-peer lending and online investing. In this episode, we discuss: - Anna’s journey and why she began covering Fintech before it was cool and mainstream - The exponential evolution of fintech over the last 10 years and why it’s increasingly more challenging to cover the space - Her editorial process and the steps she takes when deciding to write a story - The rise of crypto and why the audience loves reading about it - Noticeable differences of shifting bank cultures - Rise of global fintech - And a lot more! Anna Irrera Anna Irrera is a Chief Correspondent at Reuters in London where she covers the financial technology sector and technology related developments at some of the world’s largest financial institutions. In her role she works on stories on topics at the intersection of Wall Street and Silicon Valley, including cryptocurrencies and their underlying technology blockchain, peer-to-peer lending and online investing. Anna was previously team leader for financial companies coverage and fintech correspondent for Reuters based in in New York. She joined Reuters in 2016 having previously covered fintech for more than three years at Financial News, a Dow Jones newspaper in London, where she played a key role in the publication’s expanded fintech coverage. She joined Dow Jones in 2012 as an online reporter for Financial News, having moved to the UK from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where she worked at Reuters’, English language international service. She holds M.S. degree (with honors) from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York and a graduate degree in law from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. For more FinTech insights, follow us below: Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech Miguel's Twitter: twitter.com/MiguelArmaza Miguel's Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3jWIpqp

Miguel Armaza sits down with Ali Tamaseb, Partner at DCVC, a VC fund that backs teams applying deep tech to transform giant industries. Ali is also a published author, having recently authored Super Founders: What Data Reveals About Billion-Dollar Startups, a book that uses a data-driven approach to understand what really differentiates billion-dollar startups from the rest—revealing that nearly everything we thought was true about them is actually false. Ali Tamaseb began this project four years ago, trying to answer a single question: what was different, if anything, between startups that go on to become billion-dollar successes and those that raise VC funding but don’t succeed in that scale? Thousands of hours later, having manually collected 30,000+ data points, he was shocked with the result. The data rejected so many popular narratives that he decided to write a book based on the findings. In the process, Ali interviewed founders of many billion-dollar companies like Zoom, Instacart, GitHub, and Nest, as well as investors like Alfred Lin, Elad Gil, and Keith Rabois. Ali learned a great deal of lessons through this interviews and their stories were full of inspiration and a reminder that there are years of unnoticed ups and downs before every “overnight success”. Small successes are great preparations for much bigger outcomes in startup land. The book is full of profound lessons and inside stories from founders of some of the most successful companies in the industry and highly recommended for those interested in the ingredients of successful startups. Ali Tamaseb Ali brings the perspective of an entrepreneur and previous startup founder, as well as a highly technical academic researcher to DCVC. Ali has walked in the shoes of many of the scientist-turned-entrepreneurs that we back and has first-hand experience with the challenges they face. At DCVC, he works on a broad spectrum of areas ranging from computational health/bio to cybersecurity. More specifically, Ali likes to identify early-stage highly technical and defensible startups in diagnostics tools, neuro-technology, precision medicine, synthetic bio and bio-logic, disruptive healthcare models, financial technologies, alternative data, next-generation computing, cryptography and blockchain. Ali received a B.Eng. in Biomedical Engineering from Imperial College London and graduated from the SIGM program at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He did research in the fields of neuroscience and human-computer interaction. Ali has 6 publications, including one book, holds a number of patents, and has won medals in national and international olympiads and innovation fairs. Ali was an honoree of the British Alumni Award, and Imperial College President’s Medal for Outstanding Achievement. Ali and his work has been featured in BBC, Guardian, Forbes, The Telegraph, and others. Ali has given talks and been on panels at major events and conferences including two TEDx talks. For more FinTech insights, follow us below: Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech Miguel's Twitter: twitter.com/MiguelArmaza Miguel's Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3jWIpqp

Anirudh Singh sits down with Devie Mohan, CEO and Co-Founder of Burnmark. In this episode they discuss: - Founding Burnmark - The changing relationship between fintechs, incumbents, and regulators - Devie's time teach fintech courses - Devie's first book "The Financial Services Guide to Fintech" and plans for future publications - The future of fintech and why it may disappear And more! Devie Mohan: Devie Mohan is an influential writer, speaker, and commentator on fintech, and is the co-founder and CEO of Burnmark, a fintech research company, that supplies research and data to all players of the fintech ecosystem. Devie has helped several banks, fintech startups, innovation groups, and investors understand the trends in the fintech industry, helping them set their corporate, marketing, and investment strategies. She is also a proponent of a fintech ecosystem where banks and startups collaborate to drive innovation. She is a panel member on the ING Group Think Forward initiative on better financial decision-making. She is the author of “The Financial Services Guide to Fintech” and a columnist with several publications. She is actively involved in the fintech community and has been listed in the top 10 of several global fintech influencer lists. For more FinTech insights, follow us below: Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/wharton-fintech-club/ WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech Anirudh's Twitter: twitter.com/avsingh_24