Wharton FinTech Podcast

Russell Matambo hosts Shivani Siroya, Founder and CEO of Tala, a global technology company expanding access to credit and financial services in underserved markets. They discuss how Shivani’s built Tala on the basis of her microlending activity from her own savings, the importance of trust when lending in Emerging Markets, the socioeconomic impact of credit in Emerging Markets, and much more! About Shivani: Shivani is the Founder and CEO of Tala, a global technology company expanding access to credit and financial services in underserved markets. Nearly 8 million people across Kenya, the Philippines, Mexico, and India have used Tala products to start and expand small businesses, manage day-to-day needs, and pursue their financial goals with confidence. Tala has been named to the Fortune Impact 20 list, CNBC’s Disruptor 50 four years in a row, and Forbes’ Fintech 50 list for seven years running. Shivani has been invited to speak on Financial Inclusion at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Prior to founding Tala, Shivani worked in Investment Banking, Microfinance and for the United Nations Population Fund. She holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MPH from Columbia University. —--- As always, for more Fintech insights and opportunities to collaborate, please find us below: WFT LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/wharton-fintech-club WFT Twitter: www.twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Blog: www.medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Home: www.whartonfintech.org Russell's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/russell-matambo-cfa-a5900039/

Tarang Gupta hosts Mani Mahadevan, the Founder & CEO of Valur, a fintech startup helping democratize access to the tax optimization and asset protection tools of billionaires. In this episode you will hear about: - Increasing complications in the US tax code - Making tax mitigation strategies accessible through tech - Starting a company during the pandemic - Taking the plunge from corporate roles to entrepreneurship And much more! About Mani Mahadevan Mani is the Founder and CEO at Valur. Prior to founding Valur, Mani was Chief of Staff for Apple Card at Marcus by Goldman Sachs and before that he held product and operation roles at the Remote Year and Medallia. Mani started his career as a Business Analyst at McKinsey and holds a Bachelors from the University of Michigan. About Valur Founded in 2020, Valur takes the tax optimization and asset protection tools of the ultra-wealthy and makes them accessible to everyone. Valur democratizes the tax planning tools necessary to grow wealth more efficiently, through technology thereby simplifying them and making them affordable to all. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Tarang’s Twitter: twitter.com/tg_tarang Tarang’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/taranggupta100

In this episode, our host, Josh Benadiva, sits down with Tomer Barel, Chief Operating Officer of Melio. They discuss Tomer's takeaways in his early career from start-ups to PayPal, why he views simplicity and ease-of-use as the core of Melio's product, and the future of B2B payments. Tomer shares his insights on Melio's strategic partnerships, the state of B2B payments, and advice for future operators in the fintech space. Tomer Barel is the Chief Operating Officer of Melio. Before joining Melio, Tomer served as Vice President and COO of Novi, Meta’s payments unit and digital wallet. Tomer also spent nine years at PayPal. As PayPal’s global Chief Enterprise Services Officer and Chief Risk Officer, he was part of the executive team reporting to the CEO and led financial risk management and compliance as well as global operations including customer service and back-office functions. Barel also served on Melio’s advisory board since the company’s founding in 2018. Melio's mission is to keep small business in business, helping them to improve their cash flow and workflow, gain more control over their finances, and optimize their business's financial health. Melio was founded by CEO Matan Bar, CTO Ilan Atias, and Ziv Paz in 2018, with headquarters in New York, an R&D center in Tel Aviv, and western U.S. headquarters in Colorado. The company has raised $506 million to date. Melio's smart B2B online payment solution is tailor-made for small businesses' needs. It is a free, simple, and secure solution that allows small businesses and their suppliers to transfer and receive payments quickly and easily.

Tarang Gupta hosts Tanner Hackett, the Founder and CEO of Counterpart, an insurtech startup using AI to offer management and professional liability insurance products and services for small businesses. In this episode you will hear about: - How insuring SMEs can be tricky - Why Tanner chose to focus on specialty insurance - What makes Counterpart's offerings standout - Counterpart’s recent $30M Series B raise - The disruption brought about by insurtech And much more! About Tanner Hackett Tanner is the Founder and CEO of Counterpart. Before starting Counterpart, he co-founded two successful ventures including the Malaysian arm of Lazada, which quickly became the largest e-commerce company in Southeast Asia and Button, which has become the world’s largest mobile-first affiliate platform, partnering with global brands like Amazon, Walmart, Booking.com, and Uber. About Counterpart Founded in 2019, Counterpart is a Series B insurtech firm offering small business management and professional liability insurance by pairing insurance experts with artificial intelligence. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Tarang’s Twitter: twitter.com/tg_tarang Tarang’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/taranggupta100

Tarang Gupta hosts Junaid Wahedna, the Founder and CEO of Wahed, which is a values driven digital investment platform structured in accordance with established Islamic principles and standards. In this episode you will hear about: - What is riba and its role in halal investing - Structuring ETFs that are complaint with Islamic principles - Launch of Wahed’s physical bank branch and gold-backed debit card - Junaid’s decision to expand globally early-on And much more! About Junaid Wahedna Junaid, a native of India, was educated in Dubai during his formative years. He holds a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Columbia University along with several certifications in accounting and finance including a CMA, CAIA and CDIF, London, United Kingdom. Prior to founding Wahed, Junaid spent several years working on Wall Street. About Wahed Founded in 2017, Wahed is an ethical and values driven digital investment platform that provides access to diversified portfolios to residents of the US, UK and Malaysia. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Tarang’s Twitter: twitter.com/tg_tarang Tarang’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/taranggupta100

Tarang Gupta hosts Giuseppe Stuto, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at 186 Ventures. 186 Ventures is a pre-seed & seed stage VC firm investing across fintech, consumer, enterprise, and disruptive tech. In this episode you will hear about: - 186’s investment philosophy and portfolio selection process - Opportunities unlocked by Web3 disruption - Strategically deploying capital in an uncertain market - Anticipated evolution of DApps and Layer 1 chains And much more! About Giuseppe Stuto Prior to co-founding 186 Ventures, Giuseppe was the Co-Founder and CEO of Fam, a group video software company that was acquired by Draftkings. He then served in product & strategy roles at DraftKings leading up to their IPO and was also the COO for Pison Technology. Giuseppe holds a B.S.B.A. from the Boston University Questrom School of Business. About 186 Ventures Founded in 2019, 186 Ventures are early stage technology investors focused on agile teams working on disruptive problems. 186 Ventures is based in Boston and its investors bring full operational & strategic support and an unparalleled network to founders. 186's portfolio currently spans 30+ high growth technology companies. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Tarang’s Twitter: twitter.com/tg_tarang Tarang’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/taranggupta100

Tarang Gupta hosts Michele Alt, Co-Founder & Partner, and Jonah Crane, Partner at Klaros Group. Klaros is an advisory and investment firm at the intersection of innovation, financial services, and regulation. In this episode you will hear about: - Sneak peak into the policy making process - Advising fintechs dealing with regulatory uncertainty - Potential M&A opportunities arising from economic downturn - What led to the failure of SVB and its impact on banking and fintech - Their opinion on the resilience of the US economy And much more! About Michele Alt Michele is a Co-Founder and Partner at the Klaros Group and she advises fintech clients on their banking and regulatory strategies by drawing on her prior experience at the Promontory Financial Group and as a senior legal official at the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. About Jonah Crane Jonah is a Partner at the Klaros Group and he advises on business and product strategy, regulatory and compliance risk, and regulatory engagement. He has helped neobanks, infrastructure providers, crypto companies, and banks navigate complex regulatory frameworks. Jonah served as a Senior Advisor and Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Treasury Department, and as advisor to U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer. About Klaros Group Klaros Group is an advisory and investment business focused on the future of financial services. They combine business know-how and deep regulatory expertise to help financial innovators and incumbents navigate financial services regulation while building business scale and momentum. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Tarang’s Twitter: twitter.com/tg_tarang Tarang’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/taranggupta100

Tarang Gupta hosts Kevin Greene, CEO and Chairman of Tassat. Tassat is a leading provider of private, permissioned blockchain-based solutions for commercial banks. In this episode you will hear about: - What are private permissioned vs public blockchains - Why focus on minimizing regret when making life decisions - How blockchain is changing the banking industry - Why a business' success depends 95% on testing + execution and only 5% on the idea - Kevin’s proudest basketball moment And much more! About Kevin Greene Kevin is the Chairman and CEO of Tassat Group. He joined Tassat in 2017 and was named Executive Chairman in 2019. Previously Kevin served as the Chairman & CEO of Capital Resource Holdings, LLC and founded Bryant Park Capital, a privately held investment bank. Before this he was a senior consultant with McKinsey & Company. Kevin earned a B.A. in Economics from Georgetown University, a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University and an MBA from New York University. About Tassat Founded in 2017, Tassat Group provides blockchain-based real-time solutions to banks, which enables them to provide their customers with instantaneous, secure, real-time payments 24/7/365. Tassat's flagship product TassatPay has processed over $500 billion in secure, real-time transactions to date. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Tarang’s Twitter: twitter.com/tg_tarang Tarang’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/taranggupta100

In this episode, our host, Josh Benadiva, engages in a meaningful conversation with Sankaet Pathak, Founder and CEO of Synapse. They discuss Sankaet's journey from establishing the foundation of embedded finance and banking-as-a-service to scaling the company since its inception in 2014. Sankaet shares his insights on creating a startup within the embedded finance sector, his perspectives on hiring and product development, and strategies for centering teams and company efforts around a cohesive vision. Sankaet Pathak wears the hat of the founder and CEO of Synapse, a leading banking-as-a-service provider. His journey with Synapse began in 2014 during his Master's degree at the University of Memphis and has since blossomed into a remarkable success story. Synapse, a comprehensive banking-as-a-service platform, offers a range of services such as payment, card issuance, deposit, lending, compliance, credit, and investment products in the form of APIs to over 15 million end users. Boasting an annualized transaction volume of $67 billion and $11 billion in assets under management across its platform, Synapse has garnered over $50 million in funding from renowned venture firms like Andreessen Horowitz, 500 Startups, and Trinity Ventures.

Tarang Gupta hosts Stephane Lintner, Co-Founder and CEO of Jiko. Jiko is a bank and broker-dealer with modern trading and ledgering technology that offers real-time programmatic access to Treasury bills, thereby combining the yield and security of T-bills with the flexibility of a bank account. In this episode you will hear about: - Unlocking the power of T-bills for businesses, startups, and consumers - Building a vertically integrated de-levered bank - Why T-bills provide a higher yield than bank accounts - Jiko’s $40M Series B raise last year - Stephane’s thoughts on disruption opportunity in payments And much more! About Stephane Lintner Stephane is the CEO and Co-founder of Jiko. He graduated from Caltech with a PhD in Applied and Computational Mathematics and holds degrees in Machine Learning and Computer Science from the Ecole Normale Superieure in France. Prior to founding the company, Lintner worked as a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs’ Securities Division for almost a decade. During his nearly decade-long tenure at Goldman Sachs, he witnessed firsthand the inequities of the banking system, including threats to the safety of consumer deposits during the 2008 financial crisis. This inspired his mission to modernize the banking system and build a safer, more efficient financial future for all. About Jiko Founded in 2016, Jiko is a revolutionary new financial network, enabling companies – from multinational corporations to startups – to both store and move money, starting with the power of treasury bills, made spendable. Securely stored at the biggest custody bank in the country, cash is put directly into T-bills with on-demand liquidity. For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Tarang’s Twitter: twitter.com/tg_tarang Tarang’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/taranggupta100