Tearsheet Podcast: Exploring Financial Services Together

In a world where financial inclusion remains one of our generation's greatest challenges, emerging markets are becoming the true laboratories of fintech innovation. While developed economies iterate on convenience, companies operating in regions with limited banking infrastructure are fundamentally reimagining what financial services can look like from the ground up. Today, we're diving into this fascinating intersection of opportunity and impact with David Lask from Tala. Tala has built a reputation as a pioneer in financial inclusion, providing access to credit and financial services to underbanked populations across multiple continents. David joins us fresh from the Fintech Americas Miami conference to share his insights on the rapidly evolving Latin American fintech landscape. We'll explore how the unique challenges and opportunities in this region are fostering innovative approaches to financial services, with a special focus on Mexico as a compelling case study of fintech evolution.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the financial landscape, creating new opportunities for innovation while reshaping consumer expectations around speed, personalization, and security. As financial institutions and businesses race to integrate AI capabilities, we're witnessing a fundamental shift in how payments are processed, how fraud is detected, and how financial services are delivered. Today, I'm delighted to welcome Davi Strazza, President of North America at Adyen, a global financial technology platform that's at the forefront of this AI evolution. Davi leads Adyen's North American operations, where the company is leveraging artificial intelligence as a strategic growth driver through initiatives like their recently launched Uplift platform. In our conversation today, we'll explore how Adyen is implementing AI solutions to enable hyper-personalization, enhance fraud detection, and automate complex financial processes. Davi will also share his insights on the state of real-time payments in the US and what companies need to do to make instant payments a more fundamental part of our commerce and financial system.

Joe Heck, CEO of Zip, joins me on the Tearsheet Podcast to discuss the evolution of alternative payment solutions in the US. Zip is a leading Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) company. Joe shares lessons from his 20 years of experience in consumer lending and fintech payment solutions. Heck brings insights from his previous leadership roles at Happy Money and TrueStage. Heck’s background plays a role in his approach to financial services. Growing up in Flint, Michigan, he understands the challenges of paycheck-to-paycheck living. “There’s a consumer base largely ignored by traditional financial systems,” Heck explains. “FICO doesn’t serve them well, but they have a great ability to pay.” Zip focuses on providing financial flexibility to these consumers. It offers structured repayment plans that don’t push them into revolving debt. According to Heck, “We win when the consumer wins. If they can’t pay us back, our model doesn’t work either.” The Big Ideas BNPL’s Growth Potential in the US – With only 2% of payments currently in BNPL, there is significant room for expansion compared to markets like Europe and Australia. Financial Inclusion for Underserved Consumers – Zip is focusing on consumers who don’t fit traditional credit models but have strong repayment potential. “We provide access when and where they need it,” says Heck. Strategic Partnerships Drive Accessibility – Integrations with Stripe and retailers like GameStop are making BNPL more available to consumers. A More Transparent Alternative to Credit Cards – Unlike credit cards that encourage revolving debt, BNPL provides structured, predictable payments. “We’re not built in a way that traps consumers in debt,” Heck emphasizes. The Role of Cash Flow Management in BNPL’s Future – Zip is investing in tools that help consumers manage unpredictable income streams, ensuring more repayment flexibility.

Fintechs have pushed the industry to focus on client experiences, and our show today digs into how traditional banks can collaborate with global banks like Citi to improve experiences like cross border payments for their clients. In our conversation today, Aashish Mishra, Citi’s Global Head for Banks sales and North Asia head for Financial Institutions and Fintech Sales, Treasury & Trade Solutions (TTS), dives into how the bank's 24/7 US dollar clearing business, as well as solutions like Worldlink ® Payment Services, are helping the firm’s bank clients deliver modern and intuitive experiences to its customers. Aashish Mishra is part of Citi’s Services’ business based in Hong Kong, and he performs two roles: he's responsible for TTS sales and strategy for all FI client segments in North America, which spans banks, fintechs, insurance, asset managers, and broker dealers. And for the bank segment globally, his focus is on delivering the entire TTS solution set to his clients, including cash clearing, global payments and receivables, Banking as a Service, liquidity solutions and trade solutions. Prior to this role, he spent extensive time in Citi’s Security Services business, including as the Head of Custody Product and Head of Direct Custody and Clearing business for Asia.  Aashish has extensive experience in the financial institution space, and has worked closely with senior clients, regulators, and financial market infrastructure during his career. Today, he brings that insight from multiple arms of the vast Citi footprint to the show to explore how banks can push their products further without burdening their teams with technical lift, as well as where he expects client expectations to go in the future.

In late January, Upbound Group completed its acquisition of Brigit, a leading financial health technology company. This deal brings together Upbound’s established brands like Rent-A-Center and Acima with Brigit’s digital platform that offers earned wage access, credit building products, and financial wellness tools. The combined company now serves approximately four million active customers, including Brigit’s impressive base of over one million paying subscribers. I’m thrilled to welcome Zuben Mathews, co-founder of Brigit, to our podcast today. Zuben continues to lead the Brigit team as they now operate as a business segment within Upbound Group, alongside his co-founder Hamel Kothari. In our conversation today, we’ll explore the strategic vision behind this acquisition, how Brigit’s technology will enhance Upbound’s existing services, and what this means for millions of Americans who have been traditionally underserved by mainstream financial institutions. We’ll also discuss how Brigit’s proprietary cash flow underwriting technology and machine learning capabilities might change the landscape for accessible financial products.

Hari Gopalkrishnan, who leads Bank of America’s Consumer, Business & Wealth Management Technology team, shares insights on the creation of Erica, the bank's innovative digital assistant. He discusses the early challenges of using natural language processing, the vital need for collaboration across departments, and how user feedback shaped Erica's development. Gopalkrishnan highlights the assistant’s rapid growth in interactions, its expansion into multiple lines of business, and the role of generative AI in enhancing its functionality and user experience.

Financial inclusion remains one of the most pressing challenges in today’s economy. Millions of Americans struggle to access basic financial services simply because they lack a credit history or have damaged credit. This gap in our financial system doesn’t just create inconvenience – it perpetuates cycles of financial inequity that can last generations. In my latest episode of Tearsheet, I sat down with Julie Szudarek, CEO of Self Financial, a company working at the forefront of this challenge. Julie took the helm at Self just over a year ago, bringing over 20 years of leadership experience from companies like Groupon and Atida. Though fintech is a new arena for her, Julie’s expertise in building customer-focused businesses is exactly what’s needed to tackle financial inclusion at scale. “I’ve never done fintech before,” Julie told me candidly. “But what I bring to the table is a deep understanding of how to build customer-focused businesses that are sustainable over time.” Her mission at Self aligns well with the broader movement toward more accessible financial services: “We are only here to make outcomes for our customers better than before they started working with Self.” The Big Ideas Decoupling Secured Credit Cards for Easier Access. “We decoupled the secured card so customers don’t need a credit builder account first. It’s about reducing barriers.” The Power of Low Deposit and No Credit Check. “Our deposit is $100, and for many, there’s no hard credit check. That makes it much less intimidating for people facing rejection.” Customer Education as a Core Focus. “About 65% of our customers say they had no financial education. So we focus on teaching them about interest, compounding, and managing credit.” Expanding Product Offerings to Keep Customers Engaged. “We were limited in what we offered. Now we’re focusing on products that meet customers where they are and help them keep growing financially.” Partnerships to Reach More Communities. “Regions Bank and Pathway Homes are some of our key partners — together, we’re helping more people build credit who might otherwise be left out.”

Blockchain technology continues to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the digital asset ecosystem. Today, we're witnessing a fascinating convergence where decentralized finance protocols are being integrated into user-friendly platforms, making sophisticated financial tools accessible to everyday users. One of the most significant developments in this space is the ability to leverage crypto assets without selling them—unlocking liquidity while maintaining exposure to potential appreciation. Coinbase has recently launched a groundbreaking product that allows customers to borrow USDC against their Bitcoin holdings in under a minute, all powered by onchain lending protocols. I'm delighted to welcome Max Branzburg, Vice President of Product at Coinbase, to discuss this innovation. As a key architect of Coinbase's product strategy, Max has been instrumental in developing solutions that make crypto utility more tangible for millions of users. Today, we'll explore how Bitcoin-backed loans represent a pivotal step in Coinbase's vision for onchain financial services, the technical infrastructure making this possible, and what this means for the future of personal finance.

Today we're examining the evolution of asset management and financial advisory services. As technology transforms how we invest and manage wealth, we're exploring the critical balance between innovation and human expertise. We'll discuss how disruption in the advisory space creates new opportunities for clients and advisors alike, why personal relationships remain essential even as AI expands, and how progressive firms are reimagining compensation models. We'll also look at the hybrid approach resonating with next-gen clients who want both self-directed tools and personalized guidance. Joining me to explore these topics are Steven Woods, CEO and Founder of Stirlingshire, and Jim Webb, VP of Investments. Their firm is working to remake the asset management model for both clients and advisors. Today, we'll hear about their non-traditional approach to wealth management, how they're balancing technology with the human touch, and why this matters for both financial professionals and their clients. The Big Ideas: Challenging the Traditional Asset Management Fee Structure: Stirlingshire allows advisors to keep 100% of asset management fees and commissions with zero expenses. This flips the traditional model where firms take substantial cuts from advisor earnings, creating better economics for both clients and advisors. The "Advice on Demand" Innovation: Stirlingshire offers a hybrid model between self-directed investing and full management. Clients can self-direct at zero commission but access professional advisors when needed, with advisors only getting paid when their specific recommendations result in profits. Technology-Enabled Compliance and Remote Work: By embedding compliance directly into their technology systems, Stirlingshire eliminates the need for physical offices and reduces compliance staffing. This automation significantly reduces overhead costs while increasing advisor flexibility. AI as an Efficiency Tool, Not a Replacement: Rather than replacing human advisors, Stirlingshire uses AI to make them more efficient. Their AI tools quickly analyze portfolios and provide market context, saving advisors time without making actual investment decisions. Disrupting the Industry to Drive Broader Change: Stirlingshire aims to force change across the entire financial advisory industry, similar to how Robinhood disrupted commission structures. Their goal is to push other independent firms toward more advisor-friendly compensation models by demonstrating a successful alternative approach.

Register to 4dFI's mailing list to stay updated on our investment opportunities, events, news: https://www.library.tearsheet.co/4dfi Today I'm excited to introduce you to 4dFI Capital Partners — or as we call it, 4dFI — a new initiative bringing together the worlds of traditional finance and innovative fintech. In this episode, we're diving into three key themes reshaping global financial services: Hidden Innovations in Emerging Markets As Russell Weiss points out, "There's some incredible innovations happening in emerging markets, and oftentimes investors and executives in the US and Europe are sort of missing it. They're not hearing those stories. They're not getting access to that technology." We'll explore how companies like Nubank are just the beginning of a wave of groundbreaking financial solutions coming from regions outside traditional financial centers. From Fintech to Impact Investment In regions where traditional credit infrastructure is lacking, services like earned wage access aren't just convenient—they're transformative. Josh Liggett explains how these solutions are "where a FinTech turns from a FinTech company to also an impact investment," creating both financial returns and meaningful change in consumers' lives. Building a Value-Add Investment Community Beyond just providing capital, Fortify aims to create a network of experienced professionals who can offer expertise, connections, and insights to emerging market fintechs. This collaborative approach benefits everyone involved—investors gain exposure to new models, startups receive valuable guidance, and ultimately, consumers get better financial products. I'm joined today by my partners Russell Weiss and Josh Liggett, who bring complementary skills in data science, VC deal-making, and fintech expertise to this exciting venture. Whether you're a financial industry veteran looking for new horizons or simply curious about where global fintech is heading, today's conversation offers valuable insights into the future of finance beyond traditional markets. Let's dive in.