EMPIRE CONTRIBUTORS
FROM FINTECH LEADERS
TO BANKING VISIONARIES
TO VENTURE FORTUNE TELLERS
A community of experts providing unique perspectives and insights on the latest in FinTech.
Stephany Kirkpatrick
#Payments #APIs #BaaS #Fraud
Stephany Kirkpatrick is a digital executive and seasoned entrepreneur with over 15 years experience in companies across a variety of industries, from startups to Fortune 100 corporations. Stephany founded Orum in 2019 on the belief that consumers should have immediate access to their money. Stephany is a Certified Financial Planner™ who’s spent the last decade building technology to optimize financial outcomes for Americans — first at LearnVest where she helped design its financial planning software and now at Orum.
Stephany leads with strong core values and believes in diversity of thought and people. She is a mother of two young girls and actively participates in building a future that empowers women through her mentorship work.
Generative AI: The Answer for Financial Inclusivity?
Stephany Kirkpatrick, Founder & CEO of Orum, asks what AI advancements look like in a financial system that’s been historically slow to adapt?
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May 24, 2023
Trisha Kothari
#AML #APIs #BaaS #Fraud
Trisha Kothari is the Co-founder and CEO of Unit21, a platform for risk and compliance operations teams in fintechs to fight fraud and money laundering. Unit21 works with companies like Mercury, Chime, Intuit, Gusto, Binance, and is backed by Tiger Global, Gradient Ventures, and South Park Commons. Trisha previously worked at Affirm, where she led product for the risk and identity teams.
Fraud is Not the F-Word
Trisha Kothari, Co-founder & CEO of Unit21, unpacks how fraud prevention is not just a matter of competitive advantage, but a collective responsibility.
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June 14, 2023
Ron J. Williams
#Venture #Studio #Banking #Innovation
Ron J Williams is a Partner at Co-Created, a leading venture development firm. He is a venture builder and corporate innovation leader. He helps organizations be bolder and better by identifying, building and scaling impactful ventures.
Previously Ron led strategy for D10X, the venture incubation program for Citibank’s Consumer business where he was responsible for reinventing its innovation operating model. Named by Fast Company as one of its 100 Most Creative People in Business, Ron is passionate about applying venture building to help “real people make real progress”.
A proud Dad and native of Brooklyn, New York, Ron wants to see more “good growth” engines in the world: big businesses that inherently create more equity and sustainability at scale while being unapologetically commercial.
Beyond Primary: Relationship Banking’s Big Problem
Ron J. Williams, Partner at Co-Created, discusses the current state of banking, and what this means for consumers and financial institutions moving forward.
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June 28, 2023
Sasha Orloff
#Accounting #APIs #Automation #AI
Sasha Orloff is the Co-founder and CEO of Puzzle, the first autonomous accounting software designed specifically for startups. With over 20 years of experience, Sasha has a strong background in fintech, having built multiple successful startups including LendUp, the pioneering mobile lender in the US, and Mission Lane, a venture-backed credit card company.
He has also served as a board member at Revolut, the largest global fintech startup. Sasha’s career spans various roles in Citigroup, The World Bank, Grameen, and several venture-backed startups. Currently residing in San Francisco, he is happily married with two children. Sasha’s expertise lies in leveraging predictive analytics and data to drive positive transformations for companies and communities alike.
Transforming Accounting from Compliance to a Competitive Advantage
Sasha Orloff, Founder & CEO of Puzzle, shares thoughts on how FinTechs can transform financial data into a competitive advantage.
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July 12, 2023
Sunil Singh
#Lending #Payments #EmbeddedFinance
Sunil Singh is the CEO of Tallied, an innovative operating system for modern credit cards that’s revolutionizing the $4T credit card industry. With a background in engineering, he’s renowned for his strategic and entrepreneurial leadership, driving product strategy and revenue scaling. He’s excelled in various roles, from startups to major corporations like Account Now and Karmic Labs. He also played a pivotal role in Blackhawk’s financial services unit and significantly contributed to Marqeta’s impressive revenue growth and IPO preparation.
Sunil Singh holds an Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering degree from Jadavpur University (India) and an MBA from Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he’s also dedicated over two decades to community service as a meditation and breathwork instructor.
What’s Missing from the Embedded Conversation
Sunil Singh, Co-founder and CEO of Tallied, dives deeper into what’s missing when talking about embedded finance.
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July 19, 2023
Soups Ranjan
#Web3 #APIs #BaaS #Fraud
Soups Ranjan is the Co-founder and CEO of Sardine, a behavior-based platform for fraud prevention, regulatory compliance, and instant payments.
Soups started Sardine with a team of experts who previously tackled fraud at companies like Revolut, PayPal, and Uber. Today, more than 250 global enterprises use Sardine to fight fraud on their platforms.
Before starting Sardine, Soups was the Head of Financial Crime for Revolut and the Head of Risk at Coinbase. He also held roles in cyber security and AI at multiple Silicon Valley companies, over the last 15 years.
Giving Fraudsters a Run for their Money
Soups Ranjan, Co-founder & CEO of Sardine, suggests updating the playbook when it comes to fraud.
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July 26, 2023
Sam Hodges
#Insurance #SMB
Sam Hodges is Co-founder & CEO of Vouch, the leading business insurance provider for technology companies. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, having previously led Funding Circle’s U.S. division, which went public in 2018.
Sam is based in San Francisco and is an active startup investor.
Riding the Waves of Crisis: From SVB to Vesttoo and Beyond
Sam Hodges, Co-founder and CEO of Vouch, shares his insights surrounding the latest waves shaking up the FinTech and Insurtech spaces.
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August 2, 2023
Saira Rahman
#Banking #Partnerships #PropTech #Investing
The Pursuit of Becoming ‘Top of Wallet’
Saira Rahman, VP of New Investor Initiatives at Fundrise, answers the question to, “What does the path to ‘top of wallet look like?”
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August 16, 2023
Chris Dean
#Banking #Payments #APIs #BaaS
Chris Dean is the CEO and Co-Founder of Treasury Prime, an embedded banking software platform that connects companies to the largest network of banks and product partners so that they can launch new financial products in weeks. Prior to launching Treasury Prime, he served as CTO of “API first” company Standard Treasury. When the startup was acquired by Silicon Valley Bank, he took on the role of CTO of API banking for SVB.
Earlier in his career, Chris founded or co-founded software companies including Merced Systems (enterprise software), Kyluka (a consulting firm), and Benefitter (ACA-based health plan.) Chris started his career as technical staff in the Machine Learning Systems Group of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
A Roadmap for Speed and Safety within FinTech
Chris Dean, Co-founder and CEO of Treasury Prime, paves a roadmap for FinTech when it comes to scaling quickly and safely.
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August 30, 2023
Amy Nauiokas
#Venture #Trends #Innovation #Seed
Amy Nauiokas is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Anthemis Group. Anthemis was the first investment platform focused on the digital transformation of financial services, and today it is among the most active in the industry.
Amy and Anthemis focus on businesses and founders contributing to a more resilient, just, and equitable financial system. Current investments include Betterment, eToro, and Tide, and exits include Currencycloud, Climate Corporation, Power, and Zoopla.
Striking a Balance in Venture Capital
Amy Nauiokas, Founder and CEO of Anthemis, explains why the future of venture capital is one that needs to be hybrid.
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September 6, 2023
Kurt Lin
#APIs #BaaS #Payroll
Kurt Lin is the Co-founder & CEO of Pinwheel, a leading payroll connectivity API. Raised by immigrant parents, Kurt witnessed their struggles due to limited credit history, inspiring him to launch Pinwheel.
With prior startup acquisitions, including Idean and Luxe (acquired by Volvo), Kurt faced difficulties accessing an HSA, similar to his parents’ challenges. This led him to recognize the need for an automated HSA process, revealing data inaccessibility within payroll systems. Pinwheel was born to create a fairer financial system.
Shamir Karkal
#Payments #APIs #BaaS #Fraud
Shamir is the CSO of Sila, a banking and payment platform for software teams creating the next-gen financial products. Sila, established in 2018, aims to empower financial innovation.
Before Sila, Shamir co-founded Simple in 2009, a groundbreaking neobank acquired by BBVA in 2014. He also led BBVA’s Open Platform. Earlier, he advised financial institutions at McKinsey & Co in Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S.
Shamir holds degrees in physics and computer science from Bangalore University and a Tepper MBA from Carnegie Mellon. He resides with his family in Portland, Oregon.
Craig J. Lewis
#GigEconomy #APIs #Payments #Accounting
Founder and Chief Entrepreneur Officer of Gig Wage, a tech startup, that builds modern payroll, payments and banking tools for the future of work. Pay your independent contractors in seconds. We designed payroll that meets the demand of your on-demand workforce. Simple. Fast. Easy.
Prior to Gig Wage, I was also the CSO at Kairos, a venture backed facial recognition/ Emotion Detection startup.
I played professional basketball in Europe. I’m also the Author of “The Sport of Sales” and a Husband & Father to 4 beautiful young ladies.
My Motto: “Go For It”🚀
Ad Astra
