Wharton FinTech Podcast
by Wharton Fintech Podcast
Connecting you with the people, companies, and ideas revolutionizing global financial services. Our guests are the leading fintech founders, investors, and thinkers in the world.Subscribe and follow us for more FinTech content by searching @whartonfintech on your preferred platform!
Episodes
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The Bank Built for the Frontier
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Bobby Ma sits down with Alex Du, COO of Column. Alex dropped out of Stanford GSB to build Column with Plaid co-founder William Hockey. Column is the only nationally chartered bank built for the frontier, powering some of the fastest-growing…
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Building the Future of Capital Markets with Blockchain
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Mili Tomar sits down with Michael Tannenbaum, CEO of Figure. Michael shares his experience leading Figure and how the company is building a blockchain-native capital marketplace that seamlessly connects origination, funding, and secondary market...
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Keeping a Finger on the FinTech Pulse
In this episode, we sit down with investor and writer Ilona Limonta-Volkova to explore the intersection of VC, storytelling, and innovation in FinTech. Ilona shares her perspective on identifying emerging trends, backing founders, and translating complex financial ideas into compelling…
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Building Responsible AI in Financial Services
In this episode, we’re joined by Georgina Bulkeley, Director of Financial Services at Google Cloud, to unpack how AI is transforming banking and financial services. With over 25 years in financial institutions, she shares what it takes to innovate in a highly regulated industry and how concepts...
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FinTech Investment in Ireland
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Abhi Chadha speaks with Mairead Fanning, a senior leader at IDA Ireland, about Ireland’s rise as a global hub for fintech, AI, and digital financial services. Mairead discusses IDA’s mission and the role it plays in attracting and supporting foreign...
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FinTech and Embedded Finance
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Jackson Ellis sits down with Mike Milotich, CEO of Marqeta, to explore the evolving landscape of modern payments and embedded finance. Mike shares insights from his leadership experience at a pioneering card issuing platform, discussing how fintech...
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Modernising Credit Infrastructure: Rethinking Creditworthiness
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, host Vaibhav sits down with Christian Widhalm, CEO of Bloom Credit, to unpack how credit data actually moves through the financial system and why the infrastructure behind it has not meaningfully changed in decades. Christian shares his journey from...
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Building and Backing FinTech at a Global Scale
In this episode, Cleo Fan sits down with Sandeep Patil, a Partner at QED Investors, about building and investing in fintech companies across global markets. They discuss Sandeep’s journey from operating roles at Capital One, Flipkart, and Truecaller to venture investing, how QED approaches…
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Reinventing Business Identity
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Bobby Ma sits down with Kyle Mack, CEO & Co-Founder of Middesk, a Series B company. Kyle shares his experience building Middesk, the leading business identify platform modernizing business verification, risk evaluation, and compliance. Its fast,...
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Tax Solutions for Modern Platforms
In this episode, Jackson Ellis sits down with Ben Borodach, co-founder and CEO of april, the AI-powered tax platform that is fundamentally changing how Americans interact with the tax code. Taxes have long been a "once-a-year headache," isolated from the rest of our financial lives. Ben explains...
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Execution Partner in Stablecoin Payments Adoption
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Bobby Ma sits down with Dean Brauer, President & COO of Cybrid. Dean shares his experience building Cybrid, who combines stablecoin, fiat, and compliance into a single API-first platform helping financial institutions, FinTechs, and enterprises...
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Reimagining Personal Finance with Fruitful
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Bobby Ma sits down with Sam Lewis, CEO of Fruitful. Sam shares his experience building Fruitful and how the company is reimagining personal finance through a membership model that combines CFP® guidance with AI automation to transform every paycheck...
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Stripe's First Employee on Building Modern Banking Infrastructure
In this episode, Jackson Ellis speaks with Stripe’s first employee and the founder of Increase, Darragh Buckley, about building reliable, scalable banking infrastructure. We discuss lessons from Stripe’s earliest days, how Increase is modernizing access to payment rails, and why trust, uptime…
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Building Payments at a Global Scale
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Jackson Ellis sits down with Cindy Turner, Chief Product Officer at Worldpay, to explore what it takes to build and prioritize products at one of the world’s largest payment processors. Cindy shares her unconventional path into payments, lessons…
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Reinventing Billing & Quote-to-cash with Sequence Cofounder & CEO, Riya Grover
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, host Vaibhav speaks with Riya Grover, co-founder and CEO of Sequence, an AI native revenue platform that unifies quoting, billing automation, and receivables so finance can finally run at the speed of sales. Riya shares her journey from investment...
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Designing the Future of Wealth with Betterment CEO Sarah Levy
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, host Vaibhav sits down with Sarah Levy, CEO of Betterment and former executive at Disney, Viacom, and Nickelodeon. Sarah shares her insights on the evolution of financial services, why trust is the cornerstone of financial decision-making, how...
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The Future of Mortgage Tech
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, host Meaghan McGowan sits down with Mike Yu, CEO and Co-founder of Vesta, to explore the modernization of the mortgage technology stack. Mike shares Vesta’s origin story and how he and his team are rebuilding the loan origination system to be...
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The API Layer for the Americas
In this episode, Jackson sits down with Ximena, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Prometeo, to discuss the future of financial infrastructure in Latin America. Ximena shares her journey from tech journalism to entrepreneurship, the inspiration behind building Prometeo, and how the company is creating a...
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Licensed to Tokenize: Where Blockchain Meets Regulation
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, host Ruhi Jain sits down with Aaron Kaplan, Co-CEO of Prometheum, Inc., for a deep dive into the digitization of capital markets and the future of fully regulated digital assets. Aaron shares his journey from securities attorney to fintech founder,...
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The Past & Future of Fintech Regulation with Michele Alt
In this episode, Wharton FinTech’s Abhi Chadha sits down with Michele Alt, Co-Founder of The Klaros Group and former OCC regulator, to unpack the evolving relationship between fintechs and the U.S. banking system. Michele shares her insights from two decades at the Office of the Comptroller of…
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Finster AI and the Future of Financial Workflows
In this episode of the Wharton Fintech Podcast, Jackson Ellis sits down with Sid Jayakumar, founder and CEO of FinsterAI. Sid shares his journey from a background in engineering to founding FinsterAI, a company redefining how financial professionals interact with data. The conversation dives…
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Bridging the Gap Between FinTech Founders and the Credit Union Industry
In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Bobby Ma sits down with Brian Kaas, President and Managing Director of TruStage Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of TruStage. Brian shares his experience founding TruStage Ventures and the work he and his team have done in the past decade...
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Flex & Maza's Robbie Figueroa - From Neobank to Solopreneur OS: Building Maza and Merging with Flex
In this episode of the Wharton Fintech podcast, Djavaneh sits down with Robbie Figueroa, co-founder and former COO of Maza, now Chief Business Officer at Flex following Maza and Flex’s merger in late 2024. Robbie shares how growing up in Queens with immigrant parents from Brazil and Ecuador...
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Credit Karma Chief of Staff & VP Growth Ops, Ashwin Murthy - Trust & Personalizing Finance with AI
In this episode of the Wharton Fintech Podcast, host Sabrina Fathi speaks with Ashwin Murthy, Chief of Staff and VP of Growth Operations and Strategy at Credit Karma, about how one of the most recognizable names in consumer fintech continues to evolve. Ashwin shares his journey from investment...
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International Finance Corporation (The World Bank Group) Former CIO, Ram Mahidhara - Inclusive Capital & Emerging Market Innovation
In today’s episode, Kimberly Zhang sits down with Ram Mahidhara, former Chief Investment Officer at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group. Ram reflects on his decades of experience investing across emerging markets, driving inclusive growth through private...
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ICONIQ General Partner, Yoonkee Sull - Finding Edge in Fintech and Building Enduring Companies
In this episode of the Wharton Fintech Podcast, hosts Sabrina Fathi and Wesley Aster speak with Yoonkee Sull, General Partner at ICONIQ, about building category-defining fintech companies through every market cycle. Yoonkee reflects on his journey from early ICONIQ associate to GP, lessons from...
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Greylock General Partner, Seth Rosenberg - Building Fintech for the AI Era
In this episode of the Wharton Fintech Podcast, host Sabrina Fathi chats with Seth Rosenberg, General Partner at Greylock, about what it takes to build and back enduring companies at the intersection of fintech and AI. Seth shares lessons from launching Facebook Messenger, insights on...
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American Express Senior Executive Advisor, Anré Williams - Leading Large-Scale Innovation in Traditional Financial Institutions
In today’s episode, Kimberly Zhang sits down with Anré Williams, Senior Executive Advisor at American Express and former CEO of American Express National Bank. Anré reflects on his 35-year journey at American Express—leading global merchant services, digital innovation, and banking…
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Merge Co-Founder, Shensi Ding - Building the Infrastructure Layer for B2B Integrations
In today’s episode, Jackson Ellis hosts Shensi Ding, the co-founder of Merge, a unified API platform that simplifies B2B integrations across categories like HR, accounting, and CRM. Shensi shares her journey, the playbook behind scaling a developer-first GTM motion, and how the best founders...
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Catherine Porter, CBO at Prove - The Identity Layer of Fintech
In this episode of the Wharton Fintech Podcast, host Sabrina Fathi speaks with Catherine Porter, Chief Business Officer at Prove, a leading platform in digital identity verification and authentication. Catherine shares her journey from Silicon Valley to spearheading innovation in identity…
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Melissa Wasser, Partner at Andreessen Horowitz - How a16z’s Network is Powering Founders
In today’s episode, Jackson Ellis hosts Melissa Wasser, the Partner and Head of the Fintech Capital Network at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a leading venture capital firm backing bold entrepreneurs building the future through technology. Tune in to hear about: - Melissa’s career journey from…
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Marc Andusko, Partner at Andreessen Horowitz- Investing in Fintech & B2B Software
In today’s episode, Zoey Tang speaks with Marc Andrusko, Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), where he focuses on fintech and B2B software investments. Marc’s current investment interests span capital markets, AI applications, payments infrastructure, and companies operating at the intersection...
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Caliza Founder & CEO, Ezra Kebrab - Modernizing Cross-Border Transactions using Stablecoins
In today's episode, Wesley Aster speaks with Ezra Kebrab, Founder and CEO of Caliza, a cross-border payments platform leveraging stablecoins to eliminate geographic barriers by allowing companies around the world to open digital dollar accounts for their users to save and transact. Ezra shares…
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Schonfeld CTO, Tom DeBow - Technology and AI's Impact on Modern Hedge Funds
In this episode of the Wharton Fintech Podcast, Sabrina Fathi sits down with Tom DeBow, CTO of Schonfeld Strategic Advisors, to explore how AI and advanced technology are reshaping modern hedge funds. Tom shares insights from his journey through top-tier firms like SAC Capital and Alphadyne, and...
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Wealthfront CEO, David Fortunato - Inside Wealthfront’s Digital-First Playbook
In today’s episode, Kimberly Zhang sits down with David Fortunato, CEO of Wealthfront, for an in-depth conversation on how technology is transforming wealth management, and what it takes to build a truly digital-first financial advisor. David shares his journey from early software engineer to…
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Metallicus Co-Founder & CEO, Marshall Hayner - Transforming Blockchain from Experiment to Infrastructure
In this episode of the Wharton Fintech Podcast, host Sabrina Fathi sits down with Marshall Hayner, Co-Founder and CEO of Metallicus. A true pioneer in the blockchain space, Marshall shares his journey from the early days of Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Stellar to building a compliance-first digital…
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Blumberg Capital Founder & Managing Partner, David J. Blumberg - Partnership & Innovation From Inception Through Exit
In today’s episode, Kimberly Zhang sits down with David Blumberg, Founder and Managing Partner of Blumberg Capital. David shares his journey from his early days in venture capital to building a leading early-stage investment firm, with a deep dive into his rules of thumb in identifying and...
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Altamont Capital Partners MD, Sam Gaynor - Investing Across Insurance & The Accelerant Risk Exchange
In today's episode, Ben Newman sits down with Sam Gaynor, managing director at Altamont Capital Partners, for an insightful conversation on investing across the insurance landscape. Sam shares his path to private equity, how Altamont navigates the complexity of investing in insurance businesses,...
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Coinstar CEO, Kevin McColly - Reimagining The Role Of Physical Cash In A Digital Age
In today’s episode, Kimberly Zhang sits down with Kevin McColly, CEO of Coinstar, for a conversation on the evolving role of cash in a digital world. Kevin shares his journey at Coinstar from financial analyst to CEO and how the well-known coin giant is making moves into financial innovations by...
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Orum Founder & CEO, Stephany Kirkpatrick - The $80 Trillion Opportunity To Make Money Move
In today’s episode, Djavaneh Bierwirth and Kimberly Zhang welcome Stephany Kirkpatrick, the Founder and CEO of Orum, for an exciting discussion about the future of payments, entrepreneurship, and the role of technology in financial infrastructure. Stephany shares her journey as a non-technical...
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Cambrian Ventures GP, Rex Salisbury - How To Build In Fintech & The Exciting Landscape Ahead
In today's episode, Jackson Ellis hosts Rex Salisbury, a solo General Partner at Cambrian Ventures, a venture capital fund focused on early stage fintech investments. Tune in to hear about: - How to build a fintech community - How AI will impact fintech - How the new administration may impact the...
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Head of VISA Ventures, David Rolf - Building At The Intersection of Emerging Markets & Trends
In today’s episode, Kimberly Zhang sits down with David Rolf, the Head of Visa Ventures, for a fascinating discussion on technology, investing, and the payments industry. David shares his journey as both a father and a leader of one of the most strategic investment arms in fintech, and shares his...
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Fundbox CEO, Prashant Fuloria - Democratizing SMB Financing & Leveraging AI For Accessible Capital
In today’s episode, Kimberly Zhang hosts Prashant Fuloria, the CEO of Fundbox – an embedded working capital platform transforming the way small and medium-sized businesses access and manage capital. With a career spanning leadership roles at Google, Facebook, and Yahoo, Prashant brings deep...
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Odynn Founder & CEO, John Taylor Garner - Building an Embedded Loyalty & Fintech Next-Gen Program Manager
In today's episode, Kimberly Zhang hosts John Taylor Garner, the Founder and CEO of Odynn - an embedded loyalty and fintech next-gen program manager that is transforming the way banks and fintechs engage with their customers through smart loyalty solutions. With a background in volatility trading...
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Matera's Next Chapter: Warburg Pincus, U.S. Expansion, and Brazil's Fintech Future
In today's episode, Wesley Aster hosts Carlos Netto, the Co-Founder and CEO of Matera, a leading provider of core banking, instant payment, and QR code payment solutions for financial institutions. Tune in to hear about: - Carlos’ journey from co-founding Matera in the 1980s to the Company's...
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Coinbase VP Corp & Biz Dev, Head of Ventures, Shan Aggarwal - On Crypto Investing through the Cycles
In today's episode, lead host Djavaneh Bierwirth speaks with Shan Aggarwal, VP of BD & Corporate at Coinbase, as well as the Head of Coinbase Ventures. Shan discusses his broad spanning role at Coinbase and leadership of the company’s venture arm, his journey from studying neuroscience to…
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Booking.com SVP of Fintech, Daniel Marovitz - Building a Global Travel Payments Platform
In today’s episode, lead host Djavaneh Bierwirth speaks with Daniel Marovitz, Senior Vice President of Fintech at Booking.com. Daniel shares his journey from studying East Asian languages to leading fintech innovation at one of the world's largest travel e-commerce companies. We explore the...
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F-Prime Capital - State of Fintech 2024
Zoey Tang sits down with David Jegen and Sarah Lamont from F-Prime Capital to discuss the State of Fintech 2024 Report. In today’s episode, we discussed -Latest updates in the fintech ecosystem -How should fintech companies cope in a more stringent regulatory environment? -Ten years in, where...
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Instant Payment Special Panel - One-Year Anniversary of FedNow's Debut
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of FedNow's debut, Zoey Tang sat down with an esteemed panel of experts, Nick Stanescu, Carlos Brandt, and Rocio Wu. In today’s episode, we discussed -Latest updates about FedNow -Lessons learned from Pix and other international instant payment network…
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Brigit Co-Founder & CEO, Zuben Mathews – Helping Americans Build Brighter Financial Futures
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...
About this show
Connecting you with the people, companies, and ideas revolutionizing global financial services. Our guests are the leading fintech founders, investors, and thinkers in the world.Subscribe and follow us for more FinTech content by searching @whartonfintech on your preferred platform!
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Wharton Fintech Podcast
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