Purpose Driven FinTech

Stop Chasing Hyper Personalization: Look For Context | Ken Hart, CEO & Founder at Snowdrop Solutions

Confused transactions cost banks billions every year. Confused customers call the bank to try to clarify something that shouldn’t have been an issue. This week I speak with Ken Hart, CEO & Founder of Snowdrop Solutions, and he makes the commercial case for a different fix: context. What you'll learn Why context, not hyper personalization, is what actually fixes confused bank transactions. Why fixing transaction confusion pays for itself in weeks, and what it saves in call center costs. Why you don't have to choose between building your own AI agents and buying them off the shelf. Why Ken predicts a growing share of his own customers won't be banks at all within two years. Why starting a company to get rich is the wrong reason, and what to build for instead. 01:22 — Snowdrop's scale: 2.5 billion transactions, 200+ countries 06:36 — The $10 billion cost of confused transactions 10:01 — The one-year rule: how neobanks force incumbents to catch up 11:56 — Context, not hyper-personalization 16:37 — Build vs. buy, and a future where banks aren't the only customer 19:31 — The "wow" AI insight test: wind at your back 26:53 — The commercial model and the ROI case 43:20 — Why autonomy, not riches, is the real reason to start a company 47:59 — Bootstrapped for 12 years, and why Ken never raised VC Connect with Ken: 🔗 Snowdrop Solutions: https://www.linkedin.com/company/snowdropsolutions/posts/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenhart/ Connect with Monica 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ 🔗 Purpose Driven FinTech. English: https://www.youtube.com/@monica_millares/videos 🔗 Purpose Driven FinTech. Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/@MonicaMillares_Español/videos Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

Avoid Paying For Compliance Twice | Richard Beverley, CEO & Founder at Block Infrastructure

Every cross border payment gets checked twice. Once by the sending bank, once by the receiving bank. Nobody questions why. This week I speak with Richard Beverley, CEO and Founder of Block Infrastructure, and he makes the case (and solution) that screening it once, not twice, is the fix the industry has been avoiding. Block Infrastructure runs two products built on the same idea: share verified data instead of duplicating it. It streamlines KYC and KYB verification so institutions don't recheck what's already been confirmed. Its transaction screening product pre screens payments for sanctions and compliance risk using zero knowledge screening, so no bank has to expose its own customer data to do it. We get into why AI turns ambiguous compliance "maybes" into fast, binary decisions, how a five person team plus an army of AI agents now replaces what used to take a full engineering department, why chasing niche markets beats going straight at the big banks, and the founder lesson that nobody will ever treat you as their priority, plus Richard's honest read on Founders burnout. What you'll learn Why screening a payment once instead of twice cuts compliance cost and closes the FX gap that makes cross border payments expensive How screening lets banks catch sanctioned payments without exposing their own customer data How AI turns ambiguous compliance maybes into fast, binary yes or no decisions Why founding teams now pair a handful of senior engineers with AI agents instead of scaling headcount, cutting costs six to sevenfold Why not adopting AI now is the fastest way to fall permanently behind Why chasing niche, fast moving markets before big banks is the smarter go-to-market sequence Why resilience, not a great idea, is what actually gets a fintech founder through the sales cycle Timestamps 00:29 — Why financial services is "built wrong" 04:16 — Why chasing big banks first will burn your capital 06:24 — The hidden cost: compliance gets checked twice 09:23 — $2.9 billion lost last year in compliance holds 14:24 — Why correspondent banks are disappearing 20:37 — How Block Infrastructure screens for sanctions 28:12 — Adopt AI now, or "reinvent the wheel" 35:15 — The biggest founder mistake: nobody is your priority 40:04 — Five engineers and an army of AI agents 45:51 — The honest answer on founder burnout in the AI era 👉Connect with Richard: Block Infrastructure: https://www.linkedin.com/company/block-infrastructure/home/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-beverley-1044431a/ 👉Connect with Monica LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ Purpose Driven FinTech. English: https://www.youtube.com/@monica_millares/videos Purpose Driven FinTech. Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/@MonicaMillares_Español/videos Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past, or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion on social media.

How Pix Automático Grows The Market Without Killing Cards | Sebastian Fantini, Product Director of EBANX

60 million Brazilians can't get a credit card. For years, that meant subscription businesses simply couldn't bill them. And the moment a new payment rail shows up, everyone assumes it just steals volume from cards. This week I speak with Sebastian Fantini, Product Director of EBANX, and he makes the commercial case that a local recurring rail grows the market instead of shifting it. EBANX connects global merchants to local payment methods across more than 20 emerging markets. It now processes transactions for 26% of Pix users in Brazil and 38% of all Pix Automático transactions. In Pix Automático's first year, 64% of the people paying with it were brand new customers, not cardholders who switched. Hotmart saw a 32% lift in customer retention after turning it on. We get into why card subscriptions lose 20 to 30% of recurring revenue to involuntary churn and how a QR rail recovers it, why mandated adoption is what made Pix stick where other countries' schemes stalled, the go-to-market that took EBANX to 38% market share, and EBANX's plans to replicate success in SEA. What you'll learn Who the 60 million credit cardless Brazilians actually are Why adding a local payment method can grow your addressable market instead of cannibalizing card revenue How mandated adoption made Pix stick where other countries' instant payment schemes stalled Who actually funds the 3 to 5% discount merchants give you for paying with Pix, and why they choose to The go-to-market that took EBANX to 38% of Pix Automático transactions Why card subscriptions lose 20 to 30% of recurring revenue to churn, and how a recurring QR rail claws it back How B2B and SaaS billing is quietly moving onto a rail built for consumers Why you can win a customer with marketing and still lose them at the payment checkout Timestamps 00:00 — 60 million people, no credit card 02:26 — Who actually can't get a credit card in Brazil 04:37 — How EBANX connects global merchants to local payers 06:14 — Pix versus Pix Automático, and why recurring QR matters 09:17 — Is Pix Automático cannibalizing cards, or growing the market? 13:05 — Why Pix succeeded where other countries' schemes stalled 21:33 — Who funds the Pix discounts 23:50 — The go-to-market behind 38% market share 29:36 — Why the checkout screen decides conversion 35:01 — B2B and SaaS are paying by QR 39:24 — Reducing involuntary churn with Pix Automático 43:46 — Expanding into Southeast Asia and handling the FX 👉Connect with Sebastian: EBANX: https://www.ebanx.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-fantini-a0a1b970/ 👉Connect with Monica LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ Purpose Driven FinTech. English: https://www.youtube.com/@monica_millares/videos Purpose Driven FinTech. Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/@MonicaMillares_Español/videos Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past, or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion on social media.

Voice Fraud: Why Banks Can't Trust Callers Anymore | Anat Goldstein, Founder of FinOptima

For centuries, a voice was proof. You heard your banker, your child, your CEO, and you knew. Not anymore. A voice can now be cloned from a few seconds of public audio. The problem is not that voice disappears, it is that voice becomes easy to manufacture. This week I speak with Anat Goldstein, Founder of FinOptima, whose whole argument is that no single signal, not a voice, not a password, not a device, can prove who is on the other end of a call anymore. FinOptima builds explainable fraud detection for the institutions the industry skipped: community banks and credit unions, which face the same deepfake threats as the top 20 banks on a fraction of the budget and with no in-house fraud team. The numbers are not abstract. Fraud losses are projected at 40 billion dollars. In one case, criminals deepfaked senior executives on a video call and moved around 25 million, and the employee who sent it was not careless. We get into why fraud now happens inside the live call rather than before it, what regulators mean when they demand a reason for every blocked transaction, and why the harder problem coming is not detecting fakes but proving which interactions are real. Anat also traces the move from a 20-year banking career to founding a company, validated through customer discovery before any code, and built one hard decision at a time. What you'll learn: Why a voice can no longer prove identity Why one signal only creates suspicion, and how voice, behavior, device and transaction history together are what create confidence Why fraud detection has to happen during the call, not after the money has moved Why community banks and credit unions carry the same threat as the largest banks with almost none of the resources When it makes sense to partner rather than build fraud infrastructure in-house What "explainable" fraud AI actually means to a regulator, and why a risk score on its own no longer holds up What fraud looks like once AI makes it cheap enough for anyone to run, and why trust infrastructure has to come first How Anat found and validated the idea through customer discovery, and what she means by resilience built one decision at a time Timestamps 00:00 — Cold open: your voice is no longer proof 02:24 — 40 billion in losses, and a 25 million dollar deepfake call 04:13 — How do you know the caller is real? 05:21 — Why community banks and credit unions are the target 07:09 — Why today's fraud tools miss it: they work in silos 08:10 — Fraud that happens inside the live call 08:59 — What explainability means to a regulator 12:08 — One signal creates suspicion, many create confidence 17:17 — Build versus buy, and the first 90 days 20:16 — Leaving a 20-year banking career to found a company 24:37 — Resilience, built one decision at a time 27:50 — When fraud gets cheap: good AI versus bad AI Connect with Anat: 🔗 FinOptima: https://www.linkedin.com/company/finoptima-solutions/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anat-goldstein/ Connect with Monica 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ 🔗 Purpose Driven FinTech: https://www.youtube.com/@monica_millares/videos 🔗 Purpose Driven FinTech. Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/@MonicaMillares_Español/videos Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

How Ocean Regeneration Is Winning Bank Customers | Mathias Boissonot, Founder & CEO at Handprint

Banks spend millions on carbon footprint. Banks have an engagement problem. Something is not working! This week I speak with Mathias Boissonot, Founder and CEO of Handprint and he makes a commercial case for a different model: instead of tracking what your customers do wrong, quantify what they're building right. Handprint powers ocean regeneration programs for banks like DBS, including coral reef restoration and mangrove planting that customers own, watch grow, and choose to fund with their spend. The result isn't just goodwill. It's an 875% increase in customer engagement compared to legacy carbon programs, and $23 million a year in verified ecosystem value returned to society. We get into why Mathias measures success by a metric most founders have never heard of: the "phoenix" over the unicorn, and the sales and founder lessons he's learned building the company from scratch. What you'll learn Why carbon offsetting and "your carbon footprint" features fail to change customer behavior, and what the psychology actually is The handprint model: quantifying positive impact instead of negative impact, and why that flips the entire customer relationship How banks turn nature engagement into a growth engine: referral programs with co-owned impact, nature cashback instead of standard cashback Why 62% of customers would switch banks over purpose misalignment, and 52% already have The phoenix metric: measuring company success in ecosystem value generated, not just valuation Mathias's biggest founder mistakes, and the best sales advice he's ever received: "implicate the pain" Timestamps 00:00 — Cold open: has carbon offsetting failed? 04:40 — What Handprint actually does 06:55 — Phoenix vs. unicorn: a new metric for success 09:00 — $23 million in ecosystem value, every year 18:30 — Why donation and carbon-guilt features don't work 24:40 — Kill the cashback war: nature cashback instead 27:30 — From cost center to growth engine: the 875% number 32:30 — Building a company from Bali 35:30 — Every mistake we could have made, we've made 41:35 — Implicate the pain: the best sales advice he's received 44:00 — Resilience, mindset, and having fun in the pain Connect with Mathias: 🔗 Handprint:https://handprint.tech/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boissonot/ Connect with Monica 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ 🔗 Purpose Driven FinTech. English: https://www.youtube.com/@monica_millares/videos 🔗 Purpose Driven FinTech. Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/@MonicaMillares_Español/videos Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

Agentic Commerce: Who's Actually Liable? | Global Payments

What does it actually mean when an AI agent completes a purchase on your behalf? I sit down with Anatole Baboukhian, Executive Lead, Corporate Responsibility & Strategic Advocacy, and Lucy Anderson, Head of Asia Solutions, SMB Product; colleagues at Global Payments on opposite sides of the business, policy and product. We start with a plain english definition of agentic commerce and where it fundamentally changes from how we pay today. From there we talk through consent, trust, and the liability question every fintech founder needs an answer to before they build. We had a ton of fun, talk about Taylor Swift and bill payments! What you’ll learn: Agentic commerce splits into two models: instructed vs. fully autonomous KYB still isn't solved. KYA (Know Your Agent) is next, and it's harder: identity, mandate, scope Liability isn't one framework: it depends where in the chain the failure happens Boring, high-friction use cases (utility switching, ticket buying) will win before exciting ones (travel) Why Marketing is about to need a second audience: agents, not just people TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – What agentic commerce actually means 01:27 – The two use cases nobody separates 07:19 – What regulators are really asking 09:32 – KYC → KYB → KYA: the trust gap nobody's closed 16:42 – The three-layer KYA framework: identity, mandate, scope 18:44 – Why the "boring" use cases will win first 21:49 – Taylor Swift tickets vs. switching your utility provider 26:15 – Marketing to agents, not people 28:43 – Fraud, inclusion, and vulnerable consumers 32:38 – Liability: why there's no single framework 44:18 – Who will actually build these agents 49:25 – The one piece of advice for every fintech founder 👉 Connect with Lucy and Anatole: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anatole-baboukhian/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucykanderson/ 👉 Connect with Monica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ Website: https://fintech-product-ai-lab.lovable.app/ Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

How Fraud Networks Hide in Plain Sight And How to Stop Them | João Moura, Founder & CEO at Fraudio

João Moura built a fraud detection platform operating in 188 countries not by making fraud prevention safer, but by turning it into a growth lever. This conversation gets into how organized crime runs modern fraud, why siloed data guarantees you'll lose, and how connecting institutions across borders changes everything. What you'll learn Why 70% of fraud today is backed by organized crime networks, and what that means for your detection strategy (02:46) How mule accounts operate as layered networks across institutions and why catching one account misses the point (32:20) What false declines actually cost you in revenue, customer trust, and operational overhead (09:03) How fraud detection becomes a growth enabler when it lets acquirers onboard merchants same-day with confidence (20:19) Why connecting data across institutions creates a network effect that makes every client's fraud model stronger (28:40) What the third generation of AI-powered fraud detection looks like and why it's fundamentally different from siloed models (14:45) How agentic AI introduces a new authorization problem that nobody in payments has solved yet (37:15) What João learned about distribution, decisiveness, and sunk cost fallacies after spinning Fraudio out of a bank (46:20) TIMESTAMPS 1:35 João's background: 20 years in AI before it was cool 2:46 How organized crime powers modern fraud 7:55 The real cost of false declines on revenue and customers 14:45 Three generations of AI fraud detection explained 16:34 How generative AI acts as a force multiplier for fraud teams 20:19 Detecting fraudulent merchants before chargebacks arrive 25:13 How much fraud Fraudio actually stops: the numbers 28:40 The Philippines rule that becomes available to 188 countries 32:20 Why mule accounts are really mule networks 37:15 Agentic AI and the unresolved authorization problem 43:30 The lazy insight that became Fraudio 46:20 What João learned: distribution, decisiveness, and sunk cost fallacies 👉 Connect with João: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mourajoao Website: https://www.fraudio.com/ 👉 Connect with Monica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ Website: https://fintech-product-ai-lab.lovable.app/ Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

Agentic Payments: The Questions the Industry Needs to Answer Before Scaling | Robert Kraal, Co-Founder at Silverflow

Everyone is talking about Agentic Payments! So I sat down with Robert Kraal, Co-Founder of Silverflow, live at Money20/20 Asia and we had a chat. Robert brings a commercial perspective to the conversation, and we focus on the what are the hard commercial questions the industry still needs to answer before agentic payments can truly scale. We cover: (00:00) Is the card system ready for agents? (01:00) The commercial model nobody is talking about (02:30) Neutral agent vs. paid agent: the Spotify analogy (04:00) What happens when your agent talks to another agent? (06:00) Liability: who's responsible when the agent gets it wrong? (08:00) The tokenization gap in emerging markets (10:00) Where to start: simple use cases first (12:00) What Silverflow is doing to prepare for agentic transactions (14:00) What excites Robert most about this space (16:00) What payment professionals should be doing right now 👉 Connect with Robert: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkraal/ Website: https://www.silverflow.com/ 👉 Connect with Monica LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares Website: https://www.purposedrivenfintech.com/ — Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

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You Can't Beat Wise on FX. So Now You Partner With Them | Samarth Bansal, General Manager at Wise Platform

If you can't beat Wise on FX, and reality is most fintechs can't; then the smarter move is to partner with them. Let’s go into the why! In this episode recorded live at Money20/20 Asia, I speak with Samarth Bansal, General Manager at Wise Platform. We go behind the scenes and I ask the questions I’ve always had hypothetical answers to. For years my mandate as a Neobank Product leader was to beat Wise, and I knew unless we were to change our business model to properly compete, the answer is we can’t. But now, FinTechs and banks can partner with Wise through Wise Platform. It’s a fascinating conversation! We cover: [01:00] How Wise approaches cost efficiency: the obsession behind the pricing model [02:30] What actually drives Wise's infrastructure advantage [04:30] Going direct into local payment rails and optimising treasury FX forecasting [08:30] How embedding Wise Platform made life easier for banks and their customers [09:30] Standard Chartered, Bank Mandiri, Morgan Stanley: who's using Wise Platform and why [17:00] How Wise prioritises market expansion, and what drives corridor decisions [19:00] Instant payment rails in APAC: PayNet, PromptPay, and what sits on top [21:00] How Wise achieves sub 20 second transfers: compliance, liquidity, and rail access [23:00] Where AI fits, and where Wise is being deliberate about deployment [25:00] Why APAC will redefine global cross border payments standards within three years 👉 Follow Samarth: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samarthbansal/ Website: https://wise.com 👉 Connect with Monica LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares Production and marketing by Monica Millares. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email Monica at fintechwithmoni@gmail.com Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

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55X in 12 Months: The Clearing and Settlement Layer No One Is Rebuilding Till Now | George Davis, CEO and Co Foudner of Lorum

Most fintechs treat cross border payments as a cost centre. George Davis built a business that treats it as the $100B infrastructure opportunity nobody else is rebuilding, and grew 55X in 12 months doing it. In this episode I speak with George Davis, Co-Founder and CEO of Lorum, a global clearing and settlement infrastructure business serving financial institutions across the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and beyond. George is a serial founder who previously co-founded BVNK before leaving to rebuild the layer of the payments stack that big banks have left untouched. Key takeaways: The payment system isn't broken; banks running it are wrongly incentivised Why stablecoins add friction to cross border payments rather than removing them How mid market fintechs can access wholesale treasury rates and turn FX into a profit centre What access to clearing infrastructure actually means for remittance, payroll, and import-export businesses Why Lorum 55X'd in 12 months by going after the bottom of the payments stack George also shares the founder mindset behind Lorum's growth: first principles thinking, radical adaptability, and hiring for obsession over experience. 👉 Connect with George: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgedavis-lorum/ Website: https://www.lorum.com/ 👉 Connect with Monica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares Website: https://www.purposedrivenfintech.com/ [00:00:00] Why clearing and settlement is the real barrier to cross border payments [00:01:00] George's journey: machine learning startup to co-founding BVNK to Lorum [00:04:00] Why big banks are wrongly incentivised [00:07:00] What clearing and settlement actually means in plain English [00:10:00] Access is the real problem; not speed, not cost [00:18:00] How to turn FX and clearing into a profit centre, not a cost centre [00:26:00] Why stablecoins don’t fix cross border payments [00:35:00] The founder mindset: first principles thinking and obsession as a superpower [00:46:00] Lorum's OCC banking licence application and the road to $100B [00:49:00] Why the opportunity outside the US is bigger than inside it Production and marketing by Monica Millares. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email Monica at fintechwithmoni@gmail.com Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

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Who is Liable in Agentic Payments? The Question the Industry Can't Answer Yet | Camilla Bullock, CEO of Emerging Payments Association Asia

AI agents are about to start spending our money, and we as a payments industry are not ready. I love this episode as it’s recorded live at Money2020’s famous MoneyPot podcast booth! Yea the fancy, cool one LOL Today I’m joined by Camilla Bullock, CEO of Emerging Payments Association Asia, and we unpack one of the most pressing questions in FinTech right now: when an AI agent transacts on your behalf, who is actually in control and who is liable when something goes wrong? Key highlights: Why "shared liability" is not an answer; and what the industry needs to define first The emerging KYA (Know Your Agent) framework and why banks may refuse agentic transactions without it How real time payments in APAC already show us what agentic fraud will look like at scale The quantum encryption threat that less than 20% of senior payments leaders are actively tracking Why standards interoperability is the single most important unlock for agentic commerce We discuss: the $1 trillion agentic payments opportunity in APAC, the governance and audit trail gap, intent vs. authorization in agentic transactions, data sharing as fraud defense, the quantum threat to payments encryption, who is setting the rules (and who isn't yet), and why trust industry-wide, not just brand-level is the real battleground. 👉 Connect with Camilla LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillabullock/ Website: https://emergingpaymentsasia.org/ 👉 Connect with Monica LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares Website: https://www.purposedrivenfintech.com/ Production and marketing by Monica Millares. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email Monica at fintechwithmoni@gmail.com Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

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Trust Is the New Security: The AI & Quantum Threat Reshaping Finance by 2029 | Maxwell Denega, Founder & CEO of Quantum Chain

The encryption protecting banks was built 50 years ago, and quantum computing is about to break it. In this pod I sit down with Maxwell, Founder and CEO of Quantum Chain, to unpack why AI and quantum computing together represent the biggest untold threat to global financial security, and what FinTech leaders need to do about it before 2029. Why 50 year old encryption is no longer sufficient to protect financial services How AI is already being used to exploit smart contracts and financial infrastructure today Why quantum + AI together create a 24/7 attack threat no current protocol is ready for Why trust, not technology, is the real battleground for the future of finance We cover: [00:00:00] The $4M hack that started a mission to secure global finance [00:01:00] What is Quantum Chain and why does it exist [00:02:00] Quantum computing explained in plain English [00:03:00] Why 50 year old financial encryption is already failing [00:04:00] The real risks to banks, neobanks and financial services [00:05:00] Trust is the new security [00:08:00] AI as the elephant in the room [00:09:00] Quantum + AI: the compounding threat no one is preparing for [00:12:00] From military to banking: Max's unconventional founder background [00:15:00] How banks can become quantum safe [00:16:00] Quantum assets, QRC standards and the quantum blockchain alliance [00:17:00] What every neobank CPO and founder should be doing right now [00:18:00] Founder mindset: resilience, consistency and showing up every day 👉 Follow Max: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwell-denega-14300178/ Website: https://www.quantumcha.in/ 👉 Connect with Monica LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares Website: https://www.purposedrivenfintech.com/ Production and marketing by Monica Millares. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email Monica at fintechwithmoni@gmail.com Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

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Why Neofin Killed Its Niche and Rebuilt From Scratch. And What They're Launching Next | Svitlanka Sergiichuka, CEO & Co-Founder, Neofin

Recorded live at Money20/20 Bangkok, 2026 The FinTech infrastructure race isn't just about payments anymore. Neofin has spent three years rebuilding from a geo-agnostic lending tool into a full financial super app engine; and the businesses buying in aren't banks. They're retailers, telcos, and gas station networks. In this short conversation recorded live at Money2020, I catch up with Svitlanka, Co-Founder of Neofin (and 2nd time Purpose Driven FinTech podcast guest), on what's changed, who they're building for, and why transactions alone no longer create loyalty. Key takeaways: Why non FinTech businesses with large user bases are Neofin's core customer How NeoFin sits between the retailer and the bank, and what each party covers The product evolution from standalone lending to wallet, BNPL, and full financial ecosystem Why 360 experiences beat pure transaction infrastructure for long-term retention What's next….agentic payments and a major European launch We cover: (00:00) Three years on, what's changed at Neofin (01:30) From lending infrastructure to full FinTech ecosystem (02:30) Who NeoFin's customers are and why retailers are launching BNPL wallets (03:45) The bank + Neofin partnership model explained (04:30) Why transactions don't build loyalty; and what does Follow for more discussions on building FinTech products with customer and commercial impact and to stay updated on the latest episodes. 👉 Connect with Svitlanka: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/svitlanaromaniuk/ Website: https://neo-fin.com/ 👉 Connect with Monica LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares Website: https://www.purposedrivenfintech.com/ Production and marketing by Monica Millares. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email Monica at fintechwithmoni@gmail.com Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

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From Roaming Fees to Retention Engine: The Telecom Layer Your Neobank Is Missing | Vince Vissers Co-Founder at Fristy

Recorded live at Money20/20 Bangkok, 2026 What if the next big embedded finance opportunity isn't payments or lending, but connectivity? In this live conversation from Money20/20 Bangkok I sit down with Vince, Co-Founder of Fristy, to unpack why the world's leading neobanks and super apps are quietly embedding telecom into their product stack. Fristy is building what Stripe did for payments and Wise did for FX; but for global telecom infrastructure. Already live with Grab, Uber, GXS Bank. Firsty is turning connectivity from a consumer pain point into a retention and revenue driver for FinTechs. In this episode: How Grab and Uber are using embedded connectivity to reduce revenue leakage from traveling users The B2B infrastructure layer that lets neobanks offer seamless global connectivity without building it themselves Why connectivity should be on your product roadmap The founder mindset on failure: VInce shares how he turns setbacks into forward momentum We cover: (00:00) Telecom meets FinTech: The opportunity nobody's building for (01:30) The consumer pain point: roaming fees, SIM swaps, and broken experiences (02:30) The B2B problem (03:30) Why neobanks should embed telecom; the Grab and Uber case study (05:30) How Fristy works: one connection, every operator, local pricing globally (06:30) Where to access Fristy today: Grab, GXS Bank, KBC (07:30) The commercial case: retention, revenue, and user experience metrics (09:00) Founder mindset: How Vince approaches failure and keeps moving forward 👉 Connect with Vince & Fristy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vince-vissers/ Website: https://www.firsty.app/ 👉 Connect with Monica LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares Website: https://www.purposedrivenfintech.com/ Production and marketing by Monica Millares. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email Monica at fintechwithmoni@gmail.com Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

The $443 Billion AI Lending Bias: Why 65% of Good Customers Get Declined | Carla Canino, Founder and CEO Kindlee

In this pod,Carla Canino, CEO of Kindlee AI, shares with us how AI bias is costing lenders $443 billion annually and what financial institutions can do about it. Key highlights: • 65% of loan declines are actually creditworthy customers being misclassified by biased AI models • Traditional lending models ignore 23% disabled, 20% elderly, and 22% neurodiverse populations • Small banks waste $4-5M annually on operational friction caused by bias in customer interactions • European AI Act requires independent third-party auditing of high-risk AI systems • Inclusive lending models can increase profitability while ensuring regulatory compliance We also go personal, and Carla shares her journey from payments expert to solo founder, explaining how her experience as a disabled immigrant showed her gaps in financial services that inspired her to start a company that solves for these. She demonstrates why reducing bias isn't just about social responsibility - it's about capturing enormous untapped market opportunities while maintaining risk standards and regulatory compliance. Follow for more discussions on building FinTech products with customer and commercial impact and to stay updated on the latest episodes. Socials: 👉 Follow Carla Canino: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlakerstenscanino/ Website: https://www.kindlee.ai/ 👉 Follow Monica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares We cover: [00:00:00] The $443 billion lending opportunity being missed [00:28:00] Core question: How to lend more without losing money [02:21:00] Why 65% of good customers get declined by AI [04:46:00] The invisible customers AI models ignore [08:07:00] Personal banking discrimination story [10:17:00] Who exactly are these declined customers [13:24:00] Biometric authentication bias problems [18:21:00] What Kindly AI does for financial institutions [23:43:00] Zero integration implementation approach [28:50:00] European AI Act compliance implications [33:02:00] Quantifying operational waste from bias [37:54:00] Build versus buy decision framework [45:16:00] Career pivot to solo founder journey [55:14:00] Key startup pivot moments and lessons SEARCH QUESTIONS How to reduce AI bias in lending decisions What is the cost of algorithmic bias in finance How to approve more customers without increasing risk European AI Act compliance for banks Why do good loan applications get rejected How to measure bias in credit scoring What causes AI lending discrimination How to build inclusive financial products AI bias detection platforms for fintech How to reduce false loan declines What is systematic bias in banking How to serve disabled customers in fintech Solo founder challenges in AI startups How to comply with new AI regulations What is ROI of bias reduction initiatives How to audit AI models for fairness Why biometric authentication fails minorities How to calculate operational costs of bias What is Kindly AI technology How to retrain discriminatory AI models -- Production and marketing by Monica Millares. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email Monica at fintechwithmoni@gmail.com Disclaimer:This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

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From 36 Cents To 32 Cents: The Growing Gender Wealth Gap No One Talks About | Kristine Beese, Founder and CEO of Untangle Money

The retirement crisis is a women's crisis - and the numbers are shocking! For every dollar men have in wealth, women have just 32 cents. Even worse? That gap is growing, not shrinking. In this episode, I speak with Kristine Beese, Founder and CEO of Untangle Money, about the alarming wealth gap affecting women and why traditional financial services aren't designed for our needs. Kristine shares powerful insights from her journey as a former stock analyst and portfolio manager to building a FinTech solution that's actually helping women take control of their financial futures. We explore the real drivers behind wealth inequality, the hidden costs women face throughout their careers (hint: it's between $500K-$1M in lost earnings in the US and Canada), and why financial stress hits women harder. Kristine also breaks down her practical "hours worked" framework that removes judgment from spending decisions and explains why robo-advisors might be your best investment ally. 🔑 Key Highlights: Women have lost ground on wealth accumulation — from 36 cents to 32 cents per dollar over just one decade Why women plateau in earnings at age 40 while men continue earning $10K-$25K more annually for 25+ years The powerful "hours worked" framework that transforms how you think about money and joy Why every rich person has a financial plan, but middle-income earners don't — and how that needs to change How living to 95 (not 90) completely changes your retirement planning strategy 👉 Kristine Beese LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinebeese/ Website: https://www.untangle.money/ 👉 Monica LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares Follow for more discussions on building FinTech products with customer and commercial impact and to stay updated on the latest episodes. We cover [00:00:00] The retirement crisis is a women's crisis [00:02:00] Shocking stats: 32 cents on the dollar wealth gap [00:06:00] Why the wealth gap keeps growing [00:11:00] Untangle Money: Building purpose-driven FinTech [00:15:00] Women's financial superpowers we don't talk about [00:18:00] The $500K-$1M career earnings gap explained [00:24:00] The longevity paradox: Why living longer is actually a superpower [00:28:00] How financial stress affects women differently [00:33:00] Why Untangle Money threw out traditional financial planning [00:39:00] The revolutionary "hours worked" spending framework [00:49:00] Managing spending with joy, not judgment [00:55:00] Why robo-advisors beat 80% of professional investors [01:00:00] Planning for 95, not 90: The retirement reality check [01:08:00] Key takeaway: Every rich person has a financial plan SEARCH QUESTIONS Why is the retirement crisis worse for women? What is the women's wealth gap in 2025? How much less do women earn than men over their careers? Why do women plateau in earnings at age 40? How to calculate what I can afford using hours worked? What is Untangle Money and how does it work? Why are women better investors than men? How much money do I need to retire at 65? What is the best robo-advisor in Canada? Should I use Wealthsimple? How to remove judgment from spending decisions? Why is financial stress worse for women? How to align spending with joy and values? What is the pink tax and how does it affect women? How to start investing with limited money? Why should financial plans go to age 95 not 90? How to create a financial plan on a budget? What can women do about the wealth gap? How to make a financial plan without thousands of dollars? Why do traditional financial services fail women? #WomenAndWealth #FinancialPlanning #WealthGap #PurposeDrivenFinTech #RetirementPlanning Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

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How To Get Into Home Ownership With Just 1% Down (No Mortgage Required) | Chris Smith, Founder and CEO at Bloxxs

What if home ownership could start with just 1% down and you could build equity without taking on any debt? This revolutionary approach is transforming how people achieve the dream of owning their own home. In this episode, I speak with Chris Smith, Founder and CEO at Bloxxs. We explore an alternative to traditional mortgages that's opening doors for people who thought home ownership was out of reach. Chris shares his powerful journey from banking executive to unpaid startup founder, building a solution that directly connects capital to aspiring homeowners. We dive into the innovative “subscription” model that's making home ownership accessible, how indigenous values are reshaping our approach to property and community, and why Chris and his team of 20 executives have worked unpaid for years to bring this mission-driven vision to life. This conversation reveals how one bold idea is creating pathways to happier, healthier lives through the stability and security of home ownership. Follow for more discussions on building FinTech products and teams with customer and commercial impact and to stay updated on the latest episodes. 👉 Follow Chris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealchris-smith/ Website: https://www.bloxxhome.com/ 👉Follow Monica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares We cover: [00:00:00] The mission: Making home ownership accessible to everyone [00:03:00] Why home ownership creates happier and healthier societies [00:05:00] From banking executive to unpaid founder: The inspiring journey [00:08:00] Lessons from 2008: Understanding what needs to change [00:10:00] Building a values-driven company with 20 unpaid executives [00:13:00] The power of sacrifice: Protecting the mission over profits [00:16:00] How capital really flows in the housing market [00:18:00] The Blocks breakthrough: Subscription to home ownership explained [00:20:00] Starting with 1% deposit instead of 20%: Opening new doors [00:23:00] Built-in flexibility: Supporting homeowners through life's challenges [00:27:00] Indigenous values: Community-driven approach to home ownership [00:30:00] The vision: Taking Blocks global and helping millions [00:32:00] From social housing to solutions: Why this mission is personal [00:34:00] Creating pathways to stability, security, and intergenerational wealth SEARCH QUESTIONS How to buy a house with 1% deposit? What is Blocks home ownership platform? How does home ownership without a mortgage work? Can you buy a home without taking on debt? What are innovative alternatives to traditional mortgages? How do subscription home ownership models work? What is equity-based home buying? How to get into home ownership in 2025? What are alternatives to traditional mortgages? How does home ownership create happiness and stability? Can you buy a home without a 20% deposit? What is the subscription model for home ownership? How to build equity in a home without debt? What is purpose-driven FinTech innovation? How do indigenous values apply to property ownership? What are solutions to the housing affordability challenge? How to make home ownership accessible to first-time buyers? What happens if I need flexibility with home payments? How is technology changing home ownership? What is the future of affordable housing? #HomeOwnership #FinTechInnovation #AffordableHousing #PurposeDrivenTech #FutureOfHousing Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

The Future of SMB Banking: AI, Automation, and Financial Intelligence | Akhil Nigam, CoFounder at Finmo,

In this episode, I speak with Akhil Nigam, CoFounder at Finmo, and we answer the critical question: How can global businesses transform their fragmented treasury operations into unified, intelligent systems that drive growth? He shares insights on why SMEs deserve better treasury solutions, how real-time payment rails are transforming cash management, and why MO AI is becoming the intelligent co-pilot every finance team needs. 👉 Follow Akhil Nigam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akhilnigam562/ Website: https://finmo.net/ 👉 Follow Monica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares We cover: [00:00:00] Why SMBs should be at the center of treasury innovation [00:01:00] The economic impact of SME financial health on the wider economy [00:03:00] Why SMBs are fast-moving segments banks ignore for enterprise clients [00:05:00] How automation frees finance teams from manual work to focus on growth [00:07:00] Enterprise vs SMB treasury: The critical differences explained [00:10:00] The connected finance challenge: Why bank integration matters [00:12:00] The purpose behind building Finmo's complex treasury platform [00:15:00] Why the founding team's diverse skill set made payments possible [00:16:00] How to keep purpose alive when you're in the trenches [00:19:00] Reimagining treasury workflows: Real-time visibility and forecasting [00:20:00] The cosmetics company spending $1M on treasury with 6-month reporting delays [00:22:00] Outcome-driven product development: From features to measurable KPIs [00:23:00] Introducing MO AI: The intelligent advisor for CFOs [00:27:00] The practical transition: From FinTech to AI-powered FinTech [00:30:00] How Finmo uses AI to help AI build AI (yes, really!) [00:33:00] Upskilling product teams on vector databases, MCPs, and AI infrastructure [00:34:00] Advice for PMs: How to upskill on AI when it's not your day job [00:37:00] The cost reality of AI: Why capital intensity matters for innovation [00:38:00] Final message: From reactive reporting to growth driver Search Questions What is the difference between enterprise and SMB treasury management? How can SMEs get real-time cash visibility across multiple currencies? Why do finance teams spend so much time on manual reconciliation? What is MO AI and how does it help CFOs? How to transform fragmented treasury operations into unified systems? What are real-time payment rails and why do they matter? How much does treasury management software cost for SMBs? Why is connected finance important for global businesses? How to automate cash flow forecasting for small businesses? What is the biggest challenge SME finance teams face? How to build AI-powered features in FinTech products? What skills do product managers need to understand AI? How to upskill on AI for non-technical product teams? Why is AI implementation so expensive for startups? What is vector database and MCP in AI development? How to justify AI costs in early-stage FinTech companies? What is purpose-driven product development in FinTech? How to measure success in treasury management platforms? What are the key KPIs for SME cash management? How to choose between building in-house AI vs using cloud APIs? #TreasuryManagement #FinTechInnovation #AIinFinance #SMEFinance #ProductLeadership Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

How To Actually Protect Your Crypto Users: 79% of Users Demand This Crypto Feature | Anthony Yeung, Chief Commercial Officer at CoinCover,

Trust remains the biggest barrier to crypto adoption. Security breaches, lost access, and the fear of irreversible mistakes keep 79% of users demanding better protection before they'll fully commit to crypto. In this episode, I speak with Anthony Yeung, Chief Commercial Officer at CoinCover, the leader in digital asset protection, and we answer the critical question: How can FinTechs build crypto products that users actually trust? Anthony shares insights on the real risks FinTech leaders need to understand when building crypto offerings, the layered protection approach that top institutions use, and why traditional banking security just doesn't transfer to the crypto world. 🔑 Key Highlights: Why 79% of crypto users demand mandatory compensation schemes for protection How 20% of all Bitcoin ($billions) is permanently lost due to access issues Why your existing bank security partners won't work for crypto infrastructure The layered defense approach that protects 600+ institutions globally How fraud protection with compensation builds trust like traditional card payments Follow for more discussions on building FinTech products with customer and commercial impact and to stay updated on the latest episodes. 👉 Follow Anthony Yeung: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coincover-anthony/ Website: https://www.coincover.com 👉 Follow Monica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares We cover: [00:01:00] Why trust is crypto's biggest barrier to adoption [00:05:00] What is CoinCover and why 600+ institutions use it [00:09:00] The loss of access crisis: 20% of Bitcoin is gone forever [00:14:00] When exchanges get hacked: The $1.5B Bybit story [00:18:00] Why the crypto industry collaborates differently than traditional finance [00:19:54] The risks FinTech CEOs don't know they don't know [00:22:14] Why you can't reuse your bank security partners for crypto [00:27:45] Making crypto accessible: Beyond the top of the pyramid [00:30:32] What is layered protection and why it matters [00:35:30] How to protect against loss of access to wallets [00:41:11] The breakthrough: Fraud protection that works like card disputes [00:44:33] Why 79% of users demand compensation schemes [00:45:48] Top 3 takeaways for FinTech teams launching crypto [00:47:52] CoinCover's global reach and regulatory approach SEARCH QUESTIONS How to protect crypto users from losing access to wallets? Why is 20% of all Bitcoin permanently lost? How do crypto exchanges get hacked? What is layered protection in crypto security? How to build trust in crypto products? Why traditional banking security doesn't work for crypto? What happens when users lose their crypto wallet password? How to prevent crypto fraud and scams? What is non-custodial crypto backup? How much does crypto security cost for FinTech companies? What are the biggest risks when launching crypto products? How to make crypto accessible for mainstream users? What is MPC and multi-sig in crypto security? How does crypto fraud protection with compensation work? Why do 79% of crypto users want mandatory compensation? How to choose crypto security partners for FinTech? What happened in the Bybit crypto hack? How to recover lost crypto wallet access? What is defense in depth for digital assets? How to build crypto products users actually trust? #CryptoSecurity #FinTechInnovation #DigitalAssets #TrustInCrypto #Web3Product Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.

Solving Wealth Management for MENA Henrys: Why Sharia-Compliant Investment Platforms Matter | Ziad Mabsout, Co-Founder & CEO at Vennre

The MENA region presents a massive opportunity for growth: The High Earners, Not Rich Yet (HENRY's). In this episode, I speak with Ziad Mabsout, Co-Founder & CEO at Vennre, about building investment platforms specifically for the Henry segment in MENA and why Sharia-compliant solutions are an unlock. Ziad shares his journey from getting rejected for a $50K investment to building a fintech that solves exactly the problem he had back then: Accessibility. We explore how the lack of pension systems in MENA creates urgent demand for investment solutions, and why Sharia-compliant products attract non-Muslim customers seeking ethical investing options. We dive deep into the unique challenges of building for emerging markets, the importance of customer protection in investment platforms, and practical strategies for serving high earners who lack access to private banking. Ziad also shares invaluable insights on startup team building, the importance of conviction in your mission, and why being humble while staying persistent is crucial for FinTech founders. Follow for more discussions on building FinTech products with customer and commercial impact and to stay updated on the latest episodes! 👉 Follow Ziad Mabsout: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziadmabsout/ Website: https://www.vennre.com/ 👉Follow Monica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares We cover: [02:30:00] Defining High Earners, Not Rich Yet (Henrys) [05:12:00] Why Henrys are underserved by traditional wealth management [08:31:00] The relationship with money: spending, saving, investing [12:40:00] MENA vs Western market differences for Henrys [17:26:00] The pension gap crisis in emerging markets [20:00:00] Understanding Sharia-compliant investing [23:46:00] Why non-Muslims choose Sharia-compliant products [26:10:00] Incorporating Zakat calculation into the platform [34:09:00] Building startup teams: values, attitude, conviction [36:34:00] The importance of humility and learning as founders [39:05:00] Handling failures and maintaining persistence [42:52:00] Future vision and conviction in the Henry market SEARCH QUESTIONS What is FinTech? What are Henrys in FinTech and why do they matter? How to build investment platforms for high earners in MENA? What is Sharia-compliant investing and how does it work? How to build FinTech products for emerging markets? What is the pension gap in MENA region? How to serve underserved high earners with FinTech? Building wealth management platforms for professionals? What makes Sharia-compliant FinTech successful? How to protect customers in investment platforms? Building startup teams in FinTech: best practices? Why is team building harder than fundraising for startups? How to find a job in FinTech? How to validate FinTech product ideas in MENA? What are the challenges of building FinTech in emerging markets? How to design investment products for busy professionals? What makes investment platforms successful in MENA? How to serve the middle market in wealth management? #MENAFinTech #ShariaCompliant #WealthTech #FinTechFounders #EmergingMarkets Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.