Sameer Gulati, COO of Plastiq -- Addressing the Working Capital Gap for Businesses

Gabriela Ariana Campoverde sits down with Sameer Gulati, Chief Operating Officer of Plastiq, a fintech company that makes it easier for cardholders to earn credit card rewards, tap early-payment discounts, and use cash in the ways that make the most sense for their lives. For small businesses, Plastiq solves day-to-day payments problems for them and helps them get better access to cash flow. Today this fintech is advancing innovative payment solutions to more than 150 countries around the world. Founded in 2012, Plastiq has processed billions of dollars. It is backed by Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, and Alumni Ventures Group, among others. Sameer has an impressive career working with fintech companies through his time as COO at Plastiq and formerly at Lending Club and McKinsey & Company. In this episode we discuss: - How Plastiq addresses the working capital gap businesses often face - The importance of credit for Plastiq users - Insights which led to the company’s focus on small businesses - Sameer’s career from software engineering to consultant to COO - The company’s culture and GOAT values - And much more! Sameer Gulati Sameer Gulati is the Chief Operating Officer of Plastiq. Prior to joining Plastiq, Sameer served as Chief Operating Officer of Lending Club, a fintech company that provides a range of financial products and services through a technology-driven platform in the United States. It was the first peer-to-peer lender to register its offerings as securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the first to offer loan trading on a secondary market. Before joining the fintech world, Sameer was a partner at McKinsey & Company, where he became a leader in banking, payments and lending. Sameer started his career as a software engineer. He is a graduate of the Booth School of Business at The University of Chicago, where he earned his Masters in Business Administration and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, where he studied Chemical Engineering and Computer Science. Sameer has global experience in fintech companies. To follow him on Twitter visit twitter.com/thesameergulati. About Plastiq Plastiq allows business owners and savvy consumers to use their credit cards to pay for virtually anything, even their rent which would normally require a check. For additional information on Plastiq, please visit plastiq.com | Twitter: twitter.com/payplastiq For more FinTech insights, follow us below: Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech Gabriela’s Twitter: twitter.com/byGabyC Gabriela’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gcampoverde