Wharton FinTech Podcast

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 Major League Baseball to fintech leadership, including his years at LendKey, and explains how Bloom is modernising credit reporting through a B2B, API-first platform built for accuracy, flexibility, and faster reporting cycles. We also dive into Bloom+, which enables consumers to build creditworthiness using consumer permissioned checking account and bill payment history, helping many establish credit profiles without taking on new debt. We cover: - Why legacy credit reporting standards were built for a different era - How real-time, higher-quality data can reduce errors and improve decisioning - What alternative data means for thin-file consumers and financial inclusion - Why policy and regulator engagement matters in credit innovation - A pragmatic view on AI in credit operations and reporting - Leadership lessons on trust, transparency, and operating without ego If you want a behind-the-scenes look at credit, alternative data, and the next evolution of creditworthiness, this conversation is for you.

Sandeep Patil, Partner at QED Investors with two decades in fintech and roles at Capital One, Flipkart, and Truecaller. He discusses building and investing in fintech across Asia-Pacific. Topics include QED’s operator-first investment lens, transferability of fintech models across geographies, stablecoins’ practical uses, and how AI reshapes financial decision-making.

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, frictionless APIs support KYB, credit assessment, and tax registration use cases, with data updated in days, not months. More than 500 customers trust Middesk to verify, underwrite, and grow with confidence. The company has raised over $70 million in funding and is backed by top-tier investors including Accel, Sequoia, and Insight Partners. We discuss: - Kyle’s journey building Middesk starting from developing proprietary data pipelines to creating a leading business identity platform - The value proposition of KYB and how it is fundamentally more complex than KYC - How Middesk serves and plugs into its customers’ decisioning workflows -The future of business identity as it evolves with AI and other technology trends

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 how april is shattering this status quo by embedding tax intelligence directly into the apps and platforms where consumers already manage their money, from banking and payroll to wealth management.

Dean Brauer, President and COO of Cybrid and seasoned fintech entrepreneur, explains how his API-first platform orchestrates stablecoin, fiat, custody, and compliance. He discusses scaling fintech teams, tailored design partnerships with customers, managed versus self-managed offerings, regulatory clarity like the Genius Act, and practical paths to cross-border stablecoin payments.

In this discussion, Sam Lewis, CEO of Fruitful, shares how his fintech is revolutionizing personal finance by merging CFP guidance with AI tools. He emphasizes that income allocation is more crucial than asset allocation for many Americans. Sam also delves into the innovative membership model that aids automatic paycheck management and the importance of simplifying financial tasks to alleviate stress. With a unique blend of technology and human support, Fruitful aims to close the execution gap in financial planning, making progress more achievable for Millennials and Gen Z.

Darragh Buckley, the founder of Increase and Stripe's first business hire, dives into his journey from banking to tech. He shares insights on Stripe's early challenges and the importance of building reliable infrastructure. Darragh discusses how Increase modernizes banking through direct API integrations for seamless transactions. He highlights the significance of trust and uptime in finance, as well as the balance between engineering and banking expertise. The conversation reveals the future of niche banking products enabled by robust technical solutions.

Cindy Turner, Chief Product Officer at Worldpay, boasts an impressive two-decade career in payments with stints at Visa and PayPal. In this engaging discussion, she shares insights on building payment solutions at a global scale, revealing the complexities of serving 185+ countries. She highlights AI's transformative impact on productivity and fraud prevention, and explores the evolution of liability models in fintech. Cindy also discusses Worldpay's strategic growth through innovative product launches and the challenges of competing in a dynamic market.

Riya Grover, Co-founder and CEO of Sequence, an AI-native revenue platform, shares her journey from investment banking to launching a startup. She discusses the challenges of automating quote-to-cash processes, detailing how AI agents can transform finance workflows by reading contracts and generating invoices. Riya reflects on her recent Series A funding success, highlighting the importance of customer feedback and team quality. With insights into standing out in the competitive AI landscape, she offers valuable advice for aspiring founders.

Sarah Levy, CEO of Betterment and former executive at Disney, dives into the evolution of financial services and the critical role of trust in decision-making. She discusses how Betterment balances simplicity with increased investor choices, while emphasizing fiduciary responsibility. The conversation explores AI's impact on wealth management and the unique financial behaviors of Gen Z, highlighting their confidence alongside anxiety about the future. Sarah offers insights on navigating the wealth sector, underscoring the importance of starting retirement planning early.