Wharton FinTech Podcast

In a Wharton Fintech exclusive podcast interview, Miguel Armaza and Guillermo Gonzalez went behind the scenes of one of the most transformational acquisitions in the fintech space to date. We sat down with Anthony Noto, CEO of SoFi, and Clay Wilkes, CEO of Galileo, to discuss their most recent transaction in which SoFi acquired Galileo for the total sum of $1.2 Billion. What prompted SoFi to consider Galileo as a crucial strategic alternative? What were the challenges of executing a landmark transaction amidst a global pandemic? Similarly, we had an opportunity to explore what the future holds for both companies. What products will both companies build by leveraging their unique strengths and capabilities? Wondering about international expansion? Notably, both Anthony and Clay believe in the mission of advancing financial independence and inclusion for millions of historically disadvantaged consumers. This conviction has guided their decision to keep both companies independent, opening the door for far-reaching, industry-wide collaborations. Thrilled enough? Join us for this exciting conversation with Anthony and Clay.

In our latest episode of the Wharton Fintech podcast, Miguel Armaza (WG’21/G’21) is joined by Ryan Falvey, Managing Partner of Financial Venture Studio, a venture capital firm that invests in early stage teams who are seeking to improve how Americans conduct their financial lives. Ryan Falvey is the Managing Partner of Financial Venture Studio. He has spent the last 15 years identifying, supporting and leading market-changing innovations in technology. Since 2015, he's invested in 40 early stage fintech firms, which have grown to represent approximately $3 billion in aggregate equity value. Prior to founding the Venture Studio, Ryan led the development of the Financial Solutions Lab, a partnership between JPMorgan Chase and the Financial Health Network. Prior to managing the Lab, Ryan worked with leading tech firms to develop payment solutions at Silicon Valley Bank. He also served as Strategy Group Lead at Enclude Solutions, overseeing global strategy consulting work around mobile-enabled financial products. Financial Venture Studio invests in great early stage teams who are seeking to improve how Americans conduct their financial lives. From more efficient savings to superior investments to faster payments and better information, the promise of today’s financial products has never been greater. Learn more at www.finventurestudio.com. FVS has selected three cohorts of startups for its unique model of support since its founding in 2018. Of the first 13 startups to participate in the firm’s previous two cohorts, 12 have raised subsequent funding—with over $37 million in follow-on capital raised by firms since participating in the FVS program. In this interview, Ryan shares: - Their investment thesis and the type of company FVS invests in. - Details about their accelerator program and its strong partnerships with investors, regulators, operators, and media companies. - Highlights of some their portfolio companies and what drew FVS to invest in them. - His analysis on how technology is breaking down the centuries-old nature of financial services. - His take on the opportunities being exposed by the COVID-19 crisis and why this event will have broader implications on the financial sector for many years to come. - The reasons why you don’t want to be a founder with a pre-COVID mentality in a post-COVID world. - And much, much more…

Eric Rosenthal is a Vice President and Managing Director of Rapyd, managing their North American Business Unit. Rapyd is the world's largest global payment network, accepting and disbursing more than 900 payment types in over 100 countries. It connects 2 million global ATM and over-the-counter (OTC) cash access points across the globe.  Before Rapyd, Eric worked in startups and major enterprises including Abra, American Express, First Data, Citigroup and McKinsey.

In our latest episode of the Wharton Fintech podcast, Miguel Armaza (WG’21/G’21) is joined by David Brear, CEO of 11:FS, a challenger consultancy building out new propositions and ventures in the UK, US, Europe and Asia. David Brear is the CEO of 11:FS and since his dream of being a sportsperson was crushed (along with the ligaments in his knee!) and he had to get a proper job, he has worked in pretty much every angle of the financial services industry never losing that competitive desire to win. Having pitched, established and run billion-pound transformations for some of the biggest FS companies on the planet the realization that digital banking is only 1% finished has spurred his desire to establish an organization that can actually make it happen. 11:FS is a challenger consultancy building out new propositions and ventures in the UK, US, Europe and Asia for some of the biggest brands on the planet. Alongside this 11:FS build in-house products from competitor benchmarking tools like 11:FS Pulse, to core banking systems like 11:FS Foundry. Most recently David has led the creation and market establishment of the challenger business bank Mettle for Natwest in the UK as it’s CEO, proving that the big banks can fight back against the fintech threat. He is also a host of the global business podcast, Fintech Insider. In this interview, David shares: - Why he strongly believes digital banking is only 1% finished and what the 11:FS team is doing to change the fabric of financial services. - Culture at 11:FS. The importance of finding people that revere each other’s talents and not just their own. - The reasons why culture and talent are the only two things that really matter in any organization. - His plea to large institutions acquiring fintech companies: Don’t break what you buy! Plenty of examples of fintechs being acquired and eventually being left to die. - The biggest challenges of incumbent banks and why legacy mentality and culture are more impactful than legacy technology systems. - Fintech in the UK. Why the UK regulators took an innovator-friendly approach and how it benefited the local scene by spurring competition and attracting some of the best global talent. - The horrific impact of COVID-19 and why this crisis is unlocking the realization of senior bankers that digitization is not optional, but mandatory. - Why he thinks this is the best time to be working in financial services and what 11:FS is doing to help financial institutions unleash their full potential.

Nicolas Kopp, U.S. CEO of N26 and early team member who helped scale the bank from Europe, discusses launching N26 in the U.S. He covers the mobile-first, fee-free approach, product features like quick sign-up, Spaces subaccounts and Perks, reasons for partnering with Axos, cultural values that drive rapid innovation, hiring and operational challenges, and his view of banking blending with lifestyle services.

In our latest episode of the Wharton Fintech podcast, Miguel Armaza (WG’21/G’21) is joined by Pierpaolo Barbieri, Founder & CEO of Ualá, one of the fastest growing fintechs in Latin America. Ualá is an Argentine mobile banking app and lending platform that's also one of the fastest growing fintechs in Latin America. Since launching in October 2017, the company has issued over two million cards, raised almost 200 million in funding, and has grown to over 300 employees. Pierpaolo Barbieri grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He moved to the US to study at Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude. He then moved to the UK to pursue a Master degree in Cambridge and obtained his postgraduate in history and economics. In 2016, he returned to Argentina to launch Ualá. He is fluent in Italian, Spanish and French. In this extensive interview, Pierpaolo shares: - What motivated him to move back to Argentina and launch Uala in 2017 with the vision of building an inclusive financial company - The challenges of building a banking institution from scratch - Why simplicity can be transformational and why this philosophy drives Uala’s mission to build a beautiful and simple product that is easy to understand - The importance of providing “skin in the game” to your team and why over 15% of the company is owned by Ualá employees - His advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and why he is convinced this is the best environment to test the feasibility of a business idea - And why it’s hard for him to stop answering to clients directly on his own personal Twitter feed!

In our latest episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Miguel Armaza (WG'21/G'21) is joined by Monica Brand Engel, Co-Founder and Partner at Quona, a venture capital firm that invests in growth-stage financial technology companies in emerging markets. Quona Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in growth-stage financial technology companies in emerging markets. The firm was formed with a simple idea - technology has the power to radically improve the quality, access, and affordability of financial services for underserved consumers and businesses in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Quona invests in disruptive innovations to create a more financially inclusive world. Monica Brand Engel is a Co-Founder and Partner at Quona, where she focuses on global investments. Monica is an investor and entrepreneur, having launched a number of investment vehicles and products aimed at broadening financial inclusion. Before co-founding Quona, Monica was the founder and Managing Director of Accion Frontier Investments Group, a growth stage fintech portfolio. She also launched and managed Accion's Marketing and Product Development Unit, where she oversaw the creation of new financial services to move the industry beyond microcredit, and worked in Mexico with Compartamos Bank, the largest microfinance institution in Latin America which IPO'd in 2007. Monica started and co-taught a graduate level course on financial inclusion and impact investing for over a decade at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, with the goal of disseminating lessons learned and promoting investment approaches that will help mainstream the industry. She has also co-authored a chapter on equity in impact investing in a book, New Frontiers of Philanthropy, and was a founding member of the Impact Investment Advisory Council established by the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association. Monica has served on the boards of Sokowatch, Yoco, Azimo, Zoona, GloboKasNet, Shubham Housing, Paralife, Compartamos Bank, and Pay Rent Builds Credit. Monica chairs the Investor Representative Committee of LeapFrog Financial Inclusion Fund I, the world’s first microinsurance fund. Monica holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a Master of Arts from Stanford University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Williams College. In this extensive interview, Monica shares: -Her personal background. How growing up in a multicultural and multi-religious family, shaped her belief that what connects us is much more powerful than what differentiates us -Why she is convinced Venture Capital can be a powerful tool for good How she became a big believer in the power of financial services to affect change in underserved markets -The notable challenges of launching a VC firm aimed at financial inclusion in 2014 -The most important lessons she learned from her mentor and former boss, Michael Chu -How to succeed in VC. The importance of building a good team with strong track record and relevant operational expertise, while having a clear and specific thesis -Why "panicking" early is an important philosophy in business and the value of always preparing for the worst -Monica's take on the lessons COVID-19 has brought to light and why Quona could not have existed 15 years ago -Why Quona remains super bullish about the future of financial services and financial inclusion and why she's excited about the Alternative Lending and Neobanking spaces

Ron is the Chairman and CEO of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, the world’s leading non-profit trade association promoting the comprehensive adoption of blockchain technology and crypto-assets across global financial markets. Prior to this, Ron served as CEO of DerivaTrust Technologies, a pioneering software and technology firm for financial market participants. Ron also wrote “Blockchain in Financial Markets and Beyond: Challenges and Applications. He is a well-known speaker in the fields of financial technology and innovation, serving as an advisor to multiple startups and corporations focused on fintech innovation & blockchain technology. For more information on WSBA please contact: info@wsba.co Twitter handle: @WallStreetBTC @ronqman

In our latest episode of the Wharton Fintech podcast, Miguel Armaza (WG'21/G'21) is joined by Nicky Goulimis, COO & Co-Founder of Nova Credit, a mission-driven company solving the problem of credit access for immigrants. Join us as Nicky shares her inspiring story. Nicky Goulimis is the co-founder and COO of Nova Credit. Prior to Nova, she was a consultant at Bain & Company where she worked with a number of European Retail Banks. Nicky began her career in the international development space working for Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture on its smallholder farmer financial access initiatives. Nicky is originally from Greece and grew up in the U.K. She holds a BA from Cambridge and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she was awarded the Miller Social Change Leadership Award. Nova Credit is a mission-driven company solving the problem of credit access for immigrants. The company's platform offers cross-border consumer credit services that passes reports onto lenders, property managers and other domestic businesses so that they can make more informed determination on whether to accept or reject a credit application, enabling immigrants to seek financial services, housing and more when moving abroad through a digital credit passport software that helps lenders to view creditor's history. In this extensive interview, Nicky shares: (i)How the challenges Nicky faced as an international student at Stanford drove her and her co-founder, Misha, to build and launch Nova Credit (ii)Why she considers herself an accidental founder, what led her to fall in love with the entrepreneurial process, and how she decided to take Nova Credit from a class project to a full-fledged company (iii)Some of the nuances of launching a startup as an MBA student, including submitting Nova Credit's Y-Combinator application from the Mongolian mountains (iv)The initial steps they took to build Nova Credit and the importance of validating and iterating an idea with potential partners and customers (v)The process and reasons behind their rapid client transition from servicing small credit unions to quickly landing some of the biggest financial institutions in the world (vi)Their value proposition to international credit bureaus and the nature of their strong relationships with multiple regulators around the world (vii)The company's multifaceted recruiting approach to building a world-class team and their conscious effort to attract diverse talent and create a scalable culture of radical ownership (viii)Nicky's advice and words of wisdom for current and aspiring founders

Andrée is the President and Chief Executive Officer of FINCA Impact Finance, or FIF, a global network of microfinance banks and institutions. FIF’s network of 20 community-based banks provides responsible financial services such as affordable loans and saving products that empower more than two million low-income women and men to take control of their financial futures in countries such as Tanzania, Uganda, Afghanistan and more. Previously, she served as Co-CEO of FINCA Microfinance Holding Company as well as VP and COO of FINCA International, returning to the organization after serving for several years as the President and COO of Women for Women International - a humanitarian organization dedicated to financial, educational, and interpersonal support of women survivors of war, poverty, and injustice. Prior to Women to Women, Andrée served as Deputy to the President & CEO of FINCA, where she was critical in redesigning the organization’s business model from a donor-based non-profit to a for-profit operating structure still doing good. She earned her undergraduate degree in international relations from the University of Virginia, an M.A. from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and her M.B.A. in Finance right here at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School as part of the Class of 1999.