Episodes
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In LATAM countries, particularly Mexico, 10% of the population has a credit card. However, within credit card transactions, according to Mexico's central bank Banxico, around 65% of transactions from credit cards in any given year are installment-based.
While working at Morgan Stanley in NYC, Angel Peña, co-founder and CEO of Aplazo, a modern payment network offering payment solutions and merchant tools to help merchants sell more and grow their brands, discovered Mexico's huge cultural preference for paying in installments but also that the country had a major roadblock for mass adoption of purchase financing installment plans.
In this episode of the Fintech Thought Leaders podcast, Host Bill Cilluffo and Aplazo CEO Angel Peña discussed Mexico's underbanked population, the benefits of merchants being able to offer installment payment plans (BNPL) to 88% of the Mexican population who do not have credit cards and campaign installments, and the work Aplazo is doing to achieve financial ubiquity in Mexico. -
Could the Costco model revolutionize business banking?
Meow CEO Brandon Arvanaghi reveals how Meow is redefining the landscape by passing the majority of interest economics back to their customers, surpassing $1 billion assets on the platform with a lean team of appromimately 15 people.
We'll uncover the critical role fintech and bank partnerships play, especially in the wake of significant events like the collapse of SVB and Synapse's bankruptcy and we'll share advice for fintech founders on recognizing red flags to avoid potential pitfalls, ensuring your company remains on solid ground.
Finally, we delve into the strategic considerations of selecting and managing bank partners for long-term success. Emphasizing the need for redundancy for operational resilience and risk mitigation, we guide you through the critical process of reassessing current banking relationships. -
Missing episodes?
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Bill Cilluffo sits down with co-founder & CEO of Capchase, Miguel Fernandez Larrea, to discuss critical lessons learned from his early entrepreneurial ventures, creating a category with Capchase, the importance of talking to customers early-on and the importance of managing risk in lending in order to succeed.
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Bill Cilluffo sits down with QED Principal, Ale Piedrahita, to discuss how living in multiple countries during her childhood has influenced her international life, her perspective on the European VC ecosystem, the competitive edge that Europe’s fintech sector has and the market trends she's most excited about.
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Bill Cilluffo sits down with Eduardo della Maggiora, founder and CEO of Betterfly, to discuss the life-altering events that catalyzed the birth of his company, the importance of social impact in Betterfly's business model and how the platform is integrating the worlds of insurance, well-being and purpose with a big mission to empower people to help them live longer, healthier, happier lives.
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Bill Cilluffo sits down with Sean Harper, CEO and co-founder of Kin Insurance to discuss how he's shaking up the homeowners insurance industry. Sean shares how Kin's cutting-edge direct-to-consumer model and data-driven techniques are setting new standards for pricing accuracy and customer satisfaction in the face of an industry traditionally dominated by agents.
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What if your big idea began as a scribble on a napkin?
Carolyn Rodz and Elizabeth Gore, co-founders of Hello Alice, saw this idea through. Hear the captivating journey of these two astonishing entrepreneurs as they build a business that now connects more than 1.3 million small-business owners to critical resources, including capital, connections and opportunities.
Learn how they developed their company from a simple napkin sketch to a groundbreaking platform that counts enterprise companies, banks and government among its partners.
Their story is not just about business, but also about perseverance, partnership and the passion to serve traditionally underserved groups like women, people of color and veterans. They will share how they managed the trials of juggling childcare and long commutes, and how they steered through the challenges of leading a business during crises. They'll also share their candid experience on an unexpected challenge: a class action lawsuit. Find out how they're confronting this issue head-on, determined to continue providing underrepresented small business owners with access to capital.
Finally, Carolyn and Elizabeth will share their lessons and advice for entrepreneurs. Their story exemplifies the importance of resilience, the power of making the ask and planning around passion. Listen in to hear the insights and experiences of these trailblazing entrepreneurs and their inspiring journey of building Hello Alice, a company determined to help small businesses thrive.
Their story is a testament to the power of dreams, determination and the will to work for it. -
In this episode of Fintech Thought Leaders, QED's Head of Early Stage Investments Bill Cilluffo speaks with Partner, Head of UK & Europe, Yusuf Özdalga.
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What if the way you handle payroll could transform your business? That's the question Maya Dadoo, CEO of Worky, answers in today's episode. A trailblazer in the world of fintech, Maya's startup is shaking up the HR and payroll industry in Latin America.
Maya takes us on a captivating journey, starting from her formative years, shaped by her father's entrepreneurial pursuits and his investment banking experience, to her transition from corporate behemoths like BCG, Citi, and eBay to her own venture. She unveils how Worky saw a unique market opportunity, pivoted its product to cater to blue-collar workers, and the implications of the recent Mexican government regulations. Dadoo's innovative approach to time management and payroll, you'll come to realize, is just the start.
We dive into the nitty-gritty of Worky's decision to serve the mid-market and enterprise sector, and the journey of developing their payroll engine. Maya paints a vivid picture of the rewards, challenges, and the tireless efforts that led to a successful launch. And remember, this growth story is only getting started with ambitious plans to make a dent in the benefits space – their biggest revenue contributor. Maya's insights on effective leadership, problem-solving, and how they've built Mexico's largest employee database are particular highlights. -
What happens when an Armenian woman, born in a collapsing Soviet Union, goes on to head the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and then takes a leap of faith into entrepreneurship? You get Naré Vardanyan, CEO of Ntropy, whose journey we unravel in our latest episode.
Her fascinating trajectory, from her humble beginnings to learning AI on Coursera and launching her own company, is inspiring.
Prepare to be swept away by Naré's bold move to decipher the encrypted world of data privacy and security, especially in the domain of financial services. As we navigate through the tumultuous aftermath of COVID-19, Naré decodes the new dynamics of institutional data usage. Hear her commentary on the need for quality data in the era of open banking and get a glimpse into how industry heavyweights are leveraging data to customize their offerings. Naré takes us through the evolution of language models that are enabling companies to access data more effectively and efficiently.
Finally, Naré explains why she views distribution as an engineering problem and how she grapples with the challenge of prioritizing immediate needs versus future possibilities. Reflecting on her personal journey, she talks about how motherhood has influenced her leadership style and the role of risk-taking in her venture. From discussing her hobbies to the importance of therapy, this is an episode you won't want to miss. -
Imagine discovering that a family member, struggling with Alzheimer's, can no longer handle their own finances safely. That's the reality Kai Stinchcombe faced with his grandmother Ruth and what he used as fuel to create a fintech solution. In this episode, we journey with Kai as he reveals the personal origin story behind True Link's innovative mission. Hear how his commitment to empower those with Alzheimer's, addiction, special needs and mental health issues to make payments safely and independently, has shaped his path from Stanford-dropout to successful entrepreneur.
Navigating the complexities of True Link's customer base, Kai sheds light on the unique challenges of supporting individuals in residential care and the intricate balancing act of rigorous research methodologies and entrepreneurial decision-making. Hear how he grapples with setting limitations around transactions and the delicate task of handling issues like Medicare eligibility and closing bank accounts. Get an insider's view of the overlooked issue of financial competency and how True Link fills that gap, ensuring their product reaches those who need it most.
Kai opens up about the hard lessons learned on the startup journey, candidly sharing his realization of not being a natural-born manager and how he adapted. As we venture into our current reality of remote work, Kai discusses the challenges of maintaining True Link's mission-driven nature in a 100% remote environment. And to lighten the mood, enjoy a personal anecdote about the unconventional start to his romantic relationship with his wife, Julia. -
QED's Head of Early Stage Investing Bill Cilluffo sat down with Laura Bock, an alumna of Princeton and a former management consultant at Oliver Wyman, to hear her unique story and gain her insights into the financial services industry.
Laura opens up the hood of startup culture and how it's changing the face of investment. She shares her thoughts on the agility of startups and the instrumental role of investors and advisors in this dynamic space.. Laura's insights on founder assessment shed light on the key qualities to look for, making this episode a treasure trove for any budding entrepreneur.
Wrapping up, we delve into Laura's experience in the fintech industry and the lessons she has learned since joining as a principal. From the regulatory risks involved in investing in highly regulated industries to the delicate balance between optimism and realism, Laura's advice is practical and grounded in reality. If you're fascinated by the world of fintech and venture capital, this episode promises to be an enlightening journey. -
In an exciting conversation, we had the pleasure of hosting QED Investors colleague Victoria Zuo.
Victoria's journey from China to the U.S. and her endeavors in the payments industry, mobile and commerce sectors took center stage. The radical technological shift in China and its stark contrast with the U.S payments systems marked the key discussions in her episode with Bill Cilluffo. Victoria's unique experience in applying to Stanford and her decision to venture to the West Coast added a personal touch to the interaction.
Experiences shape perspectives and in Victoria's case, her interest in fintech was sparked by something as simple as her parents purchasing fish through a WeChat group. This fascinating insight led us to delve into the robust growth in e-commerce penetration in the U.S. during the COVID-19 era. The role of fintech as a critical enabler in reducing CAC and aiding global shipping, cross-border payments and trade finance was a key focus of our discussion. The effects of COVID-19 on digitization and globalization and its impact on hiring strategies of companies were also touched upon.
Victoria discussed at length how fintechs can empower merchants in managing their treasuries, bridging capital gaps and automating taxation compliance. Assessing the global e-commerce market size and the potential it holds for U.S. merchants to tap into global audiences was an enlightening exploration. As we looked into the future of e-commerce, Victoria shared her strategic investment approach. -
Ever wondered how a young entrepreneur from a small town in India scaled up his startup to onboard 4.6 million employees in just two years? Tune in as QED's Head of Early Stage Investing Bill Cilluffo sits down with Chitresh Sharma, the charismatic CEO of Refyne, India's largest online access platform and hear his inspiring journey from the heartland of Chattisgarh to the bustling streets of the Indian startup ecosystem.
Chitresh gets candid about launching his first business venture at 19, his motivations behind creating Refyne, a game-changing platform that grants employees access to their salary round the clock, and how his first $300 check and the unwavering support of early investors propelled him on his path.
The conversation takes an insightful turn as Chitresh shares hard-earned lessons from his past business encounters, shedding light on the three stages of sales and the critical role of people factor. As we navigate deeper into the discussion, Chitresh offers an intriguing perspective on his decision to adopt the earned wage access (EWA) model, the roadblocks he confronted in tailoring this model to fit the Indian market, and the significance of understanding local needs when transplanting global business operations. Listen in and discover how Refyne built an integrated and scalable sales function, assembled an eclectic team from diverse industries, and their innovative use of AI and ML to safeguard their EWA product from potential misuse.
As they wrap up our conversation, Chitresh and Bill delve into the significance of value-based leadership, with a special focus on Refine's core principles of 'Call of Duty' and 'Celebrate'. Chitresh emphasizes the importance of connecting with employees on a deeper level, beyond monetary motivations, and how Refyne has fostered a culture of recognition and appreciation. - Show more
