Fintech for the People

As climate change-related events increase in frequency, unpredictability, and severity, low-income and vulnerable populations are the most affected. In our fifth season, we’ll explore climate fintech, a new and exciting area of fintech that aims to address climate change.  We will speak to startup founders, investors, and other ecosystem players to understand how we can  help individuals and small...

Fintech is no longer just about expanding access to financial services; it’s also about increasing their quality. In this episode, Accion Venture Lab’s Amee Parbhoo sits down with TS Anil, Global CEO of Monzo Bank , to discuss his principles of building a sustainable and growth-oriented business, and what he sees for the future of inclusive fintech. TS shares his personal and professional journey,...

Climate change threatens vulnerable, low-income populations around the world, including smallholder farmers. In this discussion, we explore if fintech solutions can address farmers' pain points. Mayada El-Zoghbi , Managing Director of the Center for Financial Inclusion, leads a panel discussion between entrepreneurs and investors to discover how financial solutions can help combat and mitigate cli...

The pandemic greatly accelerated digital adoption. Now, tech is cheaper and more accessible. But innovative fintech products can  risk leaving customers behind, especially those who aren’t experienced with or comfortable using technology. Prateek Shrivastava of Accion speaks with four fintech and industry leaders at the Fintech for Inclusion Global Summit to explore how to build fintech platforms...

Entrepreneurs are working worldwide to build financial solutions across credit, payments, and insurance so small business owners can better access financial services. Embedded finance is evolving quickly, and its capabilities are widening. In this episode, Amee Parbhoo sits down with four CEOs at the Fintech for Inclusion Global Summit to hear how their companies are building embedded finance solu...

We’ve talked with industry leaders about blockchain, web3, and cryptocurrency’s potential impact on financial inclusion. Now the question arises: what do we do now? In this final episode of Season 3, Matt Schaar talks with fellow host Amee Parbhoo about how Accion Venture Lab is looking at the web3 space, and how the industry can evaluate and support the industry to support founders building solut...

Mercedes Bidart worked in community development for years. Her research showed that women and families needed support to build wealth in informal economies, particularly in Latin America. Thus, the idea for a digital, decentralized, community-focused bank was developed. In this episode, host Matt Schaar talks with Mercedes about how Quipu Bank is building essential financial services to women-owne...

Web3 is gaining momentum, and USAID wants to ensure that new fintech in this space is sustainable. In this episode, host Matt Schaar talks with Paul Nelson, Senior Advisor of the Digital Finance Team at USAID , to discuss how USAID promotes financial well-being by strengthening and promoting the development of open, inclusive, and secure digital ecosystems. Paul shares how to find the right partne...

MSMEs are the fuel of the global economy, but there is often a disconnect between lenders and MSMEs on how to provide low-cost and abundant capital. Host Matt Schaar talks with Sam Eyob of Goldfinch on how Blockchain can be a potential solution to resolve this challenge.   Sam shares his journey from traditional capital providers to Warbler Labs and Goldfinch, the various business models Goldfinch...

Market disruptions happen. But, they often leave the people on the frontlines of those markets to pick up the pieces. Host Matt Schaar talks with Tim Rann and Ken Kou of Mercy Corps Ventures about how their team is investing in and testing blockchain-enabled solutions to determine if this relatively new technology can help build resilience in underserved communities and equip them to bounce back a...

In the third season of Fintech for The People, we’ll speak with industry leaders about the trends and technologies in crypto and decentralized finance and explore their potential to drive financial inclusion. We’ll hear from advocates, skeptics, investors, and builders as we aim to shed  more light on this topic. If you’re entering this conversation with similar questions as us, we hope you’ll wal...

In India, small businesses contribute over 30 percent of the country’s GDP, but most remain unserved by formal banking channels. These businesses are often held back from growing and scaling due to keeping up with supply chain costs. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Shrinivas Kasar, Co-Founder of Cashinvoice , to discuss how Cashinvoice unlocks supply chain financing for micro, small, and medium enter...

Finding affordable, convenient, and seamless access to working capital is challenging for small businesses in Brazil. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Suzy Ferriera, Founder and CEO of Dinie , which enables digital platforms to offer instant and convenient financing solutions to the country’s small businesses.  Suzy shares how her upbringing in Brazil influenced her perspective on entrepreneurship and...

Community-based pharmacies are often the first point of care for people living in Africa. But operational challenges prevent these pharmacies from keeping their shelves stocked and hold back Africa’s health supply chain from reaching its full potential. Michael Moreland started Field Intelligence to resolve this problem. In this episode, host Amee Parbhoo talks with Michael about how Field Intelli...

The agri-input industry is booming in India. But agri-input retailers face big challenges when it’s time to sell and deliver their products, like seeds, animal feed, and farming tools, to farmers. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Mukul Garg, Founder and CEO of Agrim , about how Agrim connects small retailers with agricultural product manufacturers to serve farmers across India. Agricultural retailers...

In Indonesia, small business retailers often struggle to have enough cash to buy inventory, and banks typically don’t want to give loans to these merchants. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Mir Haque, founder and CEO of Fairbanc , about how Fairbanc provides a better opportunity to the mom-and-pop retailers through a technology platform that integrates with corporate partners to embed a simple invento...

Micromerchants face liquidity challenges, often running out of digital money needed to make essential financial transactions and struggling to quickly rebalance and replenish it. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Andrew Milne, CEO of Kuunda , an API-based embedded lender, to hear how Kuunda provides seamless liquidity solutions to agents, micromerchants, and consumers across the world. Embedded finance...

In this second season of Fintech for the People, we’ll explore the hottest topic in fintech right now: embedded finance. We’re seeing credit, savings, insurance, and other financial tools increasingly integrated into traditionally non-financial services, products, or technologies. This season we will specifically highlight the ways embedded finance is being used to close the $5 trillion credit gap...

In Latin America, a lack of access to high-quality education contributes to significant inequality. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Luz Borchardt , Co-Founder and VP of Marketing for Henry , to discuss how Henry is creating opportunity by expanding access to high-quality technical education through virtual software development courses with no upfront fee.  Luz has always been passionate about buildin...

In Africa, there are many insurance providers, but less than 3% of people have an insurance safety net. Lami is bridging this gap. Amee Parbhoo talks with Jihan Abass , Founder and CEO of Lami , a Kenya-based insurance platform that enables businesses to develop and sell insurance tailored to improve the lives of their customers.  Jihan shares how she moved from her career in fine arts to entrepre...

Food trucks are the most diverse and fast-growing segment of the restaurant industry today. But technology gaps often restrict food truck owners in their operations. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Sofie Abdulrazaaq, CEO and Co-Founder of Goodfynd , a vertical payments company that targets the underserved sector of food trucks in the US.   Sofie's background as a first-generation American, experience...

Educational institutions in India often lack the money management tools to digitize and streamline their banking and finance functions so that they can focus on providing high-quality education in their communities. This is where the idea for Anthem was born. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Pavee Ramanisankar, co-founder and COO of Anthem , an education-focused fintech company that provides a digital...

Finding affordable, convenient, and seamless access to working capital is challenging for small businesses in Brazil. One company is closing this gap. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Suzy Ferriera, Founder and CEO of Dinie , which enables digital platforms to offer instant and convenient financing solutions to the country’s small businesses.  Suzy shares how her upbringing in Brazil influenced her pe...

Fintech has the power to build a more inclusive world. Fintech for the People is about the innovators who are developing fintech solutions that reach the people who’ve been left behind. In each episode, we’ll hear from innovators who are creating financial solutions that bring every person the financial tools they need to grow their business, support their family, and build their community. Togeth...