FinTech's DEI Discussions – Powered by Harrington Starr

Is your financial crime team missing the warning signs? As financial crime becomes increasingly sophisticated, diverse perspectives, inclusive leadership and psychological safety are becoming essential to building effective compliance teams. In this special pre-conference episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, Nadia Edwards-Dashti, is joined by Natalia Gburzyńska, Deputy Money Laundering Repor...

Are traditional CVs holding businesses back from recognising talent and potential? In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, Nadia Edwards-Dashti, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer at Harrington Starr, is joined by Joe Wilson, Chief Evangelist at bunq, to explore why it's time to rethink recruitment, career development and inclusion in Financial Technology. Joe shares how bunq ch...

In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, host Nadia Edwards-Dashti is joined by Leena Khalil, Managing Partner at Key Capital and Co-Founder of Mumzworld, to explore entrepreneurship, investment and the importance of building inclusive networks in Financial Technology. Drawing on her experience in investment banking, founding and scaling businesses, and supporting entrepreneurs, Leena sh...

In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, host Nadia Edwards-Dashti is joined by Wincie Wong, Founding Member of Tech She Can and Advisory Board Member for FinTech Connect, to explore why businesses need to rethink their approach to hiring, reskilling and workforce transformation. Drawing on her experience leading digital transformation in financial services, Wincie shares how she helped...

In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, host Nadia Edwards-Dashti is joined by Arunjay Katakam, Author, Founder of Inclusive Action Lab and Co-Founder of ThriveNow Education, to explore why diversity of thought is a competitive advantage and how financial services can move beyond traditional approaches to inclusion. Arunjay shares his journey from investment banking to financial inclusi...

In this episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, Nadia is joined by Vanessa Neal, Head of Product Compliance at Elavon Europe, to explore why businesses need to look beyond traditional career paths and recognise the value of transferable skills, curiosity and different perspectives. Vanessa shares her own unconventional journey into banking and discusses why previous industry experience shouldn’t alw...

In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, Nadia is joined by Elitsa Angelova, Chief of Staff at Mouro Capital, to explore why diversity of thought can lead to stronger teams, better decisions and new opportunities. Elitsa shares lessons from her career across consulting, innovation and venture capital, discussing why confidence shouldn’t be mistaken for capability, why businesses should h...

Why does talking about money still feel so uncomfortable? On this episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, Nadia is joined by Rosie Gill, Managing Director at Manor House Financial Services Ltd and Founder of Let’s Grow Girls, to explore financial education, female empowerment and why more needs to be done to give women confidence when it comes to their money. Rosie shares the story behind Let’s Grow...

In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, Nadia Edwards-Dashti is joined by Carine Cohuet, Head of HR at Covantis, to explore the people strategy behind a fast-moving technology business. Carine shares why continuous learning is essential for both individual development and business success, how Covantis gives employees greater ownership of their growth, and why standing still in an age o...

In this episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, Nadia is joined by Shannon Nutter, board member, financial services executive and co-author of Walking on Broken Glass , for a powerful conversation about the realities women continue to face in the workplace. Shannon explores the bias and double standards that can shape women’s careers, from being labelled as “too much” or “too little” to workplace “t...

In this episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, Nadia is joined by Lisa Loud, Head of Product at Ubuntu Tribe, to explore why listening, belonging and meaningful contribution are so important to genuine inclusion. Lisa shares her journey across technology and blockchain, the challenges she has faced throughout her career, and why creating workplaces where every voice is heard matters. The conversati...

In this episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, Nadia is joined by Michelle Wright, FinTech Chief Product Officer, to explore the intersection of product, commercial thinking and inclusion. Michelle shares her experience of being the different voice in the room, why women can struggle to communicate their own value, and how she has reframed self-promotion around demonstrating expertise rather than s...

In this episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions , Nadia is joined by Fereshteh Forough, Founder and Executive Director of Code to Inspire , to explore what inclusion really means when access to education, technology and financial systems is not guaranteed. Fereshteh shares her journey from growing up as an Afghan refugee to founding Afghanistan’s first coding school for girls and women, and discusses...

What does it really take to build an inclusive workplace where different perspectives are heard, potential is recognised, and people feel safe enough to challenge the status quo? In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions,   Nadia is joined by Christina Di Nolfo, CEO of Collection Pot, to explore why diversity should be viewed as a commercial advantage, not simply a moral obligation. Christ...

What does it really take to turn inclusion from good intentions into meaningful change? In this episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, Nadia Edwards-Dashti is joined by Janet Pope, DCMS Audit & Risk Chair, Chair of CAF Bank, RemCo Chair and Environment & Social Purpose Chair at Yorkshire Building Society, and StepChange Trustee. Drawing on her extensive leadership career, Janet explores why...

In this episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, Nadia is joined by Emma Hagen, UK CEO of ClearBank, to explore inclusive leadership, workplace culture and the human side of growth. Emma shares how ClearBank has approached scaling while protecting its values, why belonging matters, and how everyday decisions can shape a more inclusive workplace. From supporting people to thrive to keeping culture at...

Artificial intelligence is transforming finance and payments at an extraordinary pace, but how do we make sure innovation never comes at the expense of people? Recorded live at Money20/20 2026, this special episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions sees  Nadia  joined by Melanie Ockerse , VP Customer Success at Entersekt, Ruta Kairyte , Commercial Director at Tribe Payments, and Nilixa Devlukia ,...

In the latest episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, Nadia Edwards-Dashti sits down with Heather Xiao, Founder and Lead at Horizon Zero Ltd, to explore why the future of AI, smart data and open banking depends on putting people first. Heather shares her journey from banking and consulting to founding Horizon Zero, and explains why the biggest challenge facing financial services isn't the...

What does the future of payments look like, and who is building it? In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, Nadia Edwards-Dashti sits down with Sumaiyah Ali Qadri, Founder of Zentra, to discuss payment resilience, intelligent infrastructure and the future of financial services. Drawing on leadership experience at Amazon, Monzo and Barclays, Sumaiyah shares the inspiration behind Zentra,...

Can AI improve how we work without losing what makes great leadership human? In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, Nadia is joined by Leila Foulon, Gaya Ananda and Violas Xiao for a thought-provoking conversation on the leadership qualities that technology cannot replicate. Recorded live, the discussion explores why empathy, curiosity, trust and psychological safety are becoming even...

What does it really mean to build a fair workplace? In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions , Nadia  is joined by Rosie Crowley , Director of Transformation, and Rajni Rughwani , Lead Data Analyst at Smart Pension, for a powerful conversation on inclusion, equality and the long-term impact of workplace decisions. Together, they explore the realities of the gender pension gap, why "f...

What does the future of fintech hiring look like in an AI-driven world? Recorded live at Money20/20, Nadia Edwards-Dashti, joins Igor to discuss how the FinTech talent market has evolved, the impact of AI on recruitment, and why keeping hiring human-centric has never been more important. From the shift in market conditions since the hiring boom of 2021 and 2022 to the growing challenges around tal...

How can organisations unlock the talent they already have while building more inclusive, future-ready workplaces? In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, Nadia Edwards-Dashti is joined by Cia Kouparitsas, CEO at Greenbeam, to explore the power of skills-based hiring, workforce capability data, and why human potential should never be underestimated. From hidden talent and transferable sk...

In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, Nadia Edwards-Dashti sits down with Joel Blake OBE, Founder and CEO of GFA Exchange, to explore why inclusion should be viewed as a competitive advantage, not just a moral imperative. From access to finance and inclusive innovation to governance, risk, and resilience, Joel shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey and explains how organisat...

In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, Nadia Edwards-Dashti is joined by Stacy Litke, VP, Banking Programs at Green Check Verified, for a powerful conversation about purpose, financial inclusion, leadership and creating opportunities for others. Stacy shares her unique career journey through banking, technology and the rapidly evolving cannabis finance sector, explaining how Green Chec...