Humans of Fintech

In this episode of Humans of Fintech, host Nicole Casperson sits down with Jon Zanoff, the Founder of Empire Startups—better known as the "Mayor of Fintech" in NYC. For over 15 years, Jon has been at the forefront of the fintech community, bringing together founders, investors, and banking leaders through the country’s largest fintech meetup and the highly anticipated New York Fintech Week. But th...

In this episode, we sit down with Frances Zelazny, a trailblazer in the biometrics and fraud prevention space. Frances shares insights into her unique journey, shaped by her mixed cultural background, and how it led her to create innovative solutions for one of the world’s biggest challenges: fraud. From her early career in foreign policy to discovering the potential of biometrics, Frances talks a...

In this very special episode of Humans of Fintech, we’re taking you live to an unforgettable evening: the book launch party for FinTech Feminist in New York City. With 100 of the most dynamic leaders in fintech gathered to celebrate, the energy was electric. But here’s the twist—this time, the mic wasn’t in my hands. Our guest interviewer? The one and only Amy Nauiokas, Founder & CEO of Anthem...

In this episode, we're bringing the heat with Tori Dunlap, powerhouse founder of Her First $100K and advocate for women's financial independence. Tori’s on a mission to smash the glass ceiling of money myths and help women claim their financial power. She gets real about her journey, her upbringing, and her path from breaking into the financial world to empowering women everywhere to take control...

In this episode, we’re bringing some serious fire with none other than Sallie Krawcheck—the OG queen of fintech and Founder & CEO of Ellevest. She’s out here breaking down barriers, building empires, and proving that women can—and will—run the financial world. We get real about money, leadership, and what it really takes to flip the script in an industry built by men, for men. Sallie drops gem...

Student loan debt is a major issue in the United States, affecting millions of Americans. Nicole sits down with Laurel Taylor, CEO and Founder of Candidly, to discuss how her company is using technology to empower individuals and help them navigate the complexities of student loan repayment.   Laurel shares her personal journey and the challenges she faced in bringing her idea to life. She ex...

In this episode, Nicole sits down with Nina Mohanty, the founder of Bloom Money, a platform that provides financial options for immigrants. Nina shares her personal experience as a first-generation immigrant and discusses the importance of diversity in the fintech industry.  She also chats with Nicole about the need for financial inclusion and explains how Bloom Money is working to serve distinct...

Meet fintech’s most influential women in the industry. Sasha Pilch, Principal at Fin Capital, Emma Zhang, Founder and CEO of Pactfi, and Kathryn Petralia, Co-Founder of Keep Financial, join Nicole live from Money 20/20 to discuss the importance of female representation and empowerment in fintech. With women making up less than 30% of the fintech workforce and only 8% holding leadership roles, some...

Trust is a crucial element in the fintech industry, and Anaid Chacon, SVP of Product Development at Argyle, knows just how important it is to establish trust with customers.  In this episode, she and Nicole discuss the challenges of building trust in fintech and how incorporating behavioral finance elements into Argyle's product helps to create a more trustworthy experience for its users.  Anaid a...

In this candid conversation, Nicole takes a beat to talk with Cristina Ciaravalli about her storied career in the fintech industry, from her early beginnings working for Goldman Sachs to meeting and falling in love with tech startup, Plaid.  The two chat about the differences between working for an organization like Goldman versus working for fintech startups and discuss what, exactly, drew Cristi...

Did you know that less than 7% of poker players are women?  Jenny Just, the founder of Poker Power Play App, is on a mission to change that. In this episode, she and Nicole discuss the importance of women's representation in the poker world and how playing poker can develop valuable skills for both personal and professional growth.  Jenny shares her vision of creating a gender-neutral poker app an...

Join Nicole as she chats with fintech aficionado Zach Anderson Pettet. From the importance of diverse experiences to the irony of investment apps, they’re tackling it all so that you don’t have to.  Zach delves into his personal journey with fintech, revealing how his early financial struggles shaped his interest in fintech and beyond.   Then, Nicole and Zach touch upon the Money 20/20 conference,...

In this episode, Nicole chats with Alejandra Rojas, founder of The Money Mindset Hub, about why it’s so critical for women to acknowledge and address all of the emotional baggage and trauma money brings with it.  Alejandra explains why approaching money from a clearer mindset enables women to seize opportunities in an otherwise male-dominated space and to level up in new ways where finances won’t...

What does the future of embedded finance look like in countries experiencing a financial revolution, with cultural norms so different from our own? General Manager to Helix, Ahon Sarkar, chats with Humans of Fintech host Nicole Casperson about the homogeneity of cultural spending across the world, including the rising appetite for greater access to wealth management in India, South Korea, and Indi...

We get it, we get it. When you hear the word “OnlyFans,” feminism isn’t exactly the first word that comes to mind.  Keily Blair, CEO of OnlyFans, is here to explain why it should. In this live event, she and Nicole discuss the implications of fintech being a predominantly male industry and why the inclusion of women throughout the design process is so important. Then, Keily explains how OnlyFans i...

How much money do you need to have a child? What, exactly, should your finances look like before you consider buying a house? How much should you save for a wedding?   You shouldn’t have to pay $1000 or more to find out the answers to these questions from a financial planner— and Emily Luk, CEO and Co-Founder of Plenty, has designed the first platform designed with couples' finances in mind. She a...

In this live event, Nicole sits down with Tracey Davies (President of Money20/20) and Scarlett Sieber (Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at Money20/20) to talk about their unique experiences within the fintech industry.  What are the gaps in diversity and inclusion they’ve been witness to, and what are they doing to ensure their platform is used to progress the industry forward?  Nicole also chats...

On today’s pod, Nicole and guest speaker, Katie Perry, GM of B2B for the fintech app Public, are breaking down the biggest misconceptions surrounding B2C in fintech. Is B2C in Fintech still alive and thriving? What are the advantages of having a diversified perspective in the fintech market? And how can we build a better industry by encouraging women to break down barriers and fill leadership posi...

Did you know that studies show female-founded startups yield higher profits and sell a year earlier than male-founded companies?  In this live event, Nicole speaks with CNBC Senior Correspondent Julia Boorstin about her latest book, “When Women Lead.”  Julia’s book covers groundbreaking and deeply researched studies revealing the common characteristics that help top female leaders thrive in the wo...

How can we account for the messiness of human beings when designing fintech apps?  New York Times bestselling author and Chief Behavioral Officer to Orion, Daniel Crosby, stops by the studio to chat with Nicole about behavioral finance and the role it plays in fintech.   As a former Ph. D. psychology grad, Daniel’s knowledge of the role that human behavior plays in financial decisions is second to...

In this special episode sponsored by the embedded fintech products platform, Array, Nicole chats with founder Martin Toha about how Array is building a platform to help both clients and their customers own their financial future. Plus, Nicole and Martin also dive into an important conversation around why an intentional, early investment in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) can dri...

  Did you know that 1 in every 124 Asian women in the workplace is a leader vs. 1 in every 50 white males?    Liang Zhao, CEO of the marketing consulting agency, Vansary, does, and that’s why she’s making it her personal mission to ensure underrepresented groups have an equal seat at the leadership table.    Liang sits down to speak with Nicole about what her experience as an Asian American has be...

If you’re creating a fintech product that serves everyone but don’t have people building it who represent the groups you’re trying to help, how do you ever expect it to succeed?   In this live event, Nicole talks with Phenomenal Ventures’ Co-Founder, Helen Min, about her thoughts on fintech’s biggest problems, including the lack of representation for women within the fintech community.   She also...

Industry powerhouse and Stash CEO Liza Landsman is in the studio to chat with Nicole about how she’s using FinTech to disrupt the bottleneck between economic sustainability and the average consumer.    Liza unpacks how the average consumer can benefit from Fintech and why, by using less coded, more accessible language, apps like Stash are breaking down barriers and encouraging those in poverty to...

What happens when two of the most stellar names in fintech host a virtual event? Time to find out. Nicole Casperson (Fintech is Femme) and Alex Johnson (Fintech Takes) throw open the doors for this community-building online event, tackling the real questions around fintech inclusivity, if B2C fintech is dead (or should be), and how Gen Z and missional values must align when it comes to choosing a...