One Vision Podcast — Fintech, Banking, and AI with Theodora Lau

What a month it is in the land of FinTech. Starling Bank became the first retail challenger bank to turn a profit. WhatsApp finally received approval to launch in India. Barclays and Amazon formed a new partnership and Google Pay re-launching and adding Plex bank accounts with Citi, Stanford FCU, and a dozen others — there is never a dull moment. But when the dust settles, what are you most excite...

To achieve global financial inclusion, we must work together to help our communities thrive. We must be more aware of the plight of those living very different lives, just as we must strive to empathize with the lives of those living within our own communities — often just miles away, tucked behind often invisible cultural barriers, born into very different circumstances than our own. Inclusivity...

Thanks to the rapid growth of gig economy platforms such as Lyft, TaskRabbit, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo, the way we earn a living has changed quite dramatically these past ten years. While this might be labeled with the endearing term, the future of work, touting flexibility as the primary benefit for adopting contingency work, many gig workers are simply overworked and underpaid.  In this epi...

What does it take to build an ethical AI that enables humankind to use technology for good - instead of exacerbating the systemic inequalities in our society? What are the key considerations and pitfalls? Who owns the data? Whose rules and standards do we abide by? Who gets a seat at the table? In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with Uday Akkaraju, CEO of Bond. AI, a human-center...

In this episode of One Vision, Bradley and Theo recap this past week’s MTL Connecte event as part of Montreal Digital Week. Unconventional Ventures hosted an unconference within the conference: five panels, fifteen distinct voices, and our keynote combined thoughtful dialogue and guiding principles around diversity and inclusion: from digital inclusion to financial inclusion, AI, ethics and bias,...

Despite much focus and discussion over the last few years on the need to improve gender diversity within financial services, 2020 has proven to be disappointing. While we have made some gains in leadership, including the appointment of Jane Fraser and Stephanie Cohen to the top posts in otherwise male-dominated territories, funding for female founders has fallen to 2017 levels, while the aggregate...

Economic equality is a civil right. It should be as simple as that. Food - shelter - water. We all need the most basic necessities to survive. But if we have learned one thing from the past few months (and we surely hope you have learned more than that), while we are all riding out the economic storm together, we are hardly riding in the same boat; some are relaxing in the yachts; others are cling...

As we celebrate the 100th episode of One Vision, we traveled back in time to share some of our favorite moments of what was once called Rhetoriq, and celebrate the convergence of minds. Our cultures and upbringings couldn’t have been more different; yet we are joined together by a shared vision of purpose, and a belief that we can do well while doing good. We hope that the stories that our guests...

As the facets of financial services become increasingly cut apart, we must look for the biggest opportunities to serve more people. The promise of embedded banking is in the shifting focus of the financial services business model from the profitability of the banking provider to the long term financial wellness of the consumer and business provider.  Will the rise of the superapp model and mo...

There is never a dull moment in the land of financial services. From Jane Fraser breaking the glass ceiling to become the first female CEO of a major Wall Street Bank, to Santander spinning out its corporate venture team and doubling the commitment to $400 million, the only constant in financial services is one of change. And change we must. At this past week’s FintechTalents North America confere...

When did the revolution start? How did a tiny little pocket device known as the iPhone upend the world of finance as we know it today? And where would we go next?  In this episode of One Vision, Bradley and Theo sat down with Daniel P. Simon, the author of The Money Hackers: How a Group of Misfits Took on Wall Street and Changed Finance Forever to talk about his own personal journey, how he r...

It has been difficult to think beyond just today, but we must. What has been happening in the fintech space, within venture capital, and within the broader financial services ecosystem? Surely more mergers and acquisitions, more devaluations of once high-riding unicorns, and rumors of neobanks demise to discuss, but at the heart of the topics of the last few weeks is the importance of the humans b...

While we all make personal connections during our lifetimes, the truth is that we are all connected in ways often unseen. Everything we see, everything we feel, everything that will be — it comes from something created before us. Our communities are like this too, connected by the individuals, families, and small businesses and business models that have built up our society, our economic syst...

How do you measure the wealth of a society? By physical and tangible assets or how we care for one another? How we ensure no one is left behind in the digital era speaks volumes about our values. Technology, when implemented thoughtfully — can unite rather than divide, can enable aspirations rather than trigger divides, and can deliver upon dreams rather than dash them. Purpose should not be an af...

There are many ways to create meaningful impact. Some choose to start their own endeavour, attempting to change the existing paradigm from the outside. Others choose an often more arduous route to create change from within. Regardless of which path you take, the journey can be treacherous and full of surprises. The best stories often come from those who have chosen to embark on multiple expedition...

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as SNAP) provides important nutritional support for low-income individuals and households within the U.S. In 2018, the program helped 40 million low-income Americans afford a nutritionally adequate diet in a typical month. But the impact of COVID-19 on low income families cannot be understated. With substantial unemployment, many are concer...

Digital transformation journeys for financial institutions — regardless of size — present many challenges. Banks have traditionally been more of a follower, rather than a leader, in adopting emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and edge computing. In one area, this is changing rapidly: cloud computing. In this episode of the One Vision podcast, Randy Walker, Global...

The year 2007 was a watershed moment in financial services. That year saw the launch of mPesa in Kenya, the second iteration of the Payment Services Directive (PSD2), and the launch of the iPhone, which changed relationships with customers forever. Venture investment in startups in what would eventually be called fintech were just starting. It truly felt like we were on the verge of a revolution w...

Imagine yourself years from now looking back at the decade that was. As you think about your life, your career, your friends, your family, your tribe—what happened to your path? How did you change when the world was upside down, when the gravity of your roots were the only connectivity to your core values and beliefs? At what point did the future begin once again? The decisions we make everyday in...

The path toward broader inclusion — especially financially driven inclusion — starts with acknowledgement of structural impediments within our lives, our communities, and our cultures. Financial inequality is a human created problem that can be solved. While there are 1.7 billion adults worldwide that are truly unbanked — without any access to the formal financial services system — the advent of m...

From the $825 million Finicity/Mastercard tie-up to the Wirecard scandal to Lemonade’s plan to raise $286 million in an IPO — there is never a dull moment in the land of Fintech. Half a year has gone by and we are in the midst of a pandemic and deepening recession. If we were to give ourselves a grade, has Fintech done what the ecosystem has set out to do? Has it challenged the status quo — and ma...

How does gastronomy and financial services coalesce? As you build skills in the kitchen, every aspiring chef learns about the significance of mise en place, or having everything ‘set in place.’ This helps the cooking process become more efficient, but also more pleasurable as you master facets of the culinary arts. The elements of mise en place include choosing a recipe and building a plan, prepar...

Public speaking is an art. And when you need to do a demo at the same time in front of a live audience, it’s even harder. In this episode of One Vision podcast, Greg Palmer, VP and host of Finovate walked down memory lane as he spoke about the history of one of the longest running fintech conferences. He shared with us some of his secrets on how to deliver an engaging talk as you navigate the show...

Systemic racism and a long history of discrimination have meant that African Americans have always fared worse in the labor market, both in good times and more so in bad. Losing out of more than a century of wealth creation, black households are falling further and further behind. And after a decade coupled by the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, the time for radical change is far past d...

Each ecosystem is unique. How we stimulate local entrepreneurship in each community, and activate innovation with local businesses, is more like an art rather than a straightforward manuscript. COVID-19 will no doubt accelerate changes in our ecosystem and challenge incumbents and startups alike in each geographical region. And now is the time to leverage our creative geniuses to let go of our bia...