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

Theo: If we were to go cashless, the tooth fairy would not be able to give you money anymore. Theo's Kiddo: Well, the tooth fairy could always put money in a prepaid card. The world is definitely ramping up to go cashless. As technology continues to reduce friction, banking will become more embedded in our day-to-day life. A bank as we know it might look very different than what it does today – an...

This is the first episode of our new series focused on Innovation in Asia - Red Envelope. Asia has proven to be a hotbed for Fintech innovation, where the consumer base, mobile penetration and lack of legacy have given way to leap frog moments.  In this episode, Theodora Lau and Arun Krishnakumar talk to Charles D'Haussy about the Hongkong ecosystem. Charles is the Director Strategic Initiati...

As much as 85% of jobs that will be available in 2030 do not exist yet for today’s graduates – it is never too late to disrupt ourselves. 50 is indeed becoming the new 30. Soon, we will have five generations working alongside each other. Not only “when” or “how long” we are working has changed, “how” we are earning a living has changed as well.  Given this new paradigm, is retirement still re...

If books are food for the soul – bookstores and libraries are great halls for feast. Reading not only helps us gain new perspectives and expand our horizon, it also helps us take a break from our ever-connected digital lives – where information is constantly being pushed to us. Books allow us the luxury of immersing ourselves in moments that go as far as our minds would wander – and travel abroad...

In a world where Chinese citizens with Chinese bank accounts can conduct their whole life on Alipay and WeChat super apps while outsiders pay cash; where 47% of American consumers are still writing checks; where people in Africa can pay and obtain microloans on their mobile phones in an instant – the answer to the age-old question to the promised land : “Are we there yet?” is unfortunately “No, no...

New US CEOs are now averaging 58 years old, and 62 as the average age of the top performing CEOs in the world, the companies they run spend 500% more to attract millennial customers. In this episode of Shades of Grey, Arun Krishnakumar and Theodora Lau are joined by Bradley Schurman and Lilian Myers, the Co-Founders of EconomyFour. EconomyFour helps companies, policymakers, and people understand a...

Beyond companionship, another challenge facing older population is the loss of mobility and the ability to drive. A few years ago, Justin Boogaard started GoGoGrandparent to help older adults maintain their independence by accessing on-demand services like Uber & Lyft without a smart phone. As with many entrepreneurs in the longevity ecosystem, Justin started his journey with a personal story...

Thanks to the relentless work and advocacy from many men and women, gone are the days when banks required a woman applying for credit to have her husband co-sign, or when companies could legally fire women for being pregnant. However, as a society, we still have ways to go to get to any sense of 50/50 equality.  In this episode of Shades of Grey, Arunkumar Krishna Kumar and Theodora Lau talk...

Despite increased awareness of gender equity issues, and commitment by various executives and industry leaders, progress towards equality appeared to have stalled. Is it really a lifestyle choice , or is it born out of necessity (i.e. constraints), perhaps due to lack of affordable childcare, flexible work arrangements, and outdated cultural norms that women should bear the primary caregiving resp...

What happens if the world actually runs out of people? While you may not fully subscribe to this point of view, we all need to start paying much more attention to the needs of its fastest growing segment of our global population: those households that are over the age of 50. As aging itself is far from homogeneous, the solutions we create today to serve the needs of our aging population will deter...

As we live longer and the cost of healthcare increases, where would we turn to for support? For many, that responsibility falls largely on their family members. More often than not, these caregivers are those that belong to the sandwiched generation, ones with their own family and children that they are taking care of. In addition to helping with daily chores, many also provide financial support,...

At the end of 2018, the Impact investing market had grown to $228 Billion. The standard ways of measuring performance of an investment using Risk and Returns is being enriched by another dimension of performance measurement - it's Impact. The three dimensional methodology of measuring the outcome of a business is gaining popularity amongst the younger generation. In this episode of Shades of Grey,...

Fraud detection is complex and the amount of data that needs to be mined and analyzed is massive. AI shows great promise in being able to move from detecting fraud after the fact, to predicting and preventing it before it happens. This will serve to minimize the financial exposure of the older adults, and preserve their dignity. In this episode of Shades of Grey, Theodora Lau and Arunkumar Krishna...

As Ron Shevlin eloquently puts it, “consumers are not looking for a new savings account; they are looking for help to save”.  Joining us in this episode of Shades of Grey, Sarah Morgenstern, Principal at Omidyar Network. Theodora Lau and Arun Krishnakumar discuss the Impact investment landscape and Sarah's thoughts on investment opportunities focused on longevity. Gone are the days where we w...

According to AARP, more than 10 million people aged 50 and above live in poverty in the U.S., and more than 37 million are just one life event away from slipping into it. Amongst those who are 65 and older, more than twice as many women as men live in poverty. And the problem is even more acute for African American, Hispanic, and Native Americans. In this episode of Shades of Grey, Theodora Lau an...

“When you get to be my age (93), just to hear another person’s voice gets you through the day. I never thought I’d get to see this in my lifetime.” When it comes to the next big disruption, voice technology is undoubtedly one of the most talked about. And no one is more enthusiastic about this than Dave Isbitski, Chief Evangelist, Alexa at Amazon.  Theodora Lau and Arun Krishnakumar speak to...

Shades of Grey is a podcast about living. This season of Rhetoriq is hosted by Arun Krishnakumar, Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer. It is a collection of stories from a diverse universe of entrepreneurs and thought leaders, using their collective power and intellect to change the narrative of aging. It is a testament that technology and innovation should be inclusive and age-agnostic. It is a call...

In this episode of Blockchain and Financial Inclusion, Arun Krishnakumar and Efi Pylarinou talk to Kavita Gupta - Managing Partner at Consensys Ventures. In her role at Consensys, Kavita also manages Tachyon - an incubator programme for Blockchain startups using Ethereum. The discussion covers the core areas of focus for Consensys Ventures, and some of the investments they have made in the past, a...

Our special guest for this episode of Blockchain and Financial Inclusion is Sandra Ro, the CEO of Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC). Sandra, who is ex-banker, with several years of experience on the trading floors of London, became a believer of Blockchain in 2012. She wears several hats in her journey within Blockchain for Social Impact. Efi Pylarinou and Arun Krishnakumar discuss several...

Luis Buenaventura joins us for this episode of Blockchain and Financial Inclusion. Efi Pylarinou and Arun Krishnakumar join Luis, who is the Chief Strategy Officer at Bloom Solutions also an avid Crypto-Cartoonist. In this episode, they discuss the "reBittance" market in Asia - particularly Philippines. The term reBittance was coined by Luis years ago. Philippines is one of the biggest markets in...

In this episode of Blockchain and Financial Inclusion, Eduardo Salazar, Founder of Forctis joins Efi Pylarinou and Arun Krishnakumar.  Eduardo shares his views on the impact of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency in Latin America. With on the ground experience in the inflation hit continent, Eduardo explains the challenges that businesses and people there face.  The experience in 2001 when cri...

In this episode of Blockchain and Financial Inclusion, Christian Heyner, President of 1Bank4All joins Efi Pylarinou and Arun Krishnakumar. Christian has decades of experience in financial services, and has several years of experience in sustainable and green investing. Christian discusses the launch of the Green bond, that his team is planning to launch with the Luxembourg exchange. He elaborates...

How can Blockchain help the global workforce? Sergei Sergienko, CEO of Chronobank joins Efi Pylarinou and Arun Krishnakumar for this episode of Blockchain and Financial Inclusion.  With his background in the recruitment industry, Sergei and his team at Chronobank, based out of Australia, have created a Blockchain based ecosystem for the workforce. Sergei shares the reasons that inspired him t...

AI and Blockchain - the killer combo. Mark Van Rijmenam founder at Datafloq, joins us for an exciting episode discussing trends in AI and Blockchain. Efi and Arun host this episode, where they discuss Mark's explorations across the globe. Mark is also a keynote speaker, a global citizen by his own admission, and is the Author of the book "Blockchain: Transforming Your Business and Our World". Mark...

To regulate or not to regulate? The answer to that, when it comes to Blockchain and Cryptocurrency is pretty clear. The answer is Yes. How soon, how much and by who is not that clear. In this episode, Arun and Efi talk to Dr. Jane Thomason, the CEO of Blockchain Quantum Impact. Earlier this year, Jane was named one of the "Top 10 Digital Frontier Women" in the emerging blockchain and digital asset...