Payments Innovation

Paytech is one of the most important emerging sectors in Fintech, yet for many, it’s a mystery. Not so for James Teodorini , Senior Paytech Consultant at Currencycloud , today’s guest and our newest host on payments innovation. He joins the show to demystify Paytech. In this episode, we discuss: James’ background The definition of Paytech  The guests James will feature in upcoming episodes To...

In recent years, Fintech has helped fuel Africa’s economic success. Now, some Fintechs on the continent are ready to expand their operations internationally.  And that’s not just good news for Africa — it’s good news for everyone.  Today’s guest, Omosalewa Adeyemi, Head of Global Partnerships and Expansion Team at Flutterwave, is leading the charge for one such Fintech. She joins the sho...

If you are dealing with hundreds — if not thousands — of payments a day, you could hire a 30-person finance team, read 600 pages on ACH, and another 300 on the wire system. Or you could save yourself some time and money by listening to today’s guest. That’s because Sam Aarons , as Co-Fo under & CTO at Modern Treasury , has helped build a way for you to automate these payments, no matter where...

Remember when there’d be a pitch for startup capital, with a straightforward yes or no in response? Well, things are a little different now, and we have people like Prashant Fuloria , Fundbox CEO, to thank for that. What we talked about: - The working capital marketplace - Banks vs Fundbox: the cost of managing unpaid receivables - The Fundbox customer experience - Small business COVID-19 economic...

Cross-border remittances used to be slow and the fees could end up being upwards of 10%, but thanks to innovations like blockchain and better banking partnerships, that’s all changing. Today’s guest is someone helping to lead that change: Manos Yoganathan , Vice President at Remitbee . He joins the show to explain how. In this episode, we discuss: - The remittance revolution - How blockchain techn...

Cashless participation is the catalyst in the mission to drive equitable stock ownership through ESPPs (Employee Stock Purchasing Plans). Aaron Shapiro , CEO & Founder of Carver Edison , is here to tell us all about it in the latest episode of Payments Innovation. What we talked about: - Aaron’s journey into the corporate equity niche - Carver Edison’s place on the ESPP spectrum - Do ESPPs off...

In finance, partnerships can often be hard to pin down, but understanding the ins-and-outs of partnerships can mean a world of difference for Fintechs everywhere. Which is why this episode, as part of our Fintech Karaoke series, Cara Hayward interviews Kara Parkey , Director of Business Development at MX , to learn the secrets to successful partnerships. They discuss: - What defines a partner and...

The rich stay rich, and get richer, not by increasing their income, but by controlling their expenses. Spend management might not be an obvious option but it’s always worthwhile. Thejo Kote calls it like it is: companies have a problem managing their spend. Fortunately for us, his firsthand experience inspired him to found Airbase . What we talked about: - Spend management deserves your focus - Ho...

Currencycloud’s Payments Innovation podcast is about 3 years old, and we couldn’t be prouder of all the conversations we’ve had about new business perspectives on the global digital economy. Today, we’re introducing a new podcast host who will pioneer a Payments Innovation series focused on our current clients and how they’re scaling. We’re excited to highlight our newest podcast host Scott Ernenw...

The pandemic may be in its final stretch, but it’s changed the world forever — especially how we work. Now, an internationally distributed workforce has become more attractive. But that can be a major challenge without the right tools. Our latest guest, Matt Drozdzynski , CEO and Founder of Pilot, is one of the people helping to provide those tools, offering businesses ways to deal with everything...

Not every business tanked during the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean that they didn’t experience challenges. Shaun Puckrin , Chief Product Innovation Officer at Global Processing Services , shares details of the journey from the growth side of the pandemic, in the latest episode of Payments Innovation. What we talked about: - Not all companies fell off the face of a cliff when COVID-19 became a pa...

Compliance often used to be seen as something you reluctantly dedicated resources to in order to please the lawyers. But that’s changing… Because behind every great Fintech is the ability to manage risk. Who said compliance can’t be sexy? Certainly not today’s guest, Charlie Delingpole , Founder and CEO at ComplyAdvantage , where his work helping companies leverage compliance as a strategic busine...

Embedded finance is the game changer we never knew we needed. Robert Cortright , Founder & CEO at DriveWealth , walks us through the what, how, and why on the latest episode of Payments Innovation. What we talked about: - Fractional trading, financial literacy & AI - Brokerage vs. embedded finance - What to expect from the digital financial ecosystem in the next year or so Check out these...

Bringing on new full-time employees from different countries comes with its share of complications. From resolving legal grey areas to providing a first-class experience for the employee, Panther aims to solve these issues. Matt Redler , Founder and CEO of Panther , joins us to discuss how the company is changing the way remote work operates with employees in multiple countries. We talked about: -...

These days, banks are finally realizing what almost every other industry has already caught on to: If you want to succeed, you need to build around customer experiences. Just ask Alex Wheldon , Co-Founder, President and Chief Product Officer at Rho Business Bank , where he’s helping to usher in the new, customer-focused, paradigm for modern banking. In this episode, we discuss: - Why customer-focu...

Open banking is a hot topic these days, but depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on, there are some large differences in the ways these markets are handling this innovative sector. As Head of International at Plaid , Keith Grose understands the differences between these markets better than most. He joined us on the show today to help untangle open banking. What we talked about: - The tra...

When it comes to Fintechs and modernizing finance, it’s all about improving user experiences. And few banking products need it more than the traditional bank wire. In this episode, Chris speaks with Marwan Forzley , CEO at Veem , about how his company is fixing the user experience issues with wiring money. They discuss: - Why partners are essential to modern finance - The effects of COVID on Veem’...

There are many ways you can expand your organization’s reach. But when you want to expand your international presence, sometimes the best method is through partnerships. That’s one way Lucian Lauerman , Head of Solutions for Business at OANDA , is approaching their expanding reach as the company launches its new FX platform. In this episode, we discuss: - The history of OANDA - OANDA’s influence i...

Buy now, pay later. It’s a useful way to manage transactional visibility, and I got to speak about it with David True , Founder and Partner at Paygility Advisors . What we talked about: - Common gaps in knowledge for non-US companies entering the US market - Sponsor bank positioning - The ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ movement - Interchange rates and subscription revenue Check out these resources we mentio...

Necessity is the mother of invention. We’ve all heard it, but the past year has proven it — we are finding new ways to work, to socialize, to educate, to shop and to pay. And when it comes to Fintech, crisis is the mother of innovation. In this episode, Cara speaks with Brady Harris , CEO, and Adam Steenhard , Senior Director of Corporate Strategy, at Dwolla , about how they are helping to revolut...

Buy now, pay later, a concept introduced in the ’90s, has since undergone a digital transformation for consumers across the globe. Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm are the few of many that offer consumers a buy now, pay later option for everyday purchases online. But what about brick-and-mortar purchases? This is where Arad Levertov , CEO and co-founder of Sunbit , saw an opportunity to disrupt the bu...

Many payment solutions sit atop legacy infrastructures that don’t allow for much flexibility. New economy companies and FinTechs are looking for more. In this episode, we chat with Patricia Montesi , Co-founder and CEO of Qolo , about how she designed a next-gen payment solution that embraces modern banking capabilities. What we talked about: - The gap in the marketplace that led to the founding o...

Financial literacy is a hotly debated topic. How do you educate consumers to make smarter investment decisions? Sometimes, the best approach is to learn by doing. That’s why Phillip Barrar , CEO of Moka , is fostering financial literacy not through courses, but through action and participation. He joined the show to discuss how Moka’s products promote financial inclusion in a simple and intuitive...

Recently, the nation became enthralled with an underdog story of ordinary people pushing Gamestop’s stock way past its value to stick it to greedy traders only to be stopped by the power of Wall Street… Only that wasn’t the whole story. To learn what really happened, we turned to Yoshi Yokokawa , Co-founder & CEO at Alpaca , in our latest episode for some much needed context on the controversy...

US regulations mean we don’t see nearly as many startup banks as Europe. So, if one manages to get past the regulatory hurdles, what do they prioritize? For Rodrigo Suarez , Head of Innovation at Piermont Bank , a startup bank serving SMBs, speed and culture are the secret to success. In this episode, we discuss: - The challenges a startup bank faces - Why the SMB space is ripe for innovation - Wh...