Wharton Fintech Podcast

Josh Benadiva converses with David Mercer, CEO of LMAX Group, about the evolution of fintech, and his journey in leading a foreign and crypto exchange. A seasoned leader in the derivatives industry, Mercer shares his insights on the essence of continuous product improvement, agility in business structures, and the innovative approaches in Bitcoin and crypto exchanges. Discover how LMAX Group, Europe's leading Multilateral Trading Facility for FX and crypto, is driving transformation in the industry. Mercer provides a sneak peek into the future of crypto beyond the crypto winter and the role LMAX Group will play in this landscape. David Mercer is the chief executive of LMAX Group. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the derivatives industry and an extensive expertise in the leveraged FX business. Prior to joining LMAX Exchange, he held senior executive roles at IFX Markets and Saxo Bank (Synthesis Bank) in London, Geneva and Sydney. Mercer started his career at CSFP and Credit Suisse First Boston focusi

Tarang Gupta hosts Samara Cohen, the Chief Investment Officer of ETFs and Index Investments at BlackRock. BlackRock is a global asset manager and technology provider and one of the world’s leading providers of investment, advisory and risk management solutions. In this episode you will hear about: - What Samara’s role as the CIO entails - How ETFs have evolved from their early days - Building high performance teams - Different types of investors that invest in BlackRock’s ETFs - Increasing participation of self-directed investors in public markets - Samara’s outlook on managing personal and professional commitments - And much more! About Samara Cohen Samara Cohen, Senior Managing Director, is the Chief Investment Officer of the ETF and Index Investments (EII) business for BlackRock and a member of the firm's Global Executive Committee. As the first ever CIO for EII, Samara manages the teams responsible for delivering the market quality and investment integrity of BlackRock’s 2,700+ index funds and ETFs. Sh

In a collaboration with GGV Capital's "Evolving for the Next Billion" podcast, Joshua Benadiva hosts a fascinating conversation with Hans Tung, widely recognized as one of the best venture investors in the world. Hans is the managing partner of GGV Capital, and has been named to the Forbes Midas List of the world's top venture capital investors for 11 consecutive years. Throughout our conversation, we explore the unique decision-making strategies that have fueled Hans' successful investments. We delve into his distinct perspective on human and technological transformation and discuss how he uses these as data points in his broader investment strategy. Hans Tung is a Managing Partner at GGV Capital, focusing on early-stage investments across the global digital economy ecosystem. He is consistently recognized among the top venture capital investors in the world, having been named to the Forbes Midas list 11 consecutive years from 2013-2023, and has been in the top 10 for the last 5 years. He has also been rec

Russell Matambo hosts Shivani Siroya, Founder and CEO of Tala, a global technology company expanding access to credit and financial services in underserved markets. They discuss how Shivani’s built Tala on the basis of her microlending activity from her own savings, the importance of trust when lending in Emerging Markets, the socioeconomic impact of credit in Emerging Markets, and much more! About Shivani: Shivani is the Founder and CEO of Tala, a global technology company expanding access to credit and financial services in underserved markets. Nearly 8 million people across Kenya, the Philippines, Mexico, and India have used Tala products to start and expand small businesses, manage day-to-day needs, and pursue their financial goals with confidence. Tala has been named to the Fortune Impact 20 list, CNBC’s Disruptor 50 four years in a row, and Forbes’ Fintech 50 list for seven years running. Shivani has been invited to speak on Financial Inclusion at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Prior to founding

Tarang Gupta hosts Mani Mahadevan, the Founder & CEO of Valur, a fintech startup helping democratize access to the tax optimization and asset protection tools of billionaires. In this episode you will hear about: - Increasing complications in the US tax code - Making tax mitigation strategies accessible through tech - Starting a company during the pandemic - Taking the plunge from corporate roles to entrepreneurship And much more! About Mani Mahadevan Mani is the Founder and CEO at Valur. Prior to founding Valur, Mani was Chief of Staff for Apple Card at Marcus by Goldman Sachs and before that he held product and operation roles at the Remote Year and Medallia. Mani started his career as a Business Analyst at McKinsey and holds a Bachelors from the University of Michigan. About Valur Founded in 2020, Valur takes the tax optimization and asset protection tools of the ultra-wealthy and makes them accessible to everyone. Valur democratizes the tax planning tools necessary to grow wealth more efficiently, thr

In this episode, our host, Josh Benadiva, sits down with Tomer Barel, Chief Operating Officer of Melio. They discuss Tomer's takeaways in his early career from start-ups to PayPal, why he views simplicity and ease-of-use as the core of Melio's product, and the future of B2B payments. Tomer shares his insights on Melio's strategic partnerships, the state of B2B payments, and advice for future operators in the fintech space. Tomer Barel is the Chief Operating Officer of Melio. Before joining Melio, Tomer served as Vice President and COO of Novi, Meta’s payments unit and digital wallet. Tomer also spent nine years at PayPal. As PayPal’s global Chief Enterprise Services Officer and Chief Risk Officer, he was part of the executive team reporting to the CEO and led financial risk management and compliance as well as global operations including customer service and back-office functions. Barel also served on Melio’s advisory board since the company’s founding in 2018. Melio's mission is to keep small business in

Tarang Gupta hosts Tanner Hackett, the Founder and CEO of Counterpart, an insurtech startup using AI to offer management and professional liability insurance products and services for small businesses. In this episode you will hear about: - How insuring SMEs can be tricky - Why Tanner chose to focus on specialty insurance - What makes Counterpart's offerings standout - Counterpart’s recent $30M Series B raise - The disruption brought about by insurtech And much more! About Tanner Hackett Tanner is the Founder and CEO of Counterpart. Before starting Counterpart, he co-founded two successful ventures including the Malaysian arm of Lazada, which quickly became the largest e-commerce company in Southeast Asia and Button, which has become the world’s largest mobile-first affiliate platform, partnering with global brands like Amazon, Walmart, Booking.com, and Uber. About Counterpart Founded in 2019, Counterpart is a Series B insurtech firm offering small business management and professional liability insurance b

Tarang Gupta hosts Junaid Wahedna, the Founder and CEO of Wahed, which is a values driven digital investment platform structured in accordance with established Islamic principles and standards. In this episode you will hear about: - What is riba and its role in halal investing - Structuring ETFs that are complaint with Islamic principles - Launch of Wahed’s physical bank branch and gold-backed debit card - Junaid’s decision to expand globally early-on And much more! About Junaid Wahedna Junaid, a native of India, was educated in Dubai during his formative years. He holds a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Columbia University along with several certifications in accounting and finance including a CMA, CAIA and CDIF, London, United Kingdom. Prior to founding Wahed, Junaid spent several years working on Wall Street. About Wahed Founded in 2017, Wahed is an ethical and values driven digital investment platform that provides access to diversified portfolios to resi

Tarang Gupta hosts Giuseppe Stuto, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at 186 Ventures. 186 Ventures is a pre-seed & seed stage VC firm investing across fintech, consumer, enterprise, and disruptive tech. In this episode you will hear about: - 186’s investment philosophy and portfolio selection process - Opportunities unlocked by Web3 disruption - Strategically deploying capital in an uncertain market - Anticipated evolution of DApps and Layer 1 chains And much more! About Giuseppe Stuto Prior to co-founding 186 Ventures, Giuseppe was the Co-Founder and CEO of Fam, a group video software company that was acquired by Draftkings. He then served in product & strategy roles at DraftKings leading up to their IPO and was also the COO for Pison Technology. Giuseppe holds a B.S.B.A. from the Boston University Questrom School of Business. About 186 Ventures Founded in 2019, 186 Ventures are early stage technology investors focused on agile teams working on disruptive problems. 186 Ventures is based in Boston and its in

Tarang Gupta hosts Michele Alt, Co-Founder & Partner, and Jonah Crane, Partner at Klaros Group. Klaros is an advisory and investment firm at the intersection of innovation, financial services, and regulation. In this episode you will hear about: - Sneak peak into the policy making process - Advising fintechs dealing with regulatory uncertainty - Potential M&A opportunities arising from economic downturn - What led to the failure of SVB and its impact on banking and fintech - Their opinion on the resilience of the US economy And much more! About Michele Alt Michele is a Co-Founder and Partner at the Klaros Group and she advises fintech clients on their banking and regulatory strategies by drawing on her prior experience at the Promontory Financial Group and as a senior legal official at the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. About Jonah Crane Jonah is a Partner at the Klaros Group and he advises on business and product strategy, regulatory and compliance risk, and regulatory engagement. He has

Tarang Gupta hosts Kevin Greene, CEO and Chairman of Tassat. Tassat is a leading provider of private, permissioned blockchain-based solutions for commercial banks. In this episode you will hear about: - What are private permissioned vs public blockchains - Why focus on minimizing regret when making life decisions - How blockchain is changing the banking industry - Why a business' success depends 95% on testing + execution and only 5% on the idea - Kevin’s proudest basketball moment And much more! About Kevin Greene Kevin is the Chairman and CEO of Tassat Group. He joined Tassat in 2017 and was named Executive Chairman in 2019. Previously Kevin served as the Chairman & CEO of Capital Resource Holdings, LLC and founded Bryant Park Capital, a privately held investment bank. Before this he was a senior consultant with McKinsey & Company. Kevin earned a B.A. in Economics from Georgetown University, a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University and an MBA from New York University. About Tassat Founded in 2

In this episode, our host, Josh Benadiva, engages in a meaningful conversation with Sankaet Pathak, Founder and CEO of Synapse. They discuss Sankaet's journey from establishing the foundation of embedded finance and banking-as-a-service to scaling the company since its inception in 2014. Sankaet shares his insights on creating a startup within the embedded finance sector, his perspectives on hiring and product development, and strategies for centering teams and company efforts around a cohesive vision. Sankaet Pathak wears the hat of the founder and CEO of Synapse, a leading banking-as-a-service provider. His journey with Synapse began in 2014 during his Master's degree at the University of Memphis and has since blossomed into a remarkable success story. Synapse, a comprehensive banking-as-a-service platform, offers a range of services such as payment, card issuance, deposit, lending, compliance, credit, and investment products in the form of APIs to over 15 million end users. Boasting an annualized transac

Tarang Gupta hosts Stephane Lintner, Co-Founder and CEO of Jiko. Jiko is a bank and broker-dealer with modern trading and ledgering technology that offers real-time programmatic access to Treasury bills, thereby combining the yield and security of T-bills with the flexibility of a bank account. In this episode you will hear about: - Unlocking the power of T-bills for businesses, startups, and consumers - Building a vertically integrated de-levered bank - Why T-bills provide a higher yield than bank accounts - Jiko’s $40M Series B raise last year - Stephane’s thoughts on disruption opportunity in payments And much more! About Stephane Lintner Stephane is the CEO and Co-founder of Jiko. He graduated from Caltech with a PhD in Applied and Computational Mathematics and holds degrees in Machine Learning and Computer Science from the Ecole Normale Superieure in France. Prior to founding the company, Lintner worked as a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs’ Securities Division for almost a decade. During his nearly

Russell Matambo hosts Dare Okoudjou, Founder and CEO of MFS Africa, a leading Pan-African Fintech company, operating the largest digital payments hub on the continent. They discuss how Dare’s telecom networking experience influenced is journey into Fintech, the importance of mobile money in Africa, MFS Africa's role as a connector of mobile money networks, and much more! About Dare: Dare is the Founder and CEO of MFS Africa, a leading Pan-African Fintech company, operating the largest digital payments hub on the continent. The MFS Africa Hub connects over 400 million mobile wallets in Africa, offering unparalleled reach into the growing African digital consumers. MFS Africa was named by Fast Company as one of Africa’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies. Prior to founding MFS Africa, Dare worked at MTN Group, where he developed its mobile payment strategy and led its implementation across 21 countries throughout Africa and the Middle East. He began his career as a management consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoop

Tarang Gupta hosts David Frank, Founder and CEO at Stonehaven. Stonehaven is a private capital markets FinTech operating system for investment bankers and placement agents to support companies and investors. In this episode you will hear about: - Pivoting a traditional financial services company into a fintech player - Building a capital markets operating system to automate fundraising and deal execution processes - Running a successful bootstrapped business and the right time to seek venture funding - His opinion on what makes a great CTO And much more! About David Frank David founded Stonehaven in 2001 and pivoted it into a fintech business in 2018. Prior to Stonehaven, he worked at Robertson Stephens in San Francisco. David graduated with honors from University of Michigan with a BBA, he is a CFA Charterholder, and holds the Series 7, 24, 31, 66, 79 and 99 registrations with FINRA. He is also an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization where he helps lead the Investment Banking Network. About

Nihar Bobba hosts Angela Strange, General Partner at a16z. She focuses on Financial Services including fintech infrastructure, insurance, real estate, and increasing financial inclusivity. In the Fintech world, Angela is well known for coining the idea that "Every Company Will Be a Fintech Company"— and idea driven by the influx of new, transformative financial infrastructure tools that enable non-fintech companies to derive a significant portion of their revenue through financial products. Today, Angela serves on the boards of Addi, Casai, Jeeves, Moov, SeedFi, SynapseFi, Tally, and Valon. Prior to joining a16z, Angela was most recently a product manager at Google where she launched and grew Chrome for Android and iOS. And she started her career as a consultant at Mercer. In this episode you will hear about: - Angela's time at Google, and what operating principles she uses in her investing role - Why every company is a fintech company - The state of fintech today, and so much more

In today's episode, Josh Benadiva sits down with Omry Ben David from Viola Ventures to discuss how Omry identifies top entrepreneurs and how to think about investing in early-stage FinTech companies. Josh and Omry delve into the future of embedded FinTech, the next generation of InsurTech, and so much more. Omry is a General Partner at Viola Ventures. He joined the fund in 2017, bringing with him 15 years of technology-focused experience across investment banking, startup operations, and both institutional and private venture investments. Omry's areas of investment at Viola Ventures include FinTech, Enterprise/SMB Software, and Vertical AI. Omry was a Captain and Company Commander in an elite combat unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Management from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Viola Ventures is one of the leading Israel-based funds focused on early-stage investments. With a portfolio of over 90 companies, Viola Ventures has bac

Tarang Gupta hosts Stephanie Choo, Partner at Portage. Portage is a global investment platform focused on fintech and financial services with over $2 billion in AUM. In this episode you will hear about: - Stephanie’s career pivots that led her to venture capital - Areas in fintech she focuses on and her contrarian views on consumer fintech - What is embedded infrastructure within fintech - How Portage defines innovation And much more! About Stephanie Choo Stephanie has served as a Partner at Portage since 2016, focusing on consumer fintech, crypto/DeFi, and fintech infra. She is passionate about funding the next generation of fintech entrepreneurs and currently serves on the boards of Albert, Atomic Financial and Conquest Planning. Prior to Portage, Stephanie led a team, which built and launched a leading digital advice platform in Canada. Before that she was an early employee at a payments startup – working on mobile banking solutions and a management consultant at BCG. Stephanie holds a Bachelor’s from Qu

The Wharton Fintech Conference, held on March 30-31st, brought together some of the most prominent innovators and investors in the fintech ecosystem, including start-up founders, managing partners of VCs, and Bill McNabb, former chairman and CEO of Vanguard. Join Kailee Costello, Joshua Benadiva, and Tarang Gupta as they discuss the highlights and main takeaways from the conference, covering topics such as embedded finance, Chat-GPT, and more. With so much to learn from the top people in the fintech industry, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in fintech innovation. To stay up to date with the latest developments in fintech and to find out about next year's conference, follow us on social media or visit https://whartonfintechconference.com/

In today's episode, Andrew Janssens hosts Alex Johnson, the creator of the Fintech Takes newsletter. Alex has been bringing thoughtful takes and commentary on all topics Fintech for many years, and has most recently been working at FICO, the credit scoring company, and Cornerstone Advisors. Alex publishes Fintech Takes, one of the leading newsletters in Fintech, twice a week, and regularly teams up with Jason Mikula (and others) on the monthly "Fintech Recap" podcast. In this episode we cover a whole host of topics, including: • The growth of the Fintech Takes newsletter • Alex's creative process, and how he dives into new topics • A fintech 2023 rapid fire • How VCs can actually help to promote diversity And much, much more! For more FinTech insights, follow us below: WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Andrew’s Twitter: twitter.com/Adhjanssens Andrew’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andrew-p-janssens/