In this episode of Humans of Fintech , host Nicole Casperson sits down with Bhuva Shakti, founder of Bhuva’s Impact Global and Chief Sustainable Innovation Officer at Wallet Max™, for a conversation about the intersection of fintech, climate, and innovation. With more than 30 years of experience in digital finance, Bhuva has helped companies navigate complex financial landscapes—while pushing for solutions that put both people and the planet first. Now, she’s at the forefront of the Climate Fint...
Jul 07, 2025•47 min•Season 9Ep. 1
In this special episode of Humans of Fintech, recorded live at the Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit 2025, host Nicole Casperson sits down with Angel Rich, Founder and CEO of CreditRich, for a powerful conversation on purpose-driven leadership, strategic disruption, and building a billion-dollar impact in fintech. Dubbed “the next Steve Jobs” by Forbes and honored with a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, Angel is behind the first Black woman-owned neobank and has led CreditRich to ground...
May 08, 2025•30 min•Season 7Ep. 10
In this in-person episode of Humans of Fintech, host Nicole Casperson sits down with Carlos Díaz, Co-Founder of RUUT, Mexico’s largest Registered Investment Advisor, for a candid conversation about access, inclusion, and reimagining investing for a new generation. RUUT serves many first-time investors, with an average user age of just 24. The platform already manages $4 million in assets and has helped clients earn more than $100,000 in returns. With Carlos recently crowned the winner of the Nas...
May 01, 2025•26 min•Season 7Ep. 9
In this episode of Humans of Fintech , host Nicole Casperson sits down with Anna-Sophie Hartvigsen, Co-Founder of Female Invest , for an inspiring conversation about financial empowerment, global community-building, and what it takes to challenge a male-dominated industry from the ground up. What began as a frustration with the lack of women in finance events has since become a movement. Since 2019, Female Invest has reached more than 90,000 members in over 120 countries—offering tools, educatio...
Apr 17, 2025•33 min•Season 7Ep. 8
In this episode of Humans of Fintech , host Nicole Casperson sits down with Ashley Fox, Founder and CEO of Empify, for a powerful conversation on financial literacy, community empowerment, and what it means to challenge Wall Street’s status quo. Ashley shares how her experiences as a former Wall Street analyst led her to launch Empify—a platform committed to delivering financial education and resources to underserved communities. With a mission to reach the 99% that traditional finance has long ...
Apr 07, 2025•32 min•Season 7Ep. 7
Live from Fintech Meetup, this episode of Humans of Fintech explores the power of storytelling, community-building, and the dynamics of working alongside a partner in the fintech space. Host Nicole Casper is joined by her life and business partner, Anton Briones (Co-Founder and CEO & Creative Director), along with Dan and Sarah Roselli from Rev Tech Labs, a couple who have built a thriving fintech accelerator together. The conversation dives into the unique challenges and advantages of worki...
Mar 31, 2025•26 min•Season 7Ep. 6
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 this year, there’s something even bigger on the horizon. Nicole’s Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit i...
Mar 20, 2025•43 min•Season 7Ep. 5
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 about how her experiences shaped her mission to protect personal data in an increasingly digital worl...
Dec 18, 2024•39 min•Season 7Ep. 4
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 Anthemis and a visionary force in fintech investing. Known for her fearless commitment to inclusive innova...
Nov 27, 2024•40 min•Season 7Ep. 3
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 of their wealth. Expect insights on breaking down barriers, owning your financial story, and why Tor...
Nov 13, 2024•42 min•Season 7Ep. 2
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 gems on leveling up, owning your power, and why the future of finance is female. Get ready to feel insp...
Oct 16, 2024•55 min•Season 7Ep. 1
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 explains how Candidly uses AI to go beyond simple debt by helping users achieve financial wellness. On track ...
Dec 21, 2023•41 min•Season 7Ep. 6
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 communities better, reflecting on her own upbringing and how it shaped her mindset towards money. 00:...
Nov 08, 2023•36 min
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, something needs to change. These inspiring women share their experiences and insights on how to break th...
Nov 01, 2023•42 min
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 also shares her personal journey with fintech and the importance of authenticity and diversity in the f...
Oct 25, 2023•36 min
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 Cristina to Plaid. Then, they pivot into dissecting how regulation makes banking as a service fundamentally...
Oct 18, 2023•33 min
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 and her goal of having half of all poker players be women. They also explore the role of women in decisi...
Oct 11, 2023•46 min
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, with Zach giving a behind-the-scenes look at content curation. Plus, why does Zach feel people in fint...
Sep 27, 2023•44 min
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 automatically trigger an emotional response. By creating a safe space where people can feel safe to d...
Sep 13, 2023•45 min
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 India. Plus, Ahon and Nicole discuss the challenges niche embedded finance companies face in creating a ...
Aug 30, 2023•49 min
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 is ensuring that women have an equal seat at the table, from the C-Suite down and how the $250 billion...
Aug 16, 2023•21 min•Season 6Ep. 3
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 and Nicole chat about the current state of wealth management for couples and how, with over 65% of mill...
Aug 02, 2023•32 min•Season 6Ep. 2
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 with Scarlett and Tracey about why having a psychological safety net at work helps companies to take ...
Jul 19, 2023•40 min•Season 6Ep. 1
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 positions within the B2C community? Plus, find out how Public is aiming to make investing more accessibl...
Jun 21, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 20
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 workplace, and she’s breaking them down live. Then, stay tuned for a round of audience-fielded questions...
Jun 07, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 19
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 none. He explains how we can use those behavioral decisions to help people spend money in ways that wil...
May 24, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 18
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 drive impact and value internally and externally. Want to know how to make DEIB part of your organizati...
May 23, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 20
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 been like in the fintech space, including why the culture of internalization has made it difficult for Asian A...
May 10, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 17
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 shares why you should double down on telling your brand’s story through consistent messaging and explain...
Apr 26, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 16
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 achieve financial stability. Plus, Nicole and Liza chat about the importance of representation in the F...
Apr 12, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 15
