Women make up just 37% of fintech employees, according to the LendIt Fintech 2018 Women in Fintech survey. And the farther you climb up the corporate ladder, the fewer women you’ll see.
A 2021 diversity growth report from Findexable further found that women account for only 19% of executives in fintech companies, 11% of board members and 1.5% of fintech founders.
Interviews:
Laura Adams interviews Tori Dunlap, CEO, and Founder of Her First $100k. Tori is an internationally-recognized money and career expert and host of the Financial Feminist podcast.
She’s also the author of the upcoming book “Financial Feminist” from Harper Collins.
After saving $100,000 at age 25, Tori quit her corporate job in marketing and founded Her First $100K to fight financial inequality by giving women actionable resources to better their money. She’s helped over three million women negotiate salaries, pay off debt, build savings, and invest.
Before becoming a full-time entrepreneur, Tori led organic marketing strategy for Fortune 500 companies—with clients like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Nike, the NFL, and the Academy Awards—and global financial technology start-ups. For almost five years, she specialized in social media, SEO, content, and influencer marketing to grow communities and increase awareness.
Tori now travels the world writing, speaking, and coaching about personal finance, online businesses, side hustles, and confidence for women. Her unique take on money advice has made her the go-to voice for ambitious millennial women. CNBC called Tori “the voice of financial confidence for women,” while TIME said, “Tori Dunlap is on top of the personal finance world.”
Named Adweek’s “Finance Creator of the Year,” Tori’s work has been featured on Good Morning America, the Today Show, the New York Times, TIME, PEOPLE, New York Magazine, Forbes, BuzzFeed, CNN, CNBC, and more.
In this interview, Tori and Laura discuss:
And much more!
Laura Adams interviews Lule Demmissie, CEO of eToro US. Lule joined eToro in September 2021 and oversees many departments and initiatives, including operations, marketing, thought leadership, corporate governance, compliance, regulatory affairs, and risk management.
As a finance and tech veteran, Lule’s prior roles include President of Ally Invest, where she led product and services, and Managing Director of Investment Products & Digital Guidance at TD Ameritrade, where she launched services and tools for retail investors. Lule also worked for Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, and Merrill Lynch as a product manager, product developer, and financial advisor.
Lule earned a BA in Economics from Smith College, an MBA from Columbia Business School, and a CIMA designation from the Investments & Wealth Institute (formerly IMCA) and holds the 7, 66, and 24 securities licenses.
In this interview, Lule and Laura discuss:
And much more!
In this interview, Jacqueline O’Neill, vice president and head of product at Web3 creator platform Blockparty, drops insights galore about NFT technology and women’s roles in the emerging NFT and crypto space. Far from a blockchain newbie, O’Neill has been involved in the crypto industry since 2016, and she launched her career as a professional artist years prior to that. Today, her passion is empowering and teaching artists to both build on the blockchain and build an audience.
O’Neill provides reflective and nuanced responses to such thought-provoking questions as:
O’Neill’s thoughts and perspective demonstrate her position as a luminary in the space. We couldn’t be happier to play a small role in helping to spread her message.
Laura Adams interviews Nicky Senyard, CEO and Founder of Fintel Connect, a growing female-led company disrupting the Fintech performance marketing niche.
Fintel works with various financial institutions and Fintech companies to help scale their growth by connecting them with influencers, publishers, and affiliates. Nicky leads Fintel’s strategy, including innovation, partnerships, and market growth.
In this interview, Nicky and Laura discuss:
And much more!
Laura Adams interviews Saira Rahman, VP of New Investor Initiatives at Fundrise. Saira is a fintech leader with experience in strategy, payments, forecasting, financial reporting, and portfolio management. Financial IT named her a groundbreaker and one of the “30 Women Leaders Shaping the Fintech Sphere in 2022.”
Saira is also a co-host of the weekly podcast Girls Just Wanna Have Funds, where she deconstructs the intimidating world of finance for listeners.
In this interview, Saira and Laura discuss:
And much more!
Laura Adams interviews Circle, about her career and tips for success. She’s an MBA with 25 years of experience helping cutting-edge brands innovate, including Meta and Google.
Sherice has served on several corporate and nonprofit boards, such as Allbirds, Advance Auto Parts, The Colorwave, the Executive Leadership Council, and Breakthrough Silicon Valley. Her work has been recognized by the National Diversity Council, Black Enterprise Magazine, Crain’s Business, and more.
In this interview, Sherice and Laura discuss:
And much more!
While fintech is changing the business models of finance and technology companies, it hasn’t disrupted the gender disparity. That’s not to say the industry won’t or isn’t trying.
The UK treasury commissions the Kalifa Review that examines gender diversity in fintech. Global professional services organization EY and Innovate Finance used the review’s findings to produce its own report, Changing the Face of UK FinTech: Focusing on Gender Diversity and Equality, which laid out four priority areas to close the gender gap:
A broader adoption of financial products and services will also affect diversity within fintech companies. In the US, men are almost twice as likely as women to have a digital-only bank account, with 10% using a neobank compared to 6% of women. It’s a similar story in the cryptocurrency world, with women making up just 26% of those who own crypto in America.
It’s hard to picture a world where fintech isn’t the future. From socializing to work, nearly every facet of our lives is so intertwined with technology that it’s only natural for our finances to get tied to it. Fintech also allows for broader access to financial technology.
Consider the pandemic: Many people in their homes with little to no interest or background in finance brought rise to memestocks and crypto coins. While it may not have resulted in a 100% positive effect, it’s one example of how democratizing tech has significantly affected finance.
Blockchain, AI, cloud computing and the Internet of Things are driving changes in how consumers purchase products and manage money. While traditional services companies may consider fintech a disruptor, those adopting new technologies, offering innovative services and reaching new customers are bound to be more competitive and successful now and in the future.
Richard Laycock, Insights editor and senior content marketing manager
