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Miguel Armaza is sits down with Nima Ghamsari, CEO and Co-Founder of Blend, a company transforming the $40+ trillion consumer lending industry, by delivering speed and efficiency to mortgage lenders to navigate a complex industry. Blend is a newly minted unicorn that has raised almost $400 million in equity from some of the top VCs in the industry, including Canapi Ventures. Temasek, General Atlantic, 8VC, Greylock, Peter Thiel, and many more! Prior to Blend, Nima was an early employee at Palantir Technologies, where he co-founded its commercial group focused on major data challenges for the financial sector. Nima is also a former semi-professional Poker player and talked to us about some of the parallels between entrepreneurship and the game of Poker. Nima Ghamsari Nima Ghamsari is the CEO and co-founder of Blend, a Silicon Valley technology company transforming the $40+ trillion consumer lending industry. Blend’s cloud-based technology, for mortgages and consumer banking, delivers speed and efficiency to lenders so they can serve the modern borrower and safely navigate the industry’s changing rules and regulations. Prior to Blend, Nima was an early employee at Palantir Technologies, where he co-founded its commercial group solving major data challenges for the financial sector. After the 2008 financial crisis, Nima worked directly with major banks and agencies to develop and implement software enabling underwater borrowers to avoid foreclosures while saving financial institutions billions of dollars. About Blend Blend helps lenders streamline the customer journey for any banking product from application to close. Its Digital Lending Platform is used by Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, and over 250 other leading financial institutions to acquire more customers, increase productivity, and deepen customer relationships. The company enables customers to process more than $3.5 billion in mortgages and consumer loans per day, helping millions of consumers get into homes and gain access to the capital they need to lead better lives. To learn more, visit blend.com.
Miguel Armaza interviews Brian Barnes, Founder and CEO of M1 Finance, a money management platform that combines investing, borrowing, and banking into a single app. Brian launched M1 in 2015 after he felt frustrated with the tools available to manage his own money and has since grown the company into a platform that manages more than $2 billion dollars on behalf of 200k users with 75 employees. M1 has also raised over $55 million dollars in equity from backers including Clocktower Technology Ventures, Left Lane Capital, Chicago Ventures, and many more. Brian Barnes Brian Barnes is the Founder and CEO of M1 Finance. He started M1 in mid-2015 after frustrations with the tools available to manage his own money and has grown the company from an idea to a platform that manages more than $2B. Prior to M1, Brian worked as an equity researcher at a hedge fund and as a management consultant. He has a BA in Economics from Stanford University. M1 Finance M1 Finance is a money management platform the combines the best of investing, borrowing, and banking into one easy to use app. With M1, users can automatically invest in a customizable portfolio for free, borrow against your portfolio for rates as low as 2%, and use M1 as your primary bank with an industry leading 1% APY and 1% cash back on debit card purchases. M1 manages more than $2B on behalf of 200,000 users. The company is headquartered in Chicago and has 75 employees.
Tomi Davies. A systems Analyst turned Tech Strategy Advisor, Public Speaker and Angel Investor, Tomi Davies is Collaborator-in-Chief at TechnoVision, co-founder of the Lagos Angel Network and President of the African Business Angel Network. He has been described by Techcrunch as Africa’s Top Angel investor. As a thought leader with increasing knowledge gained from nurturing entrepreneurs in a growing portfolio of tech-enabled early-stage business ventures originating from Africa, Tomi’s personal mission is “to help drive Africa’s development by supporting young entrepreneurs using innovation and technology to create social impact and economic value.”
We hear a lot about ESG investing, Catholicism-based investing, and more in the wealth & asset management world. But what about Earth’s 2 billion Muslims? In a religion that disallows interest and has plenty of restrictions (alcohol, etc.), finding shariah-compliant investments is not easy. Enter Wahed, a halal investment platform for everyday Muslims. We sat down with Kareem Tabbaa, Chief Product Officer of Wahed to learn more about this product and their $25M fundraise from Saudi Aramco. Wahed allows everyday Muslims to build wealth by investing in companies in compliance with their faith. Wahed’s portfolios include a combination of Wahed-made ETFs, Gold, Cash, and Sukuks, which are a shariah-compliant instrument similar to debt that pays revenue share instead of interest. In today’s episode, Kareem discusses: - His background - The unexpected role Apple played in starting Wahed - What their investment portfolios look like - Their first customers and initial growth strategy - The massive, underserved Muslim market - And much more Kareem joined Wahed in 2017 as Chief Growth Officer and moved to Chief Product Officer in 2018. Before Wahed, Kareem worked in London and his home country of Jordan at companies such as HeadStart Advisers, Diversified Retail Trading, and Goldman Sachs. Kareem graduated from London’s Cass Business School with 1st-Class Honors where he wrote his dissertation on the effect of sovereign credit rating changes on the local stock markets in the MENA region. For more insights and analysis from FinTech leaders, follow us below: Medium: https://medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: https://twitter.com/whartonfintech Ryan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/RyanZauk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wharton-fintech-club/
Miguel Armaza sits down with Bo Brustkern, Co-Founder & CEO of LendIt Fintech, one of the world’s leading fintech events and media companies. In this episode, we talk about Bo’s career, LendIt’s journey, and his take on some of the most interesting fintech trends out there. Bo also talked about LendIt USA 2020, their upcoming online conference scheduled for September 29 - October 1. This year’s agenda will be their best on yet, featuring 4,000+ attendees, 1,500+ companies, and 230+ speakers from 50+ countries. For Wharton Fintech listeners interested in attending, LendIt has offered a 15% discount using the promo code WHARTON15%. Wharton Fintech will then donate the proceeds of our commission to First Generation Investors, a non-profit that teaches high school students in underserved communities the power of investing. Bo Brustkern For over 20 years, Bo Brustkern has set himself apart as a leader in understanding, funding and leading cutting-edge developments in fintech and financial services. In addition to co-founding and leading LendIt Fintech, Mr. Brustkern co-founded Arcstone Valuation (2006), Arcstone Equity Research (2010) and NSR Invest (2013). Previously, he was a venture capitalist at Rustic Canyon Partners in Silicon Valley; and a private equity investor at BACE Industries in Denver, Colorado. Mr. Brustkern earned his MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA, with distinction as a Deutschman Venture Fellow, in 2001; and his BA from Dartmouth College in 1995.
Miguel Armaza sits down with David Poritz, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Credijusto, a company focused on lending to the underserved and rapidly growing small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market in Mexico. The company aims to provide products that are superior in price, speed of delivery, and quality of customer experience. Credijusto uses a combination of cutting-edge software design, innovative applications of data science, and advanced internal processes for decision making and product structuring. Credijusto is backed by a world-class group of institutional investors, including Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Victory Park Capital, QED Investors, Point72 Ventures, Kaszek Ventures, Thomvest Ventures, Broadhaven Ventures, Ignia, Elevar Equity, and John J. Mack. David Poritz David Poritz, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Credijusto, is responsible for leading the finance and legal departments as well as all investor outreach and engagement, including relationships with banks, credit funds and equity investors. Prior to Credijusto, he was the Co-Founder & President of Equitable Origin, an organization focused on standards development and certification of responsible energy development. David was a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford and holds an undergraduate degree from Brown University where he was a Harry S. Truman Scholar. About Credijusto Founded in 2015, Credijusto is a financial technology company focused on lending to the underserved and rapidly growing small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market in Mexico — via products that are superior in price, speed of delivery and quality of customer experience. The company uses a combination of cutting-edge software design, innovative applications of data science and advanced internal processes for decision making and product structuring.
In our latest episode of the Wharton Fintech podcast, Anchit Gupta (WG’21) is joined by Kenon Chen, Head of Corporate Strategy at Clear Capital, a leading real estate valuation, analytics and platform technology solutions company. Clear Capital is the largest independently-held real estate analytics firm in the US, having 47 of the top 50 US lenders (banks) as customers. As the Head of Corporate Strategy, Kenon Chen sits at the intersection of the executive, product, marketing, and sales teams, guiding growth and ensuring the delivery of consistent and long-term value to customers and partners. Kenon has developed and launched some of their most forward-looking solutions, including ClearProp and ClearCollateral. After honing his engineering and tech leadership skills in San Francisco as a director of technology for Roundpeg, Kenon was introduced to the mortgage industry in the early 2000s leading tech projects for a large lender. In this interview, Kenon shares: - His educational background and journey before joining Clear Capital - The history of Clear Capital and its launch - Clear Capital’s customer base and competitive landscape - The challenges of working in the dynamic real estate industry - Their new remote inspection tool for property valuation during COVID-19 - The impact of technology in revolutionizing the real estate industry - The firm’s expansion plans beyond the US and the change in the firm’s strategy due to the pandemic - Kenon’s opinion on the future of real estate industry Enjoy the show.
In this episode, Miguel Armaza sits down with Daniel M. Green, Partner and Co-head of Gunderson Dettmer’s Latin America practice group, an international elite law firm focused on startups and venture capital. Dan’s focus is Latin America and Europe, where he represents companies as well as U.S. and international investors pursuing business opportunities in those regions. His practice encompasses all areas of corporate and securities law, including company formation and financing, public offerings, debt transactions, corporate governance and investor-side financings. Recent transactions handled by Dan include Uber’s Cornershop acquisition, recent financings by Clip, Konfio, Credijusto, and Valar Ventures’ investments in TransferWise, N26, and many more. Dan holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor from Stanford University.
Miguel Armaza sits down with Alexis Pantazis and Emilios Markou, Co-Founders of Hellas Direct, a digital-first, full-stack insurance company located in Greece. Modeling itself on Amazon, Hellas Direct aims to disrupt the insurance value chain by adopting an extreme focus on operational excellence and data analytics. Hellas Direct was recently listed by the Financial Times as one of Europe’s 1,000 Fastest Growing Companies. The company is backed by a roster of leading investors, including Portag3, the IFC from the World Bank, Endeavor Catalyst, and a number of world-renowned angel investors. Alexis Pantazis Alexis Pantazis is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Hellas Direct. Prior to Hellas Direct, he was an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs where he led principal investing and new strategic initiatives for the firm in the European investment management field. A former strategy consultant with the Boston Consulting Group, he also worked for Miramax Films in New York and the Competition Directorate General of the European Commission in Brussels. Alexis is a Fulbright and British Chevening Scholar, a Robert & Diane Levy Fellow and an Endeavor Global Entrepreneur. Emilios Markou Emilios Markou is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Hellas Direct. Prior to Hellas Direct, he was a Director in the European Financial Institutions Structuring team at Barclays Capital. Before that, he was an Executive Director at the Goldman Sachs Investment Banking Division where he led a number of projects within the firm's European insurance practice. A former strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company, Emilios advised a number of European, US and Asian clients on numerous strategic issues in insurance, banking, energy and transportation. Emilios is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (FIA) in the United Kingdom and an Endeavor Global Entrepreneur. Hellas Direct profile Hellas Direct is a digital-first, full-stack insurance company, empowered by cutting-edge technology and the use of advanced analytics. The company is backed by a roster of leading investors, including Portag3, IFC (a member of the World Bank), Endeavor Catalyst, former Goldman Sachs economist Lord O’Neill and private equity veteran Jon Moulton. Modelling itself on Amazon, Hellas Direct aims to disrupt the insurance value chain by adopting an extreme focus on operational excellence. Hellas Direct was recently listed by the Financial Times as one of Europe’s 1,000 Fastest Growing Companies.
Miguel Armaza sits down with Crystal Williams, Chief Human Resources Officer for FLEETCOR (NYSE: FLT), a leading payments company that aims to simplify the way businesses manage and pay their expenses by allowing them to automate, secure, digitize, and control payments on behalf of their employees and suppliers. FLEETCOR operates around the world and is listed on the NYSE with a current market cap of $20 billion. Crystal leads human capital across multiple business units and geographies and serves as strategic advisor to the Chairman and CEO. She is also an MBA graduate from the Wharton School. Crystal Williams Crystal Williams is the Chief Human Resources Officer for FLEETCOR, a leading global payments company. Williams leads human capital across multiple business units and geographies and serves as strategic advisor to the Chairman and CEO. She applies deep-rooted experience to establish widespread success in her key roles in mergers and acquisitions, talent management, and organizational development. During her 17-year tenure, Williams navigated the cultural transition around FLEETCOR’s IPO, grew the workforce from a few hundred to more than 8,000 employees, instituted numerous successful leadership development programs and leads a 129-person HR department with team members spanning 9 countries. Her strategic and dynamic approach to HR and leadership has earned recognition from the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Women Worth Watching and the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. Williams received an MBA in strategic management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. About FLEETCOR: FLEETCOR Technologies (NYSE: FLT) is a leading global business payments company that simplifies the way businesses manage and pay their expenses. The FLEETCOR portfolio of brands helps companies automate, secure, digitize, and control payments on behalf of their employees and suppliers. FLEETCOR serves businesses, partners, and merchants in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.FLEETCOR.com.
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