It’s Women’s History Month, and while we’d all love to get to the point where there’s no need to shine a little extra light on the incredible contributions of women, we aren’t there yet. Some industries, like finance and tech, have long been considered male-dominated “boys clubs,” despite hefty contributions from women. FinTech — the growing industry that’s improving and automating the delivery and use of financial services — is one area where women have made an enormous impact.
As we celebrate this month together, let’s look to a few leaders who have made headlines for their innovation and leadership — hopefully they will inspire you to forge your own unique path, no matter your career field. This is just a small glimpse into the dynamic world of women in fintech.
1. Flori Marquez: Queen of Mainstreaming Blockchain
Flori Marquez’s career working with alternative currencies skyrocketed when she co-founded BlockFi in her mid-20’s in 2017. BlockFi brings institutional banking products to the crypto market. It provides credit services to unique markets that cannot normally access even the most simple of banking products. Flori was inspired to bring banking to underserved populations due to her own parents’ experience leaving an economically-insecure Argentina in the 1980’s. Before founding her company, she sharpened her skillset managing alternative lending products, institutional relationships and portfolios at several advisory firms.
2. Amanda Spann: The Facilitator
Amanda Spann is a fintech and entrepreneurial powerhouse. She’s a serial entrepreneur, strategist and consultant, and her current project, The App Accelerator, helps non-tech oriented entrepreneurs make their mobile mark by simplifying the process of building their own mobile and web applications. Amanda uses her unique insight into the kind of support entrepreneurs need to incubate their companies, and helps them tackle pressing issues like diversity and inclusivity.
3. Jen Yip: Genius Solutions for Your Everyday Finance Needs
Jen Yip, founder of Lunchmoney, is the definition of a Jill-of-all-trades — and of a prime woman in fintech. Her idea to launch Lunchmoney, a solution-oriented SaaS personal finance platform, came from where all great ideas do: need. When Jen and her husband decided to work abroad, they developed a careful spreadsheet-based budget system which quickly grew into a sophisticated personal finance and goals tracker. They shared this system with a few family members, and quickly discovered they’d begun using this system to manage their own household finances. Boom. Lunchmoney was born. Yip further customized Lunchmoney to offer multi-currency support, a separate tab for recurring expenses, and habit improvement tools.
4. Devie Mohan: The Secret Weapon
To succeed in fintech, one must understand fintech — and nobody can tell you that better than Devie Mohan. Devie is a fintech marketing strategist and research professional. Mohan works mostly as a behind-the-scenes force, constructing market, fintech and investment strategies for finance and tech companies. She provides both workshop programs and advisory services. Devie lends her voice and perspective in the media and academic world as a speaker, contributor, panelist and more. She specializes in sectors like cashless societies and the fintech ecosystem.
5. Abigail Johnson: Tradition Meets Innovation
We can’t talk about women leading the charge in finance without mentioning Abby Johnson, CEO of Fidelity Investments. She’s in a class by herself as an innovator at one of the country’s largest and most respected financial firms.
In a public appearance at the 2020 CoinDesk Consensus conference, Abby discussed the future of alternative currencies like Bitcoin and their place in the more traditional financial space, deeming her a leading woman in the fintech world. She’s positioned Fidelity Investments to be a leader not only in fintech, but also in the broader cryptocurrency world as it continues to take form in the coming decades.
Listen to Jean Chatzky’s interview with Abby on the HerMoney Podcast: Abby Johnson, Chairman and CEO of Fidelity Investments On Career Growth, Female Investors, Risk Tolerance And More.
Looking Ahead: Women in FinTech
The success of the hardworking women above proves that determination, resilience and talent will continue to propel all women forward. To find out more, check out Benzinga’s Women in FinTech resources.
READ MORE:
- 9 Things To Talk To Young Women About To Cultivate Financial Empowerment
- HerMoney Podcast: Making Empowered Choices With Cheryl Einhorn
- What Is It About ‘Female Only’ Spaces That Make Us Feel Empowered?
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