Julia Arnold

Senior Director, Gender and Financial Inclusion, Center for Financial Inclusion

As the Senior Director, Gender and Financial Inclusion at the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion International, Julia leads research and helps frame discussions within CFI as well as within the inclusive finance industry, and supports the overall management of CFI in collaboration with other senior leads at CFI. She leads a diverse research team that builds on and defines new areas of knowledge and evidence, including financial capability, digital literacy, and social norms and financial inclusion.

Before joining CFI, Julia was a Financial Inclusion and Livelihood Specialist at the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). In this role she designed, led and supported research evaluations on women’s economic empowerment. Prior to this, she was a Financial Inclusion Consultant working with a diverse range of clients such as MetLife Foundation, where she provided financial inclusion expertise for planning and execution of the Global Inclusion Plus Summit in New York, CGAP, the World Bank, CFI, and others.

Julia holds a Master’s degree in International Development from American University in Washington, DC.

Monica Eaton-Cardone

Co-Founder & COO, Chargebacks911 & Fi911

Monica has worked for over a decade to educate merchants and financial institutions about hidden threats in the rapidly changing payment fraud landscape. Leading Chargebacks911, she established Europe’s first chargeback remediation specialist to tackle the GBP 100 billion chargeback fraud problem.

Monica is passionate about the need to educate merchants and financial institutions on risks that will only get worse if left unaddressed. She was one of the earliest and most vocal voices to warn of the hidden risks of friendly fraud, including how evolving consumer behavior has caused a perpetual cycle of rising fraudulent actions.

Denise Gee

Co-founder & MD, findexable

Denise co-founded findexable in 2019, a data analytics start-up which has launched the world’s first real-time fintech benchmark aiming to make it easier for buyers of innovation to invest or buy technology in every corner of the world, and to provide visibility to fintech companies previously overlooked.

She is leading the Fintech Diversity Radar – an initiative to drive diversity in fintech.She is also co-founder and managing director of MagnaCarta Communications, a fintech consultancy and research house, and Director of Fintech Mundi, a global fintech accelerator.

Before establishing her own business, she held executive positions as Global Transformation Lead at BP and served as Head of Corporate Communications for Visa’s CEMEA (Central Europe, Middle East and Africa) region.

“I have spent my entire career in male-dominated environments in television news, defence, oil, payments and fintech. It is in fintech where I know we can finally make a difference – borne from a desire to level the playing field by using digital innovation to create cheaper, more transparent and accessible financial services for all.”

Anne Lochoff

Former Senior Advisor, UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development

Anne is one of 9 Women rated as the Top Global Influencers of Tech Innovation in Cities featured in Inc.com in 2016.

She was previously an advisor to the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation, and Sustainable Development and has consulted as a strategic business advisor to the Executive Director of the World Vision hosted Asia P3 Hub based in Singapore.

She is also the former chair and business advisor at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Beachheads network – South East Asia.

As a former Executive Director at McCann Erickson she was part of the global team managing the MasterCard account for APMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa).

“The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on how digital financial inclusion can be harnessed to respond to the crisis. I believe we have an opportunity to build a fairer post Covid-19 economy. To support policy makers, governments, and organisations in their decision-making going forward, we need real-time data on women in fintech to understand their impact and contribution to the global digital economy.”

Betsy Ludwig

Executive Director Women‘s Entrepreneurship, Northeastern University

Betsy has over 25 years of international experience as an executive, investor and management consultant in start-ups and large multinationals. Her core area of expertise is launching innovative products with operational excellence in a rapidly changing, global landscape.

Her passions are innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship which she now develops and implements in an academic setting with a particular focus on gender diversity. Betsy holds a BA in Economics from Trinity College and an MBA from INSEAD.

Audrey Mothupi

CEO, SystemicLogic Group

“What gets measured gets done. Fintech Diversity Radar is about ensuring Women in Tech is not just an ongoing call to action , but a reality, in inclusivity lies the secret to success and that’s why FinTech Diversity Radar is a necessity.”

Rebecca Ruf

Executive Vice President, Programs, Financial Alliance for Women

Rebecca is responsible for leading peer learning and knowledge programs for the Financial Alliance for Women, a global consortium of financial institutions that focus on building women’s wealth worldwide. She is also in charge of designing and managing the Alliance’s gender data analytics initiatives. Ms. Ruf has over 15 years of experience in international finance, having worked previously for Women’s World Banking, the world’s largest network of microfinance institutions, where she specialized in gender-focused analytics, developing WWB’s first gender performance metrics and leading work on performance standards for the network.

She also worked at WWB’s Capital Markets Group, focusing on brokering and advisory and investor readiness activities. Prior to that she worked at Starwood Hotels & Resorts managing international hospitality investments globally.

She has a Masters degree in International Development and International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in Hospitality Administration from Cornell University. Rebecca currently serves on the Board of Runa Foundation, a non-profit that is focused on creating sustainable livelihoods for the people of the Amazon through product innovation. She is an Ecuadorian and British citizen.

“Fintechs are uniquely positioned to solve for many of the pain points that women experience in financial services. The Fintech Diversity Radar is a critical first step in understanding where the fintech industry is in tapping into this huge opportunity.”

Angela Yore

MD & Founder, Sky Parlour

Angela is an entrepreneur, PR leader and an influencer in the Fintech sector. Since co-founding SkyParlour in 2009, she has raised the profile of 100s of brands from dynamic start-ups to market leaders in the fintech, mobile, technology and ecommerce sectors.

Angela sits on various Advisory Boards including the Emerging Payments Association, Fintech Connect and the European Women Payments Network. She is the Chair of The Inclusion Foundation Executive Committee and a Governor of Wilmslow High School. She believes passionately in citizenship, the power of communities coming together and striving to make the world a better place.

Angela loves being an international speaker and presenter with previous engagements at world class events including Money2020, Finnovate, Fintech Connect, Internet Retailing and Pay360.

She is a Chartered Marketer from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

“Entitlement no longer matters. What matters is your ability to triumph. The findexable Diversity Radar will allow us to put a mirror up to the biases in the Fintech sector, and with the power of the data, we will change the pendulum to one of equality for all. Too little too late is no longer an option.”

Xiaochen Zhang

President, Fintech4Good

Xiaochen is a senior innovative finance, investment, and technology executive with an extensive track record of investing in disruptive technologies and driving the success of sustainable businesses across the globe. Listed as one of the Top 100 Blockchain Influencers by Lattice80, Xiaochen leads the design and implementation of FinTech4Goods’s strategy to introduce the most disruptive technological innovations in frontier markets.

FinTech4Good was awarded the Best FinTech Impact Investing Network 2019 and 2020 by Wealth & Finance International. As a trusted figure in the digital economy and blockchain, he addressed 100+ high-level international forums as a keynote speaker and produced three blockchain and Fintech shows with 500K+ followers. He worked with many portfolio companies in launching new offers, entering into new markets and building transformative collaborative initiatives with the most reputable organizations from all over the world.

He serves as an trusted advisor for many international platforms such as UN ESCAP Sustainable Business Network (ESBN) Executive Council, World Digital Economy Council, Inter-America Development Bank, Astana International Finance Center, Israeli Blockchain Association, Crowdfunding Professional Association and FedTech. In the past 18 years, Xiaochen has built strong collaborations with government agencies, multinational organizations, and financial institutions through work with the World Bank, United Nations and many other international platforms.

“It is our mission to empower women through fintech and blockchain innovations and make the SDG5 a reality. With the fintech Diversity Radar, fintech companies will be able to learn from the best, compare their own performance against other companies and identify missing opportunities to gain long term competitiveness. This work has a potential to make a great impact to the fintech industry. We are very proud to be part of this great initiative.”

Alessandra Zorzato

CMO, findexable

Alessandra’s experience in events, marketing and communications spans 20 years, 5 continents and many industry sectors. She has worked with some of the biggest global brands in the private and public sectors including The Economist, the UN, the WEF, numerous governments, and world-renowned museums and universities.

“In order to be successful, businesses must be diverse and inclusive – ‘could’ or ‘should’ is no longer an option.”

Angela Christine Lyons

Chair of the Data Task Force
Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics. Director, Center for Economic and Financial Education, University of Illinois

Dr. Angela Lyons is a Professor and Director for the Center for Economic and Financial Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the United States. She holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Texas at Austin and is widely recognized as an international expert in household finance and behavioral economics. Her work focuses on emerging issues related to economic and financial inclusion, financial and digital literacy, fintech, poverty and inequality, and the economic empowerment and protection of vulnerable populations.

To date, Dr. Lyons has assisted over 40 countries in designing practical and sustainable models to improve the economic and financial resilience of communities worldwide. She is currently a member of the T20 (or Think20), which is the research and policy advice network of the G20.

The T20 provides policy recommendations to assist the G20 Leaders in addressing pressing global challenges and creating more inclusive, resilient societies around three main pillars – people, planet, and prosperity. She has served now on the T20 under three G20 Presidencies (Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Italy), where she has made concrete recommendations on the future of work and education in the digital age, as well as how to leverage the digital transition to promote the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She is presently working, in partnership with key humanitarian organizations (UNHCR, WFP, and UNICEF), to examine the economic vulnerabilities and challenges facing Syrian refugees in Lebanon to better inform strategies needed to support and enhance their livelihoods and resiliency.

She also serves as a member of Findexable’s Data Governance Council for the Global Fintech Index (GFI) and the Chair for the Data Taskforce for the Fintech Diversity Radar.

Anette Broløs

Independent FinTech analyst and facilitator

Dr Anette Broløs is an independent FinTech analyst and experienced network leader working with strategic innovation and partnerships.  Anette holds an industrial PhD in collaborative innovation and has a background in economics (master and e-mba).

Anette has extensive work experience in finance including six years as CEO in Copenhagen FinTech Innovation and Research. Together with Dr. Erin B. Taylor, she is an EWPN Research Lead and the author of  Female Finance: Digital, Mobile, Networked 2020.

“Financial services are undergoing a major transformation building new infrastructures, new ways of working with customers and new business models. This is a great chance to change the ecosystems to build inclusive and diverse communities. The basis for this is knowledge and measurement standards, so of course I could not resist being part of the Fintech Diversity Radar project.”

Karen Campbell

Associate Director, Consulting, IHS Markit

Karen Campbell is an Associate Director on the Economics & Country Risk team at IHS Markit.

She brings expertise in scenario analysis and strategic decision making particularly for building economic resilience. She also has extensive experience working with companies on data driven thought leadership initiatives. Her projects include analyzing impacts of tax policies, assessing the impact of new technologies such as 5G, analyzing the economic resilience of cities, developing indices to benchmark and track the future readiness of cities, developing metrics to assess corporate data literacy, working with companies to assess their economic contribution to countries and states.

Her project work often involves bringing together many different stakeholders both internal and external to develop the optimal solutions for her clients. Prior to joining IHS Markit, Karen was a Senior Economist at the World Economic Forum for their Risk Response Network team and a Senior Research Fellow at Wharton’s Risk Management and Decision Process Center. She was also a member on the Zurich Alliance Measuring Flood Resilience Working Group.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Houghton College, and a MA and Ph.D. in economics from Temple University. Her research has been published in The Journal of International Trade and Economics, Journal of Business Ethics, Development Policy Review, Natural Hazards & Earth System Sciences as well as in books and citied in the press.

“Finance is the lubricant of the economy and Technology is the jet fuel – together they have enormous potential to help many more people realize their economic opportunities and create a more inclusive economy. However, to do so requires awareness on the part of fintech companies about the needs and opportunities – especially those of women who are increasingly scaling businesses, investing in companies, increasing their buying power and growing their local economies.”

Julia Arnold

Senior Director, Gender and Financial Inclusion, Center for Financial Inclusion

As the Senior Director, Gender and Financial Inclusion at the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion International, Julia leads research and helps frame discussions within CFI as well as within the inclusive finance industry, and supports the overall management of CFI in collaboration with other senior leads at CFI. She leads a diverse research team that builds on and defines new areas of knowledge and evidence, including financial capability, digital literacy, and social norms and financial inclusion.

Before joining CFI, Julia was a Financial Inclusion and Livelihood Specialist at the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). In this role she designed, led and supported research evaluations on women’s economic empowerment. Prior to this, she was a Financial Inclusion Consultant working with a diverse range of clients such as MetLife Foundation, where she provided financial inclusion expertise for planning and execution of the Global Inclusion Plus Summit in New York, CGAP, the World Bank, CFI, and others.

Julia holds a Master’s degree in International Development from American University in Washington, DC.

Rebecca Ruf

Executive Vice President, Programs, Financial Alliance for Women

Rebecca is responsible for leading peer learning and knowledge programs for the Financial Alliance for Women, a global consortium of financial institutions that focus on building women’s wealth worldwide. She is also in charge of designing and managing the Alliance’s gender data analytics initiatives. Ms. Ruf has over 15 years of experience in international finance, having worked previously for Women’s World Banking, the world’s largest network of microfinance institutions, where she specialized in gender-focused analytics, developing WWB’s first gender performance metrics and leading work on performance standards for the network.

She also worked at WWB’s Capital Markets Group, focusing on brokering and advisory and investor readiness activities. Prior to that she worked at Starwood Hotels & Resorts managing international hospitality investments globally.

She has a Masters degree in International Development and International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in Hospitality Administration from Cornell University. Rebecca currently serves on the Board of Runa Foundation, a non-profit that is focused on creating sustainable livelihoods for the people of the Amazon through product innovation. She is an Ecuadorian and British citizen.

“Fintechs are uniquely positioned to solve for many of the pain points that women experience in financial services. The Fintech Diversity Radar is a critical first step in understanding where the fintech industry is in tapping into this huge opportunity.”

Erin Taylor

Founder & Principal Consultant, Canela Consulting

Dr. Erin B. Taylor is co-founder of Canela Consulting, a research and insights agency specialising in ‘messy human problems’. Erin has a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Sydney, Australia, and specialises in understanding human financial behaviour in all its dimensions, from emotional to sociocultural to technical.

Along with Dr. Anette Broløs, Erin is co-author of the report “Female Finance: Digital, Mobile, Networked” (EWPN/Keen Innovation 2020) and co-leads the EWPN’s research network.

“Women face a dual disadvantage when it comes to their finances: they are less likely to have received financial education than their brothers, and there is a substantial wealth gap between men and women. Fintech has potential to give women a helping hand – but only if services are designed with women’s needs, preferences, and circumstances in mind. To create women-centric services, fintechs need diverse teams to carry out research and service design. But, as we all know, female employment in fintech is very low. By mapping out women’s roles in fintech, the Fintech Diversity Radar promises to show us the true picture of gender diversity in fintech and point to ways in which improvements can be made. It stands to benefit not only women, but society in general.”

Junhao Guo

Data Analyst

Junhao has experience working in the business of education for international study in China. His roles included giving lectures and coordinating interpersonal relationships. He is currently studying for a Master in Applied Statistics at Cornell and enjoys gardening in his spare time.

Samuel Mbugua

Data Analyst

Samuel has experience working in analytics in tech. His roles have included developing data architecture and analysing user engagement data. He is currently studying for a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and is an Early Admit student in the Applied Statistics Master of Professional Studies program at Cornell. He has love for reading and traveling.

Adriana Rojas Campos

Data Analyst

Adriana has experience working in business intelligence solutions for both the education and construction sectors in Mexico. Her roles included performing numerical analysis to aid in decision-making, working with KPIs and evaluating projects. She is currently studying for a Master in Applied Statistics at Cornell and enjoys reading and baking in her spare time.

Anette Broløs

Independent FinTech analyst and facilitator

Dr Anette Broløs is an independent FinTech analyst and experienced network leader working with strategic innovation and partnerships.  Anette holds an industrial PhD in collaborative innovation and has a background in economics (master and e-mba).

Anette has extensive work experience in finance including six years as CEO in Copenhagen FinTech Innovation and Research. Together with Dr. Erin B. Taylor, she is an EWPN Research Lead and the author of  Female Finance: Digital, Mobile, Networked 2020.

“Financial services are undergoing a major transformation building new infrastructures, new ways of working with customers and new business models. This is a great chance to change the ecosystems to build inclusive and diverse communities. The basis for this is knowledge and measurement standards, so of course I could not resist being part of the Fintech Diversity Radar project.”

Chisom Ezeilo

Diversity & Inclusion Analyst, findexable

With proven track records and a deep interest in Fintech research, Chisom has carried out several academic and professional researches across relevant Fintech areas like regulations, diversity and inclusion, financial inclusion, and stock market investing.

Through core modules like Financial & Data Analytics and Entrepreneurship in Fintech Chisom has extensive knowledge on how to stand out within the Fintech industry.

Alexa Fernandez

Independent fintech and innovation advisor

Alexa is an independent fintech and innovation advisor. Prior to that she headed up Innovation Partnerships at BBVA and was Director of Industry Relations at Thought Machine, a core banking fintech company.

Alexa has spearheaded partnerships and relationships with major players
 across the fintech ecosystem: from neobanks and startups to organizations (governmental and non-profits) and established banks.

Alexa received the BBVA Women in FinTech Opportunity Award in 2017, and features on Innovate Finance’s Women in FinTech Powerlist 2016, 2017 & 2018.

Sorcha Mulligan

Founder, The SMEChain. Ambassador SDGs, findexable

Sorcha is Founder of The SMEChain and FinTech & Blockchain Consultant addressing the SME Digital & Equality Divide through driving SDGs over GDP. She supports FinTech & Blockchain Platforms who are seeking to achieve growth through Investment, Joint Venture Partnerships & direct Client Acquisition. Essentially, Sorcha works to match leaders with other leaders who can work together to achieve a combined, aligned objective in their field. EQ with IQ is the winning formula.

“Equality, inclusion & contribution of diversity & diverse opinion is not only a pivotal SDG it is a pivotal cornerstone for progress, equitable prosperity & the foundation of the future we should commit to invest in.”

Sebastiàn Olivera

Founder, Montevideo FinTech Forum & Ambassador Latin America & Iberia, findexable

Sebastián is a Uruguayan CPA with more than 16 years of experience in financial markets in Latin América, Europe, USA & APAC.

He is the founder and first president of the Uruguayan Fintech Chamber, the co- founder and the first vice president of the IberoAmérica Fintech Alliance.

He Is also the founder of the Montevideo Fintech Forum, first fintech forum in Southern Cone and the co-founder of Iberoamerican Women in Fintech Network.

He has more than 8 years of academic experience as a professor of Digital Banking and Fintech, Strategy, Marketing and Management.

“Of the 1.7 billion adults who remain unbanked, 58% are women. Imagine what the socio economic effect would be if we could include all these people. It is not about including people to a consumption system, it is about improving the quality of life and generating economic citizenship. Inclusion and recognition of diversity are not just moral imperatives, they represent a massive business opportunity. Not addressing the gender & diversity gap in terms of founding, products, wages and opportunities is not only lack of vision but mostly lack of education.”

Linda Saye

Founder & CEO, The Diverse Agenda

Linda is an award-winning diversity and inclusion consultant, entrepreneur, and speaker who is passionate about the idea that strength lies in our differences. She is often recognized as a change agent, a thought leader, a strong collaborator, and someone who can influence all levels in an organization – from the C-Suite on down – to make needed changes in the corporate environment and culture. Linda has spent the last 12 years focused on diversity & inclusion initiatives in the financial services and FinTech space and is the Founder & CEO of The Diverse Agenda, a consulting firm focused on helping companies – and especially startups – put D&I best practices in place to impact change.

“I know for sure that fintech is an industry uniquely primed to impact change. Diverse teams are more innovative, more resilient, and more productive. FinTech organizations with more diverse teams hold a competitive advantage and offer products and services that enable financial services that are more inclusive for everyone, including women. It’s a win-win. The FinTech Diversity Radar will shine a light on those getting it right and offer a way to share best practices for those who want to do better. Now is the time to make it happen.”

Erin Taylor

Founder & Principal Consultant, Canela Consulting

Dr. Erin B. Taylor is co-founder of Canela Consulting, a research and insights agency specialising in ‘messy human problems’. Erin has a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Sydney, Australia, and specialises in understanding human financial behaviour in all its dimensions, from emotional to sociocultural to technical.

Along with Dr. Anette Broløs, Erin is co-author of the report “Female Finance: Digital, Mobile, Networked” (EWPN/Keen Innovation 2020) and co-leads the EWPN’s research network.

“Women face a dual disadvantage when it comes to their finances: they are less likely to have received financial education than their brothers, and there is a substantial wealth gap between men and women. Fintech has potential to give women a helping hand – but only if services are designed with women’s needs, preferences, and circumstances in mind. To create women-centric services, fintechs need diverse teams to carry out research and service design. But, as we all know, female employment in fintech is very low. By mapping out women’s roles in fintech, the Fintech Diversity Radar promises to show us the true picture of gender diversity in fintech and point to ways in which improvements can be made. It stands to benefit not only women, but society in general.”

Camilla Bullock

Director General, Emerging Payments Association Asia (EPA-Asia)

Camilla’s passion and skill are to connect people either to each other or to solutions that create value. Camilla is a deal maker at heart. Years of experience have taught her to listen and use a consultative approach. She wants to build lasting relationships and endeavours to offer value and insight at all times.

“If you apply creativity and hard work in your endeavours you can shoot for the stars and you will still land on the moon.”

Denisse Cuellar

Fintechs and Startups Partnership Head, Banco de Crédito BCP

Denisse is leading the Open Innovation arm of BCP, Banco de Crédito del Perú. Graduated with an MBA of Chicago Booth, she worked for international consulting companies and banks. The last four years, she is very active within the Startups and Fintech ecosystem with focus on Latam, participating in several events and supporting the entrepreneurial community. As part of BCP, she is in charge of looking for new partnerships with startups, fintechs, technology companies and universities in order to boost innovation within the organization.

“To Boost innovation within an organization, you need diversity, and that’s why women are an important pillar at leadership positions. Having more women on C-levels in financial organizations, women fintech founders and women investors is a sign that we are bringing the transformation that we need in the financial ecosystem. It is just the beginning.”

Annette Evans

VP People & Culture, Global Processing Services (GPS)

Annette’s objective is to bring balance and simplicity to the Human Resources processes. She is continually on the lookout for how business diversity and inclusion strategies can be improved.

Providing women with the opportunities to succeed in their professional and personal lives has always been embedded in her HR culture and goal to help secure an equal future for our female employees and customers.

Darren Franks

Founder & CEO, TalentintheCloud International

Darren is an expert in leadership hiring with a specialist focus on the International FinTech sector.

He supports numerous professional groups focusing on diversity and inclusion, he’s a Board Member of the African Women in FinTech & Payments Network, male ally to the EWPN (European Women in Payments Network and Payments Network) as well findexable’s Ambassador to Africa.

Lucía Gallardo

Founder, Emerge

Lucía Gallardo is a Honduran serial entrepreneur that bridges technology with justice and inclusion movements. She is the Founder of Emerge, a socio-technology solutions development lab offering Impact-as-a-Service™ for companies and governments looking to address pressing industry and global problems. She also co-founded Tabik, a community for nascent entrepreneurs in Latin America, and Dona un Libro, an educational foundation taking on taboo issues such as undocumented immigration across Central America. She joined the advisory boards of Yunity and Penta to spearhead their Impact Technology strategies. Lucía also co-chairs the International Expansion Council at Women Entrepreneurs Global, a startup innovation studio for female founders. She has also accepted to head up WE Global’s Exponential Technologies division. In her spare time, Lucía sits on a few advisory boards for an array of meaningful issues to her such as Rainforest Partnership, the Caribbean Blockchain Alliance, and some early stage ventures founded by persons of colour and/or women. Lucia is an MIT Innovator under 35 and an Royal Bank of Canada Woman of Influence.

“We’re in the middle of the largest wealth transfer in the history of the world – and a lot of that wealth is landing in the hands of women. But the financial industry’s products and services have been painted by the same brushstrokes for far too long. The result? Digitalization rather than inclusive transformation. We need products and services that resonate with more lived experiences, that resonate with women. To achieve that, our teams need to reflect the diverse world we are living in today, one which is primarily made up of women. Diverse teams make better products and better services that effectively respond to the needs of more consumers. Their products scale fast and vast. That’s why we need diversity in the room where decisions are made, in the rooms where products are made, in the room where marketing and messaging are decided upon, and as key targets of our product benefits. Financial inclusion isn’t an aspirational target. It is a choice our industry can make every day.”

Priyashmita Guha

Director, Digital Lenders Association of India (DLAI)

Priyashmita Guha is Director, DLAI (Digital Lenders Association of India), India’s only trade body for Digital Lenders. Priyashmita manages the entire operations staring from membership acquisition, member outreach plan, event management, research and overall operations of the trade body. She has been instrumental in ensuring a steady growth of the organisation since its inception. Prior to joining DLAI, Priyashmita headed the Software Adoption Initiative at iSPIRT. She has occupied senior positions at Times Business Solutions, CareerBuuilder and Monster India and has always been part of the digital start up eco-system. She has also recently started an ecomm venture called Deraj where she sells unique Indian wear and home décor items along with her mother and friends.

Priyashmita holds a Master of Business Management and a Bachelors in Physics, from Calcutta University. She does a lot of online social initiatives which have been featured by media, like #DurgaPuja4All, an online campaign to promote harmony between communities during Durga Puja, #BARI (Bengal Amphan Relief Initiative) to raise funds for families affected by Amphan. She has also actively been campaigning for more women participation in the Fintech industry for the last few years and for financial literacy programs for woman in the marginalized section of society.  In her spare time she paints, writes stories and also designs sarees.

“How would your organisation change its business if your clients said they would give business to you if your organisation represented gender diversity? How would your firm change if your investors agreed to invest only if there were more women in the boardroom? How would your organisation do business differently if your valuation depended on how gender inclusive your product and services are? Let us then assume it’s true and do business differently today. After all, change doesn’t come easy. You must push yourself. Those weights aren’t going to lift themselves.”

Raj Kapoor

Founder, India Blockchain Alliance (IBA)

Raj is the founder of India Blockchain Alliance and the India STEM Alliance. Raj works with government entities, international bodies & large-scale enterprises to position blockchain. Managing the ‘daily pulse’ of the cutting-edge initiatives he is leading the team focused on defining, launching, and scaling the academic and institutional ecosystems globally and thus imparting his passion for societal impact through digital transformation initiatives.

Dara Tarkowski

Tarkowski, Managing Partner, Actuate Law & Chief Innovation Strategist, Quointec

Dara is a frequent speaker at conferences around the country in areas pertaining to receivables management and the law surrounding fintech.

With an emphasis on complex litigation and consumer finance law, Dara represents creditors in a range of litigation and regulatory matters. She serves as outside general counsel for a national debt buyer and collection agency and routinely represents clients in matters pertaining to the FDCPA, the FCRA, the TCPA, securities laws, state unfair and deceptive trade practices laws, state consumer protection laws, state licensing requirements, and state regulatory advocacy.

She also provides compliance counselling on best practices in the rapidly evolving financial services sector – including FinTech and RegTech startups – utilizing deep knowledge of crafting policies and procedures as well as the design of compliance management systems.

She has represented clients in both criminal and civil matters before state attorneys general, the CFPB, FTC, SEC, and other state and federal regulators.

She advises on cybersecurity regulations, records retention, defensible disposition and document management, state and federal requirements on data privacy and security, data breach issues and response, and the preservation and production of electronically stored information.