Here is what they talked about in more detail:

• Ron's background and experience
• Ron's reasons for starting his business
• What is Uplinq? What problem do they solve?
• What is Uplinq's unique advantage? How do they differ from other credit scoring solutions? 
• Business model
• Target customers
• Locations
• The very first steps in starting this venture
• Where are you in your journey regarding product development, geographic reach, funding, and hiring? Can you share any numbers?
• What are your next steps for this year and beyond? 
• Where can interested parties contact you? Uplinq site orRon Benegbi on LinkedIn 

Here is what they covered:

• Harry – what's your background? How did you get to what you do today? Why re-join academia?
• Why are we now going through the AI revolution? 
• Where are we in terms of adoption? Is general AI on the horizon? Will everyone be affected by AI?
• Why is letting AI trade by itself unlikely to work? How can AI be useful in investing?
• How correct are AI models? What would AI (Gemini) answer for asset allocation questions?
• What's the confidence level of such an answer?
• Are the answers factually correct? When mistakes are made, how grave are they?
• Do LLMs know about real-time news?
• How about systematic investing? Can you provide an example of QuantStreet's asset allocation architecture?
• What are the things that AI doesn't know about?
• What are your recommendations for resources from which to learn more about AI in Finance? 
• What's the best way to reach out? QuantStreet Capital (website), newsletter, e-mail: hello@quantstreetcapital.com or Harry Mamaysky on LinkedIn

Here is what they talked about:

• How did Tamas get to do what he does today
• Brief explanation of the basic principles of quantum, and especially quantum computing, e.g., superposition, entanglement, random collapse, unitary transformation, and a bit of quantum interference in some variants
• Discussed what would constitute a working, i.e., useful quantum computer
• Why is it taking so long to build one?
• Where does the name Niels' chess come from?
• How does it work, and why did you pick chess as a basic game to explain it? See the picture of the moves on the podcast website here.
• How can a game like this generate revenue, and who is it intended for?
• Ìs there an online version?
• Milestones ahead
• The best way to reach out  - through LinkedIn on Tamás Varga, PhD

Here is what they covered: 

• Kamal, can you briefly introduce yourself?
• Can you describe Loyal VC - what does it do? Where are you based?
• Are you global? How much money have you facilitated since inception, and for how many growth companies? How many investors?
• What kind of growth companies have you invested in? 
• What’s your onboarding approach? E.g., minimum size of the stake
• What are your best tips for aspiring founders to grow their companies?
• How do you find investment opportunities and investors? What are your selection criteria?
• Can you share success stories of the growth companies you invested in?
• What’s your favorite business book (or another learning source)?
• Wrap up: What’s the best way to reach out? Check out www.loyal.vc

• Nathan, tell us how you got to where you are today.
• Many people recently opened up to AI with the advent of GenAI. But AI has been with us for much longer, right? Why has GenAI, in particular, gained such traction vs. traditional AI?
• What problem are you solving at Deep Market Making, and why is it worth solving?
• What is your solution and your unique selling point?
• Who are your key clients? Can you tell us some case studies of the successful implementation of your solution?
• What’s your technology angle? What kind of AI are we talking about?
• How do we navigate the unique risks and challenges posed by AI, especially in financial markets?
• What are the milestones you want to achieve next?
• What’s your favorite business book? Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel
• What’s the best way to reach out: Nathaniel (Nathan) Powell (LinkedIn) or e-mail: nathan@deepmm.com

Here is what they discussed in more detail: 

• Tobias' journey to the entrepreneurship world
• Why Tobias joined Obligate
• What is Obligate? What problem is Obligate trying to solve
• Their unique advantage - how is Obligate different from digital assets exchanges
• Business model - how does Obligate make money
• Target customers
• Locations of staff and customers
• How did Obligate scale?
• Where is Obligate on their journey now
• What are Obligate's next steps for this year and beyond? 
• Where can interested parties contact you? Website: https://www.obligate.com/ or Tobias on LinkedIn here.

With over 44 million underbanked SMEs across the continent and a $5.1 trillion credit gap in emerging markets, Zazu positions itself as the go-to digital banking solution for SMEs—combining payments, finance management, and credit access in one place. Backed by VCs and built by FinTech veterans, Zazu is now expanding beyond South Africa into other African and MENA markets to support SME growth at scale.

Find it here or reach out to Rinse on LinkedIn.

Here is what they discussed in more detail:

• Chris, tell us how you got to do what you do today.
• Future of wealth management - how technology meets personalized advice
• The problem Hoxton Wealth is helping clients with and why
• Nuances of the wealth management industry in the Middle East vs. the UK or the US
• What is the key advice for advisors working with international clients to achieve their goals 
• The first steps with Hoxton - How did Chris get his first 100 clients
• Later on, how did Chris scale Hoxton from a start-up to managing $2.1 billion in assets
• What is Hoxton's unique advantage - How is it different from large, global international wealth managers
• Can you recommend a favorite business book or another resource for continuous learning? Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win and 80/20 Daily: Your Day-by-Day Guide to Happier, Healthier, Wealthier, and More Successful Living 
• The best way to reach out: find Chris Ball on LinkedIn 

Here is what they talked about:

• Maude's background
• Why did Maude decide to start your own company? 
• What is Smatchy? What is the problem that Smatchy is trying to solve
• What is its unique advantage? How is it different from other sports partner apps?
• How does Smatchy make money?
• Who Smatchy's target customers
• Key locations
• The very first steps to get going as a business
• Where is Smatchy now on its journey regarding product development, geographic reach, funding, and hiring?
• What are the Smatchy's steps for you this year and beyond? Customers, incumbents as partners, investors?
• The best way to reach out: LinkedIn: Maude Baudier, or website Smatchy (apps links there)

Here is what they talked about in more detail:

• Hagen, can you introduce yourself?
• Why have you decided to start your own company?
• What is the problem that you are trying to solve? What is Upgrid?  
• What are the issues you’re addressing to change that?
• How are you different from traditional energy providers?
• How do you make money?
• Who are your target customers? How big is the Swiss market, and what about regulation?
• Where are you based?
• How have you started with your venture? What were your very first steps?
• Where are you on your journey regarding product development, geographic reach, funding, and hiring? Can you share any numbers?
• What are the next steps for you this year and beyond? Customers, incumbents as partners, investors?
• Where can interested parties reach you? Check out the website or reach out to Hagen Lihl on LinkedIn. 

Here is what they covered: 

• Amos's journey from a musician to a start-up founder
• What is Tausi and the problem that it solves
• What is Tausi's unique advantage? How is it different from other freelancers, including beauty or lifestyle-oriented platforms?
• How does Tausi make money?
• Who are Tausi's target customers
• Tausi's key markets
• How did Amos start with this venture - what were his first steps?
• Where is Tausi on its journey regarding product development, geographic reach, funding, and hiring? 
• What are the next steps for you this year and beyond? Customers, incumbents as partners, investors?
• Where can interested parties reach you? LinkedIn or email and phone. 

Here is what they talked about:

• Liz, tell us how you got to do what you do today.
• So, say you are thinking about going solo. How do you find out if it’s the right path for you?
• How to figure out the steps to get started?
• In a competitive market, standing out is everything. How do you master the art of branding, marketing, and business development to build the solo career you’ve always dreamed of?
• Let’s also talk about building wealth. Want to keep more of what you earn? 
• What are your recommended strategies to optimize taxes and maximize income while growing your solo business?
• You have written a book, Succeeding as a Solopreneur. In addition to what we just discussed, can you hint at the six keys to successful self-employment you describe in the book?
• The best way to reach out and find out more: Liz Steblay on LinkedIn or the website and the book: https://www.sixkeys.info/

Here is what they covered:

• Karen explained what led her to start the SFTL association
• What does SFTL do?
• SFTL key activities, training, and education
• How do business angels, VCs, and CVCs differ?
• Why is business angel investing training needed?
• What are key takeaways from your training, including the main dos and don'ts of presenting to investors
• Key advice for aspiring business angels
• Further recommended sources: Onvista, Handelsblatt, NZZ, Bloomberg
• Events: check out Swiss FinTech Ladies
• Contact

Here is what they covered in more detail: 

• Mahnoosh, how are you today? Can you tell us about your entrepreneurial journey?
• What is Colivar? What is the problem you are trying to solve? What is the SFTL, and how is it connected to Colivar?
• What is Colivar's unique advantage?
• Tell us about the SFTL activities and events
• What’s your view on leveraging AI in Wealth Management, and what kind of AI?
• Wealth Management and Private Banking require increasingly high minimum scales to be viable. How do start-ups fit into this?
• Robo advisers had a lot of promise, but not many survived as standalone businesses. What is your view on this?
• What works for HNWI and UHNWI as opposed to retail and affluent clients?
• Where are you on your journey regarding product development, geographic reach, funding, and hiring? 
• What are the next steps for you this year and beyond? Customers, incumbents as partners, investors?
• Where can interested parties reach Karen and Mahnoosh: SFTL and Colivar, respectively.

Here is what they discussed in more detail:

• Ennio's journey towards building new products and businesses
• Why has he decided to start his own company
• What is Zurichberg? What is the problem that it is aiming to solve?
• What is their unique advantage? How is it different from other alternative investment platforms or watch co-ownership platforms?
• How they make money
• Target customers
• HQ in Zurich, Switzerland, and team
• Key milestones ahead
• Best way to get in toch: Ennio Limbach – Brun del Re (LinkedIn) or  Zurichberg (website)

In addition to his role at Cash Plus, Sebbata is actively involved in the financial sector as the President of the Association Professionelle des Etablissements de Paiement (APEP), representing payment institutions in Morocco. His contributions to the industry emphasize the importance of innovation and digital transformation in financial services.

Before his tenure at Cash Plus, Sebbata's career included various roles within the financial industry, contributing to his extensive financial management and strategic planning expertise.   

Here is what they covered:

• Derrick's journey from financial advisor to leadership speaker and consultant
• What problem is Derrick helping financial advisors with, and why
• Some highlights of advice to financial advisors given by Derrick how to: 

1. Crush their revenue goals and build the business they've always wanted
2. Discover their generosity purpose, so they experience purpose and meaning in their lives
3. Become the sought-after specialist in their community by "owning a relatable problem."
4. Attract ideal prospects and high-quality referrals that are excited to work with them
5. Insulate client relationships from the competition

• They also discussed what's the best way to find HNWI client prospects today
• How to manage the conversion from a prospect to a client
• Derrick's thoughts on the retention of clients and managing churn
• How to reconcile financial advisors' goals and the suitability of financial products for their clients
• How to manage advisors' lives and careers and prevent burnout 
• Can you recommend a favorite business book or another resource for continuous learning? The Richest Man in Babylon
• The best way to reach out and find out more is to find Derrick Kinney on LinkedIn

Here is what they discussed in more detail:

• Jim's entrepreneurial journey
• Many people recently opened up to AI with the advent of GenAI. But AI has been with us for much longer, right? Why has GenAI, in particular, gained such traction?
• Jim founded several businesses; his latest venture is FinTech Studios. What problem is FinTech Studios solving, and why is it worth solving? What is their solution and unique selling point? 
• Who are FinTech Studios' key clients? What are the case studies for the successful implementation of your solution?
• What’s the technology angle? What kind of AI are we talking about?
• How do FinTech Studios navigate the unique risks that GenAI poses, e.g., misinformation or disinformation?
• What’s Jim's estimate of GenAI’s impact on the job market: what types of work will be replaced or significantly altered by this groundbreaking technology?
• What are the milestones Fintech Studios wants to achieve next?
• Favorite business book: Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs
• What’s the best way to reach out? https://www.fintechstudios.com 

Grace is a Senior Principal of Publicis Sapient's Strategy and Management Consulting practice, active worldwide, including in MENA. 

She specializes in advising Financial Services firms and, in particular, incumbent and mid-market banks on Digital Transformation topics, including core modernization and adoption of AI/GenAI. Grace leads the ‘Women’s Initiative’ within the global Strategy and Management Consulting practice at Publicis Sapient. Before this, she was with McKinsey. She lives with her husband and three children outside of London in Kent, United Kingdom.

Here is what they discussed in more detail:

• A customer universe of one: customer centricity, hyper-personalization, AI, and automation. Customer centricity is no longer only a North Star aspirational goal but an absolute must for everyone
• No longer chasing growth at any cost - marketplaces and profitability
• Sustainable growth and sustainable finance
• Are ESG ratings useful? Need to integrate climate and social responsibility into their everyday actions, beyond using buzzwords to impress. ClimateTech funding is still strong, and sustainability to stay, but need to be backed up with tangible results
• Crypto and blockchain - where is more traction?

Here is what they covered in more detail:

• Patrick, as a key figure in the payments sector, could you share your professional journey and how it led you to your current role at Convera?
• What problem are you solving at Convera, and why is it worth solving? Why are B2B payments special, and why they have been slower to innovate
• How do B2B cross-border payment needs for SMEs differ from individuals or large corporations? How can you help? 
• Who are your key clients?
• Which supporting technologies do you see as most promising for the payments sector? 
• What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
• Do you see real-time payments on the rise in the coming years? How are they relevant for B2B transactions? Will there be no more trade credit? 
• Looking ahead, what are the key milestones that Convera aims to achieve in the near future, and how do you plan to reach them?
• Favorite business book: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap & Others Don't by Jim Collins
• What’s the best way to reach out: Patrick Gauthier on LinkedIn 

Here is what they covered in more detail: 

• Hana's journey from an incumbent (VISA) to a start-up (Paynetics)
• Why are B2B payments special, and how do they fit into Embedded Finance world
• What is Paynetics' solution, and what is unique about it? Where do they sit compared to the classic four-party card payment ecosystem?
• Key clients
• Technology angle
• Will we see digital payments and e-commerce on the rise in the coming years?
• Which supporting technologies do you see as most promising for the payments sector? Digital identity, blockchain, crypto, instant payments and more
• Key milestones ahead of Paynetics
• What's your favorite business book? What Got You Here Won't GetWon'tThere: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
• How to reach out: check out Hana Rolles on LinkedIn.

Sarah talked about her journey and how she got involved in the start-up ecosystem. During the podcast, she provided an overview of  Vantage Ventures and Fintech Sandbox, including what sets them apart and their unique focuses. She also covered her key themes for investing and helping to build businesses: financial inclusion, diversity, and digital identity. Sarah also shared her best tips for entrepreneurs to grow their companies. Further, Sarah also explained why data accessibility is crucial for scaling up FinTechs and how Fintech Sandbox helps.

• Favorite book: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
• The best way to reach out: check out Sarah Biller on LinkedIn

Here is what they covered in more detail:

• Intro - Greg's background, Finovate and Finovate London in particular - unique aspects: live demos, enterprise partners and start-ups in one place. There were more attendees and many new ones in London.
• Highlights from the Hot or Not session - Open Banking, Hot or not?:-)
• Meta FinTech –  FinTech aimed at helping banks engage with other FinTechs, which is really interesting. This frequently takes the shape of core service providers, or an add on to it, but it’s helping to enable adoption of other innovations. However, are meta FinTechs another gatekeeper that stands in the way?
• AI: Enterprise-grade solutions for anti-fraud, customer experience and compliance/regulation
• Temperature check of incumbents and their take on GenAI as of now
• The funding environment taking a toll, but there are some bright spots on the horizon
• What to expect in 2024 with respect to the above
• Upcoming Finovate editions - Spring in SanFrancisco, Fall in New York and Finovate Awards online

He highlighted how Akurateco's services are uniquely tailored to meet the nuanced demands of local businesses, effectively addressing their specific challenges. Andrew also shed light on the strategic considerations behind Akurateco's market entry, their vision for future growth in the region, and their commitment to navigating the regulatory landscape with innovative compliance solutions. 

Furthermore, he discussed the importance of partnerships with financial institutions in enhancing the payment ecosystem. He provided valuable advice for fintech startups aiming to succeed in emerging markets like Saudi Arabia.

Here is what they talked about in more detail:

• Bernard's story: how he got to do what he does today
• Many people recently opened up to AI with the advent of GenAI. But AI has been with us for much longer, right? An overview of AI developments since the Dartmouth Conference in the 1950s till now
• Why has GenAI, in particular, gained such traction?
• Why does Bernard think GenAI is the most powerful technology humans have ever had access to?
• How is GenAI changing the game for various industries, including retail, healthcare, finance, education, manufacturing, marketing, entertainment, sports, coding, and more?
• How will GenAI interact with other transformative technologies (gene editing, immersive internet, conventional AI, blockchain, quantum computing, etc.) to create a world of hyper-innovatiWhat'saGenAI'sAI's impact on everyday activities such as searching for information, cooking, and traveling?
• How to navigate the unique risks and challenges GenAI poses (including ethical concerns of GenAI such as misinformation, disinformation, and deep fakes, particularly in an election yeaWhat'saBernard'srd's estimateGenAI'sAI’s impact on the job market: what types of work will be replaced or significantly altered by this groundbreaking technology
• Check out his upcoming book, Generative AI in Practice
• The best way to reach out and find out more on Bernard Marr website

Join the conversation as Stevan shares invaluable insights into Manigo's journey navigating the dynamic FinTech landscape. Explore key milestones in their growth, the pivotal role of customer feedback in shaping platform features, and get a glimpse into their ambitious long-term vision.

Through Stevan's entrepreneurial narrative, listeners gain firsthand knowledge of the challenges he's conquered and the relentless drive propelling him towards future success. Tune in for an episode packed with inspiration, innovation, and the future of FinTech.

Here is what they discussed in more detail:

• Introduction - Nelson's entrepreneurial journey
• Why did Nelson decide to start his own company
• What is Percent? What is the problem that they are trying to solve
• What is their unique advantage? How are they different from other investment platforms?
• Business model
• Target customers
• Locations
• How to get going with the platform
• Percent's journey until now, and next steps this year and beyond
• Check out Nelson's website here.

With a rich history of innovation across global financial capitals and a deep passion for the transformative power of technology in finance, Amin has established himself as a visionary entrepreneur. Through the lens of his latest venture, Konnect Networks, which aims to revolutionize payment solutions in North Africa, we explore Amin's entrepreneurial journey, the challenges and triumphs of launching a startup in the dynamic MENA region, and his strategic vision for the future. 

The conversation also covers the types of investors and talents Konnect Networks seeks to attract, its target clientele, and a practical use case, providing a comprehensive look at the company's efforts to navigate and shape the FinTech landscape. This episode offers invaluable insights into financial technology innovation, underscored by Amin's personal experiences and aspirations for making a lasting impact in the region.

• Tess's backstory
• What problem are you solving at Spade, and why is it worth solving?
• Why is merchant intelligence critical for optimal fraud detection?
• What are new use cases for merchant intelligence?
• What is your solution and your unique selling point?
• What has the feedback from customers been like?
• What's your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
• Who are your key clients?
• Recent series A and Spade's plans
• Favorite business book: Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building by Claire Hughes
• What is the best way to reach out: tess@spade.com

Today's discussion promises to be enlightening as we dive deep into the FinTech scene of the MENA region, with a spotlight on the rapidly evolving Saudi Arabian market.

The podcast delved into the FinTech landscape in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region, particularly within Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. The discussion encompassed the current state and potential of the market, addressing regulatory challenges faced by startups and offering navigation strategies. We drew comparisons between the FinTech ecosystems of the UK and the MENA region, extracting valuable lessons from both. The conversation also focused on the challenges of entering the MENA market, highlighting key players in the Saudi FinTech scene and their unique attributes. Corporate innovation was a notable topic in response to FinTech advancements, including collaborations and initiatives. The podcast explored opportunities and challenges in the Kingdom's rapidly digitalizing landscape, investors' perspectives on the Saudi FinTech market, and the trends attracting investment. Looking forward, we discussed predictions for the market's future trajectory over the next 5-10 years, influencing corporate innovation. Finally, considering its unique market dynamics, we explored strategies for supporting FinTech startups in Saudi Arabia. We concluded by thanking your guest, Faraz, for his deep insights into these sectors and acknowledging his contributions to the field.

Here is what they talked about in more detail:

• Deniz's background
• What is Stratyfy – what’s the problem you are solving and the outline of its solutions
• How do you define successful digital transformation? 
• What’s the role of AI in digital transformation? 
• What about Finance and AI?
• How would you advise corporates leveraging AI to tackle the biases issue?
• One of the ways to deal with biases is to promote diversity – how do you go about it?
• Can AI and sustainability co-exist?
• What are the milestones you want to achieve next?
• Favorite business books: Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy and Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't
• What’s the best way to reach out: deniz@stratyfy.com or Stratyfy website 

Here is what they talked about: 

• Daniel's backstory - how he got to do what he does today
• What problem is Payable solving, and why is it worth solving?
• What is their solution and their unique selling point
• What’s their technology angle
• Who are Payable's key clients
• What is the role of the finance team in scaling FinTechs?
• What is the CFO stack, and what is the FinTech market opportunity?
• What’s Daniel's advice on how to build and develop FinTech propositions the market wants and needs?
• What are the milestones Daniel wants to achieve next
• What’s your favorite business book? The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers and Marcus Aurelius works
• What’s the best way to reach out: Daniel Yubi on LinkedIn

Here is what they talked about in more detail:

• Tonya's journey into the crypto world
• You have written the book 'Digital Money Demystified.' Isn't most of the money digital already?
• Let's talk fact vs. fiction: What are the most common cryptocurrency myths?
• What are the hot legal and regulatory issues around this emerging asset class? 
• Do you see a future for crypto as a means of payment, or do you find other use cases more likely to succeed?
• How can the crypto-curious onboard & safely – and why should they do it?
• How can we empower women and diverse entrepreneurs for the future of Web3, blockchain, and cryptocurrency?
• What is your view on continued issues with crypto exchanges?
• Recommended reading: Choke Point 2.0, We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman's Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power, and It's About D*mn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage
• Best way to reach out: digitalmoneydemystified.com

Here is what they covered in more detail:

• Elliot's backstory: how he got to do what he does today
• Architect Partners' approach towards advising FinTechs - M&A or other matters? Does it mean AP advises only scale-ups or incumbents interested in this space?
• Specifics of the FinTech M&A and lessons learned
• The average time to go public has increased tremendously. As Fintechs grow larger and more mature, what are the liquidity and exit options for these companies? 
• Payments and lending were probably the first areas where FinTech grew. Are we bound to witness a significant consolidation wave in this FinTech vertical?
• SPACs used to be the favorite buzzword of the day not long ago. What's the status now?
• Why focus on crypto-related M&A
• Let's talk about the recent Bitcoin rise and fall – is it due to diversification because investors are worried about inflation due to Covid government support or anything else?
• A book tip: Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon by M. Lewis
• What's the best way to reach out? Website https://architectpartners.com

Here is what they covered:

• Backstory: How did you get to do what you do today?
• Law practice is changing—why are lawyers and technology quickly becoming inseparable?
• Unraveling the legal tech ecosystem: how people, processes, and tech work together
• What are the three biggest mistakes when evaluating legal technology tools?
• What is the impact of AI on the future of the legal sector?
• Why should every lawyer start thinking about legal technology?
• Debunking five common myths about legal technology
• What are the key steps to develop innovative legal tech products and services correctly, plus real-world lessons successful founders learned along the way?
• How do we prepare students for practice in the 21st century?
• What is the most impactful business book for you (apart from yours)? Tomorrow's Lawyers: An Introduction to Your Future by R. Susskind

Check out Colin's book, The Legal Tech Ecosystem: Innovation, Advancement & the Future of Law Practice, on Amazon.

Here are the questions Geert answered:

•  Geert – what is your backstory? How did you get to do what you do today?
•  What problem are you solving, and why is it worth solving?
•  What is your unique selling point?
•  What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
•  Are you a brokerage platform, or would you like to become a bank?
•  What’s your business model? How do you make money? 
•  How did you get going?
•  Who are your key clients?
•  Why do you focus on both Switzerland and Benelux?
•  What are the milestones you want to achieve next?
•  What’s your favorite business book? The Prince | Niccolò Machiavelli
•  What’s the best way to reach out: geert.vankerckhoven@opercredits.com or LinkedIn

Here is what they talked about: 

• Alysia's journey from venture capital to writing "Unemployable – How I Hired Myself"
• The core message of "Unemployable" and what inspired Alysia to write it
• How does Alysia's venture capital experience influence her perspectives in "Unemployable"
• "Train the Trainer" program and its significance in today's business landscape
• How does "Unemployable" offer actionable strategies to businesses and individuals, especially in the AI domain
• What feedback and success stories have you seen from individuals and businesses engaged with your programs and products?
• What's your view on the immediate and long-term outlook for AI in businesses and its impact on the workforce?
• How does your eBook workbook complement the "Unemployable" philosophy?
• Any lessons learned from your journey and the impact of "Unemployable" on your life?
• How can businesses and individuals get involved with your programs, and what can they expect in transformation?
• Wrap up: Encouraging businesses and individuals to explore the offerings stemming from "Unemployable" to harness the power of AI and entrepreneurship.

Here is what they covered:

• Marcus' serial entrepreneurship journey
• InvestX Capital - what does it do? 
• Are you US-focused or global? How much money have you facilitated since inception, and for how many growth companies? How many investors?
• What kind of growth companies have you invested in - success stories of the growth companies that appeared on your platform
• What are your best tips for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses?
• How do you overcome a cold start problem and start a two-sided marketplace platform?
• Any lessons learned? What would you have done differently as an entrepreneur? Is the platform suitable for later-stage PE deals?
• How do you find investment opportunities and investors? What are your selection criteria?
• Favorite business book: The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team
• What is the best way to reach out? Reach out through the website here.

Here is what they covered in more detail:

• Introduction: How did you get to do what you do today?
• What is the problem you are focusing on?
• You focus on Private Credit, Staking, and Tokenization  - why these products?
• Private assets are a much larger asset pool than public ones, yet, it is difficult for a retail investor to invest in them. Why should they? 
• How do you enable the democratization of investments? What is your technology angle?
• What are the minimum tickets and onboarding requirements?
• What is your business model  - how do you make money?
• What challenges did you need to overcome as a female founder? What advantages does it bring, if any?
• What non-fiction book would you take with you on vacation? Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam Grant
• What´s the best way to reach out and learn more about Bluejay? Sherry Jiang on LinkedIn.

Here is what they covered in more detail:

• Lisa's journey to Airtm
• What is the problem you are focusing on? Why is it worth solving?
• What is your digital dollar, and how does it differ from the 'green' dollar? Or from Tether?
• What is your technology angle? Do you use existing rails or blockchain, and how do you exceed current payment networks?
• You support 400 different ways to pay with digital dollars – can you tell us some examples?
• How do you make money?
• Tell us about your growth journey. How did you expand to new countries? What were the successes and challenges?
• What next? What major goals do you want to achieve within, say next 12 months?
• What non-fiction book would you take with you on vacation? 
• What's the best way to reach out and learn more about AirTM? Lisa Nestor on LinkedIn or website: Airtm 

Here is what they talked about:

• Darshita – what is your backstory? How did you get to do what you do today?
• What problem are you solving, and why is it worth solving?
• Can you provide insights into your platform's (data and analytics) capabilities that enable asset managers to make informed stewardship decisions?
• What is your unique selling point?
• What’s your business model? How do you make money?
• Who are your key clients?
• What are the best stewardship practices/recommendations that you’d give to asset managers?
• What wakes you up every morning and motivates you for work?
• What would it be if you could have a superpower, and how would you use it to benefit the industry?
• What’s your favorite business book? Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business and Principles
• What’s the best way to reach out: Darshita Mehta Gillies on LinkedIn

Here is what they covered:

• Emmanuel –  what is your backstory? How did you get to what you do today?
• Are we experiencing another banking crisis?
• Banks have been complaining about low-interest rates for a long time (they enjoy better margins when interest rates are higher,) and now some are struggling with rate hikes. How come?
• Why is it easier to have a run on the bank in the digital age? How can banks and regulators manage this risk better?
• Your books cover the transition from platforms to personalization. Tell us more about that.
• How can you personalize your services profitably and at scale?
• There has been a discussion about using cryptocurrencies more widely as payment. However, regulations (or the lack of), scalability, lack of speed, volatility, and more hampered more widespread adoption. CBDCs seemed to offer more promise, but the progress could be faster. Why?
• Nowadays, you hear a lot about embedded Finance and the financialization of everything. What’s your take on it? 
• What’s your favorite business book? The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age
• The best way to reach out: https://www.emmanueldaniel.com

Here is what they discussed:

• Paul –  what is your backstory? How did you get to what you do today?
• What problem are you solving at Valutico, and why is it worth solving? What’s your focus?
• Many bankers want to simplify valuation models – they start with templates, and in the end, they go back and start from scratch. How do you see the standardization of valuation models?
• How interactive is your solution?
• Is there an audit trail? How do you test your solution for bugs?
• How does your solution work?
• What is your unique selling point? 
• Who are your key clients? 
• What’s your business model? How do you make money?
• What’s your favorite business book? Thinking, Fast and Slow: Daniel Kahneman and Amp it Up
• The best way to reach out: Paul Resch on LinkedIn

Here is what they discussed:

• Rosalia –  what is your own personal finance journey and family background?
• How has your background working in Fintech and blockchain inspired you to create Bixie? 
• What problem are you solving, and why is it worth solving? 
• What is your unique selling point? How does your platform help women, and how is it distinct from other platforms?
• Who are your key clients?
• What’s your technology angle?
• What’s your business model? How do you make money?
• A brief background on the Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards (MAIAs), its mission, and why winning this year’s award is significant.
• What’s your favorite business book? How to Win Friends and Influence People
• What’s the best way to reach out:  Bixie website and all their social media channels

Here is what they covered in more detail:

• Elliot's background
• Prosperity Financial Group's mission
• The importance of financial planning for entrepreneurs
• What common mistakes do entrepreneurs make when gaining wealth, and why staying the course to achieve financial goals can be the biggest challenge today?
• What are your tips on how to get your business in top shape and ready for a sale?  You have sold three companies, so you have a wealth of knowledge to share on how to do it successfully.
• What are the biggest financial lessons you have learned over his long financial advisor and entrepreneur career?
• Let’s focus on resilience for entrepreneurs: Strategies to overcome adversity. Despite great hardship, you were still able to run your companies and launch a charity that is today a well-known national organization after the death of your son
• Recommended reading: Think and Grow Rich and The Greatest Salesman in the World 
• Wrap up: the best way to reach out: +1 (5 1 0) 2 0 6 1 1 0 3 or elliot@prosperityfinancialgroup.com or  Prosperity Financial Group website

Here are the questions they covered:

• Ralph's backstory
• What problem are you solving at BlueSnap, and why is it worth solving? What’s your focus?
• Payment orchestration – are we discussing hardware, software solutions, or both? 
• What is your unique selling point? Accepting payments is just one piece of the puzzle in commerce – how far in the value chain do you extend?
• Who are your key clients? Which industries?
• What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
• Do you have any success stories of how you helped your clients grow their businesses thanks to your solutions?
• What’s your business model? How do you make money?
• Favorite business book: Good to Great by Jim Collins
• Best way to reach out: through LinkedIn - Ralph Dangelmaier.

Here are the questions that Gustaf answered:

• Gustaf –  what is your backstory? How did you get to what you do today?
• What problem are you solving at Intergiro, and why is it worth solving? What’s your focus? 
• How do you solve this problem? What is your unique selling point? 
• Who are your key clients? 
• Why does outsourcing the backend and going for banking as a service to you make sense? What’s left for your clients to do?
• You are a big supporter of embedded finance – where are we in Europe (or Sweden) with this? Are we talking about embedding payments or more?
• What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
• What’s your business model? How do you make money?
• What’s your favorite business book? Good to Great by Jim Collins
• What’s the best way to reach out: LinkedIn at Gustaf Hult

Here is what they covered:

• Xavier's backstory
• What problem are you solving at Lupovis, and why is it worth solving? What’s your focus? 
• A unique appoach to cybersecurity: using decoys and enhanced scanning for cyber threats online - can you explain?
• How did you come up with a decoy idea?
• How do you detect internet noise from genuine cyber-attacks?
• Who are your key clients? Which industries?
• What’s your technology angle?
• What’s your business model? How do you make money?
• Favorite business book: First, Break All The Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently
• What’s the best way to reach out: through LinkedIn, find Xavier Bellekens and start a conversation!

Part of the startup goal is Pet Health Monitoring. It can develop or partner with existing technologies to provide pet health monitoring solutions. This could include wearable devices or smart collars that track a pet's activity levels, vital signs, and location, ensuring their well-being and providing real-time data to pet owners.

Dhia explained that the main challenge for the team was to focus on coping with the local legal framework while finding the right insurance partner that would believe in the project to be fully operational.

The app is now live for the Tunisian market. However, an expansion is expected in other markets such as Morocco, Egypt, or the GCC region.

• Yossi's backstory
• Supply chains have become a mainstream topic of conversation in the last few years. So, as a recap, what has been happening with supply chains lately? 
• Did the supply chain fail us regarding chips, medicine, and prices?
• Supply chains have become increasingly complex to navigate. Will we see a step back to more local, straightforward supply chains?
• Will it also impact the impact of supply chains on the environment?
• How does digital technology impact supply chain management?
• Specifically, how can AI help?
• Supply chain comprises multiple actors with various budgets. Not everyone can afford SAP. What do you think about connectors developed by various IT consultants that should improve visibility through the supply chain and help AI do its magic?
• Technology is often insufficient–what are automated systems' drawbacks?
• What are key skills to retain employment in a world with growing levels of automation?
• Favorite business book:  The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail 
• The best way to reach out: sheffi@mit.edu

Here is what they covered:

• Uku's backstory
• Click-through rate on e-mails vs. SMS or messaging apps - which is better?
• How do you solve this problem? What is your unique selling point? 
• Why is a business messaging solution like Messente different from Whatsapp?
• What’s the compliance angle that you need to bear in mind?
• Who are your key clients? 
• Fraudsters are improving each year. What are the latest attacks related to messaging, and how to protect against them?
• What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
• Can you tell us some of your new market launch success stories? How to go about it?
• Favorite business books: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahnemann and Measure What Matters by John Doerr
• The best way to reach out is signup@messente.com or the Messente website

Here is what they talked about:

• Chirag –  what is your backstory? How did you get to what you do today?
• What problem are you solving at Nucleus, and why is it worth solving? What’s your focus? Customer journey when applying for credit for a small and often new business.
• How do you solve this problem? 
• Are you a bank or P2P business loan provider?
• Who are your key clients? 
• Are B2B marketplaces maturing from nice to have to mainstream?
• Many FinTech founders are young and haven’t experienced a recession yet. So how do you keep on growing your business in a downturn? 
• What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
• Favorite business book: Business without boundaries
• The best way to get in touch: contact info on the website Nucleus Commercial Finance 

Here are the questions that Nadine answered:

• Introduction: How did you get to do what you do today? 
• What are the main gender gap issues that you try to address? 
• What are the reasons behind gender gap issues? 
• I know also address a wider range of gender stereotypes and issues that touch on product design, innovation, finance, and sustainability. How do you plan to address them? It seems a lot is on your plate!
• What are potential ways to tackle them? 
• ElleXX - what is it, and how does it work? 
• You offer membership on your platform. Who are your target members, and what does the membership include? 
• You also partnered with Migros Bank, Vontobel, and CAP to provide women-focused advisory on investing, pension planning, and legal protection. How does it work from your clients’ perspective?
• What non-fiction book would you take with you on vacation? T. Piketty, A Brief History of Equality and The Double X Economy: The Epic Potential of Empowering Women 
• The best way to reach out and learn more about ElleXX: hello@ellexx.com

 Thank you, Swiss FinTech Ladies, for making it happen! 

Here are the questions that Simon answered:

• Simon's journey to improving B2B sales processes
• What problem is Strategy Sprints solving and why is it worth solving?
• How? What is the Strategy Sprints method?
• Who are your key clients? 
• You help your B2B clients improve their marketing skills. What are the key pieces of advice you typically give them?
• Do you adjust your pitch across industries? If yes, what are the nuances to pay attention to in B2B sales? 
• You can claim you can help clients automate 85% of their business. How?
• Success stories: Sani Abdul-Jabbar and VezTek
• Plans for the rest of the year
• What’s your favorite business book? Strategy Sprints: 12 Ways to Accelerate Growth for an Agile Business
• What’s the best way to reach out? Check out the website Strategy Sprints

Nadine is American Banker's 2021 No.3 Most Powerful Woman in Finance.  Securrency is a FinTech and RegTech using blockchain to deliver white-labeled, institutional-grade digital asset marketplaces.

Here are the questions that Nadine answered:

• Nadine – tell us, how did you get to what you do these days?
• What problem is Securrency solving and why is it worth solving?
• Tokenization and financial inclusion go hand in hand. What about the suitability, however? Are illiquid assets made more liquid through tokens for everyone?
• Who are your key clients? 
• How was the tokenization market in 2022, and how do you see the outlook for 2023? 
• Which blockchain protocols do you leverage? For example, were you affected by Ethereum Merge?
• Is crypto market volatility affecting your business?
• How do you deal with changing and uncertain regulatory frameworks?
• Can you mention any successful case studies of your work?
• What are your plans for the rest of the year? 
• What’s your favorite business book? Lean Startup and Good to Great
• Another great resource, Citi's 2023 research Money, Tokens, and Games
• What’s the best way to reach out? LinkedIn: Nadine Chakar

Here is what they talked about:

• Rohini – tell us, how did you get to what you do these days?
• What problem is FinRegE solving, and why is it worth solving?
• Who are your key clients? 
• Automation sounds appealing, but a good old saying in compliance says you can outsource the work but not the responsibility. So what’s the role of humans when using your tech?
• Is your angle the tech or compliance knowledge?
• Let’s dive into tech – what’s the core value add of your solution? RPA, NLP, or something else?
• How do you find the adoption and training at your clients’? Are they not worried about their jobs and keep finding faults with the system?
• What about the interoperability of your solution? How easy is it to plug into your clients’ enterprise systems?
• Can you mention any successful case studies of your work? E.g., grant from Innovate UK
• What are your plans for the rest of the year? 
• The best way to reach out: contact info on the FinRegE website

Here is what they talked about:

• Nigel's backstory
• What problem is Intelligent Voice solving and why is it worth solving?
• Key clients
• Tech angle? How does Intelligent Voice (IV) keep improving? Is human monitoring needed?
• Why is this solution better than the competition or incumbent solutions? 
• How IV addresses the privacy concerns of individuals and companies
• How do they ensure their AI is ethical and responsible
• Interoperability of Intelligent Voice - how easy is it to plug into the client´s enterprise systems
• Success stories in Financial Services: e.g., Daiwa
• What are your plans for the rest of the year? Hint: international expansion?
• Recommend info channels: 1. Medium
• What’s the best way to reach out? LinkedIn and website: Nigel Cannings and Intelligent Voice.  

Here is what they talked about:

• Itamar's background
• Recursive Ventures - what does it do? Where are you based?
• Are you US-focused or global? How much money have you raised since inception, and for how many start-ups? How many investors?
• What kind of start-ups have you invested in, and what kind of FinTechs have you invested in? 
• What’s your investment approach? 
• What are your best tips for aspiring founders to start and grow their companies?
• What is your view on the immediate and long-term outlook for FinTechs? Where do you see the most promising opportunities?
• Can you share success stories of the start-ups for which you raised funds (exited)? 
• Any lessons learned? What would you have done differently as an investor?
• How do you find them? How do scouting and due diligence work? What are your selection criteria?
• Favorite business book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz
• The best way to connect

• Martin – tell us, how did you get to what you do these days?
• What problem is BizMachine solving, and why is it worth solving?
• Key clients?
• Unique selling points of BizMachine vs other B2B business intelligence services
• Many people talk about leveraging Big Data. One of the five Vs of big data, veracity refers to the data quality. What are BizMachine's data sources, and how do they verify their accuracy
• Privacy and confidentiality matters
• Is the information updated in real-time?
• Interoperability of BizMachine solution - how easy is it to plug into CRM or other enterprise systems
• Successful stories in e-commerce
• Expansion plans
• Recommended further resources: Ray Dalio's Principles and Patrick Bet-David's Youtube channel
• The best way to reach out: LinkedIn - Martin Ondas or the company website - Bizmachine. 

Here is what they covered in more detail:

• Salama' background and why she joined Bitmex
• What problem is Bitmex solving, and why is it worth solving? What’s their focus?
• Who are Bitmex's key clients?
• What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
• How secure is trading at Bitmex?
• Nowadays, trading securities, including crypto, effectively requires leverage and derivatives. How does the market for crypto derivates work?
• How big is the crypto derivatives market vs underlying? What are the key products already available?
• Who are the key crypto derivates players? 
• What's the outlook for the crypto markets this year? 
• Recommended reading: Crypto Trader Digest
• What’s the best way to reach out (and what kind of parties would be most relevant for you)? BitMEX website and Salama's profile on LinkedIn 

Here is what they covered:

• Marco's background
• How do you transform incumbents into data-driven, agile organizations without transition threatening their core business?
• Banks care about their client data – how can you use the cloud, with servers often abroad, in banking?
• Are banks more open to migration to the cloud now than, say five years ago?
• What are the key pros and cons for incumbents considering moving to the cloud?
• How can you switch cloud providers down the line?
• How secure is using the cloud for a large bank?
• How long does it take, and how do you de-risk migration to the cloud?
• Favorite business book: Exponential Organizations by Salim Ismail and others
• The best way to reach out: Marco Santos on LinkedIn

Here is what they discussed:

• Efi´s transformational journey
• Rebranding of private markets - why is it needed? 
• What about risk, aren't private markets labelled as alternatives as they pose a higher risk to investors?
• How do you see the future of asset management?  Why do we still have active asset managers if, for years, we hear that they cannot beat the market and are not cost-effective?
• Passive funds and robo-advisors – are robo-advisors a threat to ETFs?
• What does customer centricity mean for large wealth and asset managers?
• Do you see AI-driven insights as a major competitive capability in the future of wealth management?
• How do you transform incumbents into data-driven, agile organisations without transition threatening their core business?
• When is commission-free trading coming to Switzerland?
• Outlook for crypto this year
• Recommended reading: The People Centered Economy: The New Ecosystem For Work, Business in Personal: Be the Leader of Your Life and Business or Paolo Sironi´s books
• The best way to reach out or get Efi´s content: https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal

Here is what they discussed in more detail:

• Ryan - how did you get to what you do these days?
• Wealth management in the US – what are the recent trends, and how do you see the outlook for this year?
• What is Docupace – what is the problem you solve, and why is it worth solving?
• What is your solution/services? 
• How do you differ from other solutions in this space?
• Is your solution scalable?
• Who are your key clients?
• What’s your technology angle – is it proprietary tech or do you bundle various technologies together?
• To recap, how do you see the future of financial advisory further down the line?
• Favorite business book: Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions is a 2008 book by Dan Ariely, in which he challenges readers' assumptions about making decisions based on rational thought.
• What’s the best way to reach out: Ryan George on LinkedIn or Docupace website

Here is what they discussed in more detail:

• Chase's backstory
• Charitable donations – why does the process need a digital upgrade? 
• Wishes to provide transparency and enhancing making connections of donors with causes
• Scalability of Wishes solution
• How can you benefit from credit card rewards for charitable donations?
• Key clients and partners: individual donors, charities, retailers and credit card companies
• Technology angle – a proprietary tech at the heart
• Business model
• What’s your favorite business book? Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (Good to Great Book 2)
• The best way to reach out: Chase Harmer 

Here is what they covered:

• Janay´s journey to financial policy
• What is the Chamber of Progress? What is your mission?
• How do your work with FinTechs?
• How do you see the outlook for crypto this year?
• What went wrong with the FTX?
• How should tech and cryptocurrency leaders prepare for an ever-evolving policy landscape?
• Where cryptocurrency fits into climate change policy and environmental concerns?
• How do US policymakers view cryptos’ function – as a payment mechanism or a commodity? 
• Does tech anti-trust legislation could impact crypto?
• Recommended further reading: Crypto For My People
• The best way to reach out: Janay on Twitter or LinkedIn or the Chamber of Progress website

• Aicha's non-linear journey to Headspring
• What is Headspring? What is its mission?
• Examples of some programs or projects: FinTech plus Santander, BBVA or Societe Generale.
• Headspring offers many leadership programs – can you teach leadership, or one needs to be a natural-born leader?
• What would be your most critical advice on leadership to founders who lead businesses growing from start-ups to scale-ups?
• What about managing a business in a downturn?
• Why is diversity and inclusion good for businesses and especially start-ups? 
• How does it impact the product development in FinTech you have been working with? 
• Favorite business book: The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters
• The best way to reach out: Headspring Executive Development on LinkedIn

Here are the questions Karen and Caro answered:

• How did you get to do what you do today? 
• What are the main issues on the FinTech scene in terms of diversity? 
• What are the reasons behind diversity issues? 
• What are potential ways to tackle them)? 
• SFTL - what is it, and how does it work? 
• What exciting events do you have in the pipeline for 2023?
• Who are your target members? 
• Angel investing and women – tell us about your initiative.
• Getting start-up board experience – why should you do it and how? What are the pitfalls? 
• What non-fiction book would you take with you on vacation? Capital in the Twenty-First Century and A Brief History of Equality by Thomas Piketty, Lean In Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg, Emotional Currency: A Woman's Guide to Building a Healthy Relationship with Money by Kate Levinson and The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins
• What's the best way to reach out and learn more about SFTL? Swiss FinTech Ladies (SFTL) website and LinkedIn: Karen Wendt and Carolina Newton

Here are the key questions for Shameer:

• Shameer - how did you get to what you do these days?
• Growth at any cost is behind us for a while. So how do you help FinTechs to grow profitably and sustainably?
• What are your crucial takeaways from designing a growth strategy?
• How can FinTechs create a robust marketing plan on a budget? Should FinTechs try to build a B2C brand, or are they better off going through the B2B route?
• Does one still need a website to promote their business?
• What are the best marketing tools to focus on? Digital marketing, SEO, PR?
• What about social media? How do you drive conversion from likes to sales?
• Who are your key clients? How do they differ? 
• What’s the best way to reach out: Shameer Sachdev (LinkedIn) or Growth Gorilla (website)

Here are the questions Joe answered:

• Joe - how did you get to what you do these days?
• How is the Embedded FinTech world evolving?
• Where should founders start when considering adding a FinTech layer to their platform?
• You are saying on your website that payment platforms take too much value from their customers, and you are different. How and why?
• What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
• What is your solution/services?
• Who are your key clients?
• Many FinTech founders are young and haven’t experienced a recession yet. So how do you keep growing your business in a challenging economic environment? 
• What’s your favorite business book? Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business
• What’s the best way to reach out: website Justifi.ai or Joe's LinkedIn 

Here is what they talked about in more detail:

• Marine - how did you get to what you do these days?
• You said in a recent interview in The Times that you believe “it’s a thousand times riskier’ being an artist than an entrepreneur.” Why?
• Visual artists are traditionally discovered through agencies and art fairs and represented by agents. Why do you think the current process needs an upgrade?
• What is MTArt Agency? How does it work?
• What is your focus? What kind of art? 
• How did you start and continue to grow to the current state?
• What is your view on bringing visual arts to people’s homes, such as Netgear´s Meural Canvas?
• How do you make money for the artists and yourself?
• Favorite business book: The Great CEO Within: The Tactical Guide to Company Building
• Further reading about an artist represented by MTArt Agency here.
• What’s the best way to reach out: Marine Tanguy (LinkedIn) or MTArt Agency (website)

Here is what they talked about:

• Bob, Yannick – what are your backgrounds? How did you get to be at a juncture of sports and technology? 
• SenseArena started with VR tools for ice hockey and now tennis. What’s the problem you are solving?
• How does it work? Is the focus on physical, technical, or mental improvement? 
• Many sports, including tennis, are increasingly competitive, and players are looking for an additional edge to boost their chances of success. Even though it’s an individual sport, tennis players now travel with teams, often including psychologists or mental coaches. How does your tool differ from what human coaches or team members can offer? 
• How do you differ from other analytical tools (racket sensors, video tracking)? 
• While digital transformation and VR or metaverse received a boost during the pandemic, wouldn’t you be afraid that enthusiasm for VR can fade as the restrictions are being relaxed and people can practice on the court? 
• Is your solution meant for professionals or amateurs, or both?
• I understand that a US pro, Jennifer Brady, tried your tool and explained that it’s not a game. Conversely, could an amateur use it in a game like virtual tennis on Meta / Oculus?
• VR headsets are getting better but are still quite heavy. How long can you train with Sense Arena’s tool? 
• Tennis coaches sometimes widely disagree about how their players should play – for example, Richard Williams advocated for an open stance with his daughter’s coaches. Can you customize your approach using your tool, or do you drive towards a single viewpoint? 
• The prize money has been steadily rising in tennis and endorsements. Still, even as prize money distribution has improved a little to benefit lower-ranked players, it’s a costly sport. What is your business model – how do you make money? 
• What is the best way to reach out and learn about SenseArena? Website: SenseArena, and LinkedIn: Bob Tetiva and Yannick Yoshizawa

We focus on the following:

• Building payments infrastructure in Southeast Asia
• Succeeding as a Southeast Asia Founder in a regulated market
• How Ayoconnect positions itself as the Plaid for Southeast Asia

• David's backstory
• Activant Capital's introduction
• Key themes that Activant follows: e-commerce, FinTech, and marketplaces
• US vs. Asia online commerce
• Will the next generation of neobanks be more than newly-packaged legacy infrastructure but provide real opportunities to bring financial services to more people?
• How to unbundle Amazon’s superpowers (1-click checkout, same-day shipping) and enable more merchants with this disruptive technology?
• Investment success stories and investment approach
• Check out David Yang's LinkedIn profile and Activant Capital website to find out more

Here is what they covered:

• Matt's journey toward entrepreneurship - with focus on commercial real estate
• What is ABC FinTech about?
• Why should one invest in commercial real estate with the ABC FinTech platform, leveraging blockchain?
• Is the current way of investing in commercial real estate not working?
• How can one invest in commercial real estate without being an accredited investor
• Who are ABC FinTech's key clients? Many companies these days talk about customer centricity. What does it mean for Matt
• How does ABC FinTech make money? What is your business model?
• What are plans for your business going forward, scaling ambitions?
• Favorite sources to learn from on LinkedIn: Red Swan and its CEO, Ed Nwokedi, Dave Hendricks, CEO of Vertalo, a digital asset ecosystem and platform Akru, a blockchain-based platform for fractionalized real estate investing.
• Check out ABC FinTech's Wefunder page

Here is what they covered:

• Meeri's background - why become an entrepreneur in InsurTech? 
• Inzmo and a previous foray into insurance with Bike ID – why pivot?
• What is INZMO, and what problems are you solving?
• Why is there much demand for InsurTechs’solutions – i.e., why are traditional insurance offerings losing traction with millennials /gen Z?
• Who are your key clients? Many companies these days talk about customer centricity. What does it mean for you?
• Where are you based? How does the Berlin startup scene compare to that of Tallinn?
• How do you make money? What is your business model?
• 2022 has been a tough year, and many countries face a cost-of-living crisis. Why rental deposit alternatives are needed, and where do you fit in?
• It’s unfortunately still evident that even in 2022, we have a gender funding gap, and there is a gender imbalance worldwide. How has it shaped the way you run your startup?
• What are plans for your business going forward, scaling ambitions?
• Favorite book: From Start-up to Grown-up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your Business and books by Marty Cagan on product development
• Wrap up: the best way to reach out: Meeri on LinkedIn

Here is what they talked about:

• Karl's entrepreneurial journey and then investing
• M13's profile
• M13's investment track record
• M13's investment approach
• Best tips for aspiring founders to start and grow their companies
• Where are we regarding start-up and FinTech valuations, given the macro environment turning for the worse?
• Success stories of the start-ups for which you raised funds
• Deal sourcing tips
• Appeal to inspiring entrepreneurs to learn more about M13 - Karl Alomar on LinkedIn

Here is what they talked about:

• Philipp and Malte –  what are your backstories? How did you get to what you do today, and how did you get together? 
• What’s the problem you are solving at Mondu, and why is it worth solving? What’s your focus? 
• Some commentators have started saying that FinTechs have gone too far with unbundling and Finance has become too complicated for no good reason. How do you see the pendulum? Have we gone too far? See FT article here: https://on.ft.com/3yzm2AR
• What is your solution/services?
• Why focus on B2B clients?
• Why B2B BNPL is different from B2C?
• Are B2B marketplaces maturing from nice to have to mainstream?
• Many FinTech founders are young and haven’t experienced a recession yet. How do you keep on growing your business in a downturn? 
• What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
• Your favorite business books? Good to Great, Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great, Measure What Matters: OKRs: The Simple Idea that Drives 10x Growth, Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World
• The best way to reach out: philipp@mondu.ai or malte@mondu.ai, or LinkedIn

Here is what they talked about:
• Initially, Dorra started the conversation with some insights and background from Firas’s experiences and why building a bridge between Europe and Africa through crowdfunding can be a great opportunity fr startups in the region
• Among other topics, Dorra and Firas discussed the opportunities that Relatic platform: afrikwity.com is suggesting to start-ups, VCs, and corporate partners in Tunisia and abroad
• Firas argues that Diaspora  is an essential enabler of the Tunisian economy and would play a big role for investing in other fields such as Medtech, fintech, edtech, to create jobs and opportunities for local talents
• Finally, they discussed the difference between the legal framework in France and Tunisia, what are the main challenges and concluded the conversation with some insights into the future of Relatic & afrikwity.com as a platform and how they would be scaling it for a sustainable impact on the region

Here is what they covered in more detail:

• Jess' background: from arts to Checkout.com
• What’s the problem Checkout.com is solving? What’s Jess's focus as a Crypto strategist?
• Will we pay with crypto more widely, or will most cryptocurrencies play the role of digital gold?
• How would the use of stablecoins fit into the traditional economy?
• The current status quo of CBDCs from the perspective of end users (individuals)
• Key clients for Checkout.com
• Why Jess believes their solutions are better than competitors'
• Crypto markets this year: why have we seen such a correlation with traditional public markets this year?
• How would you judge the market temperature after you attended the Merge FinTech Nexus conference? Are we entering a crypto winter?
• What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
• News and education sources: Blockworks. Ari Redbord, Lynn Alden and Ryan Selkis
• Best way to reach out: Jess Houlgrave on Twitter or Checkout.com website

Here is what they discussed:

• Michele – what’s your background? How did you get to what you do today? Why join a start-up/scale-up?
• The link between payments, credit score, and lending
• Why do we need alternative credit scoring?
• credolab's performance in predicting bad debt vs. traditional methods
• Privacy and security and your credit score
• Key clients
• Technology angle
• Plans for scaling up
• High-level overview of the business model
• The best way to reach out is mtucci@credolab.com or the credolab website. 

Here is what they talked about: 

• Alistair, Daniel – backstory, why they got together and started a business
• Integrating FinTech's back-end - why is it a problem worth solving?
• How does one measure the success of an infrastructure provider? 
• Who are key clients of Integrated Finance
• What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than anyone else?
• What are their plans for scaling up their business
• How does Integrated Finance make money?
• How big is your team, and where are you based?
• What’s your favorite business book or another resource? Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger's publications and Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, creator of Nike
• What’s the best way to reach out: LinkedIn -  Alistair Cotton and Daniel Cronin's profiles

See more background here:

Despite global tech media coverage being awash with stories of falling start-up valuations and sell-offs witnessed in once-vibrant sectors, Africa is largely defying global trends in VC funding. African start-ups are expected to raise about US$ 7 billion by the end of 2022, representing an almost 60% increase in start-up funding from the previous year, which would be raised by a diverse mix of local and global investors. Fintech continues to dominate, raising about 54% of all venture funding in the continent in 2021. Many reasons have been given for the continued growth witnessed in Africa’s fintech sector, including the fact that these start-ups are solving big problems such as access. Others given include the base effect, and st revenue traction and so on. Whatever the case, Africa continues to attract interest and how long the boom will last is anybody’s guess. To discuss what he calls “the Africanisation of global fintech,” we interview Andrew Barden, Director of Insights at Dedalus Global, and the Lead Organizer and Content Director at the Africa Fintech Summit. In the episode, Andrew shares his outlook on the state of the sector, tips on how business leaders can build resilience in the face of global economic hardship, and what the general factors that make African markets attractive for investment are, from his perspective as a Strategy Consultant and Lead Organizer of the African Fintech Summit, the continent’s leading fintech-focused conference. Finally, we discuss in detail what to expect at the 8th edition of the Africa Fintech Summit, which is coming up in November to be held in Capetown, South Africa, and how to participate in the conference and associated events. He describes why the AFTS is a unique space where ideas are explored, investments are mobilized, and collaborations are formed across sectors and geographies. 

• Why join Kraken Futures?
• What’s the problem you are solving at Kraken Futures, and why is it worth solving? What’s your focus?
• Who are your key clients?
• How secure is trading at Kraken Futures?
• Why are derivatives traded so much? Why are they so important to the centralized market and why are they relevant/used to crypto?
• How big is the crypto derivatives market vs. underlying and how it compares to traditional markets 
• Who are the key crypto derivates players? Do you need ‘market makers’ or their equivalent?
• You launched MCFs (multi-collateral futures) – what’s their benefit vs. other derivatives on crypto?
• How do you see the crypto markets this year? Why we have seen such a correlation with traditional public markets this year?
• What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
• Recommended reading list: see below
• The best way to reach out and find out more about Kraken Futures

Alexia's reading list:

https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin

• https://twitter.com/cobie
• https://twitter.com/hsakatrades
• https://twitter.com/jespow
• https://twitter.com/sbf_ftx
• https://twitter.com/AlamedaTrabucco
• https://twitter.com/barrysilbert

and a few good internet articles/videos:

• Why Decentralization Matters   
• The Meaning of Decentralization 
• But how does bitcoin actually work? 
• An Introduction to Crypto 
• Decrypting Crypto: From Bitcoin and Blockchain to ICOs 

• Emilie, Torgin - why did they become entrepreneurs
• What is a smart contract, and how does it differ from an escrow or automating contract steps that you could do say with a macro?
• Smart contracts audits – sound like the next level of difficulty in the blockchain game. So why do we need them?
• What are the sort of issues you found regarding smart contracts? Did the code not do what was promised? Anything malicious?
• ChainSecurity is a PwC spin-off – will audit firms venture into auditing smart contracts at some point?
• What’s different between Chainsecurity and other smart contract auditors?
• What’s ChainSecurity's technology angle, or is it that they have more brilliant engineers than anyone else?
• Key clients for their services
• How does ChainSecurity deals with potential liability for its work 
• Plans for scaling up
• Business model
• Team and locations
• Further reading: Le futur des espèces, Emilie Raffo's book on crypto (in French), DeFi News from Defiant, an article about Torgin's paper on oracle manipulation https://chainsecurity.com/oracle-manipulation-after-merge/ and the full paper: https://eprint.iacr.org/2022/445, Andreas Antonopoulos Youtube channel
• Reach out here: contact@chainsecurity.com 

Here is what they talked about:

• Yves' journey to entrepreneurship
• What does Skaleet provide? What's the problem you are solving? Does your core banking solution leverage the cloud?
• Skaleet's key clients - incumbents or neobanks who grow into fully licensed banks?
• Why should the CEO of a major European bank hire Skaleet?
• The technology angle
• Plans for scaling up
• The macro outlook for FinTechs and banks in France and Europe this year 
• Implementing core banking solutions can require enormous resources. How big is your team, and where are you based?
• How do you make money?
• What's in store for you before the end of the year and beyond?
• The best way to reach out: Skaleet website

Here is what they talked about:

• Why Danielle joined a start-up/scale-up?
• What does Paddle provide? What's the problem Paddle is solving? 
• What makes Paddle different from many payment or Finance infrastructure providers?
• In addition to payment flows, what else can be automated and how?
• How do you see the impact of automation on jobs in Finance? Aren't most of Finance jobs routine and therefore destined for extinction?
• What's your technology angle?
• Tell us about your scale-up journey so far – how do you deal with going international?
• How do you make money? 
• How big is your team, and where are you based?
• Recommended book on leadership: It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
• What's the best way to reach out: Daniëlle Keeven (Linkedin)

Here is what they covered:

• Roland's journey from an accountant to a banker to an entrepreneur
• For many people, the property is their most significant asset, yet they don't spend much time managing it like other assets (financial ones). So do the financial and property worlds adequately serve consumers, and what could be done better?
• How can one create wealth through property, and how does data play a role?
• How does and should property feature in retirement planning?
• What is Nokkel, and how does this play an in all of this?
• What's your technology angle?
• What are Nokkel's plans for scaling up?
• A high-level overview of the business model
• What's in store for Nokkel before the end of the year and beyond?
• What's your favorite business book? How to create tech products customers love
• What's the best way to reach out: Nokkel and all other social media. Download the app here.

Here is what they covered:

• Tamara's entrepreneurship journey
• Why help others launch their embedded investing solutions?
• What's different between Velexa and other embedded finance technology providers?
• Technology angle
• Plans for scaling up 
• Macro outlook for the start-ups in the UK this year 
• Key clients
• Business model
• Team size and locations
• Where are you on your journey, and what's in store for you before the end of the year and beyond?
• What's your favorite business book? Flash Boys
• The best way to reach out: is through LinkedIn here 

Here is what they talked about:

• Initially, Dorra started the conversation with some insights and background from Amel's experiences and why Tunisia specifically is a potential hub of talents and an excellent bridge for the African market
• Among other topics, Dorra and Amel discussed the opportunities that BetaCube venture building hub is suggesting to start-ups, VCs, and corporate partners in Tunisia and abroad
• Amel argues that FinTech is an essential enabler of the economy in general and would be a starter for investing in other fields such as mobility, logistics, and education to create jobs and opportunities
• Finally, they concluded the conversation with some insights into the future of Betcube and how they would be scaling it for a sustainable impact on the region
• Further reading on the Tunisian FinTech scene

Here is what they talked about:

• Rajeev's background
• Sapphire Ventures introduction
• Why focus on the enterprise software
• What kind of start-ups Sapphire invests in
• Investment approach
• Tips for aspiring founders to start and grow their company, especially B2B
• Funding status quo this year
• Success stories: e.g., Wise, formerly TransferWise
• Sourcing
• Favorite business-related book: Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice 
• Best way to reach out: rajeev@sapphireventures.com

Here is what they talked about:

• Indus' background and entrepreneurial journey
• What does Quolum provide? What's the problem you are solving? Why SaaS?
• What's different between Quolum and other Saas companies out there?
• What's Quolum's technology angle?
• What is the secret recipe to growth at a company?
• How does one transition from a small startup to a big corp?
• What is the experience of being an immigrant founder in the US?
• How does Quolum make money?
• Favorite business books:  3Com: The unsung saga of the Silicon Valley startup that helped give birth to the Internet—and then fumbled the ball and Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company
• What's the best way to reach out: Indus Khaitan (LinkedIn)

Here is what they talked about:

• Dan – what's your background? How did you get to what you do today? Why become an entrepreneur?
• What does Tradier provide? What's the problem you are solving? Why do you believe in embedded finance?
• What's different between Tradier and other infrastructure players in the embedded Finance space?
• What's Tradier's technology angle?
• What are Dan's plans for scaling up and perhaps expanding the product range?
• Thoughts on the social media companies offering investment products 
• How does Tradier make money? 
• Favorite business book: Built for Growth: How Builder Personality Shapes Your Business, Your Team, and Your Ability to Win by Chris Kuenne
• The best way to reach out: sales@trader.com or LinkedIn

Here is what they talked about:

• Bente – what’s your background? How did you get to what you do today in Kenya? Why become an entrepreneur?
• What is mTek? What is the problem you are solving?
• What’s different between mTek and other InsurTech platforms in Africa?
• How did you get going and acquire the first customers when you first started?
• What’s your technology angle?
• What are your plans for scaling up and perhaps expanding the product range?
• How do you make money? 
• How big is your team, and where are you based?
• What’s your favorite business book? Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
• What’s the best way to reach out: LinkedIn

• James's entrepreneurship journey
• What does Bloom provide? What's the problem you are solving?
• What's different between Bloom and other providers of revenue financing?
• What's Bloom's technology angle?
• What are your plans for scaling up?
• What's the outlook for the rest of this year for SMEs that Bloom serves, given the challenging global economic environment?
• How does Bloom make money?
• Clients and Bloom's locations
• Favorite business books: Steve Jobs and Good to Great
• Reach out through LinkedIn or the website 

Here is what they talked about:

• Louis' background: why become an entrepreneur?
• What does Hokodo provide? What’s the problem you are solving? Why trade financing?
• What’s different between Hokodo and other trade financing providers? You also call yourself a BNPL for SMEs – do you work like BNPLs in the consumer space?
• What’s your technology angle?
• What are your plans for scaling up and perhaps expanding the product range?
• You serve SMEs – what sectors do you focus on, and what’s your outlook for the rest of this year, given the challenging global economic environment?
• Where are your clients?
• How do you make money? 
• How big is your team, and where are you based?
• How did you get going and acquire the first customers when you first started?
• What’s your favorite business book? The hard thing about hard things (of course!) by Ben Horowitz and Empowered by Marty Cagan
• What’s the best way to reach out: louis@hokodo.co or LinkedIn

Here is what they covered:

• Drew's background
• Fiat Growth and Fiat Ventures - what do they do? Growth consultancy and VC fund. No relation to Fiat, a car company:)
• What kind of start-ups have you invested in, and what sort of FinTechs have you invested in? 
• What's your investment approach? 
• Tips for aspiring founders to start and grow their company
• Where are we regarding start-up and FinTech valuations, given the macro environment turning for the worse?
• Success story example: Teen-focused FinTech Copper, raising USD 29m in April 2022, led by Fiat Ventures
• Growth consultancy and deal sourcing and insights
• Best way to reach out: Check out Fiat Growth

Here is what they covered:

• Uldis' background
• What does Nexpay provide? What's the problem they are solving
• What's different about Nexpay vs. other neobanks
• Technology angle
• Plans for scaling up and perhaps expanding the product range
• Crypto or digital assets outlook this year
• Your clients are based worldwide - compliance and regulatory aspects
• Business model 
• Team size and location: from Riga, Latvia, to the world
• How did you get going and acquire the first customers when you first started
• Recommended books: Bitcoin Billionaires and The Hard Thing About Hard Things
• The best way to reach out: find Uldis on LinkedIn here. 

Here is what they talked about in more detail:

• Brigitta – what’s your background? How did you get to what you do today?
• I know you are also an expert on Design Thinking – how would you assess the customer-centricity among incumbent banks in Switzerland and, say, a few years back?
• What are some of the best resources (books, courses, studios) where can someone start with Design Thinking? Check out Sparkacademy or Ideo, for example.
• DeFi and metaverse are hot topics – are these topics that banks can work on now or are they Horizon 3 kinds of problems?
• Examples of where you worked with corporate clients on metaverse applications
• Isn’t DeFi going against the incumbents by definition?
• Does corporate innovation work or is it an innovation theater?
• What would advise start-ups trying to work with incumbents? What’s the best way to talk to the right people, and who are they?
• Sustainability entered mainstream investing a while ago as well, yes, we still have issues with ESG investing, sustainability reporting and greenwashing. What are some initiatives in Switzerland that address these issues? What can we do as individuals to progress these topics more?
• Contacts: Creablin´ website or Brigitta Gyoerfi LinkedIn profile

Here is what they talked about:

• Andrej, Richard – what are your backgrounds? How did you get to what you do today, and how did you meet?
• You are co-founders of Nettle – what is Nettle about?
• You built a holographic banker for SLSP – how did this come about?
• Your holographic banker is called Vesna – why Vesna, and can a customer change the name and appearance as they prefer, like voices on your iPhone?
• What were customer reactions to Vesna?
• What can Vesna do in addition to greeting customers at the branch? 
• What kind of technology do you use to make Vesna appear natural and intelligent?
• Where do you see other potential use cases for holographic? 
• Will we be able to use holograms at home soon - just like video calls today?
• What are your growth plans? 
• What’s your favorite business book? Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind  by Y. N. Hariri and William Ury - Getting to Yes
• What’s the best way to reach out: LinkedIn - Andrej Gregus and Richard Guga, or the website Nettle

Here is what they covered:

• Ian – what's your background? How did you get to what you do today?
• What does Intertrust provide? Corporate Client Services, Private Capital & Hedge Fund Services, Capital Markets and Private Wealth
• Your services include many smaller tasks, so I guess leveraging technology is the only way to do it at scale. So what's the technology behind your solution?
• What's your view on open innovation, or do you prefer to develop what you can in-house and the rest from well-established technology vendors? Can FinTechs help you?
• Overall, how do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
• You work a lot with Private Capital players – I bet you have seen a steady increase in private capital vs. public over the years. Do you think this trend will also continue in the world of rising interest rates?
• Your clients are based worldwide - how do you deal with tax and other regulations?
• How do you make money?
• How big is your team, and where are you based?
• What's your favorite business book? Legacy - All Blacks, Michael O'Leary: A Life in Full Flight, Jim Collins's Good to Great. Check out the related micro-course inspired by Jim Collins's Built to Last on Emeritus Insights, presented by Rudolf Falat. 
• Test way to reach out: LinkedIn - Ian Lynch.  

Here is what they covered:

• Julian's entrepreneurial journey
• Should people invest in bitcoin, and why?
• What's the outlook for bitcoin this year?
• What does Relai provide? 
• Overall, how does Relai differ from competitors?
• What's Relai's technology angle - it is run on the blockchain?
• Your clients are based worldwide - how do you deal with compliance?
• How do you make money? 
• How big is your team, and where are you based?
•  What's the best way to reach out? Julian's LinkedIn profile: Julian Liniger, and chat within the Relai app. 

Cameron is an entrepreneurial leader who has launched, built and scaled FinTech companies around the world. Previously, she was the CEO and Co-Founder of Azlo, a leading digital banking platform for small businesses in the US. There, she grew the company to 150 employees, $1B in deposits, supported the financial and business needs of hundreds of thousands of small entrepreneurs, and was recognized as one of Fortune Magazine’s 40 under 40 for her work to deliver financial services to businesses impacted by COVID. 

Topics discussed: 

• Bridging the gap between founders and investors
• Experience and learnings having built a FinTech
• Challenges as a female founder and investor
• How to find the leadership style authentic to you
• Is Web 3 truly the next big thing? 
• How will the FinTech space change in the next few years?

Here is what they talked about in more detail:

• Lauren's background and journey to FinTech
• What does Dwolla provide?
• Are APIs on the back of the old payments infrastructure the final solution to America's payments pain points?
• How does people's desire for privacy come into play regarding payments?
• How does Dwolla distinguish itself from competitors?
• Who are Dwolla's clients? Domestic or international payments?
• What's the technology behind Dwolla's solution?
• How do you make money?
• The female/male ratio in law school vs. FinTech world - how does Lauren handle it?
• Team and locations
• What's your favorite business book: Amp it Up by Frank Slootman, Think Again by Adam Grant
• The best way to reach out: Lauren (Gannon) Martin on LinkedIn

Here is what they covered:

• Kavita's background and her journey to AI
• How companies can get started with the adoption of AI, including concrete strategies with real-world examples
• Steps to recognize AI opportunities that are most suitable for businesses
• The Five Pillars for AI Preparation: Data Readiness, Cultural Readiness, Skills Readiness, Infrastructure Readiness, Budget Readiness
• How to effectively implement AI solutions without hiring a team of data scientists, etc.
• What is and isn't appropriate to expect from AI
• The differences between software automation, robotic process automation (RPA), and AI
• Why the success of AI is a combination of model success, business success, and user success
• Examples of "Vanity AI" and why such pursuits are pointless
• Why Machine Learning (ML) is the core driver of business AI applications
• What a successful AI initiative looks like and how to ensure that AI models see more success than failure
• Why companies are slow to adopt AI even though the need and desire to do so is there
• The best way to reach out and find out more: kavita@opinosis.ai

In more detail, they covered:

• Stephen's background - from banking to gold
• Why should everyone own gold and silver, according to Stephen?
• Are you a blockchain fan? Is Bitcoin a Ponzi scheme? 
• What does GoldCore provide? 
• Overall, how does GoldCore distinguishes itself from competitors?
• What’s the key technology behind GoldCore?
• International clients and precious metals -  how does GoldCore deal with compliance?
• Business model
• Size of the team and locations
• Critical elements of a successful entrepreneurship journey
• Favorite business books: The ABCs of Gold Investing and Nonviolent communication
• The best way to reach out: GoldCore 

In more detail, they covered: 

• Elizabeth's journey in intercultural management and leadership
• As defined by Jim Collins in the book Built to last, visionary companies are the ones that outperformed their peers over decades. The key to their success was reliance on the core company ideology, balancing continuity and progress over decades. One of the features is a cult-like culture. Most of these companies are US-headquartered multinationals. So how do American companies handle working with different cultures when they have expanded worldwide?
• Start-ups often struggle to survive and perhaps don't think about company culture until they grow up. Can you concisely and purposely create a company culture that you want? If yes, what's better and worse, company culture?
• How do you do business in a world that seems to be in permanent crisis for at least the last two years? 
• Gender diversity: what can companies' leaders do to improve it further?
• You wrote a post on LinkedIn recently that acceptance doesn't mean agreement. What does it mean and how do you make that clear across different cultures?
• Where do you agree with Prof. Gert Hofstede regarding his views on intercultural management, and where do you differ?
• Recommended further reading: Intercultural Communication for Global Business  - How Leaders Communicate Success. 20 % OFF with SMA10 code
• What's the best way to reach out and find out more? Follow Elizabeth on Linkedin or check out her website, the Intercultural Leader Institute.