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Finovate Blog
Tracking fintech, banking & financial services innovations since 1994
Trends in fintech move fast, and one way to stay ahead of each new advancement is to follow the minds of thought leaders in the space. That’s why, for FinovateFall 2023, we’ve gathered an insightful group of speakers to take the stage during the event, which takes place on September 11 through 13 in New York. Be sure to register soon; FinovateFall is typically our largest event.
The diverse group of speakers will offer presentations on a wide range of industry topics, including payments, decentralized finance, lending, open banking, AI, and more. FinovateFall will host almost 130 speakers. And because it’s difficult to feature them all in a single post, we’ve distilled the list to highlight a handful of fintech celebrities that will grace the stage.
Alexa Von Tobel, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Inspired Capital
Alexa Von Tobel is the co-founder and managing partner of Inspired Capital. Prior to Inspired Capital, Alexa founded LearnVest in 2008 with the goal of helping people make progress on their money.
Matt Harris, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures
Matt Harris is a Partner at Bain Capital Ventures in New York City and focuses on investments in financial technology. He sees a huge amount of revenue, profit, and market cap shifting from regulated financial institutions to entrepreneur-led insurgents, across payments, lending, capital markets, real estate and insurance.
Jacqueline Baker, Author of The Unexpected Leader
Jacqueline M. Baker is a speaker, author, leadership consultant and advisor known for her unique approach to modern etiquette and leadership. As the author of The Unexpected Leader: Discovering the Leader Within You and Leader by Mistake: Becoming A Leader One Mistake At A Time, she frequently speaks and writes on the leadership-for-all concept.
Sam Kilmer, Managing Director at Cornerstone Advisors
Sam Kilmer leads Cornerstone Advisors’ fintech advisory practice working with industry providers, fintechs, and investors. He also leads select strategy engagements with banks and credit unions.
Jill Castilla, President & CEO at Citizens Bank of Edmond
As President & CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond, a one-location $350 million community bank in suburban Oklahoma City, and Chairman of Citizens Bancshares, Inc., Jill Castilla is a nationally recognized innovator in banking and financial technology.
Finovate always goes to great lengths to scout and bring together the brightest minds for keynote presentations, showcasing the most thought-provoking ideas on the main stage.
FinovateSpring, which takes place in San Fransiscso May 23 to 25, is no different. We’re thrilled to host six keynote presentations from all-star speakers. Get ready to gain valuable insights, discover innovative strategies, and be inspired by these speakers as they delve into crucial topics shaping the future of finance and technology.
Check out our six main-stage keynotes below:
Capitalizing on Competitive Advantages, Avoiding Moat Mirages
Ben Clayman, Engineering Leader at Square, will offer his deep understanding of the fintech landscape to guide attendees through the intricacies of leveraging competitive advantages while avoiding the pitfalls of false market barriers. His insights and practical strategies will empower professionals to chart a course for sustainable success in the ever-evolving fintech industry.
The Global Economic & Geo-Political Outlook – What Next? What Are The Challenges & Hidden Icebergs Ahead?
John C. Hulsman, President & Managing Partner at John C. Hulsman Enterprises will offer up his knowledge of global economics and geopolitics. Hulsman will unravel the potential risks and opportunities that lie ahead for the fintech and financial sectors. Gain invaluable foresight into the intricate interplay of geopolitical factors and economic landscapes, which will equip you to navigate the challenges and seize emerging opportunities with confidence.
Understanding The Recent Banking Instability Through The Lens Of Geopolitical Risk – How This Impacts Central Bank Policy And What It Means For Fintechs & Financial Institutions
Manas Chawla, CEO at London Politica, will share his expertise in geopolitics and shed light on the correlation between political dynamics, central bank policies, and their impact on the stability of the banking sector, offering valuable perspectives for fintech professionals.
Quick-Fire Keynotes
Climate Change, ESG & Financial Services, What Do Wall Street & Your Customers Want? How Can Banks Avoid Greenwashing? Why Digitisation & Sustainability Go Hand In Hand
Cathryn Peirce, Founder & CEO at Carbon Zero Financial
Financial Inclusion & Financial Wellness – Harnessing Data and Segmentation To Help Your Customers To Achieve Long Term Financial Health In Tough Economic Times
Ashish Gupta, Chief Risk Officer at LendingPoint
The Intersection Of Financial Services And Commerce – How Embedded Finance Can Generate Over $100 Billion in Revenue for Banks
Sam Kilmer, Managing Director, Fintech Advisory at Cornerstone Advisers
Last month at FinovateEurope, we spoke with Trulioo Chief Product Officer Michael Ramsbacker to gain some insight on how financial services institutions can overcome challenges related to identity verification.
Tune in to this four-minute video to hear what Ramsbacker has to say about fraud, challenges in identity verification, and Trulioo’s global digital platform.
We see founders from across all fintech sectors at every Finovate event, and FinovateEurope 2023 was no different. At last month’s event, we gave five fintech founders a microphone to answer five questions.
In the four-minute video below, you’ll hear from Katalin Kauzli, Co-Founder and Business Development Director of Partner Hub; Gonzalo de la Peña, Founder and Chief Business Development Officer at Openfinance; Alexander Lempka, Co-Founder and CEO at Connect Earth; Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO at AZA Finance; and Anandhi Dhukaram, CEO and Founder at Esdha.
Each of these experts talks about their struggles, advice for running a company, what they wish they knew sooner, and who they could not operate without.
Europe is a leading region in open banking and open finance, and the region’s fintech experts have a lot to say about both topics. While we were at FinovateEurope in London last month, our team set out to gather thoughts on the open banking and open finance environment in Europe and beyond.
In this five-minute video, we feature nine industry leaders who talk about the overall purpose of open banking and open finance, why they are important, and monetization strategies. The clip also addresses customer sentiment– are end users really on board?
It’s impossible for anyone to avoid payments. And it’s impossible for banks to avoid payments technology. That’s why our team spent time at FinovateEurope last month interviewing industry experts on the topic of payments.
In the six-minute video below, Starling Bank CEO Sam Everington shared his view on why banks are in the technology business. Other panelists share payments sector trends– including embedded finance and super apps– pain points, and what to expect in the future. The video also addresses CBDCs and the role of crypto and digital assets and explores the role of banks.
For many, FinovateEurope is like a family reunion. For others, it’s all about the new trends and tech that will change the course of finance. Find out what brings everyone back to FinovateEurope – check out our event highlights.
The environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiative is no longer just for niche investment portfolios. Instead, the entire banking and fintech industry is going green, and we’re here for it. With that in mind, we have something exciting to announce.
Sustainability Scholarship Program
New this year, we’re promoting ESG within the industry with our Sustainability Scholarship Program for demoing companies. We launched the program to highlight and help the individuals and companies driving fintech forward through sustainable and equitable practices.
How it works
Starting with FinovateSpring, taking place May 18 through 20 in San Francisco, we’ll be looking for applications from prospective demo companies led by underrepresented founders and startups tackling climate change, diversity, and financial inclusion, and granting them complimentary demo participation. Select companies from that applicant pool will be granted complimentary demo slots in our demo line-up for the show.
We’ve always had an application process for the demos we showcase on stage at Finovate events, but the new Sustainability Scholarship Program will help expand our demo lineup. By offering a scholarship to ESG focused startups, we’ll be able to include more voices, more perspectives, and more cutting-edge thinking within fintech, which is an incredibly important initiative.
How to apply
Each event, starting with FinovateSpring 2022, will have scholarship opportunities for eligible* startups working in the following categories:
Environmental: Available to companies pursuing climate-related, environmental, or green fintech
Social: Available to companies with socially conscious fintech solutions
Governance: Available to companies that emphasize responsible governance and leadership
Person of Color Founded/Owned: Available to companies with person-of-color founders or owners
Female Founded/Owned: Available to companies with female founders or owners
Our team will review submissions in each sustainability area and award complimentary demo packages to each of the winners. As part of the demo package, each winner will also receive special sustainability branding.
Companies working in these areas who are interested in demoing at an upcoming event should apply through Finovate’s traditional application process and note their scholarship interest on the application form.
*To be eligible for the program, startups must have less than $7 million in funding.
We have 70+ demo companies at this year’s FinovateFall event, taking place September 13 through 15 online and in-person in New York City. These demos, combined with a full lineup of keynotes and panel discussions, will bring a wide variety of themes. To get an idea of what’s trending this year, we’re taking a look at the key themes repeated throughout both the demos and the discussions.
For the demos, we’ve distilled the themes into five major categories, as outlined below.
Data
Today’s data discussions transcend the conversations of Big Data that were en vogue in 2015. This year, data is everywhere; it touches everything. Companies will be looking at how they can help gather, clean, and analyze data; how they can place the customer in charge of their own data while allowing the firm to leverage consumer data; and how they can collaborate with others around data. They will also be discussing specific use cases such as receipt data and pulling data from paper documents. At this year’s event, seemingly everything is data-driven.
Fraud prevention & compliance
We can expect to see solutions to prevent financial crime at pretty much every event. Fraud is ubiquitous in financial services because bad actors consistently benefit from it. This fintech sub-sector is continuously evolving as hackers become more and more cunning. And this year, we’ve noticed the addition of more compliance tools to assist with regulations and audits around fraud.
Digital assistant
With the Delta variant in full force, we still have not entered a post-COVID world. Given that our social distancing habits must persist, companies are investing more energy in developing digital assistants. No matter how you may feel about chatbots, they have proven to be a viable way to communicate with clients when in person discussions are no longer an option. And this theme goes beyond chatbots. Digital assistants including AI-powered call centers and automated customer interactions of all types are rising up to help take the burden off of customer service agents during a time when in-branch conversations are not possible.
Customer engagement
Another byproduct of COVID’s aftermath, customer engagement technologies continue to be front-and-center on the minds of banks, fintechs, and (of course) consumers alike. Because so much of our lives currently takes place online, customers now expect an engaging, personalized customer experience.
One of the ways financial firms are tackling this challenge is by creating a gamified user experience. By taking wha typically is viewed as a chore and making it into something fun, customers are more likely to use and return to an app or an online experience.
Another key to customer engagement is, of course, personalization. By leveraging data to center the user experience around the customer’s needs, fintechs and banks can ensure to captivate their existing client base and reign in new ones.
Financial planning and investing
The roboadvisor craze of 2015 has matured, and has left a number of powerful fintechs in its wake. This is thanks to increased popularity combined with enabling technologies of the new decade. Unlike the first wave of roboadvisory tools, today’s offerings tend to take a more holistic and personalized approach. At this year’s event, we’ll see tools that look at consumers’ financial wellness as a whole, not just their retirement savings.
Another difference from early wealthtech tools is that more of today’s offerings are B2B instead of strictly B2C. At FinovateFall 2021, we’ll see tools that help advisors create more value for their clients and products for employers to help their workforce build better financial health.
What’s missing?
Notably absent from this list are two major themes I would have expected to see. The first is Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), the payment technology that allows customers to pay for purchases in installments after receiving the product. Companies like Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and Sezzle have popularized BNPL, and many retailers and payment companies alike have implemented various versions of this model. Given the seemingly viral nature of BNPL, it’s surprising that only a single demo company, Zeta, offers BNPL technology.
The second missing piece this year is AI, which has been a top trend for years. So how can discussions of such a pervasive theme be so absent? The answer is in the question; AI is so pervasive that it has now become table stakes for every fintech sub-sector. In other words, AI has blended into the background. If firms want to compete and offer worthwhile products and services, they must, at a minimum, be leveraging AI.
FinovateFall won’t just be about the demos. We have an impressive lineup of keynote speakers, panelists, and fireside chats to share a range of perspectives on today’s hottest fintech topics. While you’re at the event, keep an eye out for the following themes:
Cybersecurity & financial crime
Neobanks
ESG
Financial inclusion
Leadership
Automation
Open finance
Wealth management
Digital transformation
Cryptocurrency
Faster payments
Customer experience
We’re so excited to return to New York this year! We’ll see you either online or in person starting September 13 at 8 a.m. Eastern time and continuing through the 15th. Book your tickets here.
With a new venue in a new city, new visionary keynote speakers, new cutting-edge innovations and a new consolidated event format, you’ll get all the insights you need no matter what your focus!
Join 1,100+ senior financial and banking executives, venture capitalists, press, industry analysts, bloggers, regulators and entrepreneurs from the Bay Area and beyond in San Francisco.
Book your ticket by Friday, April 26 and save up to $400.
Top 6 Reasons to Attend
1. Highly efficient format
Our short-form demo-based format allows you to see a huge number of demos over two days. Each presenter has just seven minutes – with no slides or video allowed. You see live technology with no filler. Learn more about who will be on stage.
2. Stay ahead of the curve
Fintech innovation continues at a blistering pace. Finovate is the best way to find the next big advantage before your competitors. Don’t get left behind. View the 2019 agenda.
3. Only the best
Our competitive application process means you only see the very best demos. We handpick each company on stage, and they all give you a live demo – so you only see technology that works today. Learn more about the industry problems the demoing companies will be solving.
4. One-on-one connections
Speak to the founders, innovators, directors innovators and more. This isn’t your typical trade show. It’s your chance to engage directly with the people behind the world’s most exciting technology. And Finovate’s new networking app suggests the most relevant contacts for you based on your needs. Learn more about who’s attending.
5. Learn from visionaries
Hear from industry leaders and find out what’s coming next. The demos show you the best technology available now, and the speakers provide a unique insight into the future of the industry. Learn more about the speaker lineup.
6. Something for everyone
Whether you’re looking for a specific solution or just curious to see what’s out there, you’ll leave Finovate with new ideas and a fresh outlook. Broad vision or deep insight – we’ve got it all. Now is your chance to save up to $400.
FinovateEurope is only 2 weeks away and our presenters and speakers are hard at work preparing for their time on stage. Want to know more about the expert speakers you’ll hear analyze the latest trends, opportunities and challenges facing fintech innovation?
Speakers will include:
David Birch
Global Ambassadaor
Consult Hyperion
David will be the chairman of Day 3 at FinovateEurope 2019. He is an internationally-recognised thought leader in digital identity and digital money; was named one of the global top 15 favourite sources of business information by Wired magazine and one of the top ten most influential voices in banking by Financial Brand; created one of the top 25 “must read” financial IT blogs; was found by PR Daily to be one of the top ten Twitter accounts followed by innovators, along with Bill Gates and Richard Branson and was rated Europe’s most influential commentator on emerging payments by Total Payments.
Russell will discuss how technology is augmenting relationships between brands and customers and why the future of loyalty is centered around relevant and meaningful one to one interactions, at scale.
As one of Fast Company’s Most Influential Women in Technology and Forbes’ 50 Names You Need to Know, Tan will show you how automation is an opportunity rather than a threat, as humans and machines become increasingly integrated.
In addition to absorbing the inspiring and educational content of the innovative demos and speakers, FinovateEurope offers you structured, high-impact networking opportunities. The kinds of job titles and seniorities you’ll mix with at the event include:
Don’t miss your chance to join 1300+ start-ups, senior financial and banking executives, venture capitalists, press, industry analysts, bloggers, regulators and entrepreneurs from the Bay Area and all over the world.
This is your chance to hear from and network with the innovators behind the most exciting tech in finance, and the people interested in using or investing in it.
See the innovators pioneering change and make strong connections with people that can help you.
Next month we’ll announce the innovative demoing companies you’ll see on stage. For now, enjoy a sneak peek at the latest agenda and speakers.
Tim Urban
Founder @ Wait But Why
The Rise of the Machines – The Artificial Intelligence Revolution and the Road to Superintelligence. What will AI mean for the future of financial services and the future of work?
