Finding Your Conference Community (Recap of the Money 20/20 RiseUp Program in Amsterdam)

Founders: how do you measure the return on attending an event? Is it business cards collected? Side events attended? New LinkedIn connections in your inbox? For me, it’s about community.?

Attending conferences is one of my job's most rewarding (but exhausting) parts. Taking time away from my work at FrequenC to travel to a different city (or country), attend networking events, and be “on” for conference programming and side sessions needs to be worth it.?

Usually, founders show up at conferences to learn. We’re dancing a complex dance of monitoring inboxes, putting out fires, and absorbing new information.

Here’s my take: we should bond around this shared experience. It will foster authentic communications and ensure people leave conferences less stressed and more fulfilled.?

Two weeks ago, I attended Money 20/20 as part of its RiseUp Europe program , an “annual global program that answers the call to champion more diversity across the money ecosystem.” I joined thirty other women in Amsterdam for three days of intense networking, mentorship sessions, workshops, and genuine conversation. We explored the most cutting-edge fintech advancements and shared our career journeys (and pitfalls). I left the Netherlands refreshed and ready to build. Here are some key takeaways from the event, including how community plays a role.?

The AI-powered future of fintech ??

I’m not exaggerating when I say the AI session rooms overflowed with people. You're not alone if you’re curious about AI’s penetration into the financial world. More than 4,000 Money 20/20 attendees are right there with you.?

Malcolm deMayo of 英伟达 , Chalapathy Neti from Swift , Jon Ander Beracoechea, PhD of BBVA , and Ingsoftware Mariana Gomez de la Villa delivered a compelling panel on generative AI within fintech and financial services. The use cases they explored are not your average LinkedIn influencer’s favorite ChatGPT hacks. AI will transform security and fraud prevention. It will pull from an incredible data pool–much of the world connects through financial transactions.?

As the session attendance showed, there’s a lot of hype around AI. Customers and stakeholders are keen to get the latest AI tools as soon as possible. However, companies know that they need seamless experiences to launch successfully. While the sector experiences rapid development, companies are in build mode. The focus right isn't on delivering something consumer-friendly (yet) but on studying and researching the data AI collects.?

Understanding your market is an underestimated component of AI development. I had the opportunity to discuss one of my new projects with the Money 20/20 cohort. (More on this soon - I promise. ??) The feedback I heard from potential users vastly differed from what investors shared. Candid conversations with users and having a community to host these discussions will support meaningful product launches.

What’s next for fintech diversity? ??

Diversity extended beyond a token “Women in Fintech” panel at Money 20/20. Inclusion was central to the conference themes. Everyone agreed the future of fintech is intersectional.?

Rob Moffat , @Rohan Sivajoti, Bimpe Nkontchou , and Olga Zoutendijk presented a thought-provoking session on building an engaged, diverse, and inclusive workforce. Diversity transcends meeting hiring quotas or launching certain initiatives. It drives belonging and supports economic empowerment. True diversity is not about bettering your company. It’s about inspiring future generations, improving entire industries, and fixing a broken system.

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Women in web3 know this story very well. Many initiatives exist to support women in the field, but only some take them seriously. Monica Talan and Cleve Mesidor spoke candidly about how to power women in web3. Doing so will benefit the sector and encourage more women to not only launch web3 careers but also drive mainstream adoption overall.

A community couldn’t be more critical here. Being a woman founder can be challenging and lonely. We must encourage each other to stay connected and use our networks to help break barriers and succeed together. It’s an added responsibility but one well worth it.?

Championing purpose-driven careers with RiseUp ??

In its fifth year, Money 20/20 continues to build a better future for women in fintech worldwide. Hearing from Annie G. of Silkpay , Liliana Carmona of 摩根大通 , Sharon Chen from 安永 , and Money 20/20’s president Tracey Davies (Byers) was enlightening.?

Tracey also explored the concepts of money, tech, and climate alongside activist Lily Cole. Tech isn’t the only important thing for global fintech. The industry needs to hone its power to support climate action. A Deloitte report revealed not acting could cost the global industry $178 trillion by 2070. We cannot afford to stand silent on climate change, in all senses of the word. We need to come together as a community to make a measurable difference.?

From climate action to AI, Money 20/20 and the RiseUp programs showed attendees what it means to pursue a passionate career. Mental and physical health are both part of this! I had many inspiring and helpful conversations before the trip with my mentor Tiama Hanson-Drury as well as all of the other incredible mentors and mentees during the program. The off-stage interactions were just as beneficial as the on-stage presentations.?

We entered the event fresh off the work week and ended it inspired to build a better future of work for ourselves and the world.?

Many thanks to Tracey Davies (Byers) , Almudena Solera , and Scarlett Sieber for making this event possible.

And a major shoutout to my fellow cohort members and program mentors Astrid Huijssoon , Alexa Karp , Susan M. Barton , Alma Miller , Dawn C. , Shivani Baghel , Nina Mohanty , Nicole Zimmermann , Hester van Gool , Nabanita Roy , ?Anne Ravanona , Veronique Steiner , Lesley Li , Niamh Linehan , Abimbola Oladipo , Marta Gallego Mena , Kristyna Schusterova , Sophia Shluger , Tania Ziegler , Teju Adeyinka , Agnieszka Czasnojc , Anastasiya Lebedz , Mariel Vasquez , Anneli Bartholdy , Michaela Butt , ??Elena Kriek ???? , Heidi Lee , Billie Miric , Jennifer Murphy , Lauren Passey , María Alejandra Peralta Giraldo , Rachel P. , Rufei Qian , Reem El Seed , Maarja-Liisa Soe , Noa Srebrnik , Soraya Thompson , Mariel Vasquez , Mara Vendramin , Karen Wall , Anna Wierna , André D. for the unforgettable conversations and connections.?