The gift of time

If you could have anything in the world, what would you wish for?

I found myself pondering that very question in recent weeks. Coincidentally, my daughter drew me a card with the following for Mother's Day.

She knows me best.

"I'd give you all the free time you could ever need." She wrote.

Isn't time what we always wish we'd have more? What would you do with extra time in your hands?

• I could read more books instead of having them piled up on the bookshelf.
• I could run more regularly and get back in shape for another 13.1.
• I could spend more time with people that I care about.
• I could work with more founders and be a bit more responsive with my emails.
• Or I could simply sleep more.

And so the list goes.

But having more free time would also give me an opportunity to look back at my personal journey and the crossroads — reflect upon when someone gave me the gift of their time, forming ripples in the water that still resonate as years go by.

I often talk about my telecom industry background and my career pivot from healthtech to fintech at the NGO, one that was triggered by a group of older adults and their caregivers spending extended time with us for an ethnographic study. Their stories made me more appreciative of the multifaceted nature of the challenges that many face, and the opportunities that exist for innovation.

I still remember hosting the first fintech hackathon in 2016 during SantaCon in New York City —?where teams volunteered their time over the weekend and dug in to better understand the challenges that the 50-plus faced financially.

"Back to the future — what's gonna happen with the banking industry in the next 5 yrs?" I asked, albeit naively.

I still remember the first time sponsoring the Plug and Play fintech cohort and launching our pitch day — and the giddiness I felt whenever I was able to spend time with the startup founders who were so passionate about using technology to solve problems for the forgotten demographics. Their drive still fuels me today, and reminds me of our collective responsibility to the changing world.

And I still remember the pride and excitement I felt we launched our first set of research reports on fintech innovation and opportunities for older adults, and industry friends who spent time with us and helped spread the word, including ?? Jim Marous (who covered our report), Patrick Rivenbark (who gave me a space to write), Penny Crosman (who gave me a voice), and Victor Cruz (who gave me a stage).

That felt like a lifetime ago. And while we may not have made as much progress as I wish and tipped the scale, we have inched forward ... even if it's just a tad bit, with cohorts of new torchbearers who have continued the mission of financial inclusion and thoughtful innovation.

As I walk down the memory lane, reminiscing the time that has passed us by, I am grateful for the gift of time. A gift that keeps on giving —?but not to be taken for granted.

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Coming up next ...

Join us at Finovate Spring from May 23 through May 25 for demos, fireside chat, panel discussions, and more.

• Beyond The Hype: Why Banking in the Metaverse Matters ... with Barb MacLean , Edward Blatnik , and Catherine Porter
• Fireside Chat: How AI Will Help Deliver The Future Of Banking ... with Joe Toscano
• AI In Action – How Smart Players Are Harnessing AI To Solve Real Pain Points For Their Businesses Internally & For Their Customers ... with Vivian Yeung , Sarah Hinkfuss , Ben Budde , and Siddharth Sureka

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This week on One Vision ...

Funding concerns and talent shortages, as well as geopolitical tensions and conflicts, have cast a shadow on our thriving, vibrant industry. Against the backdrop of these challenges and the cost of living crisis, what should we focus on and how do we move forward?

Don’t miss this week’s One Vision, where I welcome Raf De Kimpe , CEO of Fintech Week London , back to the show to talk about what to expect at the flagship conference — a meeting of the minds and hours of thoughtful conversations with some of the brightest in the industry.

This is the FinTech Conference you’ve been waiting for. And it’s not to be missed!

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