A journey through six glasses

If you look back at the whirlwind week that was Finovate Fall in New York, what do you remember most?

Beyond the serendipity moments and the halls buzzing with energy, I remember the glasses — and the stories behind them.

Small ceramic cups with shots of double espresso at my favorite spot by Bryant Park while catching up with old friends and reminiscing about the future of fintech, venture funding, and AI. Beautiful cups of fragrant earl grey at a charming tea house uptown while daydreaming about living abroad. Handcrafted glasses with Japanese whiskey — unwinding after an action-packed day. Oh and the cute panda jugs, cocktail glasses, and stemmed rosé glasses — while taking a trip down the memory lane with friends.

In my culture, food brings people together. There is something profoundly intimate about sharing food —?that is far more than just sustenance. It fosters conversations, helps us find commonalities, and builds connections.

As Anthony Bourdain said, "You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together." We only have limited amount of time in the world.?Spend it with people and on things that are worthy of your attention.

Now, if only there is a more elegant way of splitting the bill instead of having 6 credit cards on a tray.

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In the recent Finovate Fall panel, I asked my wonderful panelists the following: "Has fintech fulfill its mission?"

Curious to hear what you think — and what more we should focus on.

Drop me a comment and let's chat!

What I am reading ...

[1] AI and fraud

"Consumers reported $5.4 billion in losses due to financial services fraud in the first half of 2024, compared to the $4.9 billion in the first half of 2023, according to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the FTC."

So perhaps it would perhaps come as no surprise that Mastercard agreed to a $2.65 billion acquisition of Recorded Future, which sells generative AI-powered technology that analyzes different data sources to identify potential security threats.

[2] Against the odds: A hiring spree

In spite of the challenges and layoff news in the industry, Bunq is planning to grow their global headcount from 427 to 735 by the end of 2024 as they plan expansion into new regions.

[3] Learning from failure

"Worldly wisdom teaches that it is better for reputation to fail conventionally than to succeed unconventionally.”

But John Thornhill from the FT wrote that "the genius of Silicon Valley is that it despises conventional failure and tries to create a safe space for unconventional success. More companies, especially in Europe, need to re-embrace that founder mode."

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Recently, I joined Hailey Oh and Tanvi Singh on their show, Girls in Finance , to chat about fintech, community, and gender equity. And we had a BLAST!

Episode 12 : Why Community Matters for Women in Finance

Tune in and give them a follow!

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In this week's One Vision podcast ...

Traditional views on financial milestones and pathways to financial security are changing, and we need different solutions to address our changing needs at various stages of life.

In this episode of One Vision — FinTech Fuse! I chat with April Clobes , President/CEO of MSU Federal Credit Union on the impact of technology in the credit union industry. There is an immense interest in deploying AI to create personalized solutions for members and drive efficiencies for credit unions;?how we can best leverage the technology in a responsible and fair manner is an on-going exercise.

Financial services industry is at an interesting and exciting crossroad. Much work to be done, there is.?

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