Hey, fintech fam! 💜

Writing to you again from San Francisco ahead of our AI Summit TOMORROW.

(Yes, tomorrow. 😅 Can you tell I said that with some nerves LOL) Grab your ticket here and bring a friend!

In all seriousness, it’s going to be fantastic. My team and I have been HARD at work making sure this event is incredible for you.

AI isn’t new. AI isn’t hype. And AI in fintech?

It dates back to before I was born (yes, I’m a 90s baby if you didn’t know!) with algorithmic trading happening in the 1980s.

Though AI isn’t new, the way consumers perceive artificial intelligence is new.

And for that, we have to have discussions as an industry about championing responsible use, how AI and compliance mix, and what this “new AI age” means for us as businesses who deal with money.

Fintech is Femme readers are among the most conscientious, intelligent, and driven people in the industry.

So, I know you and your crew will be there tomorrow!

With that said… let’s get into it.

INNOVATION

The Future of Fintech Isn’t Fear — It’s Action

As I write this, it’s the night before the Fintech Is Femme AI Summit — our first-ever event during San Francisco Tech Week (SO cool!)

My team is finalizing badges and swag bags. The stage lights are being tested. My keynote cards are stacked on my desk, coffee stains and all.

And as I rehearse my opening lines, one thought keeps circling in my mind:

“Fintech isn’t an industry anymore — it’s a layer of the internet.”

Tomorrow, 200 founders, investors, and operators will gather to talk about the future of AI in financial technology — but for me, it’s bigger than that.

We’re not just talking about technology. We’re talking about trust. About access. About who gets to participate in the systems that shape our economy — and who gets left behind.

So this week, instead of a traditional newsletter, I’m sharing the ideas behind my opening monologue. The ones shaping my view on how AI and fintech can, and must, evolve together.

Because the future doesn’t get written by fear…. It gets built by action.

Fear Is Not a Strategy

If you read the headlines, you’d think we were on the verge of a robot apocalypse.

“AI will take your job.”

“AI will destroy democracy.”

“AI girlfriends are breaking up with their users.”

That last one is a real headline, by the way… 👀

We’ve been here before. Every major tech shift, from mobile to crypto, started with a wave of hype, fear, and speculation.

But the thing about fear? It’s not productive.

It sells, sure. And maybe it makes us FEEL productive. But it doesn’t build.

In media, we have a saying: “What bleeds, leads.”

Fear drives anxiety. Anxiety drives clicks.

But the opposite of anxiety isn’t confidence — it’s actually action.

And that’s the work ahead of us.

Because while the rest of the world debates the dangers of AI, fintech builders (you, me, us) are here to put it to work responsibly.

AI in Fintech: From Systemic Exclusion to Systemic Inclusion

Let’s take a step back and examine a prime example of AI meeting fintech. 

For nearly four decades, the FICO score has acted as a financial gatekeeper.

The FICO score is not just a number. It’s actually a barrier.

And this barrier has dictated who gets access to credit, to housing, to entrepreneurship.

AI can change that. In fact, it already is.

Companies are beginning to use alternative data, behavioral insights, and advanced models to underwrite people who’ve been invisible to traditional systems — immigrants, gig workers, single parents, women entrepreneurs.

Because of that, when used responsibly, AI isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about empathy at scale.

(And it’s the difference between judging someone for their past and investing in their potential.)

But that transformation will only work if we (the founders, operators, and investors shaping this space) design AI systems that reflect human diversity and integrity.

Hard truth: Algorithms don’t invent bias… they inherit it. From us. From humans!

The Stripe Story: Why Showing Up Matters

Ok, so here’s a real story….

When we produced our Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit earlier this year in New York, we needed a small business line of credit to cover production costs.

We went to banks. We went to credit unions.

Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

And then — we got approved by Stripe. (Who is helping us put on tomorrow’s event!)

Not because I knew someone there, but because the data spoke for itself. Stripe saw real transactions coming in, ticket sales, partner payments, and extended a credit line based on that proof of demand.

That moment changed everything for us.

Because the same infrastructure that’s been used to power commerce can also be used to power equity.

That one act of access allowed us to host our biggest event yet — two stages, 400 attendees, 3x revenue growth, and our first-ever Fintech Security Summit.

That’s the story of fintech in action:

When we show up, we build systems that see us.

When we pay for the ticket (link is here to grab yours for tomorrow if you haven’t!), when we invest in the ecosystem, we lay the foundation for women to lead.

That’s how the future gets funded! By participation, not permission.

AI Isn’t Replacing Us. But It Is Requiring Us to Evolve

Every technological leap has redefined what it means to be human at work.

The Industrial Revolution automated labor.

The Internet democratized information.

AI will personalize intelligence.

So yes, AI will change jobs — but it’s already creating new ones:

• AI compliance officers.

• Trust and transparency designers.

• Agent workflow strategists.

• Behavioral finance modelers.

The true risk isn’t AI taking our jobs.

It’s us (humans) not evolving to embrace AI and use it to its fullest potential.

And that’s why events like tomorrow’s Summit matter.

It’s where you can ACTUALLY lead the conversation. Not just follow it.

Women Will Define the Next Financial Era

Let’s be real. Women make up half the population, earn more degrees than men (go girls), and control 85% of consumer spending.

Yet we still leave $700 billion on the table every year because the system wasn’t built for us.

In AI, women hold just one-third of leadership roles — and only 10% of CEO positions.

And that number isn’t rising in 2025… believe it or not, It’s falling.

That’s why Fintech Is Femme exists.

Because the opposite of the boys’ club isn’t a closed room of women — it’s an open room of diverse leaders building systems that work for everyone.

The future of fintech isn’t pink-washed credit cards or token diversity panels.

It’s women like Anna Joo Fee of Goodfin, Laurel Taylor of Candidly, Jackie Wylie of Middesk, and Sibongile Ngako of Brex who are building companies that are both human-centered and high-performing.

This is what I mean when I say the feminine future of fintech.

Not “soft.” Not “safe.” That doesn’t equal feminine.

Feminine? She’s strong, strategic, and systemic.

Our Job Now: Build Better Systems

AI is here.

Fintech is the infrastructure.

And the question now isn’t if we’ll integrate these technologies — it’s how.

We can build AI that widens the gap… or one that closes it.

We can use data to exploit… or to empower.

We can make products that extract… or that expand access.

The bar isn’t perfection; it’s participation.

If we want AI to reflect our values, then we need our voices in the room.

Tomorrow, as I look out at a room full of 200 builders, investors, and dreamers in San Francisco, here’s what I’ll remind them:

If this city represents what comes next, this room represents who leads it.

And if fintech became the infrastructure of the internet…

AI is about to become the conscience of it.

Let’s make sure it tells a story we can all be proud of.

The people who are part of telling that story will be joining us tomorrow! Make sure you’re there.

End tomorrow night on a healthy note

At the end of tomorrow’s event, we are hosting a Wellness Hour (proudly powered by J.P. Morgan!)

We have several AMAZING wellness brands who will be joining us and gifting you incredible swag and goodies to take home.

Connect with them ahead of the event and be sure to say hello tomorrow: Cecila and Dr. Thara of Hey Freya, Lily Shapiro at AKITA, Amy Bett at Drink Melo, Carolina at OneSkin, Kat at AG1, Lauren at Summer Fridays, and you’ll see some Peter Thomas Roth products there, too!

If you can’t attend the whole event tomorrow but want to be part of the Wellness Hour and network: grab a “Wellness Hour Reception Only” ticket here and join us from 5-6 PM.

_{I WANT IT, I GOT IT}

• 🎧 Today’s Listen: When in California… Hotel California by The Eagles. And interestingly enough, the deeper meaning of this song (a metaphor for the dark side of the American Dream) is really resonating with me this week. My partner and I can’t eat lunch in San Francisco without spending $100, yet homelessness runs rampant. I am hopeful AI can help solve human crises like the wealth disparity. If you are bullish on this possibility too, join me tomorrow!

• 🚀 Today’s Watch: Anton and I recently watched Pop Star Academy, the docuseries about the formation of the girl group, KATSEYE. As a former dancer, it reminded me that so much of what we do in business is performance… in the sense that it takes so. much. practice. to get right. So keep practicing and keep improving!

• 🧘‍♀️Today’s Self-Care: Today’s self-care looks like doing the things I need to do to make sure tomorrow’s event is impactful and transformative for you! Not every day is a face mask and bubble bath day… today it’s practicing speeches, doing a walk of the venue, and more!

_FINTUNES

🎶 Debut — KATSEYE

Speaking of KATSEYE…

_{LET’S CONNECT}

📣 Get your tickets and join us tomorrow!

📰 Share this newsletter with a friend and start growing your network.

🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn for daily insights on female leadership.

📚 The holidays are coming, in charge of purchasing office gifts? Grab my book, Fintech Feminists! It looks nice on the coffee table 😉

That wraps up today’s edition—thanks as always for reading! Until next time, keep innovating and challenging the status quo. 

See you Thursday (but hopefully TOMORROW!)

Love,

Nicole 💜