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Hey, fintech fam! 💜

What a whirlwind week, right? I’m finally back home in NYC (and wow, that redeye flight is still hitting hard 🙃) after a fantastic time at Fintech Meetup in Las Vegas.

It was so incredible catching up with so many of you in person! Whether you said hi, joined my panel, or caught me recording podcasts (I recorded three—stay tuned for those!), I’m feeling so energized from it all.

I’ll be recapping Fintech Meetup in my Tuesday column, so stay tuned for that too!

Being together reminded me of our power when we support each other and our work. There’s just so much we can accomplish as a community, and I’m all in for that.

Speaking of building together, the core theme for this year’s Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit is Fintech Redefined.

This summit is about exploring every way to build, scale, and sustain a business by learning from the most powerful leaders in our industry who are focused on creating a more equitable economy.

We are officially off to the races as we gear up for the Summit on April 23!

Check out the event section below for the latest list of confirmed speakers, and stay tuned for the official agenda drop coming soon!

For today, I’ve got two news stories and a brand-new podcast episode for you to check out.

Let’s dive in!

#TRENDING

What’s Up In Fintech

Every Thursday, I bring you the latest fintech news and trends, delivering the key insights that matter most to the industry—and you.

#1 Spave: The Fintech Bridging Financial Wellness With Personal Values

One topic that came up repeatedly during the Fintech Meetup was why personal finance management (PFM) isn't actually working for people.

Sure, there are a ton of apps to help you budget or save, but when it comes to the core problem, most just aren’t cutting it.

The issue? We’re facing a financial literacy crisis, and consumers still haven’t found that one app that ties financial health to their values, mental health, and physical health.

This is where Spave, founded by Susan Langer, steps in with a model that’s something entirely different in fintech.

While most apps focus on transactions and savings, Spave is redefining how we think about money management by adding layers of giving and purpose—an approach that’s as much about values as it is about dollars.

We know the stats: 63% of Americans struggle with financial literacy.

Traditional PFM tools do a decent job of helping users budget and track their spending, but they rarely go beyond the surface.

They focus on helping users manage transactions but ignore a fundamental aspect of financial wellness: how to build a financial system that aligns with personal values.

Spave is breaking that mold. The platform blends micro-saving with micro-giving to encourage users to save for a rainy day while simultaneously setting goals that support social causes that matter to them.

Rounding up purchases for a favorite charity? Check.

Allocating a percentage of weekly spending to fund social or personal goals? Done.

Throughout, users can track their financial health in real time, allowing them to see exactly how their habits align with their values.

Why It Matters

This approach is particularly interesting when you look at where consumer sentiment is heading. 81% of consumers now expect businesses to contribute to social good, and 65% of Gen Z and Millennials are actively choosing brands based on whether they align with their values.

Spave’s integration of giving and saving taps into this growing demand for values-based engagement in financial services.

By offering an app that combines everyday spending with charitable giving, Spave is meeting the moment where consumers no longer want to just passively consume products—they want their purchases to support a larger purpose.

This business model meets consumers' needs today and anticipates the industry’s future.

The industry, traditionally focused on transactions and wealth accumulation, is evolving toward one emphasizing purpose, wellness, and social good.

We’re seeing this reflected across sectors—whether it’s fintech, banks, or even employers—as more and more institutions look for ways to integrate social good into their offerings.

What’s even more compelling is the mission behind Spave. 

Langer, inspired by her humanitarian work in East Africa, created the platform after witnessing the extraordinary impact of micro-entrepreneurs in Tanzania, where women were repaying loans at a 99% rate.

These women used micro-payments to break free from poverty, and the message behind their success was clear: small actions add up to big change.

This principle, “Little by little, a little becomes a lot” became the inspiration for Spave.

This focus on small, consistent actions—whether it’s micro-saving or micro-giving—has the potential to reshape not just personal finance, but how we think about financial wellness.

We’re in an era where people expect their financial systems to reflect their values—and they want their spending and saving habits to support a greater good.

Spave is tapping into this shift, offering consumers a way to manage money that benefits not only them but also the world around them.

As more fintech companies look to integrate these values-based services, we could see a broader shift across the entire financial services sector where people realize their dollars have the power to shape the world around them.

#2 Regulation and Compliance: Why the Industry Needs to Catch Up With the Rules 

At Fintech Meetup, another topic dominated the conversation: regulation and compliance.

It’s a theme gaining increasing importance as the fintech and crypto sectors mature, especially as the industry faces intense uncertainty from regulators worldwide.

Yet, despite the rising concerns over compliance failures and regulatory crackdowns, there remains a stark divide between those who argue that less regulation equals more innovation, and those, like me, who believe that regulation is crucial to building a sustainable, secure, and innovative financial system.

It’s hard to ignore the historical patterns in the financial world, where strong regulation has often fueled innovation by ensuring that companies are operating on a stable, trusted foundation.

That said, a new set of tools is being developed to help firms navigate the increasingly complex compliance landscape.

The latest comes from Christina Rea-Baxter, the founder and CEO of RayCor Consulting, who recently launched two products aimed at helping fintechs, crypto firms, and payments companies stay ahead of regulatory expectations: AML Spark and ComplyCor.

Designed to address two key issues facing firms today: the reliability of AI-generated compliance tools and the effectiveness of compliance training programs.

But beyond that, they highlight a larger trend in the industry—a shift toward bespoke, human-designed compliance frameworks that aren’t just reactive but proactively designed to meet both current and future regulatory requirements.

Why It Matters

The compliance space is quickly becoming one of the most scrutinized sectors in fintech, with AML (anti-money laundering) compliance at the top of the list.

This is no surprise, given the enforcement actions we’ve seen.

In 2023-2024 alone, major fintech companies like Robinhood and Binance were hit with hefty fines for AML and compliance failures, amounting to millions—Robinhood settled for $29.75 million with FINRA over AML failures, and Binance paid a staggering $4.3 billion for AML and sanctions violations.

What these enforcement actions have in common is that poor compliance practices—often stemming from reliance on AI-generated templates—are now being flagged as a key issue.

Many of these tools lack the depth and regulatory nuance needed to keep up with the ever-changing rules.

They often provide generic frameworks, rather than tailored, institution-specific plans.

As a result, firms using these templates may think they’re compliant, but regulators are increasingly calling them out for being ill-prepared.

This is where AML Spark comes in. Rather than relying on one-size-fits-all, AI-generated templates, AML Spark offers regulator-ready, expert-designed templates, says Rea-Baxter. 

These templates are crafted to ensure that companies meet minimum compliance standards and are prepared for the evolving landscape of AML regulations.

With AML Spark, companies can be confident that their compliance frameworks are well-structured, audit-proof, and aligned with enforcement trends and industry best practices.

On the training side of things, compliance education is another area in desperate need of an overhaul.

Many compliance teams still rely on outdated, often boring, compliance training programs that focus more on checking boxes than providing real-world applicability.

This has created a gap in knowledge and understanding, especially when it comes to complex areas like AML, sanctions, and fraud prevention.

ComplyCor, RayCor’s next-generation compliance training platform, seeks to change all that.

Instead of static, one-time training sessions, ComplyCor provides interactive, real-world courses that ensure compliance teams don’t just understand the basics but can apply the lessons in their day-to-day work.

This type of engaging, digestible training is critical—especially when regulators are increasingly asking the question:

“What did your team learn from this year’s training?”

The goal of ComplyCor is simple: to make compliance training more than a formality. It’s about ensuring that compliance officers, risk managers, and even frontline employees are prepared to handle the nuances of evolving regulations, and are not just following protocols but truly understanding the why behind the rules.

This is a crucial step toward creating a culture of compliance that goes beyond just meeting regulatory requirements—it’s about fostering an environment where compliance is an active part of a company’s DNA.

The rise of AI-generated compliance tools in the fintech industry may have looked promising at first, but as the industry matures, it’s clear that there are inherent risks in relying too heavily on automation.

The regulatory landscape is far too nuanced and dynamic to be left in the hands of generic, machine-generated solutions.

As a result, the shift back to human-designed, tailored compliance solutions like those offered by AML Spark is not just welcome—it’s necessary.

In the end, it’s this trust that will allow fintechs and crypto firms to continue to innovate, without sacrificing their credibility or security in the process.

#3 Fintech Mavericks: Redefining Wealth Tech and Pet Insurance with Alinea Invest & Wagmo

Welcome to the first-ever episode of our brand new podcast: Fintech Mavericks! 🎙️

Recorded live from Brex HQ in NYC, we’re kicking off Women’s History Month with a powerhouse convo about disruption, innovation, and the future of fintech.

Join me and my co-host, Drew Glover, co-founder of Fiat Growth, in this episode, which brings together two incredible founders who are flipping their industries on their heads:

✨ Eve Halimi, Co-founder & CEO of Alinea Invest—anabling Gen Z women to take control of their wealth and investments, with over 90% female users and explosive growth.

✨ Christi Horvath, Founder & CEO of Wagmo—revolutionizing pet wellness and insurance to help pet parents navigate the wild world of pet care.

From scaling their startups to breaking down barriers in fintech, Eve and Christi dish out:

• Their best founder advice,

• Share the highs and lows of building and scaling with purpose,

• And reveal what it really takes to be a Fintech Maverick.

Don’t miss it—this one’s packed with insights for anyone looking to disrupt the status quo and scale a fintech business.

🎧 Tune in on Spotify here.

🍏 Tune in on Apple here.

_{MARK YOUR CALENDARS}

Join us every Thursday to keep up with fintech events!

_{WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23}

[NEW YORK FINTECH WEEK] Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit

Mark your calendars for the Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit happening on April 23rd in New York City.

Here are the speakers I can share so far! More is coming soon!

• Angel Rich, Founder & CEO of CreditRich

• Kelly Uphoff, Chief Technology Officer at Tala

• Andrea Martone, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer of Atomic

• Susan Langer, Founder & CEO of Spave

• Elizabeth Gore, Co-Founder & President of Hello Alice

• Rochelle Gorey, Founder & CEO of SpringFour

• Ashley Fox, Founder & CEO of Empify

• Tanya Van Court, Founder & CEO of Goalsetter

• Asya Bradley, Startup & VC Partnerships Lead, Stripe

• Helen Robb, Director of Product Management, H&R Block

• Meghan Kober, VP of Fintech Partnerships, US Bank

We are putting the final touches on this agenda, and I can't wait to reveal what's in store!

Grab your ticket to the biggest week in fintech, and see you there!

_{WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23}

[NEW YORK FINTECH WEEK] Fintech Security Summit

This will happen on the same day as the Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit, in the same venue, on our second stage, the first-ever Fintech Security Summit.

We’ve got a stellar lineup to tackle all things fraud, cybersecurity, digital identity, compliance and more.

​Who Should Attend?

• ​Fintech App Developers: Learn how to integrate top-tier security without sacrificing user experience.

• ​Product Managers and System Architects: Gain actionable insights on balancing security and accessibility in your products.

• ​Risk, Fraud, Security, and Identity Experts: Stay ahead of emerging threats and solutions to safeguard your customers.

• ​Compliance Officers and Legal Experts: Understand the latest regulations and best practices to ensure your organization remains compliant while maintaining robust security standards.

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Because I could listen to this angel sing all day!

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That wraps up today’s edition—thanks for reading! Until next week, keep innovating and challenging the status quo. See you Tuesday!

Love,

Nicole 💜