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Hi fintech fam 💜

It’s official — the Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit San Francisco is live! 🚀

This October 8, during SF Tech Week, we’re bringing together 200 founders, investors, and innovators who are ready to tackle the economy’s most pressing challenges — and unlock its biggest opportunities — with fintech.

At Fintech Is Femme, we believe in community-led growth. We believe the right room can change your trajectory. We believe the right story can shift an entire industry. And we know who tells that story matters more than ever.

Early-bird tickets are already flying. We’ve announced our first wave of speakers, shared the agenda-at-a-glance, and confirmed our powerhouse sponsors (more to come). All the details are right here.

So… why does this Summit matter right now?

Let’s get into it.

INNOVATION

Fintech’s Inflection Point: The Room Where the Next Decade of Growth Gets Decided

Four years ago, fintech was the darling of the innovation economy — record-breaking funding rounds, billion-dollar valuations appearing weekly, and an almost evangelical belief that technology could democratize finance.

Today, that energy feels… different. In some ways, sharper. In others, shakier.

The industry has matured. The boldest claims have been tempered by reality. And yet, within this new reality lies the kind of opportunity that only comes at an actual inflection point.

The Progress We Can’t Ignore

Inclusion is making tangible gains. Women founders now account for 24% of all exits — an all-time high — while driving 2.5x more revenue per dollar raised compared to the broader founder pool.

Leaders like Shivani Siroya, founder and CEO of Tala, have brought credit access to millions in emerging markets, raising more than $300 million to do it.

Sallie Krawcheck of Ellevest has redefined investing through a gender lens, reshaping how capital allocators approach equity and paving the way for a new generation of women leaders — like Anam Lakani and Eve Halimi of Alinea Invest, who just closed a $10.4 million Series A to serve a fast-growing community of 90% Gen Z women investors.

Founders like Laurel Taylor of Candidly are tackling the $1.6 trillion U.S. student debt crisis head-on, while investors such as Heidi Patel of Rethink Impact have committed $250 million to women-led companies addressing systemic issues.

Operators like Mel Faxon of Mirza are rewriting the childcare equation — an overlooked economic lever that costs U.S. companies $23 billion annually in lost productivity.

The numbers reinforce the momentum:

Global fintech revenue is on track to hit $1.5 trillion by 2030, growing at twice the rate of traditional financial services.

Digital wallets now make up more than half of global e-commerce payments.

And according to the World Bank, 76% of adults worldwide now have a bank or mobile account, up from 51% a decade ago — a leap fintech helped drive.

Closing the gender gap in financial services alone could unlock $700 billion in annual revenue. That’s not just a moral imperative — it’s a missed business opportunity hiding in plain sight.

The Headwinds We Have to Face

The record highs of 2021 are behind us. Global fintech investment has dropped nearly 50% from its peak. Investors now demand sustainable profitability, not just hype-cycle growth.

At the exact moment we need regulation and innovation working in sync, AI oversight is being rolled back in the name of ending “woke” policies (insert eyeroll here).

Meanwhile, the wealth gap continues to widen: the top 1% still control 31% of U.S. wealth, and without intentional design, fintech risks scaling inequity as easily as it scales access.

And then there’s trust — or the erosion of it.

Financial crime now costs the global economy $3 trillion annually. Synthetic identity fraud attempts have increased fivefold, while deepfake-related fraud has surged 3,000% since 2022.

The narrative that “fintech will fix it” has been replaced with a harder truth: solutions that last require discipline, collaboration, and a clear moral compass.

A Defining Moment

Fintech isn’t dying — it’s just growing up.

The next wave of winners won’t necessarily be the loudest disruptors, but the disciplined operators who can build responsible AI, design products that close wealth gaps, and earn lasting trust in an era of weaponized technology.

That takes more than vision.

It takes strategy.

It takes community.

It takes rooms like the one we’re building in San Francisco this fall.

Why This Summit, Now

This October 8, during SF Tech Week, the Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit will bring together 200 handpicked founders, investors, and industry operators — not for another hype-driven conference, but for a working session designed to spark solutions.

We’ll cover:

• AI and automation strategies that work in the real world.
  

• GTM playbooks that close deals in leaner markets.
  

• Fraud and identity frameworks that center trust.
  

• Leadership models that combine emotional intelligence with execution.

Because in times of uncertainty, survival and success depend on the strength of your network and the quality of your playbook.

Research backs this up: founders in strong communities grow revenue twice as fast, raise 2.5x more capital, and survive downturns at far higher rates.

The Stakes

If fintech is going to deliver on its founding promise — closing wealth gaps, making capital more accessible, and building fairer systems — the work won’t happen in headlines or Slack threads.

It will happen in rooms where leaders challenge each other, share the real playbooks, and commit to building systems that last.

When I launched Fintech Is Femme, it was about changing who holds the mic. That mission continues. But now, the mic is just the starting point.

The leaders who will define the next decade of fintech are the ones asking — and answering — the hard questions:

How do we innovate with AI responsibly?

How do we protect consumers when deepfakes and synthetic identities are weaponized?

How do we fundraise, invest, and grow without repeating the inequities of the systems we aim to replace?

This October 8, those questions — and their answers — are the agenda. And the people shaping them will be in the room.

If you’re not there, you’re not in the story.

So, will you be in the room where it happens?

🎤 Call for Speakers: Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit SF

For the first time ever, we’re opening the agenda and creating space for you to take the stage.

If you’re a founder, investor, or industry leader with real stories, tactical strategies, and bold ideas that can move fintech forward — we want to hear from you.

This isn’t another panel for platitudes. It’s a room of 200 handpicked leaders ready for candid, actionable insights.

If you’ve got a perspective that can spark change, let’s get it on the agenda.

I’m ready to be inspired by you.

_#SPONSORED

From Italy to a Nasdaq Reservation

How do you follow record-setting success? Get stronger. Take Pacaso. Their real estate co-ownership tech set records in Paris and London in 2024. No surprise. Coldwell Banker says 40% of wealthy Americans plan to buy abroad within a year. So adding 10+ new international destinations, including three in Italy, is big. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

Invest for $2.90/Share

_{Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.}

_{I WANT IT, I GOT IT}

• 🎧 Today’s Listen: Last week on Fintech Mavericks, I sat down with Cristina Cordova, COO at Linear, former Head of Platform & Partnerships at Notion, and one of Stripe’s first 20 employees — where she built the foundational partnerships that powered Stripe’s early hypergrowth. Tune in here or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 🚀 Today’s Growth Hack: So stoked to step into my new role as “Nicole the Advisor” 💜 I just wrapped my first Hubble call and review — and it was amazing. After years of building a media company and mastering the art of storytelling, I’m opening up 1:1 calls to share everything I’ve learned — no gatekeeping, just real talk. Whether you want to build a newsletter people actually read, grow a community that rides with you, launch a podcast that stands out, or pull off events that convert, I’ve got you. Book a 15–30 minute session with me here — let’s make it happen.

• 🧘‍♀️Today’s Self-Care: Shouting this week’s self-care to the Academy of Fintech — our private membership community for fintech founders, operators, and investors who are building the future of finance (while staying sane doing it). From peer mentorship and behind-the-scenes insights to live sessions with industry leaders, it’s where the best in fintech gather to connect and grow together. Want in? Apply to join us here.

_FINTUNES

🎵 Demi Lovato - Fast

I'm definitely getting into the fall vibes as I head into all the events and planning. LFG.

_{LET’S CONNECT}

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

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

🤝 Grow your business through content & community by partnering with me.

📣 Promote yourself to 50,000 subscribers by sponsoring this newsletter.

🎤 Host an epic event by booking me as a speaker, moderator, or emcee.

📚 Increase your expertise by ordering your copy of my book, Fintech Feminists: Increasing Inclusion, Redefining Innovation, and Changing the Future for Women Around the World.

That’s all for now! See you Thursday!

Love,

Nicole 💜