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Hey, fintech fam! 💜

This week feels monumental after the magic of the Femmy Awards and the official kickoff of The Academy of Fintech, our membership community.

Honestly, I’m still in awe of what we’ve built together—the powerhouse women, the bold ideas, and the spaces we get to share. What a privilege to be part of this.

Let’s be honest, though: this past year? It was tough. Writing my first book and diving into year one of entrepreneurship wasn’t just a challenge—it rattled me to my core.

But here we are, on the other side. Resilient. Fired up. Ready to carry this energy into 2025, knowing we’ve got our work cut out for us (because we do).

Speaking of 2025, we’re building out our Fintech Is Femme Summits (hello, NYC Fintech Week!) and member-only events for the year. I’ll share the full calendar soon, so stay tuned.

Got sponsorship questions? You know the drill—hit reply, and let’s make it happen.

Now, let’s get into today’s stories.

#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 Sallie Krawcheck Steps Down as Ellevest CEO

Sallie Krawcheck announced she’s stepping down as CEO of Ellevest, the groundbreaking fintech she co-founded in 2014. Her decision, shared Tuesday, is driven by a recent health diagnosis. Krawcheck will remain on the board, ensuring her influence and guidance continue to shape the company’s future.

Dr. Sylvia Kwan, Krawcheck’s partner since Ellevest’s inception, will continue as Chief Investment Officer and step into a co-CEO role alongside Connie Hsiung, the company’s COO and CFO. Together, their leadership will focus on advancing Ellevest’s strategy in collaboration with the board.

Krawcheck is paving the way for a new generation of women leaders at Ellevest by stepping back. While her health will take precedence, her enduring vision and support as a board member will remain integral to the company’s mission.

“As they say, you can have 1,000 problems in your life until you have a health problem. And then you only have one problem,” Krawcheck wrote in her announcement.

Why it matters:

Krawcheck’s impact on fintech and finance is unparalleled. Recognizing a massive, untapped $31 trillion market in women’s wealth—long overlooked by the industry—she founded the first fintech company designed by women for women.

Over the years, she built Ellevest into a juggernaut with $2.4 billion in assets under management, a fiercely loyal community of 3 million women, and a mission focused on closing the gender wealth gap.

In an industry where less than 2% of venture capital funding goes to women-led startups, she defied the odds, raising $144 million and cementing her place as a transformative leader.

Giving Sallie Her Flowers

Krawcheck’s career is a masterclass in trailblazing:

• Wall Street Star: Krawcheck shattered glass ceilings as CFO of Citigroup and CEO of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, earning her the nickname “The Last Honest Analyst” during her meteoric rise.

• Courage Under Fire: She made headlines during the financial crisis by advocating for clients over profits—a bold move that cost her her job but earned her respect as a principled leader.

• Visionary Founder: With Ellevest, she tackled the systemic issues holding women back from financial confidence. The platform’s gender-aware investment algorithms and inclusive services redefined wealth management.

• Advocate for Change: From coining “The Feminization of Wealth” to championing women’s economic participation, Krawcheck has consistently expanded the conversation around money and equity.

Bottom Line: Krawcheck’s decision to step down as CEO of Ellevest marks both an end and a beginning. It opens the door for the next wave of women leaders to step boldly into the spotlight, carrying forward her vision of a more inclusive and equitable financial future. Her legacy proves systemic change is possible and inevitable when you challenge entrenched norms with unwavering persistence and purpose.

In prioritizing her health while continuing to guide Ellevest from the board, Krawcheck offers a powerful lesson in leadership: knowing when to step back is just as important as knowing when to push forward.

Her choice reflects the same clarity, courage, and authenticity that defined her career—a reminder that true leadership lies in balancing ambition and self-awareness. For the leaders who follow, her example lights the way.

Thank you, Sallie.

#2 The Climate Fintech Wave Led by Women

Climate fintech—a sector combining financial technology and climate action—is quietly becoming one of the most dynamic corners of fintech, with women leaders steering its momentum.

According to Tenity’s 2024 Global Climate Fintech Report, companies with at least one woman founder or CEO secured over half of pre-Series B funding between 2022 and 2023, compared to just 3.4% across the broader fintech sector.

Even more impressive, 45% of climate fintechs founded in 2023 had a woman leader or co-founder, underscoring the growing influence of women in this critical space.

One resource I highly recommend for keeping up with this space is Bhuva Shakti’s Impact Global newsletter, which consistently delivers sharp insights into climate fintech trends (it’s how I found this report!) 

Why it matters:

Climate fintech isn’t just about finance; it’s about leveraging technology to tackle one of humanity’s greatest challenges—climate change. The sector provides tools to:

• Help companies comply with new climate regulations through ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) data solutions.

• Empower sustainable investment with green investing platforms.

• Enable individuals and businesses to track their carbon footprints, driving informed climate action.

As climate-related regulations tighten, demand for these tools is skyrocketing. Europe leads the way, with advanced legislation and a concentration of 70% of the world’s regulatory reporting solutions.

The Opportunity: Amidst a global downturn in venture funding (down 38% overall), climate fintech stands resilient, especially in Europe, where funding declines are negligible (just 2.2%). The opportunity is immense for female entrepreneurs: this is a sector where women’s leadership is not just welcome—it’s thriving.

Women leaders are uniquely positioned to shape this space, excelling in areas of mission-driven work and systemic change. They are:

• Breaking funding barriers: Securing a larger share of capital compared to other fintech subsectors.

• Driving innovation: Nearly half of the climate fintechs founded last year were led by women.

• Creating inclusive solutions: Building tools that address both climate and financial inequities.

Bottom Line: Climate fintech offers an intersection of purpose, impact, and profit, and women are claiming their place at the helm. With their leadership, the sector is addressing the climate crisis while reshaping the narrative around women in fintech.

#3 Sheila Lirio Marcelo’s Ohai.ai: Unlocking a Market for Fintech

Sheila Lirio Marcelo, founder of Care.com and a trailblazer in the care economy, is back with a bold new venture: Ohai.ai, a virtual assistant designed to tackle one of the most overlooked productivity opportunities—the home.

While Ohai.ai isn’t a fintech platform, it is clearing the path for fintech to enter a vast, untapped market: household productivity.

By addressing the invisible labor of caregiving, scheduling, and coordination, Marcelo shines a light on how financial technology can empower families—particularly women—to reclaim their time and unlock economic growth.

The Market Opportunity

The numbers behind unpaid labor reveal an enormous potential for innovation and impact:

• $10.9 trillion: The collective amount women globally would earn annually if compensated at minimum wage for caregiving, according to Oxfam.

• 37% more time: Women in the U.S. spend significantly more time than men on unpaid care work, limiting career opportunities and financial independence.

• $1 trillion annually: Potential global economic impact if just one hour of household productivity were unlocked each day.

Marcelo recognized this gap: “Everyone was working on productivity in the workplace. I decided to jump in and solve productivity at home.”

Why it matters:

The care economy, valued at $6 trillion, represents a lucrative, underserved opportunity for fintech to disrupt entrenched inefficiencies and drive social equity.

Here’s how fintech can play a role in household productivity:

1. Empowering the “Chief Household Officer”

Women often manage household finances alongside caregiving and coordination, creating demand for solutions like automated budget tracking, shared expense management, and AI-driven financial planning.

2. Capturing the Female Entrepreneur Market

Post-pandemic, women-led entrepreneurship has surged, with women launching 49% of new businesses in 2021—up from 29% in 2019. Fintech tools that integrate seamlessly into the home and workplace can meet these entrepreneurs’ unique needs.

3. Designing Inclusive Financial Solutions

The pandemic exposed how unpaid care work limits women’s financial mobility. Fintech platforms that address these challenges—whether through savings tools, lending products, or shared financial dashboards—can create scalable solutions for millions of households.

What is Ohai.ai?

Ohai.ai uses artificial intelligence to simplify household coordination, laying the groundwork for fintech innovation by freeing up time and mental capacity for families. Key features include:

• Free services: Daily schedule summaries, reminders, and calendar conflict alerts.

• Premium tools: Automatic event scheduling from texts/photos, task delegation, and human-assisted appointment booking.

Marcelo’s vision? To empower families to reclaim their time and focus on what matters most—creating a ripple effect that fintech can amplify with tailored financial tools.

Lessons for Entrepreneurs

Marcelo’s journey with Ohai.ai highlights the power of mission-driven, female-led innovation. Her leadership at Care.com—one of the few companies led by a woman to IPO—offers actionable lessons for fintech founders:

1. Think Beyond the Obvious

The household is often seen as outside the scope of fintech, but Marcelo’s success shows that solving seemingly niche problems can unlock transformative opportunities.

2. Invest in Data-Driven Insights

Before building Ohai.ai, Marcelo’s team interviewed 200 families and launched an alpha version to validate demand. Fintech founders can take a similar approach to uncover hidden customer needs.

3. Empathy Drives Innovation

Marcelo emphasizes balancing intensity with empathy, recognizing that solutions must resonate deeply with users to drive adoption and loyalty.

Tools like Ohai.ai aren’t just solving a problem—they’re unlocking economic potential and challenging traditional notions of labor and equity.

Marcelo’s work exemplifies the broader opportunity for fintech: to create products that address the systemic barriers holding women back and to empower families through financial innovation.

Try Ohai.ai—for free

The best way to explore the possibilities of AI and productivity is to use it yourself. Marcelo is offering Fintech Is Femme readers a free month of Ohai.ai.

Sign up at Ohai.ai and use code: FEMME for a FREE month!

Quick prompts to try with “O”:

• "Add a reminder to read Fintech is Femme tomorrow at 9am."

• “Schedule a brainstorming session for the pitch on Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.”

• “Delegate grocery shopping to Alex this weekend.”

Bottom Line: Ohai.ai is a reminder that productivity doesn’t stop at the office door—and neither should fintech innovation.

By addressing challenges at home, Marcelo is creating a bridge for fintech to enter a massive, underserved market. For women in fintech, this is the signal to design products that empower families, unlock broader economic potential, and change how we think about productivity—both at work and home.

_{MARK YOUR CALENDARS}

Join us every Thursday to keep up with fintech events!

_{FRIDAY, JANUARY 24}

[NEW YORK] Private Event for The Academy of Fintech (Membership Community)

The Academy of Fintech is thrilled to announce its first private event on January 24, 2025—a gathering inspired by Gloria Steinem’s iconic living room discussions: cozy, intimate, and deeply connected.

It’s a space dedicated to fostering growth, sharing insights, and championing each other’s success in fintech.

With 50 trailblazing members already on board, we’re accepting applications to expand our community.

Don’t miss your chance to attend our first soiree—apply now to join the waitlist and step into the future of fintech leadership. Apply here.

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_FINTUNES

🎵 Beyoncé - 16 CARRIAGES

Claiming the crown as my most-played song of the year—no surprise, it’s Queen Bey. This track was basically my anthem on repeat during the toughest moments of writing my book. Thank you, Beyoncé, for being the soundtrack to getting through it.

_{LET’S CONNECT}

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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 💜