Hey, fintech fam! 💜

Growing up as a journalist, a professor once told me: “Journalists pen the first drafts of history.”

That idea stuck, and I realized my pen could be a sword—a tool to shake things up, to challenge the status quo, and to amplify the stories that too often go overlooked.

Fast-forward to now, and it’s time for women to take our rightful place as leaders.

Because shaping (and, let’s be real, rescuing) the economy is one of the most powerful ways to create real, lasting change.

So, here I am, election night, writing to you—my community—carefully choosing each word.

When we look back years from now, what will history say about us and our industry?

And what legacy will we leave for the next wave of women ready to take it even further?

Let’s make it count.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit – San Francisco, November 12

Join us for the Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit in San Francisco. Meet with top investors, founders, and leaders championing women-led innovation in fintech.

Expect panels, one-on-ones, and game-changing networking. This is about real connections and tangible steps for scaling your impact. RSVP here.

Fintech Feminists Book Tour – Harvard University, November 14

On November 14, meet me at Harvard University for the Fintech Feminists Book Tour, where we’ll discuss the power of women reshaping finance.

This event is for entrepreneurs ready to make their mark in fintech. Let’s talk about resilience, leadership, and building a future led by women. RSVP here. 

These events aren’t just about showing up — they’re about stepping up and building a fintech future driven by women.

IMPACT

Election Night, Opportunity Cost, and Why Women in Fintech Need to Show Up Now

Election night is here, and let’s be honest — it feels like we’re all holding our breath.

We’re staring down a crossroads: on one side, a wildly qualified Kamala Harris, a candidate who’s smashed through barrier after barrier and is more than ready to lead.

On the other, the familiar uphill slog with Donald Trump. Here we are, teetering between making history and tumbling backward.

As a female entrepreneur dedicated to creating economic, funding, and media opportunities for women in fintech, I feel all the emotions tonight.

There’s the excitement about what’s possible, the frustration about how grueling it’s been to get here, and that familiar sting when women — no matter how overqualified — are still picked apart. Sound familiar?

Yes, I know this is a fintech newsletter, and yes, I’m talking about politics. But what happens tonight will set the stage for funding landscapes, tax benefits, and policies that will directly impact our companies’ survival and growth.

Kamala Harris’s economic policies bring more than just “stability” (though we’d all love a little of that right now). She’s calling for tax cuts for middle-income earners — freeing up capital for customers who keep our companies running.

She’s aiming to expand funding for small businesses, especially minority- and women-led ones, which could mean actual capital and grant funding flowing to founders like us.

And she’s advocating for a rollback of restrictive capital gains taxes on small businesses and startups. Translation? Lower taxes on your exit or acquisition means more capital you can reinvest into the next big thing.

And if you’re a woman in fintech, you already know you’re building in an industry that hasn’t exactly rolled out the red carpet for us.

Less than 2% of venture capital goes to women founders. If you’re like me, you’re tired of hearing that stat.

It’s a reminder that a solid product and a rock-star team don’t cut it — it takes relentless investment, connection, and showing up to get ahead.

And if there’s ever been a time to show up, it’s right now. Policies and economic changes aside, this is about us, about creating a future where opportunity and investment aren’t stuck in outdated patterns.

An Era Built by Women, for Women

If Kamala Harris takes office, it’s the start of a new era built for and by the women who’ve been laying its foundation all along.

The old guard, the outdated power structures? They’re fading, and we’re here, ready to lead. This is the era of the feminine, an era where the women who’ve persevered, built, and thrived against all odds step fully into our power.

We’re rooted, we’re resilient, and we’re here to stay. So, yes, this is our moment.

A time when structures dissolve to make space for new growth. And who’s doing that growing? Us. The ones who’ve been showing up, even in rooms that weren’t designed for us.

If you’re a woman in fintech, this shouldn’t surprise you. You’ve seen it. You’ve felt it.

Harris’s résumé would outshine just about any candidate in history. Her economic plan? Backed by 23 Nobel Prize-winning economists. Her fundraising? Record-breaking over $1 billion in just three months.

Yet here she is, still questioned for a laugh or a quirk.

As a woman in fintech, you’ve probably experienced something similar. Overqualified, outshining, and still getting the side-eye.

But I’m not here to sway votes. It’s too late for that. I’m here to remind you that, no matter what the result, progress is possible but never guaranteed.

If we want fintech to be a place where funding flows to women founders, where stale norms don’t hold back innovation, we must keep showing up.

We keep marching forward, investing in each other, and making noise. And yeah, I’m frustrated. I think some of you are, too.

A Vulnerability Moment

I’ve organized more events than I can count, written a book (hello, Fintech Feminists), shared resources, and opened doors, all so that you can land that next funding round, make those career-defining connections, and seize every chance.

But honestly? It stings to see so few women actively supporting it.

Of 40 women profiled in my book, only 6 have stepped up, grabbed bulk orders, and used the book to win clients and drive sales. Six. 

This book was written to be a resource, a door-opener — and if you’re not using it to expand your network and business, you’re leaving serious value on the table.

And here’s another sting: I’m putting together a massive summit in San Francisco packed with investors ready to back female-founded fintech startups, and it’s not sold out. Why are we not leaping at this?

We Need to Show Up for Each Other

If tonight’s election has reminded us of anything, we have to do better. This race should not be this close. And it should not be this hard for women to support each other.

We have to show up and grab these opportunities, especially if we face even tougher challenges in the future.

Amy Nauiokas, Founder & CEO of Anthemis, said it best at my Fintech Feminists book launch in New York City:

“When a woman writes a book about you and invites you to celebrate, you show up.”

If there’s an event packed with female-focused VCs looking to invest in women-led fintech, wouldn’t you drop everything to be there? I know I would.

In fact, some of my biggest successes happened because I showed up. Progress isn’t made in leaps; it’s a series of small, bold steps, starting with showing up.

An Opportunity to Make Your Mark

That chance is the Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit on November 12 in San Francisco.

This isn’t about feeling comfortable; it’s about building the connections that lead to funding and growth. I’ve created this space and filled it with investors who want to meet you — but I can’t make you show up.

Heidi Patel from Rethink Impact will be there, fresh off raising $250 million dedicated to backing female founders.

Asya Bradley, a multi-exited founder and super angel investor, will be there too, as well as Naseem Sayani from How Women Invest.

And these are people who can open doors and bring your vision to life.

We’ll also have incredible founders like Anna Joo Fee, Emily Luk, Laurel Taylor, and Kristy Kim — women who are building extraordinary fintech startups and hiring new talent. They could be your next career-defining connection.

This lineup isn’t about networking for the sake of it; it’s about building relationships with people who are genuinely invested in your growth.

These connections lead to mentorship, funding, and fundamental career transformations.

And it only happens if you step into the room.

This Is Our Moment to Lead

Tonight is a reminder of what’s at stake for women — in politics, in fintech, and beyond.

This is our time. If you’ve been doing the work, investing in yourself, and getting rooted in your power, you’re already positioned to thrive.

So here’s my call to you. 

Whether tonight ends in celebration or frustration, commit to showing up.

This is our time, and we can’t afford to miss it.

If we want a future where women are truly backed in fintech, where funding is equitable and leadership is diverse, we need to be in the room.

Let’s own this moment and build something big — for ourselves, each other, and the future of this economy.

Creating New Systems and Patterns

The next logical step in the Fintech Is Femme journey? Building an even stronger foundation for women in fintech. 

That’s why I’m launching The Academy of Fintech by Fintech Is Femme—a membership community where women can collaborate, mentor, and support each other daily. It’s a space designed for us, by us, with the sole purpose of rewriting the future of fintech.

The Academy is designed to bring female founders, investors, and operators together to collaborate, mentor, and, most importantly, build.

This is more than just networking; it’s a movement.

A movement where women reclaim their rightful place as the leading innovators we’ve been all along.

We’re not just creating companies here; we’re creating a new system.

No more silos.

No more scarcity.

If we’re going to close the gaps in funding, authority, and visibility, we need to do it together.

Imagine what we could achieve if we rejected imposter syndrome, stopped doubting ourselves and each other, and poured all that energy into collaboration and growth.

This is how we’ll change the future of fintech—not by questioning whether we belong, but by knowing we do and making sure every woman who follows us knows it, too.

Your seat at the table is waiting.

This is the movement. This is what it means to be a Fintech Feminist.

_{I WANT IT, I GOT IT}

• 📰 Today’s Read: The Women-Focused Venture Firm That’s Backed Under 30 Unicorns Announced A $250 Million Fund (and their managing partner is speaking at the Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit).

• 🍿 Today’s Watch: Currently watching coverage of the U.S. election. It’ll be a long night.

• 🌍 Today’s Listen: A Small Thing That Gives Me a Tiny Shred of Hope (This American Life Podcast).

_FINTUNES

🎵 Freedom - Beyoncé

_{LET’S CONNECT}

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

📚 Increase your expertise by pre-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 💜