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Hi fintech fam, 💜

We’re officially in (early) planning mode for the biggest thing we’ve ever done — the Fintech Is Femme Leadership & Security Summit 2026. And it all kicks off with a happy hour on August 12 in NYC.

Want to help shape the agenda, meet future collaborators, and get in early on partnerships? This is the room to be in. Apply to join us here.

And—big news—I’m finally opening up my calendar. After years of building newsletters, communities, podcasts, and events, I’m offering 1:1 sessions to help you reach your goals — whether it’s content, strategy, or growth — I’m stoked to be able to share everything I know with you. Book time with me here.

Now, let’s get into today’s stories, which are a continuation of Tuesday’s convo on female founder funding — but now we’re looking at who’s writing the checks. 

Spoiler: women now hold nearly 1 in 5 top venture roles. And yes, that’s a huge deal for anyone building or investing in fintech.

Plus: our events section is filling up again — including a sneak peek at our next big event in San Francisco this fall.

Scroll down and see what’s coming.

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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 Women Double Their Share of Top Venture Roles — But Mega‑Funds Still Lock Them Out

On Tuesday, I broke down a decade of data from Female Founders Fund, showing that women founders are outperforming expectations, delivering outsized returns, and scaling faster than ever — all while still getting a measly 2% of venture dollars.

And now, another piece of the puzzle: women are moving up in venture capital, too.

Data from All Raise, reported in the WSJ, shows that women now hold nearly 20% of decision-making roles at U.S. venture firms (partners, principals, managing directors). That’s double the share from 2018.

That’s real progress.

But it’s not enough.

Here’s why this matters — and why fintech founders, operators, and investors should care:

The power shift is coming.

An estimated $100 trillion (yes, trillion) will move into the hands of American women by 2048. That’s the largest generational wealth transfer in U.S. history.

If you think that doesn’t affect your business, you’re already behind.

Representation drives returns.

Funds with gender-diverse leadership aren’t just “checking a box.” They’re seeing opportunities others miss — and capturing them. That’s why we’ve seen funds like Female Founders Fund go from unproven to returning Fund I and raising a fourth fund projected to be 10x larger.

But the real capital? Still locked up.

At mega-funds ($3B+), just 12 women hold Managing Partner titles compared to 87 men. At $10B+ funds? Only three women hold that role. And that matters because this is where most venture capital sits.

As All Raise CEO Paige Hendrix Buckner put it:

“Having diversity — in your venture firm, your cap table, or your founding team — is not a nice-to-have, but a need-to-have to be competitive.”

Founders are fighting back.

Shoutout to Christie Horvath, CEO of pet insurance startup Wagmo (and one of my very first Fintech Mavericks guests!). After raising over $40M despite early VC skepticism, she just built a live database of funds that invest in women founders — because wasting months pitching firms that will never fund you is a tax women shouldn’t have to pay. 

And now? VCs are asking to be added to the list.

So what’s the takeaway?

If you’re a founder:

Find the funds that get it. The investors who understand your value don’t need convincing. Stop wasting time where you’re only “proving you belong.”

If you’re an investor:

Look at the numbers. Female investors bring diverse deal flow. Female founders generate more revenue with less capital. The next category-defining companies are being built by women — especially in fintech, where resilience, efficiency, and understanding complex human needs are non-negotiable.

If you’re still ignoring this?

You’re leaving billions on the table.

The ecosystem is changing — not fast enough, but in ways that will define the next decade of innovation.

And here’s the bigger point: if fintech is about building the future of money, then who controls and deploys capital will decide what that future looks like.

We can’t afford for that to remain a boys’ club.

Check out All Raise’s full 2024 annual report here.

#2 Fighting FinCrime Smarter: Trisha Kothari on Building Unit21 and Outpacing Fraudsters

“Fraudsters collaborate. Why don’t we?”

That’s how I opened my conversation with Trisha Kothari, co-founder & CEO of Unit21, on the latest episode of Humans of Fintech — and the rest of the conversation only got bolder from there.

Trisha has been in the trenches of fraud fighting since the early days of “fintech” (air quotes very much intended). When she launched Unit21, she quickly learned how broken the system was:

Her response? That mindset is the real problem.

Fraud isn’t a competitive advantage — innovation is.

Now she’s shaking things up.

Unit21 just launched Risky Business, a live, curated tour for real fraud fighters and AML rebels to share what’s actually working (and what’s not).

Why? Because collaboration is the only way to stay ahead of scams that are evolving faster than our defenses.

As Trisha put it:

This episode is packed with unfiltered truths about:

• Why KYC might be dead (and what’s next)

• The $25M scam that should terrify every CFO

• How AI is fueling scams — and how we can use it to fight back

• Why fighting fraud means rethinking trust itself

And, of course, all the details on the Risky Business tour — including the first stop in NYC on August 13 (I’ll be there 👀).

If you’re building in fintech, banking, or compliance, this is one you can’t skip.

Listen now: Humans of Fintech: Trisha Kothari on Fighting Fraud Together

Because here’s the truth: you can’t fix what you’re not willing to face — and you definitely can’t do it alone.

#3 Data Don’t Lie: Carta’s Peter Walker Spills the Startup Trends You’re Missing

This week on Fintech Mavericks (recorded LIVE!) Drew Glover and I sat down with Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta — aka the guy who turns data from 45,000+ U.S. startups into stories founders, operators, and investors can actually use.

We got into it all:

• Debunking some of the biggest VC myths we all hear too often

• What Carta data really says about the AI hype, Series A expectations, and the new rules of fintech GTM

• The one founder trait Peter bets on every single time (you’ll want to write this one down)

Plus: What makes a LinkedIn post actually go viral and why knowing when not to raise might save your company.

If you’re building, scaling, or investing in fintech, this one’s a must‑listen.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Sponsored by Brex.

P.S. Brex is offering exclusive perks for Fintech Mavericks listeners — and they’re seriously valuable. Check them out at brex.com/fintechmavericks.

_{MARK YOUR CALENDARS}

Join us every Thursday to keep up with fintech events!

_{WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13}

[NEW YORK] RISKY BUSINESS: A FINCRIME OPS TOUR

$3 trillion. That’s the global cost of financial crime—and it’s only getting worse.

At Fintech Is Femme, we’re done watching it happen. That’s why we’re teaming up with Unit21 for Risky Business – The FinCrime Ops Tour: a curated, invite-only series where real fraud fighters and AML rebels share unfiltered tactics.

At this event, we’re sharing raw playbooks on what’s working, what’s not, and how to stay three steps ahead of AI-powered crime rings.

I’ll be moderating our NYC Kickoff Panel:

“Future-proofing your FinCrime Ops — automation, AI, or elbow grease?”

This isn’t for spectators. It’s for the doers—the leaders in fraud, risk, and compliance ready to get ahead of what’s next.

🎟️ Seats are limited.

_{WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8}

[SAN FRANCISCO] FINTECH IS FEMME LEADERSHIP SUMMIT: SF TECH WEEK

​Join 200 of the brightest founders, investors, and industry leaders in fintech for a day of candid conversations, tactical insights, and high-impact networking.

​Hosted at The Green Room, San Francisco.

​This is not your typical conference. The Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit is designed for funded fintech founders (pre-seed through Series A), investors, and executives navigating growth, GTM strategies, fundraising, performance, and AI adoption.

​Expect real talk over fluff: transparent founder stories, investor insights you actually need, playbooks that work, and structured networking to connect you with people who can change the trajectory of your company.

​Who should attend?

• ​Fintech Founders scaling, fundraising, and navigating growth

• ​Investors & Partners looking for the next great fintech disruptors

• ​Executives & Leaders building at the intersection of finance and technology

Early bird tickets are now available. Get yours before they’re gone!

_FINTUNES

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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 💜