Breaking Banks Fintech

In This Episode It is 2014, and Breaking Banks host Jason Henrichs is having coffee with Nektarios Liolios, an early leader in financial services innovation. Jason is in London—the uncontested fintech capital of the world at the time—sitting in the shadow of the Tower of London, seeking advice during what feels like the wreckage of his life post-Perkstreet.Nektarios, today's guest, was on a journey of his own. He joined SWIFT, the global payments messaging service, in 2007 and held various roles, from working with funds to collaborating with startups. He had recently left to co-found Startup Boot Camp Fintech and Rainmaking Innovation, a corporate innovation studio. He stepped away from both five years later for a period of reflection—which you'll hear about—before co-founding another fintech venture, Radish Credit, which recently wound down. Along the way, he’s gathered an abundance of hard-earned wisdom. For those unfamiliar with Killing It, the name comes from a private joke between Jason and his Per

In This Episode This week on Breaking Banks, Don Ginsel, host of our sister show Breaking Banks Europe, takes our mic and brings the conversation stateside. Don is joined by Nik Milanović, founder of This Week in Fintech, for a wide-ranging and energizing discussion of the latest forces shaping the fintech landscape. From the evolving role of traditional banks and increasing interest in stablecoins to the current state of fintech M&A, the rise of fraud, and the impact of AI on financial services, Don and Nik cover the topics on everyone's mind. Whether you're a founder, investor, or financial exec, this overview of the trends, risks, and opportunities is not to be missed.

In This Episode In a rare and inspiring crossover episode, Breaking Banks teams up with Barefoot Innovation to bring you a special dispatch from Necker Island, BVI. Hosted by Brett King and Jo Ann Barefoot, this episode captures the energy and insight of a one-of-a-kind fintech gathering organized by Virgin Unite: an event bringing together innovators from around the world, from a cross section of industry, exploring what the future of finance could (and should) look like. Podcasts hosts and speakers Brett and Jo Ann share their talks and insights from this carbon neutral event, connecting with Dr. Nick Hughes, OBE, father of M-Pesa, co-founder of M-Kopa and now Managing Director 4rdigital.com, the fourth revolution is digital, to cover all things fintech. Listen as these leaders discuss applications of fintech in other markets and all that is possible if we come out of our silos and collaborate -- the combination of problem solving perspectives, resources, networks and more can make an impact on some o

In This Episode Killing It is back! Jason Henrichs' series on banking and fintech entrepreneurs returns with Cokie Hasiotis In this episode of Breaking Banks, Jason Henrichs connects with Cokie, serial entrepreneur and exited founder of Twali and drippi. Cokie candidly shares her entrepreneurial journey, providing insights into the emotional challenges and tolls inherent in entrepreneurship, and the stress of pivoting business. She also reflects on how these experiences have shaped her, underscoring the significance of community, the importance of self-awareness and filtering advice from others. Tune in to hear more about identity as a founder, navigating loss, soft landings, and transitioning to new opportunities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar6NpEoUw4Y

In This Episode There’s something happening beneath the surface of every pizza order, every childcare payment, and every invoice sent by businesses across America. A quiet revolution that most people— sometimes even business owners themselves— have barely noticed. Traditional banks are being methodically extracted from the daily financial lives of businesses, replaced by something more streamlined, more embedded, as banking becomes just another node in a business operating system. We dug into those threats last episode on “The Invisible Heist”. This week, Jorge Garcia, Founder and CEO of Linker Finance, and Samer Saab, SVP of Product for Alloy Labs, join host JP Nicols and co-host Barb MacLean as we look at some viable options for banks to foil the heist and create a competitive response. We’ll look at the surprising opportunities sitting right in front of us, and how banks are rewriting the playbook to land and expand commercial customers through digital banking.

In This Episode Banking executives, your business customers aren’t leaving you for another bank—they’re leaving banking altogether— at least partially. For now. As a part of our “Unbreak the Bank” series we dissect the most significant existential threat to community financial institutions since the 2008 crisis: the systematic extraction of business banking services into everyday business software. Community banks are hemorrhaging 12-18% of operational deposits annually to companies that don’t even consider themselves “banks”, and they’re moving upmarket. The competitive battlefield has shifted, and “relationship banking” is not enough to compete. Customers are integrating business solutions into their daily workflow, and banks risks being shut out altogether. Discover why the future isn’t about being the best business bank – it’s about being a relevant layer in the best business experience. Fintech Takes founder Alex Johnson and Velocita founder Barb MacLean join host JP Nicols to reveal ho

In This Episode Powered by U.S. Bank and recorded live at Fintech Xchange hosted by the Stena Center for Financial Technology, this episode dives into the most pressing issues shaping financial services today. In our first segment, Jason Henrichs chats with Sima Ghandi, Sr Advisor FS Vector, Co-Founder of Coalition of Financial Ecosystem Standards (CFES) and Phil Goldfeder, CEO American Fintech Council (AFC). AFC, a standards-based organization representing large financial technology (Fintech) companies and innovative banks, promotes a transparent, inclusive, and customer-centric financial system supporting innovation and access to responsible financial products. CFES is a new (2024) industry-led organization with the goal of developing standards that promote safety and soundness for non-banks participating in financial services. They cover: ·  The growing role of bank-fintech partnerships in innovation and growth, and expanding access to financial services.·  The importance of clear risk management

In This Episode This week, we bring you Part III of exclusive insights from Fintech Xchange '25 at the Stena Center for Financial Technology and the University of Utah, powered by U.S. Bank. Host Jason Henrichs engages in a dynamic discussion with Jason Mikula of Fintech Business Weekly and Chris Black, CEO & President of Thread Bank. Their conversation spans topics from Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) and regulatory shifts under the new administration to the dual-edged nature of innovation in today's financial landscape. Chris delves into Thread Bank's unique transformation as it evolved from the historic Civis Bank—established in 1906—into a fintech-enabled community bank. In 2021, new leadership recapitalized and revitalized the institution by adopting an industrial approach to BaaS and launching Thread. Thread's goal is to deliver the unparalleled value of a community bank to individuals and businesses, leveraging intuitive technology to meet customers where they are. Maintaining two local branches, Thr

In This Episode In this episode we continue the series powered by U.S. Bank and recorded at the University of Utah's Fintech Xchange. CAUTION: The episode is hot! Breaking Banks' Hot Takes host Jason Henrichs, regulars Alex Johnson (Fintech Takes) and Jason Mikula (Fintech Business Weekly) are joined by David Ness, U.S. Bank's SVP Innovation, R&D and Peter Renton, Fintech Nexus, Chairman & Co-Founder. The newcomers jump right in, going straight for Fintech on Fire (#11 on a scale of 1 - 10), and comfortably deliver hot takes from the hot seats, recapping major themes from the event, and making predictions as to what 2025 brings to our industry. Plenty of insights are shared and there's plenty for the risky spice-takers to tackle including BNPL (acronym for a popular industry term, of course, and also our new Burn Now Pay Later hot sauce). Two other clues as to what the group might have talked about....the RegTech Reaper and Stable Coin Scorch . Don't worry, there's plenty more where these came from!

In This Episode This week we introduce you to a series profiling the digital banks and founders that are changing the world of banking. Focused on first hand accounts from founders all over the globe, the series chronicles the NeoBanking movement from the early days though to today, documenting the players building a new category of digital banking, reshaping the digital movement. Throughout our series we look at foundation stories, challenges each had, and the regulatory approach each took -- a look at the pioneering history of the neo and challenger bank movement. In this episode, Breaking Banks host Brett King connects with bunq's Founder & CEO. Ali Niknam. bunq is based in The Netherlands, a small country doing big things. bunq, bank of The Free, offers mobile banking that makes life easy for every new chapter in one's life, and for the digital nomad in everyone. Born out of Ali's interest in creating products that people like to use, bunq began in 2012 and its mobile app came out in 2015, all wi

This week on Breaking Banks, we take you inside fintechXchange, hosted by the Stena Center for Financial Technology at the University of Utah. As a proud media partner of the event, we explore how industry, academia, and policymakers are coming together to drive the future of financial services.Host Jason Henrichs sits down with Meghan Kober, VP of Fintech Partnerships & Investments at U.S. Bank, Taylor Randall, President of the University of Utah, and Ryan Christiansen, Executive Director of the Stena Center for Financial Technology. Together, they discuss the power of ecosystem building, highlighting the incredible human capital fueling innovation: VCs, startups, and institutions of all sizes collaborating to shape the next wave of fintech growth and banking transformation. Then, it’s time for the first Hot Takes of 2025, recorded live from 'Silicon Slopes'! Alex Johnson (Fintech Takes) and Jason Mikula (Fintech Business Weekly) are back in the hot seats with Jason Henrichs to break down the latest finte

In This Episode We are excited to introduce you to Provoke.fm's newest podcast....a-spinoff-of-a-spinoff of Breaking Banks. Bankers Bookshelf brings cutting edge banking and fintech research to life, sharing the stories and strategies behind financial innovation, bridging the gap between technology and finance -- a perfect fit for the Breaking Banks family! Host Paolo Sironi, global research leader in banking and financial markets at IBM Institute for Business Value, is a trailblazer in fintech himself. In this episode, Paolo connects with Ronit Ghose who runs the Future of Finance team in Citi's thought leadership unit "Citi Global Insights", and is the author of Future Money: Fintech, AI and Web 3. The world of money is rapidly changing, but what does it all really mean? The duo discuss insights from the book with Ronit bringing technical topics to vivid life via narrative deep dives into selected founders and their companies. From London to Lagos, via Ahmedabad, Dubai, Hong Kong, Karachi and more,

In This Episode Getting digital right can be challenging for anyone --small banks, big banks, incumbents, challengers, you name it. In this episode, Brett King meets up with Akbank's Consumer Banking & Digital Solutions, EVP, Burcu Civelek Yuce to talk about Akbank and Akbank LAB, Akbank's Innovation Lab. The discussion focuses on the incumbent bank 's digital engagement and excellence in collaborating and partnering with fintechs and big tech. Turkey is the 18th largest country in the world in terms of population size, with Akbank one of the largest banks (77 years young) in Turkey. Akbank has nimbly undergone a smoothe digital transformation with the majority of its customers now coming through digital channels -- be it new customer acquisition, servicing or sales. Akbank LAB is the innovation center that coordinates Akbank’s pioneering fintech developments. Here, they study best working models and implement solutions to make the lives of Akbank's customers easier. Fintech partnership and collab

In This Episode What’s the key to financial security today? As technology and a shifting economy reshape how we save, spend, borrow, and plan for the future, mastering the art of money management is critical for achieving financial health. Listen as Jennifer Tescher, host of sister podcast Emerge Everywhere and Founder of the Financial Health Network, speaks with Suze Orman – personal finance expert, author, Emmy Award winner, and Co-Founder of workplace emergency savings platform SecureSave – about the critical role of savings and an important step companies can take to support employees’ financial success today. Dedicated to improving financial health for all, especially the most vulnerable among us, Emerge Everywhere tackles the complex issues intersecting the financial well-being of people across America while exploring how to build an inclusive economy. Listen now!

In This Episode 2024 is a wrap! Listen as industry leaders and fintech influencers share insights on the year that was before turning the lens forward to 2025. What will be hot in this new year? Back by popular demand, Breaking Banks hosts Brett King and JP Nicols assemble banking industry leaders and fintech influencers to get their takes and predictions on what 2025 has in store for the banking industry. Joining the discussion are Jim Marous (The Financial Brand, Banking Transformed), Ron Shevlin (Chief Research Officer, Cornerstone Advisors and Forbes Contributor), and Mary Wisniewski (Cornerstone Advisors, Money Isn’t Everything). Together, they explore critical topics shaping the industry, from fraud, risk, and efficiency to cutting-edge innovations like Agentic AI and LLMs, as well as developments in open banking, 1033, and the CFPB. And what about the lingering impact of the Synapse story from 2024? Will 2025 bring a reckoning, or are brighter days ahead for the industry? Tune in for a live

In This Episode Regular listeners of Breaking Banks are likely familiar with the Killing It series, hosted by Jason Henrichs and Alex Johnson, where they explore candid stories of success, failure, and the pivotal and sometimes tough decisions that drive the journey from VCs to unicorns in the high stakes world of entrepreneurship. (If you’re not, check it out!) In this episode, Brett King shifts gears with a “Starting It” theme, sitting down with industry veteran Anthony Thomson —an entrepreneur, marketer, speaker, author, and founder of Metro Bank, Atom, and 86 400. Metro Bank challenged traditional banking in the UK, while Atom and 86 400 brought innovation as neo-banks in different markets, with 86 400 later acquired by NAB (National Australia Bank) and then merged into UBank. Join this enlightening discussion as Brett and Anthony dive into the unique missions and lessons behind each of these groundbreaking ventures. And who knows? You might even get a sneak peek at the next big breakthrough in t

This week, host Brett King sits down with Colin Walsh, Founder and CEO of Varo Bank, to explore the journey of building the first all-digital, FDIC-insured de novo bank in U.S. history. Designed to improve financial health and serve a diverse range of customers—from those with financial abundance to those facing economic hardship—Varo Bank is on a mission to create a banking experience that truly works for everyone. With the unique distinction of being the first consumer fintech to be granted a bank charter in US history, Varo is redefining banking with innovative products tailored to modern consumers' needs. From managing fraud and credit risk to building trust and leveraging a cutting-edge tech stack, they delve into the strategies that power Varo’s ability to stay agile and customer-focused. Whether it’s delivering accessible savings and lending solutions or tackling the challenges of financial inclusion, Varo Bank’s story is one of innovation and impact. Tune in for a wide-ranging discussion on how

In This Episode Southeast Asia’s fintech revolution is here, and GXBank is leading the charge. From its roots as a ride-hailing service to becoming Malaysia’s first digital bank, GXBank is transforming how Malaysians access and manage their money. This week on Breaking Banks, host Brett King sat down with GXBank’s Chief Commercial Officer, Kaushik Chowdhury, and Mastercard’s Senior Vice President & Country Manager for Malaysia and Brunei, Beena Pothen. They discuss the incredible journey of GXBank, the partnership with Mastercard, and how the bank is reshaping financial inclusion in Southeast Asia. GXBank, a subsidiary of GXS Bank Pte. Ltd. (a joint venture between Grab and Singtel), officially launched operations September 1, 2023, introducing its app two months later. In a year, the bank has amassed over 750,000 customers, offering innovative and personalized solutions to support financial resilience and inclusion. Learn how GXBank is making banking accessible to all Malaysians while setting a new

In This Episode Good leaders drive day-to-day results. Great leaders share visionary ideas and then inspire organizations and stakeholders to find a way to get there. In today's second segment, Jennifer Tescher, host of sister podcast Emerge Everywhere, introduces this year’s Financial Health Visionary Award honoree, Brian Moynihan, Chair and CEO of Bank of America. The Visionary award recognizes those who have shown unparalleled leadership in building a more inclusive financial system and empowering the next generation of leaders to innovate solutions that improve financial health for all. Listen to hear about Brian's commitment to financial health and the upcoming headwinds and tailwinds impacting customers’ financial health. But first, bestselling author Michael J Casey, the chairman of DAIS (Decentralized AI Society), senior advisor on MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency initiative, and previous Chair of Consensus at CoinDesk, joins Brett to talk about the reality of decentralized and open source AI. T

This week on Breaking Banks, host Brett King takes us to Shanghai for a riveting discussion with Jason Cao, CEO of Huawei's Global Financial Services competency. In this eye-opening episode, they uncover how China is shaping the future with AI—not as a mere tool for profit, but as core infrastructure driving the world's fastest-growing economy. Discover why GenFi LLMs (Generational Financial Language Models) don’t exist yet—and what’s holding AI like ChatGPT back from transforming banking as we know it. Explore how China’s unique approach to technology infrastructure is setting them apart from the West, with Huawei leading the charge in algorithmic advancements. But here’s the billion-dollar question: as China forges ahead in creating a Smart Economy of the Future, can the U.S. even compete? The stakes are higher than ever. Tune in for a conversation that could redefine the future of global finance and AI dominance.