If Then Podcast

We're back with a vengeance! The pod reignites in a conversation with Sophia Goldberg, payments expert, entrepreneur and the author of the newly launched Field Guide to Global Payments and overview of the industry that underpins the modern globalized economy. Sophia's book is immediately an essential text for anyone working in payments, fintech, financial services or looking to break into such a role or gain a greater understanding of payment networks around the world. Sophia and I chat through some practical applications of payments over the years, and how considerations like identity, fraud, and risk management come into play when sending funds from A to B. If you want to find out what a knucklebuster is, this pod is a must listen! Then head over to Amazon to. buy yourself a copy.

Timing is everything, and that's why I'm Super Pumped to be joined on the podcast by Caitlin O'Neill, a career-long Public Policy and Government Affairs professional currently working at Strategies 360, a public affairs and communications firm. Before she was a consultant, Caitlin spent years working in house at technology companies in emerging regulatory markets, including Uber in the early days of its national expansion, and Eaze on the heels of recreational legalization in California. Caitlin has served as the face of these innovative companies in front of regulators, legislatures, and policymakers, and has some key thoughts on how and when early stage companies should engage with government. (Spoiler alert: EARLY). This is a great episode so tune in.

Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos, General Counsel of DeFi institutional lending protocol Maple Finance, joins the show to discuss Maple's goal to be the dominant institutional capital network for crypto. Katherine walks us through her path, starting with a letter to a college newspaper netting her a scholarship to USC, how she took to investigations and white collar defense, and how an interest in blockchain technology led her to build a crypto practice within her firm before eventually leaving the nest to define Maple's legal strategy. Maple Finance is an undercollateralized lender -- a set of smart contracts that joins lenders, borrows, and delegates who underwrite the loans. You can reach Katherine on LinkedIn or check out maple.finance

Privacy and blockchain attorney Shahab Asghar of Scale LLP joins to the show to talk staying ahead of the curve, getting into privacy law and the cryptocurrency industry well before those proved to be hot sectors, how career changes can be vectors for continuous learning, how an in-house counsel can make their mark on their company's product. He also has some choice words for Reese Witherspoon, and may have given us the crypto version of the classic "Point Break" storyline. You can reach Shahab at sasghar@scalefirm.com or on twitter @theshasghar.

Feel the anticipation, the If Then Podcast is nigh. If Then is a legal community of legal and regulatory experts who help founders and builders drive their business forward by navigating regulatory waters. In this podcast we tap into our community to hear stories, strategies, and analysis from Legal Wayfinders, folks who have adopted a growth mindset and are willing to share their knowledge. Stay tuned, while If Then helps make legal strategy your competitive advantage.