Wharton FinTech Podcast

In this episode, we’re joined by Georgina Bulkeley, Director of Financial Services at Google Cloud, to unpack how AI is transforming banking and financial services. With over 25 years in financial institutions, she shares what it takes to innovate in a highly regulated industry and how concepts like agentic commerce are paving the way for autonomous money movement. We also explore how AI is shifting from a risk to a powerful tool for fraud prevention, risk management and personalized financial advice at scale, along with the balance between innovation and responsible AI. Georgina closes with her perspective on what the industry will look like in five years and the biggest misconceptions leaders still have about AI.

In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, host Vaibhav sits down with Sarah Levy, CEO of Betterment and former executive at Disney, Viacom, and Nickelodeon. Sarah shares her insights on the evolution of financial services, why trust is the cornerstone of financial decision-making, how Betterment balances simplicity with expanding investor choice, and how AI is shaping the future of wealth management. Sarah emphasizes the significance of fiduciary responsibility and the role of simplicity in financial tools, while also providing advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in the wealth management space. She also shares key insights from Betterment’s latest Retirement Readiness Report, including why Gen Z is both confident and deeply anxious about the future. A wide-ranging conversation that blends behavioral finance, product strategy, and the future of wealth tech.

In this episode, Jackson sits down with Ximena, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Prometeo, to discuss the future of financial infrastructure in Latin America. Ximena shares her journey from tech journalism to entrepreneurship, the inspiration behind building Prometeo, and how the company is creating a unified API layer across the Americas to power open banking, real-time payments, and next-generation financial innovation. In this episode, you’ll learn: - How Prometeo became one of LatAm’s leading open banking infrastructure platforms - The challenges of building across highly fragmented regulatory and technical environments - Why true financial inclusion requires more than just account access - How real-time payments, cross-border rails, and agentic financial services are reshaping the region - Prometeo’s philosophy on trust, cybersecurity, and building long-term infrastructure “legacy”

In this episode, Wharton FinTech’s Abhi Chadha sits down with Michele Alt, Co-Founder of The Klaros Group and former OCC regulator, to unpack the evolving relationship between fintechs and the U.S. banking system. Michele shares her insights from two decades at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and her current work helping non-banks pursue bank charters. They discuss the shifting regulatory climate across administrations - from the OCC’s early fintech charter attempts, to the Biden-era freeze, and now a renewed openness under Trump 2.0. Michele explains the nuances of charter types like industrial loan companies (ILCs) and national trust banks. The conversation explores: - The history and future of fintech chartering - Differences among OCC, FDIC, and Fed oversight - How U.S. fintech regulation compares to Europe and the U.K. - Challenges foreign fintechs face when entering the U.S. market - How Michele’s OCC experience helps startups navigate complex regulatory processes Michele also shares her perspective on the cyclical nature of financial regulation - from deregulatory “sugar highs” to inevitable crackdowns - and offers advice for those eager to build a career in fintech regulation and compliance.

In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Bobby Ma sits down with Brian Kaas, President and Managing Director of TruStage Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of TruStage. Brian shares his experience founding TruStage Ventures and the work he and his team have done in the past decade bridging the gap between FinTech founders, credit unions, and the broader financial services industry culminating in $400 million in investments since 2016. We discuss: - The 140+ million member-strong credit union movement and services they provide to the community - The partnership and value add TruStage Ventures brings in working with its FinTech investments - Investment criteria and role the group plays in the broader TruStage organization - Outlook on how stablecoins and other emerging technologies are poised to disrupt the financial services industry - The success they have had investing in early-stage FinTechs through their Discovery Fund

In this episode of the Wharton Fintech Podcast, host Sabrina Fathi speaks with Ashwin Murthy, Chief of Staff and VP of Growth Operations and Strategy at Credit Karma, about how one of the most recognizable names in consumer fintech continues to evolve. Ashwin shares his journey from investment banking and consulting to leading strategy at Credit Karma. He discusses the company’s expansion from free credit scores to taxes, savings, and more, and how data, trust, and personalization have been critical to that journey. The conversation also dives deep into GenAI’s role in financial decision-making, Credit Karma’s evolving partnership with Intuit, and the future of financial access.

In this episode of the Wharton Fintech Podcast, hosts Sabrina Fathi and Wesley Aster speak with Yoonkee Sull, General Partner at ICONIQ, about building category-defining fintech companies through every market cycle. Yoonkee reflects on his journey from early ICONIQ associate to GP, lessons from backing leaders like Chime, Groww, Adyen, Wealthsimple, and Ramp, and what it takes to earn trust with founders over the long term. They unpack how startups can differentiate in a crowded space, how embedded finance is reshaping distribution, and why knowing your customer better than anyone else is the ultimate moat. With thoughtful takes on unit economics, financial inclusion, and the real use cases for AI and blockchain, this conversation is a must-listen for founders, operators, and investors navigating the next chapter of fintech.

In today’s episode, Kimberly Zhang sits down with Anré Williams, Senior Executive Advisor at American Express and former CEO of American Express National Bank. Anré reflects on his 35-year journey at American Express—leading global merchant services, digital innovation, and banking operations—while offering an inside look at how to drive transformation in a legacy financial institution. Tune in to hear about: • Key lessons from leading large-scale digital initiatives in highly regulated environments • How to balance innovation with compliance and customer trust in a changing financial landscape • Anré’s perspective on the future of AI, embedded finance, and what it takes to build resilient, forward-looking financial services