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Articles by Bradley Leimer
Building on belief: The data that brings us together
By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer When we think about harnessing personalized data to connect to one another, the last thing we might envision is competitive marathoners – but this is the story we really wanted to run with today. So keep up with us if you can, and you might even be inspired to lace up your running shoes and mark that marathon or half-marathon off your bucket list. What do you know about the modern-day marathon? Why do humans run such distances?
Convo with a purpose-driven investor on Apple Podcasts
When you invest in an early-stage startup, you are making a bet on the founder and the co-founding team — the humans who are authentically connected to the mission. It is a privilege to be an angel investor, a unique role that can make a real difference for a startup, not only because of cash flow, but because of non-financial support — including the real world knowledge and experience you have earned through your own journey.
A vision of the new immersive Internet on Apple Podcasts
Gartner predicts that 25% of people will spend at least one hour a day in the Metaverse by 2026 either for work, shopping, education, social or entertainment. McKinsey found that the Metaverse could be worth US $5 trillion by 2030 and the opportunity is simply ‘too big to ignore’. But what exactly is the Metaverse, how does it work, and what are its key building blocks? What are the seven layers of Metaverse and why are the big technology firms taking such a keen interest in them?
Fintech Playlist ğ¿ Week 52
This is the Fintech Playlist ğ¿ youâre looking for What if all the newsletters and posts you read abou What happens if we don't do the things that need doing Because admitting we donât know is the first step to learning and is there more magical a thing than *not* resisting new knowledge? Not resisting the process of learning. The discomfort of admitting you donât know.
What is the future of banking and why does it matter to us all?
Theodora Lau Theodora Lau Book Author - Beyond Good | Founder - Unconventional Ventures | Podcast Host - One Vision | Startup Advisor | Public Speaker on DEI, Fintech… Published Oct 10, 2022 By Theodora Lau & Bradley Leimer Humanity has always been preoccupied with predicting the future, often through the lens of an already transpired past.
What if the metaverse could really help make banking better? on Apple Podcasts
Web3 has been called a lot of things: the future of a decentralized web, the money layer for the internet, and the identity layer for the internet. Some see Web3 as a new patron model for the internet—a way for artists and creators to get compensated for their work through new communities and cooperative ownership, as well as the sale, trading and ownership of NFTs and other digital goods.
Banking in a changing world on Apple Podcasts
In recent years, artificial intelligence has become an integral part of our daily lives, driving much of what we do and what we experience. Financial services is no exception. To meet the needs of changing demographics, being able to attract and retain the right talent is crucial.
One Vision: Happy 200 — Celebrating stories with purpose on Apple Podcasts
4 years. 200 episodes. From “Blockchain and Financial Inclusion”, to “Shades of Grey”, “Judge me by my cover”, “Red Envelope”, “The Other 50”, and finally “One Vision”, it has been our privilege to share the platform with over 170 guests on the show to talk about wide-ranging topics from innovation and fintech to the future of work and emerging technologies; from founders to funders and evangelists across geographical boundaries, we were united with a common goal: to tell stories with purpose.
It’s not all doom and gloom for fintech. Now is the time to build. on Apple Podcasts
We consume a lot of information each day. When we read the latest news about what’s going on in fintech, venture capital, and the different spectrums of new technology, we aren’t always provided context around the broader story, nor are we often brought into the lives of those building what’s next. Context is important, as is understanding how technologies are impacting our lives.
When we lose privacy and rights, we lose democracy on Apple Podcasts
Data is central to everything that we do. But as we go about our daily lives, how do we ensure we are protected? It’s not just about what data is being collected and what is being done with it; it’s also about who holds the power to make those decisions. And what guardrails do we have in place to ensure companies are acting ethically? Can we push them to change? In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Joe Toscano, author of Automating Humanity, on data privacy and rights.
Break through and lead with empathy on Apple Podcasts
Our world has changed, and along with it, our workforce and their expectations. Employees are increasingly looking for purpose beyond a paycheck. "Make inclusiveness part of your culture" is a crucial cornerstone of successful companies; yet, driving a long-term D&I strategy is easier said than done.
The next frontier in global payments goes beyond borders Original
One of the more interesting innovations within fintech to watch has been the technology that connects consumers to merchants. The use of mobile wallets at point of sale (POS), as well as online and mobile commerce interactions, has skyrocketed as consumer behavior has evolved. The use of super-apps and QR-code-driven payments, especially across Asia and South Asia, has added fuel to this fire in the shift toward digital.
30 Financial Services IT Influencers to Follow in 2022
Apr 30 2022 Management These are the leaders whose every tweet, podcast or blog post gets the industry’s notice. Few industries have been more affected by digital transformation in recent years than financial services. Traditional banks now compete not only with each other but also with digital-native fintech upstarts.
Reimagining the Internet with Web3 on Apple Podcasts
Remember the song by Pattie Page, “How much is that doggie in the window?” If the virtual worlds continue to proliferate, are we going to ask, “How much is that doggie in the metaverse?” In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Arun chat about the evolution from Web2 to Web3, the promise of decentralized tech in a creator-led world, and the challenges that we still need to overcome.
Walking the talk and driving authentic inclusion on Apple Podcasts
One step forward, two steps back. Despite increasing awareness and promises from corporations, metrics such as the gender pay gap and funding for female founders have barely budged. How then, can we truly move the needle for workplace gender equality in financial services and beyond? In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Nadia Edwards-Dashti, co-founder of the Harrington Starr Group, on her new book, FinTech Women Walk the Talk.
What, why, and how on Apple Podcasts
Artificial intelligence is embedded in almost every aspect of our lives, from financial services to healthcare, retail, and beyond, and will play an increasingly important role in everything we do and what we create. But we have merely scratched the surface of what the technology can deliver; ample opportunities exist for us to build solutions that can work together with humans and help us make better decisions, especially for high-stake use cases where human emotions play an important role.
Bridging the gap between fintech and innovation on Apple Podcasts
A significant amount of money has been invested in FinTech in the past decade; according to CFTE, the FinTech sector is now equivalent to 38% of the banking sector in terms of market capitalization. If FinTech was considered a city, it would rank 3rd as an employer in financial services, after New York and London. In a world where we are playing buzzword bingo on a seemingly daily basis, how do we stay on top of the real innovation trends in this fast developing world?
One Vision: Communities that thrive — with meaning, value, and purpose on Apple Podcasts
44 min How can we create an environment where innovation thrives? In a world where we are constantly distracted by dazzling new technology, it is easy to get caught up with cool toys and forget what we are trying to do. In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Dave Cunningham, Chief Commercial Officer at LexTego on lessons learned around bringing innovators, creators, entrepreneurs, and leaders together, and what it takes to build sustainable communities.
Not a pipeline problem; we have a listening problem on Apple Podcasts
32 min How well are women and communities of color being represented in financial services? And how many brilliant ideas don’t get the opportunities they deserve because we are not listening to all the voices? Many people assume that we have a pipeline problem, that there are no women or prominent female leaders in financial services. But that cannot be further from the truth. We don’t have a pipeline problem; rather, we have a listening problem.
Come for the content; stay for the community on Apple Podcasts
26 min What makes a community? And what comes to mind when you see the word, community? A common bond, perhaps — around our mutual love for technology, and a conviction to bring inclusive finance to more in our society. Or perhaps a love of music, craft beer, and human connection.
FinTech and second chances on Apple Podcasts
31 min From opening a bank account and rebuilding credit, to finding employment and securing housing, the challenges that millions of justice-involved individuals and their families face are immense. How then do you design for a community of 20 million people who are trying to get back on their feet? If not now, then when?
The future of banking is in the cloud on Apple Podcasts
37 min What role do cloud solutions play within today’s financial services industry? How has the infrastructure and partnership ecosystem evolved to support the needs of the global market? In order to compete in today’s fast changing world, how can fintechs of all sizes best embrace and accelerate innovation?
It’s not just about the tech on Apple Podcasts
35 min When we talk about innovation, oftentimes we think about those in technology. But innovation goes beyond artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computing. Beyond the bits and bytes, it is also about changing mindsets and thinking critically and differently. It is about being comfortable with the uncomfortable. It is about allowing ourselves the time and opportunity to learn to be clumsy and to embrace failure as part of our journey.
Everyone is influential! on Apple Podcasts
33 min By now, you have probably heard of influencer marketing. But what exactly does that entail in the B2B context? And what are the success factors and pitfalls that brands need to be aware of? In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with Tim Williams, CEO of Onalytica, on how different organizations are engaging with influential experts and employee advocates from content creation and social engagement to events and sales conversion.
Unlocking the hidden value in banking with platform economies on Apple Podcasts
48 min Digitization doesn’t mean putting old wine into new bottles. Beyond simply digitizing products and reducing friction, to succeed in the outcome economies, fintechs must learn to build trust through transparency and engagement, and unlock hidden value in banking.
A feast: Books are food for the soul
As we bid farewell to yet another eventful year that was 2021, what books caught your attention or influenced your thinking? And who are your favorite authors? There is, of course, no shortage of book lists from various publications, from Financial Times and Economist to New York Times, NPR, and President Obama.
Adieu 2021. Hello 2022. on Apple Podcasts
43 min As we bid farewell to 2021, how would you remember the year that was the “new normal” or the “great resignation”? For some, this may have been a record year with funding and innovation. For some others, this may be a year for reflection and recalibration. Or perhaps changes and uncertainty are simply part of the new reality we are in.
Simple payments and seamless solutions: How PayPal can be a good fit for merchants
By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer of Unconventional Ventures, sponsored by PayPal. As commerce evolved over the past decades, payment options have proliferated in response. While early digital shopping experiences provided few options beyond traditional credit cards, new payment methods have arisen, as have new ways of making payments over time. One alternative, Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), has proven to be very popular –– especially with younger consumers.
The Future of Payments is Here: How Buy Now, Pay Later Can Add Value for Both Consumers and Merchants
The Future of Payments is Here: How Buy Now, Pay Later Can Add Value for Both Consumers and Merchants By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer of Unconventional Ventures This is the first of two articles by Unconventional Ventures in partnership with PayPal. Consumer behavior changed dramatically during the pandemic. From touch-free payments to delivery and pick-up alternatives, consumers are embracing new products and services and new ways to make purchases.
The Future of Payments is Here: How Buy Now, Pay Later Can Add Value for Both Consumers and Merchants
By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer of Unconventional Ventures Consumer behavior changed dramatically during the pandemic. From touch-free payments to delivery and pick-up alternatives, consumers are embracing new products and services and new ways to make purchases. While this has been partly born out of necessity due to safety and health concerns, it is also a reflection of the ongoing digital transformation that began even before the pandemic.
If not now, then when? on Apple Podcasts
31 min How do we move beyond the low hanging fruit and create something that brings about real change? How can we entice more incumbents to join the chorus of younger fintechs and insurtechs to tackle climate change, a challenge that extends beyond borders and across generations? In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Arun chat with the masterminds of WhiteSight, Afshan Dadan and Sanjeev Kumar, on green fintech, the climate-conscious consumers, and trends to look forward to in 2022.
A culture of purpose — and a tribute to a friend
By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer of Unconventional Ventures We had envisioned a different theme to write about this week before we received the heartbreaking news of the passing of Brandon Dewitt, MX Co-Founder & CTO. The world has lost a passionate leader and a kind soul; and words cannot express this loss. We all can feel what Brandon meant to his team at MX through the words of Ryan Caldwell.
Data as a means, not an end on Apple Podcasts
34 min Can an industry as old as banking adapt to a tsunami of disruption? From open banking to open finance, how do we ensure a better outcome for the end users we are supposed to serve? Whose data is it and how do we protect consumer rights while fostering innovation? In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with Dr. Louise Beaumont on the regulatory environment, open data, and positive disruption to drive systemic change. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
A Utopian or Dystopian future? The choice is ours on Apple Podcasts
42 min The twenty-first century is going to be the most disruptive, contentious period humanity has ever lived through. It will challenge our most sacred ideologies around politics, economics and social constructs. It will force humanity to adapt in ways we can't yet imagine.
The Path Toward the American Dream Is Not Paved In Debt
By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer of Unconventional Ventures From the most basic to the most complex, financial relationships are held together by the basic tenets of savings, investments, monetary exchanges, protections, and the leveraging of credit and debt. When any of these areas are neglected, these relationships can become one-sided, even predatory. It doesn’t have to be this way. What could we do to make banking better to improve more people’s lives?
Can the journey to the American Dream be truly debt free? on Apple Podcasts
34 min The financial services ecosystem has been inundated with a tremendous amount of external capital aimed at disrupting the way people and businesses bank. From the most basic to the most complex, financial relationships are held together by the tenets of savings, investments, monetary exchanges, protection, and use of the credit and debt. When any of these areas are neglected, these relationships can become one-sided, even predatory.
Across the oceans through the middle mile: The complex web of our global supply chain
By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer of Unconventional Ventures When was the last time you thought about the sustainability of the products you’ve bought? Or the impact to the planet when you consume? When we choose our next mobile device, we might think about Apple and their commitment to a cleaner supply chain, and their efforts to ensure equitable labor practices and more refined environmental protections, even for their products at the end of their lives by being properly recycled.
An overdue conversation for financial services: Where are we really headed next? Come commune with us in London
An overdue conversation for financial services: Where are we really headed next? If there was one theme that emerged during this pandemic, it would be one of acceleration. While much of our daily life feels like it has been in stasis these past nineteen months, it seems every area of financial services is experiencing some form of transformation.
The complex web of our global supply chain on Apple Podcasts
33 min Have you been thinking about the global supply chain a bit more lately? Perhaps back in the beginning of the pandemic, when you couldn’t find toilet paper, or maybe now when you are just starting your holiday shopping and realize you might already be a bit too late. But do we think enough about what we buy, why we buy, where we buy from, and whether we are buying too much?
When music and fintech collide on Apple Podcasts
33 min Could you imagine life without music? Plato said that ‘music gives a soul to the universe’. And there does seem to be a soundtrack to each change of cadence in our lives, as ‘music is the wine that fills the cup of silence’ according to Robert Fripp. There is also a melody to the way money flows through our daily lives as well. So how well do we take care of the artists that conjure up this magic, across so many genres and generations?
Creating a more inclusive world with real-time payments
By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer of Unconventional Ventures The pandemic has dramatically impacted our lives –– from how and where we work, to how and where we buy –– resulting in an acceleration of digital payments and digital expectations. But digital does not always mean instantaneous (meaning truly real-time) — the way that the majority of consumers have come to expect most digital processes to work.
The new wave of payments innovation is here on Apple Podcasts
23 min We have seen a tectonic shift across industries and business models during the pandemic. How businesses adapted to the changes on the ground was a stress test in real time. As customer behavior changed, payments changed along with them, seeing a rapid rise in contactless at point of sale and new ways to pay for all types of services via mobile and online checkouts.
Building the next-generation corporate and investment bank: Leveraging data as a strategic advantage
By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer of Unconventional Ventures COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruptions in our daily lives. The need to socially distance ourselves for an extended period has also accelerated digital transformations that have long been taking place in banking and beyond. Financial hubs from Canary Wharf to Wall Street became deserted almost overnight as bankers working remotely from home offices and businesses scrambled to digitize their processes.
The new era of distributed cloud computing
By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer of Unconventional Ventures The ways that financial services firms leverage technology have always been a source of constant change. From the components of core systems and client facing applications to the underpinning platforms mitigating risk and ensuring compliance to the critical functions of the back office, the financial system remains one of the most robust users and purveyors of the latest technology.
The new era of distributed cloud computing
By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer of Unconventional Ventures The ways that financial services firms leverage technology have always been a source of constant change. From the components of core systems and client facing applications to the underpinning platforms mitigating risk and ensuring compliance to the critical functions of the back office, the financial system remains one of the most robust users and purveyors of the latest technology.
With data, comes power. But what about responsibility? on Apple Podcasts
42 min Those who have the data hold the power. But who owns the data? And how could we better leverage the benefits of financial data and technology to ensure that financial services are delivered in a fair, ethical, compliant, and more evenly competitive landscape? It will require more of the financial ecosystem to embrace open banking standards and put the needs of consumers front and center.
It’s the fintech groundhog day on Apple Podcasts
38 min Have we truly fulfilled the promise of fintech? How do you look beyond what is easy and serve communities who have long been ignored by traditional financial services, such as migrants? What is best for the greater good? How do we create change at scale? Perhaps the only way to unbake systemic racism within financial services is to change the ingredients and those that are preparing the meal, as well as for whom we are preparing the meal. Everyone deserves a seat at the table.
Welcome to the age of embedded finance, where the financial services battlefield has moved from branches to point-of-sale on Apple Podcasts
32 min Can we make embedding finance into apps and customer journeys as simple as drag and drop? While no one would go to Ikea for the sole purpose of opening a bank account, they might need payment installment services during checkout. The new breed of technology platform players (BaaS) has made offering such services much more cost effective and less complex for big brands and retailers.
How can financial institutions thrive in an era of embedded finance?
The financial services business model has changed significantly during the past decade, as have the solutions that consumers leverage to manage their financial lives. Around the world, we are seeing more examples of how banking services have started to merge into non-financial applications.
The fintech party is just getting started on Apple Podcasts
40 min While the promise of flying cars might not have materialized, plenty has transpired in the startup space, at least in fintech. From investing to payments and super apps, from Asia to Latam and Africa, startups have raised record-level of funds. While it might seem consumers have a myriad of choices (just take a look at your smartphone), do we truly have the right solutions to the day-to-day challenges we face?
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