International Women's Day 2024 Feature: Celebrating Female Founders in Fintech
As we commemorate International Women's Day 2024, we celebrate the remarkable strides made by women, particularly in the fintech arena. These visionary female founders are reshaping finance and driving inclusion, inspiring a future where gender parity thrives globally.
As we commemorate International Women's Day 2024, we celebrate the remarkable strides made by women, particularly in the fintech arena. These visionary female founders are reshaping finance and driving inclusion, inspiring a future where gender parity thrives globally.
1. Chaitra Chidanand, Co-Founder at SALT
Chaitra is driving the charge in revolutionising how women engage with financial services. SALT's AI-powered platform offers a unique approach, tailoring financial products based on users' psychology, life context, and individual needs. Their innovative suite includes a proprietary psychometric assessment, NLP-based Passbook, interactive money visualisation tool, and Adaptive AI-driven investments. Through deep-tech and human-centric design, SALT's financial service "Jarvis" not only meets users' desires but also fulfils their essential financial needs.
Chaitra’s vision is clear: to empower women's financial futures. As she aptly puts it, “Money is as essential to our life as salt is in our food. Yet we do not have a smart, effortless and joyful way of knowing and managing it.”
“Via SALT we strive to change that. It is the hardest design challenge I've ever dealt with in my professional life...that's what makes it both fun and worth my while.”
- Chaitra Chidanand
About SALT:
Our relationship with money is complex. It is also intuitive. Finance, as it is today, has conditioned us to second guess our choices. We at SALT, think it is time to reassert agency. We say reassert because nobody needs to give us anything when it comes to money or the acumen to make decisions about it. It is inherent. Like ‘salt to taste’.
2. Natalia Mykhaylova, Founder and CEO of WeavAir
Natalia shares her perspective on inspiring inclusion both personally and professionally. At WeavAir, inclusion isn't just a buzzword — it's ingrained in every aspect of their operations. Natalia's approach revolves around empathy, ensuring that everyone in the company feels valued and heard.
When it comes to challenges, Natalia doesn't shy away from acknowledging the hurdles she faces as a fintech founder. From business strategy to financing, every day presents a new opportunity to learn and grow. Her advice to aspiring women and girls? It resonates with resilience and self-belief — essential qualities for navigating the entrepreneurial journey.
“The key is to believe in yourself, step forward and be resilient. There are always many challenges and it is critical to not be discouraged and build grit.”
- Natalia Mykhaylova
About WeavAir:
WeavAir has created a new easy-to-implement investment intelligence software with a gender lens, transforming how financial firms evaluate and benchmark ESG performance & advise women on their investment decisions. Collaborating with banks and insurers, WeavAir enhances decision-making by integrating high-quality data to prioritise ESG portfolios and boost returns. By utilising satellite imagery and big data, the solution accurately evaluates emissions, climate risks, and operational parameters, mitigating risks and attracting female investors.
3. Sibongile Zulu, Founder and MD of Capital Unlocked
Sibongile's commitment to inspiring inclusion reflects in her active listening and appreciation of diverse perspectives. At Capital Unlocked, she prioritises making financial services accessible and responsive to the unique needs of underrepresented communities. By empowering entrepreneurs with tailored strategies, she paves the way for their success in competitive environments.
Navigating the complexities of the financial system poses significant challenges for Sibongile. However, her strategic approach, coupled with persistence and a keen understanding of client needs, enables her to overcome these obstacles. Her advice to women and girls emphasises embracing uniqueness, resilience, and the importance of setting boundaries.
“My advice to women and girls is that they should embrace their unique values and capabilities with confidence… What matters most is your resilience, your willingness to learn from every experience, and recognising (your) strength.”
- Sibongile Zulu
About Capital Unlocked:
At Capital Unlocked, their mission transcends conventional support; they are dedicated to empowering business owners, by equipping them with indispensable knowledge, tools, and ongoing guidance promoting funding readiness. Capital Unlock’s commitment extends beyond the facilitation of capital – they strive to assist you in laying the groundwork for enduring future-proof funding success.
In Conclusion
These insights from Chaitra, Natalia and Sibongile underscore the transformative power of female leadership in fintech. As we continue to champion diversity and inclusion, let's draw inspiration from their journeys and empower women and girls to thrive in the ever-evolving world of finance.
Let's forge a better, more inclusive future for women everywhere. 🫶🏻
#APIXCommunity #IWD2024 #InspireInclusion #Fintech
About Financial Alliance for Women Hackathon 2023:
This article highlights the inspiring stories of female founders in the fintech industry, more particularly, participants of the Financial Alliance for Women's 4th edition 2023 Alliance Hack, hosted on the APIX platform.
Fintech innovators were invited to participate, submitting gender-intelligent solutions aimed at revolutionising financial services for women worldwide. The hackathon aimed to address the underserved female market, and the winner gets the chance to win US$25,000 in cash, pitch at Founders Peak during the Singapore Fintech Festival 2023, and gain global recognition as the Female Economy Fintech of the Year.