The Fintech OG's from TWIF

The Fintech OG Series: Mike Taormina and Ian Lampl

Powered by Spade. On this episode of The Fintech OGs, hosts Julie VerHage-Greenberg and Lauren Crossett sit down with Ian Lampl, co-founder and CEO of LoanStreet Inc., and Mike Taormina, co-founder and CEO of Vault, for a conversation about what it really looks like to build through multiple market cycles, from marketplace lending hype and COVID disruptions to crypto booms, AI momentum, and policy shifts no one can predict. Ian shares how LoanStreet grew from a thesis around syndicated lending access for community banks and credit unions into a broader marketplace, analytics, and servicing platform. Mike reflects on the realities of scaling a fintech lender, from raising that first major pool of capital to realizing that once pricing unlocks demand, the next challenge is finding enough funding to keep up. The conversation digs into the unknown unknowns founders face when external events suddenly reshape the business, including the overnight impact COVID had on student loan refinancing, and how resilient lending companies adapt when the model changes beneath them. Julie and Lauren also unpack where financial infrastructure is heading, from cloud-native systems and stablecoins as a faster way to move dollar value to the practical role AI can play inside lending workflows, while Mike explains Vault’s bet on crypto-backed lending and why pledged digital assets could create a smarter way for borrowers to qualify, improve rates, and help lenders better account for collateral while staying compliant. Subscribe for more conversations with operators building the future of financial services. This episode is sponsored by Granola. Try it free for 3 months at granola.ai/thisweekinfintech using code THISWEEKINFINTECH. Connect with the Hosts & Guest Julie VerHage-Greenberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-verhage-greenberg-1748801b Lauren Crossett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-crossett-b3752126 Ian Lampl: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-lampl-b7a5b684/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-lampl-b7a5b684/] Mike Taormina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelataormina/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelataormina/] About The Fintech OGs Former Bloomberg Fintech reporter Julie VerHage-Greenberg leads panels of the people who’ve taken Fintech from a hashtag to an industry through discussions on where we see the industry moving, what it takes to stay on top of the enormous changes that are still gripping the financial services industry,  and what they have learned as the best leaders in the field.   Listen for the best up-to-date know-how from leaders in banking, payments, venture capital, fintech entrepreneurs, and all of those that have recreated financial services, and are still at it.

The Fintech OG Series: Oban MacTavish and Allen Miller

Powered by Spade. Even the most polished fintech apps break on one stubborn problem: messy transaction data. The same merchant can show up differently across issuers like Amex and Chase, driving broken rewards, poor insights, fraud risk, and support noise. We sit down with Oban MacTavish, CEO and Co-founder of Spade, and Alan Miller, Partner at Oak HC/FT, to unpack how raw transaction data gets transformed into clean, structured merchant records in real time. From Spade’s scrappy, hand-labeled beginnings to its bet on treating enrichment as a search problem, we explore what it takes to build durable fintech infrastructure. We then step back to look at fintech’s shift toward sustainable growth, the rising importance of clean data in the AI wave, and where stablecoins and new payment rails are gaining traction. Subscribe for more conversations with operators building the future of financial services. This episode is sponsored by Granola. Try it free for 3 months at granola.ai/thisweekinfintech using code THISWEEKINFINTECH. Connect with the Hosts & Guest Julie VerHage-Greenberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-verhage-greenberg-1748801b Lauren Crossett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-crossett-b3752126 Oban MacTavish: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oban/ Allen Miller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allen-miller-6670b133/ About The Fintech OGs Former Bloomberg Fintech reporter Julie VerHage-Greenberg leads panels of the people who’ve taken Fintech from a hashtag to an industry through discussions on where we see the industry moving, what it takes to stay on top of the enormous changes that are still gripping the financial services industry,  and what they have learned as the best leaders in the field.   Listen for the best up-to-date know-how from leaders in banking, payments, venture capital, fintech entrepreneurs, and all of those that have recreated financial services, and are still at it.

The Fintech OG Series: Shanthi Shanmugam and Natasha Vernier

Powered by Spade. Money moves faster than ever, but the hardest moments in fintech still happen when something goes wrong: a confusing transaction, a disputed charge, a fraud claim, or a control that fails when regulators come calling. We talk with Shanti Shanmugam, CEO and co-founder of Casap, and Natasha Vernier, CEO and co-founder of Cable, about what it takes to build trust in those high-stakes edge cases and how modern AI is changing the playbook for banks and fintechs. We also get candid about founder life: the highs, the gut-punch lows, and the practical ways they stay resilient, from building a support network to separating identity from the company. Finally, we debate how agentic AI could drive more niche consumer finance products, what creates real loyalty, and what advice actually helps new grads entering fintech now. Subscribe for more conversations with operators building the future of financial services. Connect with the Hosts & Guest Julie VerHage-Greenberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-verhage-greenberg-1748801b Lauren Crossett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-crossett-b3752126 Shanthi Shanmugam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanthi-shanmugam-4057284a Natasha Vernier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashavernier About The Fintech OGs Former Bloomberg Fintech reporter Julie VerHage-Greenberg leads panels of the people who’ve taken Fintech from a hashtag to an industry through discussions on where we see the industry moving, what it takes to stay on top of the enormous changes that are still gripping the financial services industry,  and what they have learned as the best leaders in the field.   Listen for the best up-to-date know-how from leaders in banking, payments, venture capital, fintech entrepreneurs, and all of those that have recreated financial services, and are still at it.

The Fintech OG Series: Angela Hung and Dan Egan

Powered by Spade. Welcome back to This Week in Fintech and another episode of Fintech OGs. Season four kicks off with a look at how behavioral economics shows up in real fintech product decisions, and the gap between how fast money moves and how well users actually understand it. This episode features Angela Hung and Dan Egan, two builders and researchers whose careers span policy research, Robinhood, Earnin, and Betterment. Together, they have helped shape how modern wealth and financial tools are designed and experienced. The conversation takes a deep dive into how behavioral economics collides with real fintech product decisions, from robo-advisors to earned wage access. We explore why AI will reshape finance unevenly, making some experiences smarter behind the scenes while forcing hard lines around trust, accuracy, and user control.

The Fintech OGs Season 4

Fintech OGs returns for Season 4. Julie returns as host, now joined by co-host Lauren Crossett, to sit down with the pioneers who built and transformed fintech. From the early days of digital finance to the innovations redefining money today, these are the stories behind the people who changed the industry. Powered by Spade.