Mesh’s Post

The Financial Club turns 2 years today! Here is how The Financial Club came from idea to becoming the only professional network in #Fintech. 💡 Stage 1 - Ideation It took about 6 months from having the idea of building a community, using the network we've built at Fintech Retreat and DeFi Retreat, to host the first club meetings. The retreats served as a backbone for everything we've done since. 🎯 Stage 2 - Testing for Product Market Fit After launching the first Financial Club meetings in San Francisco and New York City in March of 2023 with a curated cohort of members and guests, we spent the next 16 months hosting meetings and testing different content and interaction formats, mainly to understand what should a fintech community deliver to its members. 🚀 Stage 3 - Scaling The work that we did over the first 22 months helped us come up with a unique product which incorporated the most successful parts from our annual Fintech Retreat and DeFi Retreat gatherings, new things we learned by running a closed community and also apply a more industry agnostic startup building techniques. As a result, The Financial Club opened it's doors to the entire Fintech Community in July of this year and has quickly grown to almost a 500 member strong community in just 2+ months! The growth is mainly driven by the club offerings that are helping our members: 1️⃣ Grow their professional network. 2️⃣ Participate in meaningful and interaction discussions with industry leaders 3️⃣ Explore business opportunities. 4️⃣ Find support groups of professionals that represent the diverse fintech ecosystem. Just like Fintech Retreat and DeFi Retreat gatherings have inspired a large number of new events or existing ones to create more engaging and curated content and networking opportunities (especially a growing number of new events this year), we expect The Financial Club to inspire stakeholders to think differently about what a Fintech Community can be. As I am looking back 2 years from now I am really excited to see how far we have gotten from the initial idea. Of course none of this would be possible if it wasn't for an incredible group of industry friends that have helped make the club what it is today. I wanted to give a shout-out to: Sheila Warren, Carole House, Ari Redbord, Patrick Hillmann, Dan Roesbery, Adam Pluemer, Daniel Gorfine, Michelle O'Connor and our newly appointed advisor - Sanjib Kalita for their support, time and for trusting that an immigrant from Moldova, who didn't really know a single person in Fintech before the pandemic is worth their time and attention. I also want to thank our non-public advisors that aren't mentioned on the website, but who agreed to be a reliable support system for me. And last but not least, I am really lucky that my old friend, amazing C-Suite operator and now partner - April Wong, agreed to join me in building the premier Fintech Network in the US and beyond! Really excited for what's coming!

📢Just 3 Days Left Until FINTECH Circle Autumn Drinks 2024! On October 17th, some of the brightest minds in fintech will gather for an evening of networking, knowledge-sharing, and growth insights at FINTECH Circle Autumn Drinks 2024. Whether you're a fintech professional, investor, or entrepreneur, this event offers a unique opportunity to connect with industry leaders, explore strategies for capital growth and partnerships, and engage in meaningful conversations in a relaxed setting. 💼 What to Expect: 1. Exclusive networking with fintech CEOs, investors, and experts 2. A live panel discussion on Growth Strategies for Fintech Companies, focusing on capital and partnerships 3. Informal drinks and canapés to keep the conversations going 🎤 Speakers Panel: 🔹Ben Goldring – Partner, Cavendish 🔹Stephen Barrett – Research Director, Cavendish 🔹Zuleika Salter – Partner, Cavendish 🔹Dan Garrett – CEO, Farewill 🔹Moderated by Susanne Chishti, Founder & Chair of FINTECH Circle 📋 Agenda: 6:00 PM – Welcome Drinks & Networking 6:50 PM – Live Panel Discussion on Growth Strategies for Fintech Companies 7:15 - 9:00 PM – Networking over Drinks & Canapés 📅 Date: October 17th, 2024 📍 Location: Cavendish, 1 Bartholomew Close, London, EC1A 7BL RSVP now to secure your spot! 👉https://lnkd.in/df9ADBNM If you want to stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving fintech landscape, this event is for you. Don’t miss out on a night of insights, connections, and opportunities! #Fintech #Networking #CapitalMarkets #Investors #GrowthStrategies #AutumnDrinks #Cavendish #FintechCircle #FintechEvent

SwissHacks 2024 🚀: one week since SwissHacks at Point Zero Forum! 📰 Today, we are sharing a reportage from finance.swiss that insightfully highlights this flagship event, SwissHacks 2024. 🚀 The Swiss Financial Innovation Desk (FIND) organized the very first government-supported hackathon, powered by Tenity, to promote financial innovation in Switzerland and beyond. The hackathon took place from June 28 to 30 in Zurich at the SIX Convention Center. 💡Around 100 participants from 15 countries worked on 5 challenges in under 48 hours, harnessing collective intelligence and collaboration to drive financial innovation on concrete market issues. 🎤 The winning teams were able to pitch their ideas on various stages, including a VC side-event at Pestalozzi Attorneys at Law, in front of investors, politicians, entrepreneurs, and lawyers, as well as on the main stage of the Point Zero Forum in Zurich. 👤Pascale Bruderer, former President of the National Council, Vice-President of the ETH Board, and entrepreneur, delivered a keynote speech emphasizing Switzerland's attractiveness as a business location. 👥 The pitches were evaluated by a panel consisting of Georges Khneysser, Founder of QBIT Capital, Drew Propson, Head of Technology & Innovation in Financial Services at the World Economic Forum, Schuyler Weiss, CEO of Light Frame, Chetan Tolia, Managing Director and Head of UBS Next, and Alexander Fries, General Partner of Digital Twins Capital. 🎥 finance.swiss’ Tanya König interviewed the winning teams, as well as the initiator of SwissHacks and Head of FIND, Eva Selamlar-Leuthold, about what these platforms mean to them. More about SwissHacks 👉🏻 https://www.swisshacks.com #ConciergingFinancialInnovation #FinancialInnovation #SwissHacks2024 #SwissHacks #FromIdeaToImpact #FutureOfFinance

Fintech Fairytale (E20)…A bird in the hand… Torben wasn’t just any CEO, he had BIG ambitions. He dreamed of building an empire and, like most empire-builders, he believed that to get there, he needed to be in the right rooms, talking to the right people. 💼 So, Torben spent his days chasing after the biggest names in the business. Whether it was attending exclusive CEO breakfasts, flying to high-profile summits, or sliding into the DMs of Fortune 500 executives, he was always looking for that one magical conversation that would take his company to the next level. ✈️☕ But while Torben was busy trying to schedule lunch with the “big guys,” something funny was happening back at HQ. His team was working around the clock, innovating, collaborating, and driving the company forward—without the fancy titles or big platforms. They were the real engines behind Torben’s vision, making things happen every single day. One day, Torben’s trusted advisor pulled him aside and said, “Torben, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. You’re so busy chasing big names, you’re forgetting the people who are already here, building your dream with you!” 🐦 Torben paused. He realized he’d been so caught up in rubbing elbows with famous CEOs that he’d lost sight of the true champions, the ones right beside him, working tirelessly to make his vision a reality. And from that day forward, while Torben still loved a good networking event (who doesn’t?), he made sure to spend just as much time appreciating and investing in the real stars of his network: his team, his partners, and the people who had been there from day one. 🌟 So, here’s to all the Torbens out there: remember, sometimes the biggest impact comes not from the big names, but from the everyday heroes already in your corner. #Leadership #Networking #Teamwork #Gratitude #Fintech #GrowthMindset

Are you involved in a thriving Fintech cluster? Jump into the conversation and share your insights to Kris' question below. Learning from others' experiences is invaluable.

Landed in SF! 🛬 Excited to be back for the YC reunion and SF Tech Week as we continue scaling PAYZE (YC S21) into the leading payment platform for enterprise businesses across emerging markets. 🌍🚀 I’m thrilled to announce our exclusive event during SF Tech Week: “Scaling Fintech in Emerging Markets: Insights and Strategies from Founders on the Frontline” 🎙️✨ Join us as we explore the unique challenges and massive opportunities of building fintech solutions in high-growth regions like Central Asia, the Caucasus, Eastern Europe and Africa. We’ll dive into key topics such as scaling tech platforms, navigating regulatory environments, and entering frontier markets. Expect: - Exclusive stories and insights from top YC founders who’ve successfully scaled fintech solutions in these regions. - Engagement with top investors actively investing in emerging and frontier markets, offering invaluable perspectives on the growth potential and investment opportunities. - Georgian wines and a curated networking experience at the Georgian Embassy. RSVP required https://lnkd.in/dqaKGiNH — space is limited, and approvals will be based on relevance to the fintech and investment community. Don’t miss the chance to connect with founders and investors shaping the future of fintech in high-growth markets. Feel free to message me directly if you’re in town—I’ll be here for the next two weeks and would love to catch up! TECH WEEK by a16z Y Combinator #Fintech #EmergingMarkets #SFTechWeek #YC #Innovation

Back from London after spending 2 weeks in the greatest city in the world. 34 meetings over 9 days...just short of my 4 a day goal. Some takeaways and other thoughts: ---> IP.....music, content, creators...2025 is going to be an interesting year for IP holders and investors. From legacy holders to start-ups, next year is going to be quite active with new investment and M & A activity. ---> As an "Old Head" (my neighbor's son's description of anyone over 50), I am still getting my arms around AI and the impact it is going to have on business models going forward. Several of my meetings were with companies doing some amazing things with the technology. ---> If you had told me 10 years ago that the golf space was going to be red hot from an investment perspective, I would have rolled my eyes and had a big old laugh. Amazed at the number of groups who are actively investing in the space. ---> For 2 weeks, I did not ride in a taxi or uber. I walked 166,502 steps (13,879 per day), averaged 6.8 miles per day for a total of 81.2 miles over 12 days. I remain grateful for all the friends and new relationships I get to meet when I am across the pond. Excited for 2025 and the work we are doing to help UK funds and their portfolio companies with addressing the US market. CTH Advisors

I was very happy to be part of a panel at this year’s Blueprint conference. Congrats to David Hirschman, Vik Venkatraman and team for assembling so much of the passion and talent within our industry in one giant space. In just a few years, they built Blueprint into one of the most important rallying points in our industry. Thanks as well to my fellow panelists - Gavin Myers, David Weiden, Jenny Song - and moderator Sami Sparber. Here’s some of what we discussed on stage: 1.     “What are some of the latest, most exciting trends you’re pursuing within proptech?” --  I began by stating pretty emphatically how much I don’t like that question, but it was a great place to start, because Sami set me up to make a point that I think is really important. It’s not about trends. It’s not about hype cycles. It’s about the enormous gap between the massive scale of the real estate ecosystem and the still relatively low rate of technology adoption within that universe. Closing that gap is not easy, but there’s so much opportunity for people, and companies, and investors who figure out how to do it. 2.     There is a robust and varied network of investors to support the best real estate technology entrepreneurs. This was not the case when we started Camber Creek. We were, to our knowledge, the first VC in the space exclusively focused on real estate technology. Now there are a number of firms with that focus in varying degrees. Gavin described Prudence as a former generalist, and David got excited about what he called moonshot investments, companies that will most likely fail, but if they succeed, will win big. 3.     Jenny talked about insisting new technologies - be it crypto, AI, etc - solve existing problems within real estate. It’s a good bar to set, which many people don’t. 4.     This one's obvious: great founders matter – Too great a focus on trends can obscure this constant. It’s evergreen. All in all, quite an enjoyable panel. #realestatetechnology #proptech #venturecapital #conference  

Our LinkedIn company page for Higher Status Global is now live with updates as we move forward in our mission to provide catalytic capital for environmental projects that can make a difference, at this defining moment of planetary emergency. We'll be posting progress updates on here as they occur and greatly appreciate your support in helping us grow and connect with others and warmly invite you to follow our page. Thank you for your support! 🙏 #HigherStatusGlobal #PhoenixFintech #DigitalTransformation #CompanyUpdate #FutureOfFinance #FintechNextGen #InnovateInFinance #TechForTheFuture #FintechRevolution #RegenerativeFinance #Refi #BusinessAsAForceForGood