Fintech for the People

Accion
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Fintech has the power to build a more inclusive world. Fintech for the People is about the innovators who are developing fintech solutions that reach the people who’ve been left behind. In each episode, we’ll hear from innovators who are creating financial solutions that provide people with the financial tools they need to grow their business, support their family, and build their community. Together, we’ll learn how fintech looks different in spaces and places where basic financial services are a luxury — and how solutions to address these challenges require a different level of creativity, empathy, and execution. Fintech for the People is an Accion podcast hosted by Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner of Accion Ventures — which deploys capital in early-stage inclusive fintech. Episodes will be released in seasons, on a weekly schedule.

  1. Jun 18

    Why Fintech Infrastructure is the New Multiplier to Scale Financial Inclusion

    Fintech for the People Season 9, Episode 1 featuring Monica Brand Engel, Managing Partner at Quona Capital Quona Capital Managing Partner Monica Brand Engel has spent more than a decade investing in financial inclusion across emerging markets. She joins this season's host, Accion Ventures Managing Partner Rahil Rangwala, to talk about a shift underway in fintech: the move from building individual consumer products to building the infrastructure that lets those products reach scale. Monica explains Quona's one-to-many thesis, which backs the back-end systems that many alternative lenders can use to clear operational bottlenecks. From fund administration in Brazil to banking-as-a-service in India, the conversation covers how this infrastructure expands access to financial services and what it takes for founders to build it. Episode highlights: The shift from pure play fintech to the development of public infrastructure, like Pix in Brazil and UPI in India.The multiplier effect of infrastructure and how it allows for greater impact with the same amount of capital.Case studies of infrastructure plays like Kanastra and Shivalik that are solving critical operational hurdles.What’s required of infrastructure founders, including deep domain expertise and regulatory fluency.The future of the financial stack, including the integration of agentic AI and blockchain to drive capital efficiency. To learn more about Quona Capital, visit their website. Learn more about Accion Ventures on our website and LinkedIn.

    22 min

  2. Jun 11

    Introducing Season 9 of the Fintech for the People Podcast

    Introducing Fintech for the People Season 9, featuring Rahil Rangwala, Managing Partner at Accion Ventures Rahil Rangwala, Managing Partner of Accion Ventures, kicks off a new season of Fintech for the People. In this introductory episode, Rahil sets the stage for a deep dive into the invisible backbone of modern finance: infrastructure. He explains why Accion Ventures believes that inclusion and scale are not trade-offs and why the next wave of innovation depends on the systems beneath the products. Rahil outlines the challenges entrepreneurs face in fragmented markets, from verifying identities to navigating complex regulations, and why building the plumbing of financial services is the key to reaching millions. This season will feature the inclusion of multipliers who we believe are reshaping the economics of the market to ensure no one is left behind. Episode highlights: The philosophy of Accion Ventures: Why inclusion and scale are complementary goals rather than trade-offs.Defining financial infrastructure: Understanding the payment rails, identity layers, and compliance tools that support modern systems.The plumbing analogy: How invisible systems determine what can be built, what it costs, and who is ultimately included or excluded.Overcoming fragmentation: Why founders are often forced to reinvent the wheel and how infrastructure can solve this bottleneck.A preview of season 9: Insights into the upcoming conversations with founders and investors. Learn more about Accion Ventures on our website and LinkedIn.

    4 min
  3. Driving Digital Financial Inclusion for Pakistan’s Truckers

    10/21/2025

    Driving Digital Financial Inclusion for Pakistan’s Truckers

    Fintech for the People Season 8, Episode 5 featuring Sheryar Bawany, Co-founder and CEO of Trukkr  Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner of Accion Ventures, welcomes Trukkr’s Co-founder and CEO, Sheryar Bawany, to the podcast this week for an in- depth discussion of Pakistan's $35 billion road freight market, an industry critical to the economy yet held back by manual processes and financial instability. Sheryar begins by recounting his unique journey from banking to becoming a trucker himself, an experience that gave him a firsthand look at the severe pain points in the industry. This led to the creation of Trukkr, a platform designed to solve these deep-rooted challenges by merging logistics technology with embedded finance.  Sheryar explains the critical cash flow challenges that keep small truck owners "constantly broke," trapped in a cycle of high upfront costs and long payment delays. Trukkr tackles this by providing essential working capital and digitizing the entire supply chain. For corporate shippers, the platform offers unprecedented transparency, efficiency, and data analytics, transforming a chaotic, paper-based system into a streamlined digital workflow. For truckers, it provides access to fair and timely financing, breaking their dependence on high-interest loan sharks. Sheryar’s vision is for Trukkr to become the central ecosystem for the industry, making logistics in Pakistan more efficient and financially inclusive for everyone involved.  Episode highlights:  Digitizing Pakistan's massive, yet inefficient, road freight and logistics industry. Addressing the critical working capital and cash flow challenges faced by small truck owners. Providing corporate shippers with transparency, data analytics, and operational efficiencies. Streamlining the entire logistics process, from sourcing trucks to invoicing and payment. Integrating embedded finance to provide truckers with access to capital and insurance products. Overcoming adoption hurdles in a traditionally manual and price-sensitive market. Creating a digital ecosystem that benefits both shippers and carriers. The future of truck-tech and the importance of a combined technology and finance model.  To learn more about Trukkr, visit their website. Learn more about Accion Ventures on our website and LinkedIn.

    22 min
  4. Cultivating Prosperity: Verqor Aims to Revolutionize Agricultural Finance in Mexico

    10/14/2025

    Cultivating Prosperity: Verqor Aims to Revolutionize Agricultural Finance in Mexico

    Cultivating Prosperity: Verqor Aims to Revolutionize Agricultural Finance in Mexico  Fintech for the People Season 8, Episode 4 featuring Valentina Rogacheva, Co-founder of Verqor  Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner of Accion Ventures, sits down with Valentina Rogacheva, Co-founder of Verqor, to explore the ways her company is tackling the significant gap in financial services for Mexico’s agricultural sector. Valentina shares the journey of identifying the deep-seated challenges farmers face, from the inefficiencies of traditional banking to the lack of products tailored to their needs. She explains how these obstacles push farmers towards informal credit and limit their potential for growth and economic mobility.  Valentina details Verqor’s innovative fintech model, designed specifically for the agricultural ecosystem. By offering cashless, digital credit that can only be used for approved agricultural inputs, Verqor ensures the financing is used productively. She discusses their B2B2C strategy, partnering with crop buyers and retailers to mitigate risk, gathering crucial data for their alternative credit scoring model, and creating a transparent, resilient supply chain. Verqor’s approach not only results in an impressively low default rate but also embeds services like climate insurance, empowering farmers to increase their yields, adopt sustainable practices, and achieve greater financial stability.  Episode highlights:  Addressing the financial exclusion of small and medium size farmers in rural Mexico. Providing fast, accessible, and cashless digital credit tailored for the agricultural sector. Embedding finance within the agricultural supply chain through a B2B2C model. Mitigating risk and maintaining low default rates through strategic partnerships with crop buyers and suppliers. Ensuring the productive use of credit by restricting it to the purchase of high-quality agricultural inputs. Promoting higher yields, increased income, and sustainable farming practices through better inputs and climate insurance. Building and motivating a team that bridges the gap between the traditionally non-digital agriculture industry and the innovative world of fintech. The future vision for Verqor as a comprehensive financial partner for the entire agricultural value chain.  To learn more about Verqor, visit their website. Learn more about Accion Ventures on our website and LinkedIn.

    19 min
  5. Magma's Fintech Fix for Factory Supply Chains

    10/08/2025

    Magma's Fintech Fix for Factory Supply Chains

    Fintech for the People Season 8, Episode 3 featuring Neal Thakker, Founder and CEO of Magma  Neal Thakker, Founder and CEO of Magma, joins Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner of Accion Ventures, on the podcast this week for an exploration of  the massive opportunity that exists to modernize India's current manufacturing sector. Against the backdrop of a global supply chain shift, Neal explains how Indian factories are poised for huge growth but are often held back by traditional, inefficient practices. He shares his journey from working in supply chain management to founding Magma, a comprehensive platform designed to solve the core operational and financial challenges facing small and medium size factories.  Neal details how Magma functions as an end-to-end industrial solutions provider, moving beyond a simple marketplace model. The platform seeks to address critical pain points by bundling services like specialty raw material procurement, green energy solutions, waste management, and logistics. By embedding finance directly into these workflows, Magma helps factories overcome issues like blocked working capital and rigid minimum order quantities. This integrated approach not only improves day-to-day operations but also tackles the biggest challenge for any factory owner: improving capacity utilization. Looking ahead, Neal discusses his vision for expanding Magma's embedded finance offerings to include smarter credit underwriting and innovative insurance products tailored for the manufacturing industry.  Episode highlights:  The emergence of opportunities for India's manufacturing sector. Solving the key challenges for small and medium sized factories: unreliable supply chains, blocked working capital, and a lack of digitization. Magma’s model of bundling diverse services, from raw materials to waste management, - to become an integrated part of a factory’s operations. Using embedded finance to eliminate restrictive minimum order quantities and free up cash flow. Focusing on capacity utilization as the most critical metric for a factory's success. Building relationships that foster trust and drive digital adoption in a traditional industry. The future of embedded finance in manufacturing, including smarter underwriting and tailored insurance products. Building resilient teams by prioritizing deep industry expertise for key operational roles. Transforming India's industrial backbone to compete on a global scale.  To learn more about Magma, visit their website. Learn more about Accion Ventures on our website and LinkedIn.

    20 min
  6. Building a Better Financial Future for Small Businesses in the Construction Industry

    09/30/2025

    Building a Better Financial Future for Small Businesses in the Construction Industry

    Fintech for the People Season 8, Episode 2 featuring Fernando Olloqui, Founder of Licify In this episode of Fintech for the People, guest Fernando Olloqui, founder of Licify, dives into the massive yet deeply inefficient construction industry. He shares his firsthand experience with the financial challenges faced by subcontractors, a journey that led him from the brink of panic over unpredictable payments to building a fintech solution designed to solve these systemic problems. Fernando explains how Licify is seeking to bring an outdated industry into the digital age. Fernando details the nightmare of cash flow management for small contractors, where winning more business can paradoxically lead to financial ruin due to a severe negative cash flow cycle. Licify addresses this by embedding financial services directly into the construction procurement and payment workflow. The platform streamlines everything from bidding and compliance to billing and payments, reducing the time it takes for subcontractors to get paid from an average of two months to just two weeks. This creates a "win-win" for the entire supply chain, de-risking projects for builders and providing financial stability for contractors. Looking forward, Fernando shares his vision for Licify to evolve from a system of record to a "system of action," using AI to automate complex processes and further boost efficiency. Episode highlights: Addressing significant working capital challenges for subcontractors in the construction industry.Streamlining and accelerating payment cycles from months to weeks.Digitalizing the historically manual procurement and compliance processes in construction.Integrating embedded finance tools like invoice discounting directly into construction transactions.Connecting major contractors with a vast network of suppliers and subcontractors.Leveraging AI to automate administrative tasks and enhance operational predictability within the construction supply chain.Building resilient teams within challenging industry landscapes.Transforming the construction sector towards greater productivity and digitalization. To learn more about Licify, visit their website. Learn more about Accion Ventures on our website and LinkedIn.

    22 min
  7. Transforming Small Business Finance with Embedded Fintech

    09/23/2025

    Transforming Small Business Finance with Embedded Fintech

    Today’s episode of Fintech for the People marks an exciting new chapter, as hosts Amee Parbhoo and Rahil Rangwala, Managing Partners of the newly rebranded Accion Ventures, announce the successful close of a new $61.6 million fund. They also introduce the season's central theme: a deep dive into how verticalized embedded finance is dramatically increasing access to crucial financial services for small businesses in traditionally overlooked sectors globally. Listen now Expressing his enthusiasm for Accion Ventures' name change, Rahil feels that it reflects their decade of impact as a leading inclusive fintech investor. He and Amee note that the new fund targets innovations in AI, infrastructure, and embedded finance, aiming for vast opportunities in underserved communities. Our hosts also define verticalized embedded finance as contextualizing business transactions — goods, payments, and data interchange — with solutions that are specifically tailored to sectors like construction, agriculture, and logistics, addressing unique small business challenges. Episode Highlights: Accion Ventures rebranding.Successful second fund closure.Commitment to fintech for inclusion.Fintech's future with AI and embedded finance.Defining embedded finance.Verticalized financial solutions for specific industries.Importance of founder expertise.Expanding financial access for small businesses. To learn more about Accion Ventures, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn.

    14 min

  8. 05/15/2024

    Exploring Equitable AI and Financial Inclusion

    This episode of Fintech for the People is focused on the critical research around risks and bias in AI, explaining the importance of equitable AI and its impact on the financial ecosystem. Our guest, Alexandra Rizzi, Senior Research Director at the Center for Financial Inclusion, shares insights about various challenges, including bias and contextual differences, emphasizing the need for inclusive outcomes in financial decision-making processes. She highlights scenarios where seemingly neutral AI models may inadvertently perpetuate biases, underscoring the importance of understanding the context and nuances of different markets.  Exploring mitigation strategies, Alexandra Rizzi outlines a three-step approach focusing on understanding AI usage, identifying biases, and evaluating outcomes. She emphasizes the need for ongoing monitoring and governance mechanisms to address harmful biases effectively. Moreover, Alexandra sheds light on collaborative efforts involving stakeholders such as investors, operators, and regulators in refining ethical AI practices.    To learn more about the Center for Financial Inclusion, visit their website and download their report on Equitable AI for Inclusive Finance. And learn more about Accion Venture Lab on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

    37 min
See All (45)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Fintech has the power to build a more inclusive world. Fintech for the People is about the innovators who are developing fintech solutions that reach the people who’ve been left behind. In each episode, we’ll hear from innovators who are creating financial solutions that provide people with the financial tools they need to grow their business, support their family, and build their community. Together, we’ll learn how fintech looks different in spaces and places where basic financial services are a luxury — and how solutions to address these challenges require a different level of creativity, empathy, and execution. Fintech for the People is an Accion podcast hosted by Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner of Accion Ventures — which deploys capital in early-stage inclusive fintech. Episodes will be released in seasons, on a weekly schedule.

Information

  • Creator
    Accion
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023-2025 Accion
  • Show Website
    Fintech for the People