This entrepreneur’s radical, renegade-style approach to product development has sparked the success of a FinTech company in a league of its own

Mark Kilpatrick was raised in Stevenson, Washington, a community of approximately 1,500 residents, nestled on the northern bank of the Columbia River. As a ‘small town kid,’ Mark fondly remembers opening his first checking account at Riverview Community Bank.

Years later, sitting in the Financial District of Manhattan, in a sleek office overlooking the East River, Mark is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Urban FT - a FinTech company with a large enterprise value. With over 700 clients, 650+ of which are small to medium-sized banks and credit unions, Mark's mission is to empower the ‘little guys.' Reminiscent of Riverview Community Bank, these businesses are the underdogs of the finance space.

Originally trained in graphic design, Mark has taken his passion for drafting beautiful images, stories, and interfaces to the point he is now penned as a UX pioneer and the linchpin of Urban FT’s mission by taking a renegade-style approach to product development. Strategic risk-taking and a passion for radical design have been the recipe for success in Mark’s career, as he continues to be a key element for the advancement of one of the most progressive FinTech brands today.

Since graduation, empowering his community and giving back have been valuable for Mark, both personally and professionally. He has continued to show support for his alma mater through annual giving and establishing his role as co-president of the NYC Alumni Chapter.

In addition, Mark has created a pick-up soccer league for adults, coordinated charity soccer tournaments, and has engaged with Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program. He is an active member of the Young Entrepreneurs Club (YEC), American Marketing Association (AMA), and the Federal Reserve System’s Faster Payments Task Force.

Fondly remembering his roots as that ‘small town kid,’ Urban FT’s company mission hits close to home for Mark. By continuing to drive the brand’s objective forward, Mark one day hopes to give back by servicing Riverview Community Bank - actively empowering them to compete with the industry titans in the same way Urban FT has done with many others.