Welcome to a new episode of Fintech Mavericks! 🎙️ This time, we’re diving into the partnerships powering fintech’s future and why collaboration between startups and giants has never mattered more.

Hosted by Nicole Casperson and Drew Glover, this episode features Stefany Bello, Senior Vice President of Digital Partnerships, Fintechs & Enablers at Mastercard.

Since joining Mastercard in 2009, Stefany has held leadership roles across multiple regions, helping scale digital innovation while building bridges between fintechs, neobanks, and one of the world’s biggest financial institutions. She also holds a patent for a global aid distribution network, sits on multiple boards, and was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

She shares what it means for Mastercard to be a true “partner of choice” for fintechs, how she tailors support for startups at different stages, and why inclusion in Web3 is just as critical as advances in payments. Plus, Stefany breaks down the biggest opportunities she sees in cross-border payments, stablecoins, and fintech–corporate co-creation.

If you’re a founder looking to scale, a corporate exec exploring fintech collaboration, or simply curious about where payments are headed, this episode is packed with insights you won’t find anywhere else.

Sponsored by Brex.

► Brex has been redefining how financial services and software work together since 2017—built by founders, for founders. With no minimums, no transaction fees, and 20x the standard FDIC protection, Brex gives startups the flexibility they need.

Learn more at https://www.brex.com/solutions/startups?partnerId=espm_fintechmavericks

Brex has teamed up with Fintech Mavericks to bring you a special offer that makes scaling your startup easier, faster, and smarter.

👉 https://www.brex.com/solutions/startups?partnerId=espm_fintechmavericks

Whether you’re managing runway, hiring fast, or fundraising for your next round — Brex built this just for you. Get access to:

✅ Founder-friendly corporate cards

✅ Expense & spend management in one place

✅ Special perks only available to Mavericks listeners

💡 Subscribe for weekly interviews with fintech founders, investors, and operators who move differently.

🔥 New episodes every WEDNESDAY

📲 Follow @fintechisfemme for behind-the-scenes clips + hot takes

Follow the hosts:

🔹 Nicole Casperson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-casperson-0820a5133

🔹 Drew Glover: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewbailerglover/

Welcome to a groundbreaking episode of Fintech Mavericks! 🎙️ Nicole Casperson and Drew Glover sit down with Cindy Gallop, advertising icon, founder of Make Love Not Porn, and now fintech disruptor, to unpack her fearless journey of breaking rules, challenging stigma, and building businesses no one else dared to.

From walking away from corporate advertising to launching a global social sex-tech movement, Cindy has made a career out of saying the things others won’t, and proving the power (and profit) of designing with the female lens. She shares how Make Love Not Porn went from a TEDx talk to a mission-driven platform fighting toxic masculinity and rape culture, and why its survival for 16 years is her proudest achievement.

Now, Cindy is stepping into fintech with BlockFree, a payments platform built to solve one of the industry’s most overlooked problems: financial exclusion for “restricted” but legal, ethical businesses in sextech, cannabis, psychedelics, and beyond. In this conversation, she reveals why the system is broken, how human curation can unlock trillion-dollar opportunities, and why women founders are uniquely positioned to build safer, more scalable infrastructure.

If you care about innovation, inclusivity, and what it takes to create real change against all odds this is one you can’t miss.

Sponsored by Brex.

► Brex has been redefining how financial services and software work together since 2017—built by founders, for founders. With no minimums, no transaction fees, and 20x the standard FDIC protection, Brex gives startups the flexibility they need. Learn more at brex.com/fintechmavericks 

Follow the hosts:

🔹 Nicole Casperson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-casperson-0820a5133/ 

🔹 Drew Glover: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewbailerglover/

Welcome to a new episode of Fintech Mavericks! 🎙️ This time, we’re diving into one of the most under-discussed but life-changing chapters in a founder’s journey: selling your company.

Hosted by Nicole Casperson alongside Drew Glover, this episode features the founder who made startup exits a product—and a conversation worth having.

Andrew Gazdecki, Founder & CEO of Acquire.com, has helped thousands of startups get acquired and facilitated over $500 million in closed deals. From building companies no one else would to redefining how acquisitions get done, Andrew has become the go-to voice for founders looking to exit on their own terms.

He shares why transparency has always been his play, the biggest myths founders believe about getting acquired, and what most get wrong when it comes to protecting culture during the handoff. Plus, Andrew breaks down the rise of micro-acquisitions, how to know if bootstrapping might beat VC funding, and why selling doesn’t have to mean “giving up.”

If you’ve ever thought about selling your company, or just want to hear unfiltered truths from someone changing how it’s done, this one’s for you. Packed with founder-first insights, market-shaping trends, and stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

Sponsored by Brex.

► Brex has been redefining how financial services and software work together since 2017—built by founders, for founders. With no minimums, no transaction fees, and 20x the standard FDIC protection, Brex gives startups the flexibility they need. Learn more at brex.com/fintechmavericks 

Follow the hosts:

🔹 Nicole Casperson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-casperson-0820a5133/ 

🔹 Drew Glover: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewbailerglover/ 

🎧 Hit play for a masterclass in founder-investor alignment from one of fintech’s sharpest minds.

Welcome to a new episode of Fintech Mavericks! 🎙️ Today, we’re diving into what it takes to scale world-changing products from zero to obsession-worthy.

Hosted by fintech journalist and Fintech Is Femme founder Nicole Casperson, alongside Drew Glover, co-founder of Fiat Growth, this episode features an operator who’s helped shape the fintech ecosystem as we know it:

Cristina Cordova, COO at Linear, previously Head of Platform & Partnerships at Notion, and one of Stripe’s first 20 employees, where she built foundational partnerships that fueled the company’s early hypergrowth.

From cold-emailing global media companies at 22 to building the blueprint for product-led growth, Cristina shares how she bets on breakout companies before the world catches on, and what most founders get totally wrong about scale, partnerships, and momentum.

If you’re building, growing, or just trying to find your next bold move, this episode is packed with unfiltered advice, career-defining insights, and hard-won lessons from inside the most iconic tech companies of the last decade.

Don’t miss it, this one’s a must-listen for operators, builders, and dreamers alike.

Sponsored by Brex.

► Brex has been redefining how financial services and software work together since 2017—built by founders, for founders. With no minimums, no transaction fees, and 20x the standard FDIC protection, Brex gives startups the flexibility they need. Learn more at brex.com/fintechmavericks 

Follow the hosts:

🔹 Nicole Casperson

🔹 Drew Glover

🎧 Hit play for a masterclass in founder-investor alignment from one of fintech’s sharpest minds.

Welcome to a live episode of Fintech Mavericks! 🎙️ Recorded at the Fintech Summit, this conversation brings sharp insight and refreshing transparency straight from the heart of the startup economy.

Nicole Casperson and Drew Glover are joined by Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, where he translates data from over 45,000 U.S. startups into narratives that founders, operators, and investors can actually use.

From debunking VC myths to revealing what Carta data shows about AI hype, Series A expectations, and the new rules of fintech GTM, Peter unpacks what’s real and what’s noise in today’s startup ecosystem.

🚨 Plus: What makes a LinkedIn post go viral, the one founder trait Peter bets on every time, and why knowing when not to raise capital could save your company.

If you're building, scaling, or investing in fintech, this episode is a must-listen.

Sponsored by Brex.

► Brex has been redefining how financial services and software work together since 2017—built by founders, for founders. With no minimums, no transaction fees, and 20x the standard FDIC protection, Brex gives startups the flexibility they need. Learn more at brex.com/fintechmavericks 

Follow the hosts:

🔹 Nicole Casperson

🔹 Drew Glover

🎧 Hit play for a masterclass in founder-investor alignment from one of fintech’s sharpest minds.

Welcome back to Fintech Mavericks! 🎙️

This week, hosts Nicole Casperson and Drew Glover sit down with Laura Bock, Partner at QED Investors, one of the most active and forward-thinking VC firms in fintech today.

With a background in biophysics and a career that spans global finance and data-driven investing, Laura brings a rare blend of scientific rigor and startup intuition to every deal she backs. In this episode, she breaks down why venture capital is “one giant experiment,” the founder red flags she can spot in seconds, and how to tell a story that investors can’t stop reading.

Plus, she shares:

🔍 What early signals does she trust before the metrics

📈 How to balance bold founder vision with investor logic

💡 Why some of fintech’s biggest opportunities are still hiding in plain sight

🎤 The quote that lives rent-free in her head—and what’s on her deal-flow playlist

Whether you're fundraising, investing, or building what’s next in financial tech, this conversation is full of insights you’ll want to bookmark.

Sponsored by Brex.

► Brex has been redefining how financial services and software work together since 2017—built by founders, for founders. With no minimums, no transaction fees, and 20x the standard FDIC protection, Brex gives startups the flexibility they need. Learn more at brex.com/fintechmavericks 

Follow the hosts:

🔹 Nicole Casperson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-casperson-0820a5133/

🔹 Drew Glover: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewbailerglover/

🎧 Hit play for a masterclass in founder-investor alignment from one of fintech’s sharpest minds.

In this episode of Fintech Mavericks, Nicole Casperson and Drew Glover sit down with Kevin Jurovich—former NFL player, wealth manager, and now founder of hubble—for a powerful conversation about the evolving value of expertise in the digital age.

Kevin’s journey is anything but traditional. After navigating the highs of professional sports and the fast-paced world of wealth management, he turned his sights to fintech, building hubble: a platform that helps everyday experts monetize their hard-earned knowledge through paid one-on-one calls, resources, and content.

With a 125,000+ strong founder community and a pre-seed round fueled by trust, transparency, and content-first strategy, Kevin is showing how community isn’t just a growth tactic—it’s a moat.

In this episode, Kevin shares how his athlete mindset shaped his startup approach, what it takes to build a monetization engine for human insight, and why the “pick your brain” economy is long overdue for disruption.

Additionally, he shares what keeps him grounded, his definition of modern leadership, and what’s next for hubble.

Sponsored by Brex.

► Brex has been redefining how financial services and software work together since 2017-built by founders, for founders. They know runway is everything, so they designed a banking experience that helps startups make every dollar count. With no minimums, no transaction fees, and 20x the standard FDIC protection, Brex gives startups the flexibility they need. Plus, you earn industry-leading yield from day one while keeping funds accessible anytime. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at brex.com/fintechmavericks

Follow the hosts:

🔹 Nicole Casperson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-casperson-0820a5133/ 

🔹 Drew Glover: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewbailerglover/ 

🎧 Hit play to hear from one of early-stage VC’s most grounded, sharp, and supportive leaders.

In this episode of Fintech Mavericks, Nicole Casperson and Drew Glover sit down with Haley Bryant, Principal at Hustle Fund, for a high-energy conversation on backing overlooked talent, building fast with purpose, and redefining what makes a founder investable.

Haley brings deep operator experience—from scaling teams at Apple to helping agencies grow—and now channels that drive into writing early-stage checks at one of the most founder-first funds in the game. She shares why fancy résumés are overrated, what makes a great pitch before there’s traction, and the key moves every startup should make in their first 90 days.

Plus, Haley gets real about balancing motherhood and venture capital, how teaching cycling sharpens her VC mindset, and why founders should be playing infinite games—not just chasing headlines.

Whether you’re an investor, operator, or founder on the rise, this episode will leave you fired up and ready to hustle—with intention.

► Brex has been redefining how financial services and software work together since 2017-built by founders, for founders. They know runway is everything, so they designed a banking experience that helps startups make every dollar count. With no minimums, no transaction fees, and 20x the standard FDIC protection, Brex gives startups the flexibility they need. Plus, you earn industry-leading yield from day one while keeping funds accessible anytime. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at brex.com/fintechmavericks

Follow the hosts:

🔹 Nicole Casperson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-casperson-0820a5133/ 

🔹 Drew Glover: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewbailerglover/ 

In Episode 2 of Fintech Mavericks Season 2, hosts Nicole Casperson and Drew Glover sit down with Ryan Breslow, Founder and returning CEO of Bolt, for a raw and revealing conversation about founder identity, public perception, and what it really takes to rebuild after controversy.

Known for pioneering one-click checkout and stirring up headlines with his unfiltered takes, Ryan is back at the helm of Bolt with a bold new vision: turning the company into fintech’s everything app. He opens up about the infamous loan saga, why his real regret was trusting the wrong investors, and how he’s rewriting his leadership playbook—with love at the center.

The episode explores what’s next for Bolt (including a major drop with Palantir), why storytelling is now one of Ryan’s most powerful tools, and how building Love.com changed the way he leads.

Plus, a rapid-fire round of founder favorites—from nervous system resets to the quote that lives rent-free in his head.

If you care about reinvention, resilience, or the real side of startup life, this episode’s for you.

Sponsored by Brex.

► Brex has been redefining how financial services and software work together since 2017-built by founders, for founders. They know runway is everything, so they designed a banking experience that helps startups make every dollar count. With no minimums, no transaction fees, and 20x the standard FDIC protection, Brex gives startups the flexibility they need. Plus, you earn industry-leading yield from day one while keeping funds accessible anytime. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at brex.com/fintechmavericks

Follow the hosts:

🔹 Nicole Casperson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-casperson-0820a5133/ 

🔹 Drew Glover: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewbailerglover/ 

In this episode of Fintech Mavericks, Nicole Casperson and Drew Glover kick off Season 2 with none other than Adam Nash, Co-Founder and CEO of Daffy—a platform transforming how we think about giving.

From leading product at LinkedIn to scaling Wealthfront into a major fintech player, Adam has long been at the intersection of innovation and impact. Now, with Daffy, he’s bringing that expertise to charitable giving—designing a platform that makes generosity easier and habitual.

In this conversation, Adam breaks down why donor-advised funds are the future of giving, how behavioral economics shaped Daffy’s product design, and why giving should be as seamless as saving or investing. He also shares how Daffy is opening up access to modern philanthropic tools, making them available to everyday donors, not just the ultra-wealthy.

Plus, he offers candid advice for early-stage founders, reflects on the future of fintech and crypto in philanthropy, and explains why purpose and profitability are no longer mutually exclusive.

Sponsored by Brex.

► Brex has been redefining how financial services and software work together since 2017-built by founders, for founders. They know runway is everything, so they designed a banking experience that helps startups make every dollar count. With no minimums, no transaction fees, and 20x the standard FDIC protection, Brex gives startups the flexibility they need. Plus, you earn industry-leading yield from day one while keeping funds accessible anytime. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at brex.com/fintechmavericks

Follow the hosts:

🔹 Nicole Casperson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-casperson-0820a5133/ 

🔹 Drew Glover: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewbailerglover/ 

🎧 Hit play to hear from one of fintech’s most innovative leaders!