In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, host Vaibhav sits down with Christian Widhalm, CEO of Bloom Credit, to unpack how credit data actually moves through the financial system and why the infrastructure behind it has not meaningfully changed in decades. Christian shares his journey from Major League Baseball to fintech leadership, including his years at LendKey, and explains how Bloom is modernising credit reporting through a B2B, API-first platform built for accuracy, flexibility, and faster reporting cycles. We also dive into Bloom+, which enables consumers to build creditworthiness using consumer permissioned checking account and bill payment history, helping many establish credit profiles without taking on new debt.

We cover:

- Why legacy credit reporting standards were built for a different era

- How real-time, higher-quality data can reduce errors and improve decisioning

- What alternative data means for thin-file consumers and financial inclusion

- Why policy and regulator engagement matters in credit innovation

- A pragmatic view on AI in credit operations and reporting

- Leadership lessons on trust, transparency, and operating without ego

If you want a behind-the-scenes look at credit, alternative data, and the next evolution of creditworthiness, this conversation is for you.