Welcome to the Tearsheet Podcast. I’m your host, Tearsheet’s editor in chief, Zack Miller.

This following is part of a new series we’re running. It’s called the Big Bank Theory, and it’s all about the future of banking. We see three options going forward: in the march towards digital, people will gravitate towards the digital arms of incumbent banks, give their business to new upstart challenger banks, or the biggest opportunity, which is bank with the brands they love. Through embedded finance, people are increasingly turning to companies they frequent often -- could be a big retail player like Walmart or SMB accounting software like QuickBooks -- to plan, store, and move money around.

The following series includes content from Tearsheet’s The Big Bank Theory Conference, held in November 2021. We had three full days with the top companies and professionals defining what banking looks like today and into the future. We heard from large incumbents like Bank of America and startups like Current.

Zack 1: Square is one of the next generation technology companies that is absolutely part of the fabric of the future of banking. With a seller ecosystem of millions of merchants and the popularity of its Cash App, Square received a banking license in 2021. I spoke with Luke Voiles, the firm’s newly appointed general manager of banking. I’ve spoken to Luke in the past, where he led Intuit’s foray into embedded finance and lending.

We discuss Square’s roots and ethos, diving into the firm’s founding story. Luke shares where the firm sees opportunity to provide financial services for its users -- now and into the future. Here’s my talk with Square’s Luke Voiles.