Paypod: The Payments Industry Podcast

Preventing account takeover and new account fraud is one of the biggest challenges the banking world faces today. Fortunately, there are great organizations out there helping banks and others win the battle. On this episode, we explore this with the help of Adam Elliott, President and Founder of ID Insight. Adam has more than 20 years of experience creating solutions for the financial services and direct marketing industries. Prior to launching ID Insight, he was the President of ChexSystems, Inc., a subsidiary of FIS, the recognized leader in providing risk and fraud solutions for the retail banking industry. He managed the analytics function, product management and channel strategy functions, and is credited with leading the next generation of product solutions, resulting in double digit growth for this mature $100-million business. Listen in for his unique window into the world of banking fraud prevention! Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

One area of the world that does not get nearly enough business and finance attention is Africa. With many nations and millions of people, it's an area with tremendous untapped potential, particularly in the worlds of payments and fintech. Joining us on the show to explore this is someone who is very familiar with the business side of Africa, Marek Zmyslowski. Marek is a Polish-born entrepreneur and executive, focused on online businesses in Frontier and Emerging Markets. He co-founded Jumia Travel – Africa’s Biggest Hotel Booking Portal listed on NYSE as part of Jumia Group, and HotelOnline.co – a Travel Technology Company. In 2014, he was chosen as one of the Ten Most Important People in Tech by IT News Africa Magazine. He’s recently published a book entitled Chasing Black Unicorns: How building the Amazon of Africa put me on Interpol’s Most Wanted list, a fascinating tell-all about his triumphs and challenges in business abroad. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

What if there was a vehicle to help investors save money on their tax bills, help entrepreneurs attract more investors, AND incentivize economic development in areas that need it most? What if the next great fintech could be a better investment opportunity than anyone could imagine? This is where Opportunity Zones come in. Helping break all of this down is our guest, Jimmy Atkinson. Jimmy is the founder and host of the Opportunity Zones Podcast, a show which features discussions with thought leaders across business, financial, and even government sectors relating to the topic. Jimmy is also founder of the Opportunity Zones Database, and most recently co-founder of OZ Pros, a business that helps folks navigate the Opportunity Zone Fund and Business creation process. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

At this episode's release, Coronavirus-related shutdowns and stay-at-home orders are still in full effect all over the world. Even with some places opening up slowly, the impact of Covid-19 on business and finance will be wide reaching. This impact will differ slightly based on location, and this episode is all about Europe. Our guest is Vladimir Atanassov, the Sales and Alliances Manager for Scalefocus. Scalefocus is a European IT solutions delivery center with expertise in telco, banking, finance, insurance, healthcare, logistics government, and education. Vladi has 18 years of experience in the IT industry including Financial Services, Banks, Microfinance, OEM, Distribution and Consumer channels so he’s truly plugged into these industries in Europe. Listen in as he breaks the post-Covid-19 state of finance, banking, and tech in Europe down. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

Covid-19, or the novel coronavirus, has resulted in a pandemic that has reached across the globe. Both the virus and the response to it has impacted individuals, businesses and countries in unprecedented ways... the worlds of payments and fintech are no exception. In times of general societal and economic upheaval, payments fraud can spike. This can affect organizations, particularly financial institutions, in significant ways. Fortunately tools like AI technology can offer solutions which can protect both consumers and businesses. Helping us explore AI technology and how it can combat payments fraud is our guest this week, Daniel Faggella. Daniel is the head of Research and CEO of Emerj Artificial Intelligence Research. Emerj helps those in banking, finance, and government navigate AI by cutting through the artificial intelligence hype, leveraging proven best-practices, and making data-backed decisions about mission-critical priorities. Listen in as Dan breaks it all down! Find show notes and more at: https:

It’s no secret that the finance and tech industries have traditionally been male dominated. Fortunately, more women are joining fintech or payments companies every day… with some of them steeping into crucial leadership roles. On this podcast, we celebrate women in our industry and cover some of the crucial topics relevant to them and the industries at large. Joining us to offer much needed perspective and insight is Gabrielle Burke. Gabrielle has built a successful career in finance, and is currently a Senior Account Executive at Finastra. Listen in! Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

There’s little doubt that the legal cannabis industry is here to stay, and will continue to grow as more states (and someday even the federal government) will push for legalization (both medicinal and recreational). Yet the financial side, from banking to commerce, will continue to be a challenge for dispensaries and other legal cannabis businesses must navigate. Fortunately there are great fintechs working to solve these issues and carve a path forward through technology and transparency. Our guest today is Thomas Gavin IV, CEO of CannaTrac® Technology Inc., a company working to do just that. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

When it comes to the payments industry, security and compliance (specifically PCI compliance) are crucial topics to understand. Why is security and compliance so important? What are the consequences for not getting it right? What does PCI compliance even mean? To answer these critical questions and more, we were joined by Mark Kelly, who is the COO at Key IVR. Key IVR offers automated payment services in the UK and internationally through Europe and into the United States. Furthermore, they offer affordable, secure payment solutions to help you achieve PCI Compliance - including Automated IVR, Call Center Payments and Outbound SMS & Voice. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

When you walk up to a counter in a retail store, restaurant, or other brick-and-mortar business, you are likely to notice their POS system. Hardware still matters to many merchants and can have a huge impact on a business’ bottom line. Our show this week is all about POS system hardware, and the finer points of sales (no pun intended). Our guest is Michael Flores who is the Channel Partner Manager at Star Micronics. Star Micronics is a leading manufacturer in the global POS industry, provides solutions for printers, cash drawers, and proof of transaction for any POS application. Listen in to get the scoop on all things Point of Sale. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

There’s no question that fintech has revolutionized the world, and continues to do so each and every day… But what’s the real history of this revolution? Who are some of the most influential individuals behind the scenes? The show this week is all about this revolution. Helping us explore it is our guest, Daniel P. Simon, CEO of Vested, a global financial communications firm. In his forthcoming book, The Money Hackers: How A Group Of Misfits Took On Wallstreet and Changed Finance Forever, Dan reveals the dramatic story of fintech’s major players and explores how fintech is transforming money itself. Listen in to discover where fintech has come from, and where it might be headed! Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

Payment gateways are essentially the gears that help payments take place, and as such hold a tremendously important role. Like everything else in the payments world, technology presents transformative opportunities for software. On this episode, we focus on how cloud-based technology is being applied to payment gateways by a company called FluidPay. Nick Cucci, Co-Founder and COO of FluidPay, as well as Kevin Calabrese who is the Executive Vice President of FluidPay, join the show to share their company’s story, and the power of cloud-based technology to revolutionize payments. Listen in for their insight on payment gateways and more! Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

It’s no secret that consumers are crazy about rewards. Businesses have realized this… offering loyalty programs, credit card rewards, cash back, and more. But maximizing these rewards can be difficult. This episode is all about fintech (and mobile payments) solutions to this challenge. Our guest is Ash Seddeek who is the co-founder of YamaPay. YamaPay is a company, and forthcoming mobile payment app that is working to help consumers maximize their rewards and savings. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

So many in the fintech and payments world are interested in expanding cryptocurrency adoption for consumers and merchants. One crucial ingredient to traditional payments has always been the payment gateway. Keeping that in mind, this show explores cryptocurrency payment gateways with the help of our guest, Eric Barbier. Eric is the founder and CEO of TripleA Technology. TripleA is a crypto payment gateway helping merchants to easily accept bitcoin payments. TripleA removes the volatility risk by converting in real time the crypto to local currency. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

Small businesses are critical, not just in the US… but also around the world. When it comes to payments and working capital, small businesses can also have unique challenges. On this episode, we take a look at these unique challenges, and more importantly, solutions that can help small businesses access capital and grow. Our expert guest is Abe Williams, Head of Products at Kabbage, Inc. Kabbage helps provide small businesses with automated cash flow solutions, including a robust online lending platform. They are now also offering payments solutions to continue their revolutionizing of small business financial services. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

On this episode, we cover two crucial topics for startups, and particularly fintech startups. The first is insight on obtaining VC funding as a fintech, while the second is the growth benefits of utilizing powerful tech tools. Our guest is Scott Orn, who is the COO of tech-startup accounting experts Kruze Consulting. Scott has worked on the funding side of many different businesses across startup hubs in NYC, San Francisco, and beyond. Kruze utilizes tech tools to help them best serve their clients interested in accounting services for startups. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

When considering larger consumer trends and the payments industry itself, it becomes clear that mobile payments are an area of tremendous growth and potential. On this episode, we explore the importance of mobile payments and how to bring those payment solutions to merchants. Our guest is Jeff Park who is the Chief Revenue Officer at AnywhereCommerce. Anywhere Commerce provides a complete range of certified card readers, mobile apps, gateway connectivity, developer tools, and customized services. With its deep industry knowledge, AnywhereCommerce brings innovative mobile solutions to Merchant Service Providers (MSPs), Developers, ISVs, and Enterprises. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

Many organizations are realizing the tremendous value of having a workforce educated on the latest developments in fintech. But what are some of the most crucial topics folks are learning about in fintech? What are some of the things entrepreneurs need to know about fintech? What does fintech education even look like? To answer questions like these and more, we were joined by Janos Barberis, Head of Entrepreneurship at CFTE or the Center for Finance Technology, and Entrepreneurship. CFTE works to address the needs of professionals in finance and technologists to upskill in a rapidly changing industry being transformed by emerging technologies. Janos is also the Founder of SuperCharger, the largest Fintech Accelerator in Asia, and a PhD candidate at the University of Hong Kong, and had tremendous insight to share! Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

Does Square's stock have room to grow? What's PayPal's next move? What payments companies outside the US offer investors opportunities? Scott is joined by Stoyan Bojinov, Content Director at Arro Financial Communications. Together they discuss investing perspectives on some of the best companies in the industry... and what makes a good investment.  Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/ Note: Anything discussed does not constitute, and should not be construed as professional investment advice or specific recommendations. Consult with your financial advisor or planner before investing in anything.

Happy 2020! Listen in as Scott is joined by Jason Peiera of the Fintech insider Podcast to cover where the fintech and payments world stands today, and what to expect in 2020 and beyond. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

Whether you’re part of a new fintech startup, investing in cryptocurrencies, or just wanting to be plugged into the latest financial technologies, having an understanding of the legal and regulatory side of things is significant. In fact, some lawyers learning in elite institutions now find fintech education as part of their curriculum. On this episode, we’re fortunate to be joined by Lee Reiners who is the Executive Director of the Global Financial Markets Center at Duke Law, and is a Lecturing Fellow at Duke. Lee has taught a number of courses around fintech Law as well as regulation, and had fantastic insight to share on both the educational side, and the broader subjects themselves. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/