Rhetoriq

Thanks to the rapid growth of gig economy platforms such as Lyft, TaskRabbit, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo, the way we earn a living has changed quite dramatically these past ten years. While this might be labeled with the endearing term, the future of work, touting flexibility as the primary benefit for adopting contingency work, many gig workers are simply overworked and underpaid. In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with Hantz Fevry, co-founder of Stoovo, on why the current class of neobank apps is not enough to meet the needs of this growing demographic of workers, and what more can be done. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What does it take to build an ethical AI that enables humankind to use technology for good - instead of exacerbating the systemic inequalities in our society? What are the key considerations and pitfalls? Who owns the data? Whose rules and standards do we abide by? Who gets a seat at the table?In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with Uday Akkaraju, CEO of Bond.AI, a human-centered artificial intelligence platform for banks. The trio explore the challenges around data collection and human bias, and the Fintech innovation ecosystem in Little Rock, Arkansas. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of One Vision, Bradley and Theo recap this past week’s MTL Connecte event as part of Montreal Digital Week. Unconventional Ventures hosted an unconference within the conference: five panels, fifteen distinct voices, and our keynote combined thoughtful dialogue and guiding principles around diversity and inclusion: from digital inclusion to financial inclusion, AI, ethics and bias, an inclusive future of work, innovation for the longevity economy, and much inspiration of the East.  Now if only we could have done this in person and celebrated the week in the beautiful city of Montreal! There’s always next year. Come join us as we travel back in time once again in order to find a better tomorrow. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Despite much focus and discussion over the last few years on the need to improve gender diversity within financial services, 2020 has proven to be disappointing. While we have made some gains in leadership, including the appointment of Jane Fraser and Stephanie Cohen to the top posts in otherwise male-dominated territories, funding for female founders has fallen to 2017 levels, while the aggregate VC world is still doing quite well. How can we change the status quo? Or do old habits die hard? Tune in to this week’s One Vision episode, where Arun, Bradley, and Theo examine this disappointing year for gender equality and the need to do better. This episode is specially dedicated to all the women, whose names shall not be forgotten. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Economic equality is a civil right. It should be as simple as that. Food - shelter - water. We all need the most basic necessities to survive.But if we have learned one thing from the past few months (and we surely hope you have learned more than that), while we are all riding out the economic storm together, we are hardly riding in the same boat; some are relaxing in the yachts; others are clinging to the wood planks, fighting for survival. Winter is coming. Will we ever get out of the hole that we are in? How do we even begin to rebuild? Buckle up for this week’s One Vision episode with Scott Astrada, as Theo and Bradley dive in for some much needed soul searching. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As we celebrate the 100th episode of One Vision, we traveled back in time to share some of our favorite moments of what was once called Rhetoriq, and celebrate the convergence of minds. Our cultures and upbringings couldn’t have been more different; yet we are joined together by a shared vision of purpose, and a belief that we can do well while doing good. We hope that the stories that our guests have shared can bring you inspiration, hope and a renewed sense of purpose.Join Arun, Bradley, and Theo, for this 100th episode special. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the facets of financial services become increasingly cut apart, we must look for the biggest opportunities to serve more people. The promise of embedded banking is in the shifting focus of the financial services business model from the profitability of the banking provider to the long term financial wellness of the consumer and business provider. Will the rise of the superapp model and more deeply embedded banking usher in new levels of democratized access to financial services and further our quest toward full financial inclusion? In this episode of One Vision, Bradley and Theo talk about the changing nature of banking, and our relationship with money — from dollars and cents to the data behind the ones and zeroes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There is never a dull moment in the land of financial services. From Jane Fraser breaking the glass ceiling to become the first female CEO of a major Wall Street Bank, to Santander spinning out its corporate venture team and doubling the commitment to $400 million, the only constant in financial services is one of change. And change we must. At this past week’s FintechTalents North America conference, Scott Astrada from Affirm delivered an inspirational keynote on why the industry must change to reflect the changing face and the changing needs of America. On the 50th anniversary of Milton Friedman’s controversial free market manifesto, with our world facing one of our most severe economic challenges of modern times, there isn’t a more urgent moment than now - to refocus our attention on the well-being of ALL stakeholders. Tune in for another episode of One Vision, where Theo and Bradley talk about the week that was. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When did the revolution start? How did a tiny little pocket device known as the iPhone upend the world of finance as we know it today? And where would we go next? In this episode of One Vision, Bradley and Theo sat down with Daniel P. Simon, the author of The Money Hackers: How a Group of Misfits Took on Wall Street and Changed Finance Forever to talk about his own personal journey, how he retold the stories of some of the major Fintech players for his book, and the next chapters of the story of Fintech. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It has been difficult to think beyond just today, but we must. What has been happening in the fintech space, within venture capital, and within the broader financial services ecosystem? Surely more mergers and acquisitions, more devaluations of once high-riding unicorns, and rumors of neobanks demise to discuss, but at the heart of the topics of the last few weeks is the importance of the humans behind the headlines, and the more important context beyond the business that we’re in. Please join us in this moving discussion about what is keeping us all up at night, and what we expect for tomorrow. In this episode of One Vision, Arun, Theo and Bradley chat about the context of news during this ongoing pandemic and on the importance of humanity remaining at the heart of everything we do. The future may very well depend on it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

While we all make personal connections during our lifetimes, the truth is that we are all connected in ways often unseen. Everything we see, everything we feel, everything that will be — it comes from something created before us. Our communities are like this too, connected by the individuals, families, and small businesses and business models that have built up our society, our economic systems, our values, and our beliefs. Everything in life is a series of connected systems.  In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with our good friend, Paul Loberman, a veteran digital banking executive whose time at Abbey Bank, Santander, and HSBC has taught him much about connections. We talk with Paul about the evolution in serving the needs of small businesses, the banking industry post pandemic, and building back better. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How do you measure the wealth of a society? By physical and tangible assets or how we care for one another? How we ensure no one is left behind in the digital era speaks volumes about our values. Technology, when implemented thoughtfully — can unite rather than divide, can enable aspirations rather than trigger divides, and can deliver upon dreams rather than dash them. Purpose should not be an afterthought — it should, and must be — part of every community’s DNA.In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with Heidi Culbertson, CEO/Founder of Marvee, and a leader in Voice technology on the importance of inclusive design and how you can do well while doing good. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are many ways to create meaningful impact. Some choose to start their own endeavour, attempting to change the existing paradigm from the outside. Others choose an often more arduous route to create change from within. Regardless of which path you take, the journey can be treacherous and full of surprises. The best stories often come from those who have chosen to embark on multiple expeditions — and lived to tell us their tales. In this episode of One Vision, Bradley and Theo chat with Drew Graham, Director of Digital Strategy at Barclays, as he walks us through his journey into the heart of darkness as he nudges the industry toward the arc of the common good. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as SNAP) provides important nutritional support for low-income individuals and households within the U.S. In 2018, the program helped 40 million low-income Americans afford a nutritionally adequate diet in a typical month. But the impact of COVID-19 on low income families cannot be understated. With substantial unemployment, many are concerned with the stability of their housing, or the ability to put food on the table. Tune in for an inspirational episode of One Vision, where Theo and Bradley chat with Jimmy Chen, the founder and CEO of Propel, about his startup journey, how Propel helped make this critical safety net program more user-friendly while improving consumer financial health, and how Project 100 became the most ambitious private direct payments initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Digital transformation journeys for financial institutions — regardless of size — present many challenges. Banks have traditionally been more of a follower, rather than a leader, in adopting emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and edge computing. In one area, this is changing rapidly: cloud computing. In this episode of the One Vision podcast, Randy Walker, Global Managing Director, Financial Services, of IBM, discusses the launch of IBM Cloud for Financial Services with Theo and Bradley. He shared with us the many benefits of leveraging cloud computing infrastructure for financial services firms, and how IBM’s ecosystem is growing to meet the needs of their banking clients. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The year 2007 was a watershed moment in financial services. That year saw the launch of mPesa in Kenya, the second iteration of the Payment Services Directive (PSD2), and the launch of the iPhone, which changed relationships with customers forever. Venture investment in startups in what would eventually be called fintech were just starting. It truly felt like we were on the verge of a revolution within financial services. Over the past decade, every aspect of financial services has been rearranged, unbundled, and rebundled, as has the concept of what digital disruption looks like for incumbents in the space. Between new forms of customer value, and new directions for financial innovation, it’s more wild wild west than ever before. Tune in to this new episode of One Vision with Gregg Schoenberg, Managing Partner at Wescott Capital, and Founding Editor of the Financial Revolutionist, as he chats with Theo and Bradley of Unconventional Ventures about this ongoing revolution. Without the FR, this is as close

Imagine yourself years from now looking back at the decade that was. As you think about your life, your career, your friends, your family, your tribe—what happened to your path? How did you change when the world was upside down, when the gravity of your roots were the only connectivity to your core values and beliefs? At what point did the future begin once again? The decisions we make everyday in life matter, none more important than during times of tragedy. The real visionaries are the ones who accept that if nothing they have historically held on to is guaranteed, then this is the time of opportunity to do the thing as it needs to be done.  In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with Dr. Leda Glyptis, Chief Executive Officer at 11FS Foundry, and author of the weekly column #LedaWrites on Fintech Futures. Leda discusses her own path, her motivations for the future, and inspires us to do the same. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The path toward broader inclusion — especially financially driven inclusion — starts with acknowledgement of structural impediments within our lives, our communities, and our cultures. Financial inequality is a human created problem that can be solved. While there are 1.7 billion adults worldwide that are truly unbanked — without any access to the formal financial services system — the advent of mobile phones, mobile money, and mobile credit systems has enabled many of these economies to leapfrog the West, and bring more people into the traditional economic system. In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with Chenni Xu from Ant Group, on the financial inclusion efforts at the Alibaba affiliate, its impact on small businesses in China, and what lies ahead. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From the $825 million Finicity/Mastercard tie-up to the Wirecard scandal to Lemonade’s plan to raise $286 million in an IPO — there is never a dull moment in the land of Fintech. Half a year has gone by and we are in the midst of a pandemic and deepening recession. If we were to give ourselves a grade, has Fintech done what the ecosystem has set out to do?Has it challenged the status quo — and make banking better? In this new episode of one vision, Theo and Bradley looked back at the week that was and talked about what should be. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How does gastronomy and financial services coalesce? As you build skills in the kitchen, every aspiring chef learns about the significance of mise en place, or having everything ‘set in place.’ This helps the cooking process become more efficient, but also more pleasurable as you master facets of the culinary arts. The elements of mise en place include choosing a recipe and building a plan, preparation of work space and equipment, and the assembly of essential ingredients. It helps you learn to inject new ingredients as it enables moments of serendipity. There is a similar arc for successful innovation and product development within financial services. It starts with getting the right people in the kitchen. Are you hungry for more? Join Theo and Bradley in conversation with Peggy Mangot, serial entrepreneur and SVP of Innovation at Wells Fargo, as she talks about her experience within financial services innovation from big tech to startups to big banks, creating an environment of collegiality and debate,