Wharton FinTech Podcast

In this episode, host Vaibhav sits down with Matt Palese, CEO of Earnest. Matt brings a rare insider-to-disruptor perspective, with nearly three decades in consumer lending, including 17 years inside the legacy student loan system at Sallie Mae and Navient, before taking the helm at one of fintech's leading digital lenders. Now, with $1.8 trillion in outstanding student debt and federal rates at historic highs, he's leading Earnest through a defining moment for the industry. We dig into what makes a modern fintech lender tick; from digitally native customer acquisition and automated loan disbursement to underwriting models that go beyond FICO, incorporating free cash flow, savings behavior, and career trajectory to price risk more accurately. Matt also breaks down Earnest's no-fee business model, why servicing remains human-centric even at scale, and how the company is expanding its playbook into personal loans. Key topics: why fintechs are better positioned than traditional lenders to navigate economic uncertainty; alternative data and affordability-based underwriting beyond the credit bureaus; the end of SAVE and how it changes the refinancing calculus for millions of borrowers; the "budget illusion" left behind by the multi-year payment pause; product innovation at Earnest, including job offer refinancing for graduates; financial advice for early-career professionals carrying student debt Whether you're a fintech builder, investor, or a borrower navigating this shifting landscape, this episode offers a front-row view into transforming consumer refinancing. We hope you enjoy the episode.

In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Bobby Ma sits down with Alex Du, COO of Column. Alex dropped out of Stanford GSB to build Column with Plaid co-founder William Hockey. Column is the only nationally chartered bank built for the frontier, powering some of the fastest-growing technology companies, including Ramp, Mercury, and Bilt. It processes more than $4.5 trillion in annual transaction volume, is the #1 issuer of real-time payments in the US, and has the highest uptime of any bank, all with a team of about 150 people. We discuss: his path from finance to COO; the "championship DNA" culture behind one of the leanest, most agile teams in banking; how owning its entire tech stack sets Column apart; where AI is genuinely changing financial services and where it's just noise; and how Column supports companies pushing into stablecoins, cards, agentic payments, and cross-border payments.

In this episode of the Wharton FinTech Podcast, Mili Tomar sits down with Michael Tannenbaum, CEO of Figure. Michael shares his experience leading Figure and how the company is building a blockchain-native capital marketplace that seamlessly connects origination, funding, and secondary market activity.. We discuss: structural inefficiencies in today's lending markets; blockchain and AI's impact in financial services; what tokenization means in practice for real-world assets; the shape of the industry as a whole as these emerging technologies continue to influence it; Michael's career journey and Figure's path to becoming a publicly traded company

In this episode, we sit down with investor and writer Ilona Limonta-Volkova to explore the intersection of VC, storytelling, and innovation in FinTech. Ilona shares her perspective on identifying emerging trends, backing founders, and translating complex financial ideas into compelling narratives. We also dive into her journey across markets and what it takes to think like both an investor and a communicator in a rapidly evolving industry. If you enjoy this episode you can hear more from Ilona on her platforms https://bearandthebull.beehiiv.com/ and https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/money-memories/id1522819765.

In this episode, we’re joined by Georgina Bulkeley, Director of Financial Services at Google Cloud, to unpack how AI is transforming banking and financial services. With over 25 years in financial institutions, she shares what it takes to innovate in a highly regulated industry and how concepts like agentic commerce are paving the way for autonomous money movement. We also explore how AI is shifting from a risk to a powerful tool for fraud prevention, risk management and personalized financial advice at scale, along with the balance between innovation and responsible AI. Georgina closes with her perspective on what the industry will look like in five years and the biggest misconceptions leaders still have about AI.