Introduction 1 Becoming a Fintech Feminist 6 What to Expect 13 Notes 16 Chapter 1 What the Fintech? 17 A Brief Fintech History 23 Fintech’s Mass Adoption Moment 29 Entrance into Cultural Consciousness 30 Rewriting Money Narratives 31 Financial Illiteracy Exposed 38 Be a Trojan Horse 39 Bitcoin’s Brief Glory 43 Reclaiming My Time 45 AI: Fintech’s New Paradigm of Growth 48 Open Banking and Generative AI 51 The Women Who Kicked Down Fintech’s Doors 52 Notes 56 Chapter 2 Get In, We’re Rescuing the Economy 65 Betting On Black 66 Consumer Fintech Is Alive and Well 69 How Women Became a Growth Market 71 Harnessing the Power of the Female Dollar 72 How Hard Is It to Raise a Series B? 80 You Can’t Wait to Have Fun 87 Unlocking the Care Economy 90 AI for Chief Household Officers 95 Tapping into Wealth Tech 100 Ten-Year Overnight Success 103 Notes 108 Chapter 3 Defying the Odds 113 Why Women-Owned Start-ups Are a Better Bet 115 More Disparity than Diversity 117 A Brief History of the VC Bro 121 Creating New Systems and Patterns 124 From Overlooked to on Trend 128 Increase the Swell of Female Founders 132 Network Effect 133 Tapping into Latina-Owned Businesses 136 Birth of a Super Angel 138 Investing in Women’s Health 151 Notes 153 Chapter 4 Financial Health Is Health 157 Necessity Is the Greatest Catalyst for Innovation 158 Hiding the Vegetables 159 Understanding Financial Behaviors 162 The Megaphone of Identity 164 Exercise Daily 166 Making Personal Finance Apps – Personal 169 Fearlessly Funding Females 175 Mental Health Meets Fintech 178 Product Inclusion – In Reality 180 Fintech for the Female Gaze 183 Notes 189 Chapter 5 Community Is Your Competitive Advantage 193 Investing in Gen Z 194 Rethinking Retirement Savings 197 Bridges and Tunnels 204 Growing out of Business 208 An Outsider’s Fresh Perspective 213 Money Circles 217 Notes 221 Chapter 6 Making Finance Work Worldwide 225 When In India 226 Why Women Are the Best Borrowers 235 Serving the Global Majority 243 Notes 252 Chapter 7 Root of Problems 255 No More Band-Aids 256 Access to Data to Drive Innovation Differently 263 Tackling Student Debt – And its Ripple Effects 269 Defeating Inequity with Data 277 From the Military to Fintech 285 Notes 293 Chapter 8 The Room Where It Happens 297 Not Throwing Away Our Shot 298 Tone at the Top 308 Playing the Cards We’re Dealt 311 Ain’t No Hold ’Em 313 An Unconventional Fintech CEO 321 Notes 327 Chapter 9 Progress Is Possible 329 The Next Era 330 Cause I Slay 332 The Fintech Future Is Female 335 Build As Fintech Feminists 338 Notes 339 About the Author 341 Index 343

praise for Fintech feminists “Every chapter of Fintech Feminists inspires and motivates readers to break barriers and innovate.” —SHEENA YAP CHAN, Wall Street Journal & Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author of The Tao of Self-Confidence “The power of storytelling can move history, and we’re lucky that with Fintech Feminists, Nicole Casperson has the pen!” —LULE DEMMISSIE, Former CEO and Board Member of eToro US “Fintech Feminists is a must-read for anyone looking to understand the dynamic intersection of gender and financial technology. Nicole’s unique voice and sharp analysis make this an essential addition to the discourse on innovation and equality.” —DR. DANIEL CROSBY, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of Personal Benchmark: Integrating Behavioral Finance and Investment Management “Through riveting interviews and hard-hitting data, Fintech Feminists is an invaluable resource for any woman navigating the rapidly-changing fintech industry.” —LISA CARMEN WANG, 4X National Champion & USA Hall of Fame gymnast, Founder & GP of Bad Bitch Empire

"Every chapter of Fintech Feminists inspires and motivates readers to break barriers and innovate."—SHEENA YAP CHAN, Wall Street Journal & Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author of The Tao of Self-Confidence "The power of storytelling can move history, and we're lucky that with Fintech Feminists, Nicole Casperson has the pen!"—LULE DEMMISSIE, Former CEO and Board Member of eToro US"Fintech Feminists is a must-read for anyone looking to understand the dynamic intersection of gender and financial technology. Nicole's unique voice and sharp analysis make this an essential addition to the discourse on innovation and equality."—DR. DANIEL CROSBY, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of Personal Benchmark: Integrating Behavioral Finance and Investment Management "Through riveting interviews and hard-hitting data, Fintech Feminists is an invaluable resource for any woman navigating the rapidly changing fintech industry." —LISA CARMEN WANG, 4X National Champion & USA Hall of Fame gymnast, Founder & GP of Bad Bitch Empire