Women in fintech speaker index launched
Wise PR Manager Chantal Swainston has created an index of women in fintech, to help encourage more diversity in events, programs and public opportunities.
The index, called The Heard, aims to tackle issues of gender diversity in fintech, a weak spot for the wider fintech sector.
The Heard brings together women and non-binary people in fintech who are open to public speaking and wider media opportunities. Speakers include founders and CEOs, as well as experts in employer branding, diversity equity and inclusion, product specialists, crypto, DeFi, web3 leads, marketers and Finextra’s own Chief Content Officer Madhvi Mavadiya.
The mission is to help event organizers, producers and journalists find more diverse voices in their panels, podcasts and articles; and ultimately, to bring more women in fintech into the spotlight.
As of today, organizers can use the site to research top speakers, with their areas of expertise and availability included on each speaker profile. They can then connect with speakers via the website or are welcome to approach speakers directly depending on their availability notes.
In addition, those who wish to be listed as speakers, and increase their opportunities to speak in public, can also apply to join the index.
Swainston says: “I’ve been lucky enough to work with some phenomenal women in fintech during my career, but many of them are still people you haven’t heard of. The Heard is just one way we can help make a difference, by bringing together the best in the industry that we all need to hear more from. The caliber of women who have already joined shows how many amazing voices there are, who actively want to be part of the fintech conversation. I look forward to growing the community, and hearing more from all of them in the future.”
Current listed speakers include
• Nina Mohanty, co-founder and CEO of Bloom
• Margot + Alexia De Broglie, CEOs and founders of the investment app YourJuno
• Gwera Kiwana, Principal of Thrive Africa Community
• Ruby Hinchliffe, Senior Reporter in FTAdviser
• Jihan Ahmed, Employer Brand and DEI consultant
• Tess Byrant, Head of Brand and Comms at Lightyear
• Flora Somogyi, head of UX Research at Lightyear
• Roisin Levine, Head of UK and European Partnerships at Wise Platform
• Nadia Costanzo, head of banking and expansion – MEA & LatAm at Wise
• Madhvi Mavadiya, Head of Content at Finextra
• Olivia Minnock, editor of the Fintech Alliance
• Mary Agbesanwa, Fintech Growth Lead in Seccl
• Prasangi Unantenne, Global Implementation Lead at Wise
• Harriet Allner, Assistant Director at Common Industry
