Financially Speaking with The Fin Lit Project: Recent Episodes
Neha Misra
A series of expert interviews decoding finance and fintech. We aspire to make Finance simple and accessible and through these conversations unearth the immense potential the world of finance offers. From Quant funds, FinTech, Private Equity, Museum of Savings to Entrepreneurial Finance to bring to you different versions of finance through delightful conversations with Global Experts!
Angel Investing has caught a lot of attention in recent times with interest in startups.Learn more about this asset class from Jayaroopa Jeyabarathi, Founding Partner, Encubay Angel Network, an angel network investing in early stage startups. She is a seasoned finance professional with deep experience in early stage equity investments. She earlier led the Indian investments for a venture capital firms has invested across sectors such as fintech, sustainability, edtech, healthtech and B2B distribution. Prior to her investing career, Jayaroopa has worked in microfinance and corporate banking. She is passionate about impact and gender inclusion. She also co-founded India’s first community driven investor network, Women In Investing Network in 2018.Having been an investor, entrepreneur and banker, she understands what the journey of an entrepreneur entails and is always eager to engage and enable entrepreneurs.Tune in to this conversation now!
In this conversation find our more about: Invoice discounting and Revenue-based financing as Alternate Investment Classes. About the speaker: Vineet has over a decade of investment experience across sectors including real estate and hospitality. He has managed and closed over 30 deals amounting to $1bn+ across equity, debt, and mezzanine debt, among others. He was part of founding team of Piramal Fund which over time grew to AUM of $7bn+. Prior to Piramal Fund, he worked with a large corporate desk of Axis Bank across cement, retail, and engineering. He is an alumnus of XIM, Bhubaneswar, and RVCE, Bangalore. Lets enable financial literacy for alternate investments!
Learn about Trade Finance or Supply Chain Finance from the legend in the industry: Ram Iyer, Founder and CEO, Vayana Network: Ram Iyer, is the Founder & CEO of Vayana Network, a serial entrepreneur with over 25 years in the Cash Management and Trade Finance space providing solutions to some of the largest Banks in India and across the globe. At Vayana Network, Ram has led the company with the vision to democratize access to affordable finance for MSMEs. Previously, he was the co-founder and CEO of CashTech Solutions, a leading Cash Management service provider in Asia which was acquired by Nasdaq listed Fundtech (now a part of the Finastra Group). He started his career with Accenture in their management consulting arm. He is a management graduate from IIM Ahmedabad and an Engineer from Mumbai University. Ram carries an exceptional understanding of B2B trade, payment ecosystems, technology and how to merge them for the benefit of last-mile B2B lending. About Vayana Network- Vayana Network is one of India's largest Supply Chain Finance platform in India, having enabled finances of USD 8 Billion to over 22,000 MSMEs across 1000 supply chains in 25 different sectors. Vayana connects corporates and their trade ecosystems to provide digital, convenient, and affordable access to credit for their payables and receivables. With its proprietary technology, Vayana has processed over 2 million transactions and offers a zero-change experience to customers. The network today spans across 600 cities and 1150+ pin codes in India and extends to 20 countries across the globe. The company is increasingly catering to the smallest of MSMEs in the long tail of the supply chains. Vayana is also one of the largest GSP (GST Suvidha Provider) in the country, facilitating, GST, E-Way bill and E-invoice for numerous corporates and lakhs of SMEs. The GSP platform has witnessed over 2.5 billion-plus API calls in GST and e-invoicing, with zero downtime. Since its launch, 1 in 5 e-invoices have been generated by Vayana.
In our 3rd episode in Season 2 we discuss a new aspect of finance which is #LeaseFinancing with Nikhil Aggarwal, Founder & CEO, Grip Invest.
About Nikhil:
Nikhil Aggarwal is the founder and CEO of Grip Invest. In his role as a CEO, Nikhil seeks to offer new-age investment opportunities to retail investors that focus on asset-backed investments options. He has 16+ years of experience in investment banking and fintech and oversees new growth opportunities, credit controls, and risk management of the organization. He also acts as a Consultant to the Transport Practice of the World Bank.
Prior to Grip Invest, he co-founded Chalo in 2016. Chalo is one of India’s largest mobility startups that focuses on building smarter solutions for public transit. He has also served as the Vice President at Morgan Stanley for 6 years where he advised some of India's largest companies on M&A and capital raising. Apart from this, Nikhil has been a part of the core strategy team involved in rebuilding HSBC India’s mortgage portfolio. He holds a degree in Economics and an MBA in Finance.
About @Grip Invest:
Grip is building a new category of investment options for the new-age of Indians. Millennials don’t communicate, shop, pay, entertain or work like the previous generation - then why should they invest the same way?
Started in June’20, Grip has seen a 35% month-on-month growth to become one of India’s fastest-growing destinations for non-stock market linked investments. Today, Grip offers a unique investment option of leasing assets to some of India’s most disruptive businesses like Udaan, Stanza Living, Furlenco, Bounce, Blue Tokai, Everest Fleet, IPLElectric, FabAlley and LetsTransport.
Grip was founded by Nikhil Aggarwal, Vivek Gulati, and Aashish Jindal. Prior to Grip, Nikhil co-founded and served as COO of Chalo, India’s leading mobility startup for city buses. He started his career at HSBC and then worked for 6 years with the Investment Banking team at Morgan Stanley, India. Nikhil also currently serves as a Consultant to the Transport Practice at the World Bank. Vivek was previously part of the business development team at Chalo and led business development for the Expansion Team for OYO Hotel’s domestic and international operations. Aashish Jindal previously worked in product and project management roles with ICICI Bank, Pepperfry and Chalo.
Nikhil talks about Diversification for Retail Investors, the need to be cautious while investing for the first time and the importance of Alternative Investments.
Watch Now to learn more from the legend in Lease Finance!
To know further about Lease Financing you can follow Grip Invest on
Website: https://GripInvest.in
Instagram: https://instagram.com/GripInvest
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GripInvest
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Grip...
In our second conversation, find out more about SEBI Registered Investment Advisory from registered investment advisor Mr Harish Menon, co - founder of House of Alpha. House of Alpha is a Client focused Fee-Only Advisers specializing in on Lifestyle Financial Planning & Investment Advisory. Check out House of Alpha at: www.houseofalpha.in Harish talks candidly about the need to educate people about everything from building a corpus to retirement plans and even succession planning. He talks about the concept of Pulley and his inspiration from this book called Enough. Harish also mentions the concept of Lifestyle Inflation, an often overlooked aspect while saving for the future.
In our 12th Financially Speaking episode we discuss a very important aspect in this world of growing Financial Technology: Digital Trust Ecosystems. We're honoured to be joined by John Jordan, the Executive Director of the BC Digital Trust Service and of the Trust over IP Foundation. He is an experienced product executive and technology strategist who has over 25 years of experience in both the private and public sectors. John has extensive experience in delivering products leveraging open standards and open-source software. Prior to joining the Government of British Columbia, he led the implementation of Buyandsell.gc.ca, the Government of Canada's procurement service, which is built entirely using open source software including Drupal, MySQL, nginx, and SoLR. Currently, he leads the Province of British Columbia’s participation in the establishment of a trust layer for the Internet. This includes leading teams who have been making significant contributions to the open-source Hyperledger Aries and Indy projects since the Fall of 2017. He also leads the Trust over IP Foundation, which is defining a complete interoperable architecture for digital trust. In this capacity, he provides direction to over 150 companies and organizations working together to make services, transactions and relationships better by using verifiable credentials. In the late 1990's John's Masters research focused on the use of open-source software development and distribution as an emerging dominant design. Something which has come to pass. John's recommended read is Good to Great by James Collins and John truly believes in the strength that good people can bring to organisations. Learn about this interesting framework and the ToIP Foundation in this candid interview.
Welcome to Episode 1 of our new season where we bring to you a different array of investment options and financial literacy for the retail investors. In this episode Anshul Gupta uncovers the unique products at Wint Wealth and takes us down fixed income investing for retail investors. Learn more about Debt Investing to hedge your capital in this candid conversation with Mohammad Ahwar and Anshul Gupta!
Bob DePasquale, Founder of Initiate Impact, a Certified Financial Planner®, Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® who has plum experience in wealth management advisory for more than a decade. Bob’s passion for broadcast journalism drove him to become impact-philic by fostering impact through advocacy and stewardship after thriving cancer combat in his young life. “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” — Martin Luther King, Jr. In this video, Bob discusses the concept of family offices in finance. Bob also throws light on some very important aspects of finance like the need to save and invest and the crucial role Time plays in financial planning. Bob's recommended reads include The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel, and Atomic Habits by James Clear. Bob is also authoring a book tentatively titled, "Personal Finance in a Public World" with New Degree Press to be released later this year. Join us to find out more in this candid conversation!
In our 11th Financially Speaking Video series, we discuss fintech literacy and financial literacy for kids. Mac has some great nuggets of knowledge which he calls "Mac Nuggets" and he unravels some of them in our candid conversation. Mac Gardner, a Certified Financial Planner practitioner, has served in the financial services industry for more than 20 years. His passion for financial literacy led him to publish his first book, “Motivate Your Money!” in 2013. As his family grew and his clients began to ask him for ways to teach their kids about managing money he decided to use elements from his first book to develop a financial literacy platform for young children. The Four Money Bears represent the four basic functions of money. When children gain exposure to money management skills at an early age they are likely to develop healthy financial planning habits as adults. Mac is a true believer in the power of stories. He wants every child to know the story of “The Four Money Bears” and the benefits of sound money management for generations to come. Join us as we uncover the simplicities of Finance & FinTech Literacy!
In our 10th Financially Speaking video podcast, we discuss Islamic Finance with Ms Khadija Khartit. Khadija is the Managing Director at IFS Advisory and the Investment Officer at Aghaz Investments, a halal Robo-advisory firm. Khadija is also a Member of Investopedia's Financial Review Board. She is a strategy and investment professional with 25+ years of education and work experience in corporate finance, investment banking, and growth funding. Khadija has also been a lead arranger of high-profile M&A and cross-border technology transfer joint ventures between North America and MENA regions. Khadija is also a strategy and funding advisor to entrepreneurs starting disruptive business models in Fintech and Technology spaces and teaches Fintech, Corporate Finance and entrepreneurship at Cornell and Brandeis. Khadija is inspired by Elon Musk and believes in contributing to the best of your abilities across verticals and impact-driven projects. Discover the nuances of Islamic Finance in this candid conversation!
In our 9th Episode we discuss a very important aspect of finance called Sustainable Finance with Mr Utkarsh Majmudar, Fellow, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India PGDM, Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, India He has over two decades of experience encompassing teaching, research and administration at premier business schools in India (IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow, IIM Udaipur etc.) and working with large corporations in India at GE Capital, iGATE and HSBC. Apart from finance that he has worked on and loves teaching, he has done significant work in the area of sustainability and CSR – conducting an annual study of the performance of companies on corporate responsibility, working with large companies, publishing cases, authoring a book called “Balance:Responsible Business for the Digital Age” and writing over 200 pieces on the theme. Mr Utkarsh's inspirational books include: Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk by Peter L. Bernstein and Barbarians at the gate Check out more about his work at: https://utkarshmajmudar.com/
In our 8th Financially Speaking talk with Global experts we're delighted to have Ramona Ortega, CEO & Founder, My Money My Future | mi dinero mi futuro | https://www.mymoneymyfuture.co/ with us. She has been named Crain's Business Most Notable Women in Finance 2020 Ramona is an innovator, technology entrepreneur, corporate attorney and policy wonk. Her breadth of experience across industries and the public private sector gives her a unique advantage to solve complex problems in finance, technology and law. She is a driven professional with extensive experience leading, building and executing new programs, initiatives and businesses. An experienced speaker and thought leader, she brings gravatas and passion to all her endeavors. She is a contributor to TechCrunch and the Huffington Post and is a sought-after speaker and thought leader. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA and her Juris Doctor from Fordham School of Law. In this talk Ramona simplifies finance for us and talks about bridging the gap in finance for people from different ethnic backgrounds. Her inspiring journey as a single mom setting up a wonderful business is truly commendable and we couldn't be prouder of her achievements. Ramona is inspired by "Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder A Book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb" and talks about the role values play in consuming finance!
In our latest Financially Speaking talk, Private Equity Writer and Women in Tech(R) Ambassador Purva Aggarwal decodes everything you need to get started within Private Equity, finance for kids and being a powerful soul in Finance. Her simply stated yet so powerful thought, "Empower your own education curve" blew us away and is the key takeaway from this delightful conversation. We love her thought about why finance needs to be taught early and appreciate the work that she is doing to enable that process. Purva notices the immense potential Private Equity firms have towards Indian Startups and highlights that in her talk. Some of Purva's favourite books are classic reads like Creating Shareholder Value by Alfred Rappaport and movies include Other peoples money & Too Big to Fail! Do watch this incredible conversation which will make you feel empowered and ready to take on the illustrious world of Finance!
In our 6th Financially Speaking video series we are delighted to be joined by Lisa Raiche, CFO at wiseHer: A Technology service-based online marketplace platform (Advice as a Service) for women in business and career to connect on-demand with experts in business and career to answer their questions specific to their situation. She is also the Principal at Bodhi Business Advisors, the most unconventional CPA firm you’ve ever encountered — by design. Lisa is passionate about helping small businesses owners and entrepreneurs grow by improving cash flow and profitability. As an accountant & CPA for over 20 years, she has been working on business planning, bookkeeping, accounting, tax & financial statements for public and private companies. Check out wiseHer at : www.wiseHer.com
In our 5th episode Mridul Mehndiratta, Founder, The Wealth Dialogues talks about the need to embrace personal finance for women, Democratising Finance and not restricting it to few people, and taking rational financial decisions to feel empowered. "Investing is a life choice and a continuous process of learning, unlearning and relearning" Recommended Reads:Atomic Habits by James Clear, The work of Warren Buffet & Charlie Munger, The Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham
In our 4th Episode, Decentralised Finance Evangelist and expert, Gnanalakshmi TC joins us as we decode the world of DeFi ! Simple tips from our expert : 1.Look out for blockchain platforms, 2.Get your fundamentals right 3.Choose your domain and find out about the future of that technology. Favourite Quote: "Learn a technology in such a way that you can explain it to a 5 year old! "
In this video which is our 3rd episode in our Financially Speaking Series we speak with Dr Giovanna Paladino, Director of the Museum of Savings in Italy. Dr Paladino talks about simple measures to help build financial stability, the need to save money and put it back into circulation to help with growing an economy and collaborating to ensure financial fragility is addressed to a larger section of society. Visit Museo Del Risparmio website for a free virtual tour of the amazing place it is to learn more about money, savings and all things simply Finance. About the speaker: Today we have with us Dr Giovanna Paladino, a world-leading expert in developing financial education. Dr Paladino is the Head of the Intesa Sanpaolo Charity Fund and the Director and Curator of the Museum of Savings, Museo del Risparmio. She is also the Head of the Technical Secretariat of the Presidency. She is a Board Member at Assonebb which supports research in the fields of finance, economics and law, and promotes financial education. And also the Executive Board Member at the International Federation of Finance Museums.
In our second interview, we discuss how with the right vision one can make an impact in financial technology and how financial inclusion needs to drive the impact and adaptation for Fintech. Rebecca Kersch, is the founder and CEO of TANG app, and a recent Master of Public Administration graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), where she graduated with the Don K. Price award for community leadership and academic excellence. For her work with TANG app, Rebecca was selected as an Adrian Cheng Fellow, as well as a winner in the Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge and MassChallenge. She was also awarded grants from the Social Impact Fellowship Fund, the Rockefeller Foundation and Acumen Academy. Previously, Rebecca worked in strategy consulting, a non-profit, the UN, and as a career coach, where she wrote the first case book for the Oxford Saïd Business School. Her experience in business, the public sector, academic world, as well as emerging markets, Europe and the US, are what motivated her to start TANG app and continue focusing on improving the lives of Filipinos through financial inclusion.
Learn about Quant funds, research Areas in Finance in India and building a career in Finance through this video! As we are joined by Dr. R.Shyaam Prasadh who takes care of building scalable machine learning and analytics systems for FinSurge, a Singapore based fintech firm. Dr Shyaam has worked with a Connecticut based hedge fund named Trexquant investments that managed AUM $2B as a quantitative researcher. Dr Shyaam holds a Ph.D. from Indian Institute of Technology Madras and the prestigious Australian government's Endeavour research fellowship. Favourite book: Fault Lines by Raghuraam Rajan