Tearsheet Podcast: Exploring Financial Services Together

Welcome to the Tearsheet Podcast. I’m Tearsheet’s editor in chief, Zack Miller. As banks increasingly work with modern technology providers, ecosystems are forming around them and the businesses they serve. Norm DeLuca is the general manager of digital banking solutions at Bottomline Technologies. He knows something about ecosystems and something about banking — spending 20 years in the industry. Bottomline works with nearly 1000 banks around the world to connect them with businesses and innovative partners using digital technologies to help them move the ball forward. Norm DeLuca is my guest today on the Tearsheet Podcast.

I’m Zack Miller, editor in chief of Tearsheet. The following was produced by Tearsheet Studios. We worked with fintech software provider Autobooks to create a four part podcast series on the evolution of business banking and how banks can better service SMBs through a changing mindset, partnerships and integrations. We’ve moved beyond the paradigm of banks versus fintechs. Banks are partnering with top technology companies in a way that plays to both parties’ strengths. But these partnerships are resource-heavy and hard: hard to get to contract, hard to integrate, and hard to slot into changing priorities. Q2 is a banking software firm in Austin, Texas. 400 banks and credit unions use its software to power digital banking. I spoke with Greg Varnell, vice president of product and development in the innovation Studio at Q2. Greg describes the Q2 Marketplace and how fintechs and banks are using it as a way to more closely and quickly partner.

Welcome to the Tearsheet Podcast. I’m Tearsheet’s editor in chief, Zack Miller. Embedded finance is a recurring theme in our coverage on Tearsheet on here, on the podcast. With APIs and banking as a service platforms, firms in all kinds of industries are getting into finance. That’s the story line here. TripActions is an innovate business travel & expense platform that continues to evolve to serve its customers. That meant launching its own travel agency. And it also meant launching Liquid (https://tripactions.com/uk/liquid), TripActions’ own payments solution that ties employee spending in to its software and includes corporate cards. Michael Sindicich is the general manager of TripActions Liquid and was one of the first employees in the company. Michael joins me on the podcast to discuss the firm’s growth trajectory and how that impacted why the firm launched a payment solution. We also discuss the uptake of TripActions Liquid and where the firm is headed in the future with its fintech aspirations. Michale Sindicich is my guest today on the Tearsheet Podcast.

Welcome to the Tearsheet Podcast. I’m Zack Miller. Even as more states legalize marijuana, banking cannabis customers is still a major undertaking. Regent Bank is a small bank with 5 branches in Oklahoma and Springfield, MO. As Regent sensed an opportunity to work with cannabis customers in its communities, it tapped Keri Cain to build out its program. Keri has a background in retail and moved to OK after a stint directing store operations at The Gap’s headquarters in San Francisco. She also has muscular dystrophy and has used cannabis to manage her pain in the past and will likely need to do so in the future. She’s passionate about working with cannabis because of the medical benefits it can provide. To launch and manage its cannabis program, Regent worked with Green Check, a firm that works with banks to service customers in the cannabis industry. Green Check founder and CEO Kevin Hart joins Regent’s Keri Cain with me on the podcast to talk about cannabis banking, how to start up a program, and what banks need to be successful working with this new industry.

Is the promise of Web3 in finance finally coming to fruition, or are we still in the early stages of a long journey from Bitcoin to tokenized assets? As the cryptocurrency and Bitcoin market evolves, Bitcoin's price swings draw attention. Traditional banks explore blockchain cautiously. People are curious about the current stage of Web3 development. The question remains: where are we on the timeline? Today's episode of the Tearsheet podcast features Rumi Morales. She is a partner and board member at Outlier Ventures. She discusses the current state and future potential of Web3 in the financial sector. Morales brings extensive experience from her roles at CME Group, Digital Currency Group, and Goldman Sachs. Morales reflects on her decade-long journey in the cryptocurrency and Bitcoin space. She shares, "I would have answered this question a lot better 10 years ago when I first got into the space. I think I was full of hope and excitement and a lot of ambition." Her perspective offers a nuanced view of the industry's progress. She recognizes the progress and challenges of Web3 technologies in achieving mainstream adoption. As the discussion unfolds, Morales provides valuable insights into the current state of Web3. She discusses the role of decentralization. She elaborates on the potential for blockchain technology to reshape traditional financial services. Her position bridges traditional finance and emerging technologies. This gives readers a well-rounded view of the future of digital assets and decentralized systems. The Big Ideas Morales emphasizes the importance of data ownership and privacy in the Web3 ecosystem. She states, "I do think when it comes to data and data ownership and privacy and individual rights, this idea that humans and individuals should be owning their data. And not giving it away to centralized entities is becoming more and more and more important." There is tension between centralization and decentralization (such as with Bitcoin) in the Web3 space. Morales notes, "The question is, is that theory of decentralization ever gonna take over centralization? The jury is completely out for me on that one." This observation highlights a fundamental challenge in the Web3 ecosystem. It is balancing the ideals of decentralization with practical implementation and human nature. Web3 startups face significant hurdles when trying to collaborate with traditional financial institutions. These challenges stem from mismatches in resources, bureaucracy, and operational timelines. Morales explains, "Many times to get that contract signed, it has to go through how many layers of checks. And you're just hoping that they don't run out of money to get something done to prove that you can do this." Accelerators are essential for nurturing Web3 innovation by supporting early-stage startups. This highlights the importance of investing in startups. Morales explains the role of Outlier Ventures in this ecosystem. She says, "We've probably accelerated around over 200 companies at this point, helping them in their earliest stages of growth. So these are pre-seed or seed stage companies." Tokenization of real-world assets represents a promising area for convergence between Web3 and traditional finance. Morales states, "That is around being able to tokenize most anything. It doesn't have to be a traditional security in the stock or bond sense of things."