Sophia Goldberg, CEO and co-founder of Ansa and author of "The Field Guide to Global Payments," views Girl Math as a joyful expression. Sophia explores the social media trend with Mary and shares her view on why it matters to all brands. They also discuss what’s broken with gift cards and opine on reward programs that resonate with people.

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https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/podcasts/money-isnt-everything

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Mary chats with Keith Armstrong, chief operating and compliance officer at Stretch, a startup that began as a neobank for people who were returning home from incarceration but has since made a notable pivot.

Keith shares the early lessons from building a product for a misunderstood audience, the limits of academic research and how buying sneakers can carry deep meaning. Plus: They explore Stretch’s new goals and the realities of banking-as-a-service post Synapse crisis.

Show notes:

• Stretch
• Escape the Odds podcast

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https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/podcasts/money-isnt-everything

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On the show today, Mary talks to Elizabeth Osborne – COO at Great Lakes Credit Union – about preparing for open banking regardless of what happens to the rules. As she says: “Whether it's a credit union or a bank, we should treat it as a threat. And if it doesn't become a threat, that's great. You're prepared.”

They also explore how the credit union’s bet on bilingual chatbot Olive is working and ways Great Lakes is serving gig workers, asylum seekers and longtime members alike. Plus, Elizabeth offers candid advice for fintech founders trying to win over credit unions, and why leadership starts with listening.

Subscribe to the podcast here: https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/podcasts/money-isnt-everything

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On the show today: Mary chats with Amy Loh, head of marketing at Pipe and former Square veteran, about how fintech is shaking up small business finance.

Amy shares how Pipe approaches granting small businesses, like nail and hair salons, capital through their software partners at a time when some Pipe customers are seeking more money to prepare for tariff shocks.

Amy also talks about Pipe’s recent acquisition of Glean.ai and shares career advice on being intentional and vocal about your growth path.

Show notes:
- Pipe

Subscribe to the podcast here: https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/podcasts/money-isnt-everything

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Designing for death might not be the usual founder journey—but it’s exactly what Ben Hopf is doing.

On today’s show, Mary talks with Ben, the founder and CEO of Atticus, about building tech that helps families navigate the financial chaos that follows a death.

They chat about:

• How to design for grief without adding friction
• How inheritance stands to change as Gen Z comes of age
• And yes… funeral playlists.

Show notes:

• Estate planning report

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Sure, some auto tariffs are softening. But the cost of car ownership is on the rise.

On the show today, Mary sits down with Jacob Zachs, founder and CEO of Fasten, to talk about how his startup wants to reward consumers for one of their biggest discretionary expenses – their cars. The new product, called Fasten Rewards, gives consumers rewards for their auto loans and leases, maintenance, gas and more.

Jacob talks to Mary about his ambition, auto tariffs and what's it like building a startup in a chaotic year.

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Today on the show, Mary talks to Shreenath Regunathan about a fresh way credit unions can prove their value to members: unlocking government benefits.

Shree is a co-founder of Starlight, an early-stage fintech company that partners with credit unions. He talks to Mary about the shrinking middle class, misconceptions around financial health and how to make government benefits sound more approachable.

Show notes:

• Starlight
• Can fintech and banks truly help people build savings habits?

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Today on the show: Dr. Leda Glyptis, author, advisor, keynote speaker and former banker, talks about her newer book, "Beyond Resilience" with Mary. One spoiler? Her interviews with entrepreneurs for the book were weary of being labeled as successful. As Leda says on the show: "Most people are like, 'I'm not done yet.'"

She talks to Mary about the uglier realities of being an entrepreneur, what the duo noticed at Fintech Meetup (a large fintech conference held in March), and why it's important to ask mentors what they think you're good at even if you don't like the answers.

• Beyond Resilience
• Leda's Fintech Futures' Column

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