Team

Zach is a seasoned product leader with nearly two decades of experience building and scaling fintech products across the payments and card ecosystem. Over his career, he has managed products end-to-end, from strategy through execution, with leadership roles at Heartland Payment Systems, Bankrate, The Points Guy, and Apto Payments.

With a strong entrepreneurial streak, Zach has started several ventures, including Sherpio, a payment processor marketplace. Most recently, Zach was a founding employee and Vice President of Product at Perigon, an early-stage AI startup.

Ellen is a hands-on product leader with a proven ability to build and launch products from zero to one and beyond, particularly in fintech and cybersecurity. She works closely with development teams to write product requirements, manage development cycles, and deliver real outcomes. As a founding team member of a startup, she built a reputation for execution and problem-solving, turning strategy into action while navigating ambiguity.

She has led cross-functional teams of more than 150 people across product, design, operations, marketing, and data. Ellen brings structure and momentum to scaling organizations, with a focus on clarity, speed, and accountability. She is a builder at heart who thrives on helping teams move fast, stay aligned, and bring ideas to life.

Kamelia is a technology executive with deep experience in fintech, digital platforms, and enterprise software. She served as CTO at Bankrate, where she led the transformation of the company’s technology organization and platform during a period of significant growth. At LendingTree, she held senior technology leadership roles and operated at a CTO level across multiple lines of business, helping scale the company’s platforms and engineering organization.

Kamelia has a track record of modernizing legacy systems, building scalable platforms, and aligning technology with business outcomes. She has worked across multi-vertical environments, often helping bring together product, data, and engineering teams to drive execution. She takes a pragmatic, business-first approach to technology, focusing on initiatives that improve speed to market, reduce operational complexity, and create long-term leverage for the organization.

With over 20 years of experience in operations, risk, and compliance, Scott has led organizations across industries, from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 enterprises. His deep expertise spans financial technology, neobanking, payment systems, and loyalty programs, with a focus on driving operational efficiency and corporate compliance.

Scott is passionate about creating win-win solutions for businesses and stakeholders. He specializes in building risk frameworks, enhancing regulatory compliance, and streamlining operations through automation and process improvement.

Esther is a fintech marketing leader with over a decade of experience launching and scaling successful financial brands. As the first product marketer at Venmo, she played a pivotal role in launching the Venmo debit card and helping the company grow from processing $30,000 per quarter to over $3 billion per quarter.

Beyond her corporate success, Esther has built marketing and PR functions for private equity firms managing over $17 billion in assets. A skilled writer and content creator, she brings a unique perspective to fintech branding. She is a certified coach passionate about mentoring future innovators.

Jessica is a seasoned product leader with a passion for the fast-paced world of startups, particularly in fintech. With a background in communication, marketing, and business operations, she has successfully helped teams scale and navigate product challenges.

Jessica’s approach to leadership is rooted in empathy, strong communication, and a proactive mindset, ensuring meaningful contributions to both teams and communities.

Laura is a compliance and risk specialist with a strong track record in fintech and regulatory strategy. She began her career at Promontory Financial Group, helping companies restore regulatory compliance and mitigate risk. She later served as Director of Strategic Initiatives at GlobaliD and co-founded Archie Finance, a B2B2C embedded consumer credit platform.

Today, Laura operates at the intersection of product and compliance, advising fintech companies on developing innovative and compliant financial products. She is recognized for her pragmatic approach to navigating regulatory complexities.