Speaker Directory 2026
Voices Shaping
the Future of
Fintech
Meet the brilliant minds championing Black inclusion and innovation across the global financial technology landscape.
Mimi Kufuor
CEO & Country Manager · KoinKoin Ghana
Mimi Kufuor is the CEO & Country Manager of KoinKoin Ghana Ltd, a leading Africa-focused digital asset exchange delivering safe, seamless, and regulated access to cryptocurrency and cross-border payments. With a strong background in finance and fintech, she drives strategy, market growth, regulatory engagement, and high-impact partnerships. Passionate about financial inclusion and wealth creation, she champions initiatives that empower individuals and businesses while advocating female leadership in tech. She is dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional finance and decentralised ecosystems, unlocking Africa's digital asset potential.
Nike Shoge
Head of Commercial Growth, Starling Banking Services · Starling Bank
Nike Shoge is a dynamic senior leader in banking and financial technology, leveraging over 20 years of experience across payments, FX, transaction banking, and financial institutions coverage. She has successfully partnered with banks, fintechs, insurers, governments, and development organisations globally. Nike honed her skills at industry titans like Merrill Lynch, Deutsche, ABN Amro, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Barclays, where she specialised in Accounting, payments, transaction management, cash management, and trade finance. She made a powerful career pivot by joining Starling Bank, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping its Banking Services proposition for Tech firms seeking indirect access to the UK payment rails. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion. Nike founded and co-chairs Starling Bank's influential Women's Network, "WithWomen," and previously co-chaired the Black Professional Forum at Barclays. A Chartered Accountant (FCCA) and a Chartered member of the Institute of Risk Management, Nike is recognised for her excellence, including being named a winner on the Innovate Finance Women in Fintech Powerlist (Financial & Professional Services, 2025).
Timi Ogunyemi
Director of Product Management, A2A Payments · Moniepoint Inc
Timi Ogunyemi is a product leader with over 8 years of experience building and scaling digital products across fintech and banking. He specialises in taking products from idea to launch and beyond, turning complex financial problems into simple, high-impact solutions that drive real customer value. At Moniepoint, Timi leads the Account-to-Account (A2A) Payments portfolio, overseeing end-to-end product development and guiding cross-functional teams to deliver scalable, revenue-generating payment solutions. His work focuses on improving customer experience and performance, with accountability for key metrics including CSAT, NPS, user growth and revenue across digital payment journeys. Prior to Moniepoint, Timi was part of the founding team at Nomba, where he served as Head of Business Operations & Partnerships. He led major strategic initiatives including the rollout of over 90,000 POS terminals and real-time settlement infrastructure across Africa. He also played a key role in acquiring a licensed bank, managing regulatory approvals and enabling the expansion of Nomba's financial infrastructure. Alongside his role, he is also a product mentor at Product Dive, supporting the next generation of product talent.
Rachel Tshondo
Relationship Director VP, High Growth and Entrepreneurs · Barclays
With over 20 years experience in banking, Rachel is an expert in supporting high-growth businesses and entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. Currently, as a Relationship Director in Barclays High Growth and Entrepreneur team in London, she leads strategic initiatives that empower innovative companies to scale and succeed in an ever-evolving financial landscape. In addition to her client-facing role, Rachel serves as the National Lead for Fintech, spearheading Barclays efforts to engage with the dynamic fintech ecosystem. She brings a wealth of knowledge in financial services, startup development and venture capital, working closely with fintech leaders to foster growth, drive innovation and navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing market. Rachel is passionate about leveraging technology to reshape the future of finance and is dedicated to helping fintech businesses access the resources and expertise they need to thrive.
Kaley Addo
Head of UK Operations · Upvest
Kaley Addo is a seasoned fintech leader with 10+ years of experience dedicated to scaling operational teams, automating back-end processes and enhancing customer-facing functionality. As the current Head of UK Operations at Upvest, she bridges the gap between technical efficiency and regulatory rigour. Beyond her operational remit, Kaley is a champion for systemic change.
Elizabeth Ajala
Risk and Control Director · ex-Monzo
Elizabeth Ajala is a Director of Risk and Controls at Monzo Bank, with over 15 years' experience leading transformation across financial services and digital banking. She specialises in driving operational excellence, building frameworks and embedding customer first strategies within complex, regulated environments. Elizabeth has led global operations of over 1,000 people and delivered large scale transformation programmes spanning Quality Assurance, Complaints, Fraud, and Risk. She is known for her ability to translate complex regulatory and operational challenges into clear, actionable strategies that deliver measurable results. An engaging and influential speaker, Elizabeth is an experienced panellist and keynote presenter, regularly contributing to industry events and discussions on customer outcomes, risk, regulation and the evolving fintech landscape. She is recognised as a Women in FinTech Powerlist 'Rising Star' and is passionate about inclusion, leadership, and shaping the future of financial services.
Perpetua Gitungo
Compliance Director, LATAM & MEA · Wise
Perpetua Gitungo (Pesh) is the MLRO and Compliance Director at Wise, joining in 2017 with deep fincrime experience across payments, banking, CFD/FX, and gambling industries — in both small and listed companies. A strong champion for diversity and inclusion in fintech, she mentors through the Girls Network and her local community.
Amanda Estiverne-Colas
Board Member · The National Alliance for Financial Literacy and Inclusion (NAFLI)
Amanda Estiverne-Colas is a dynamic leader in Banking and FinTech with over 20 years of expertise in driving innovation, strategic growth, and financial inclusion. She serves on the Board of Directors for the National Alliance for Financial Literacy and Inclusion (NAFLI), championing initiatives that advance financial education in underserved communities. A sought-after Payment Strategist and global speaker, Amanda has a proven track record of delivering transformative solutions in emerging payment technologies and financial inclusion. Dedicated to empowering communities, she focuses on advancing blockchain, open banking, and digital identity to foster economic growth and inclusion for small businesses and individuals.
Misky Sharif
Account Executive · Revolut Business
Misky Sharif is a London-based sales leader and fintech specialist at Revolut Business. Passionate about mentorship and community building, she has spoken at Women in Sales panels and Money20/20 events, contributing insights on professional growth, diversity, and overcoming imposter syndrome.
Nkechi Anyanwu
Founding Engineer · Vouchsafe
Nkechi Anyanwu is a full-stack product engineer and multidisciplinary technologist with a unique blend of engineering expertise and business acumen from investment banking and strategy consulting. Currently a founding engineer at Vouchsafe, building the future of KYC and digital identity infrastructure, she began her career at Bank of America before pivoting into software engineering.
Fumbi Banjoko
Senior Director, Global Sales Development · Visa Direct
Fumbi Banjoko is a global sales leader with a proven track record of building high-performing, diverse teams that exceed multi-million-pound revenue goals. At Visa Direct, she drives commercial growth while fostering inclusive workplaces. Since pivoting into fintech, she has launched ERG initiatives and mentored emerging leaders through Money20/20's Amplify and Rise Up programmes.
Iana Vidal
Head of UK Public Policy · Block
Iana Vidal leads UK government and regulator engagement at Block, shaping policy that supports innovation and economic empowerment in financial services. She brings extensive experience across trade bodies, professional associations, and the not-for-profit sector, working at the intersection of fintech innovation and regulation.
Jessica Anglin-Humphrey
Senior Product Manager · Sage
Jessica Anglin-Humphrey builds scalable platform and partner products at Sage, supporting complex financial and operational workflows across multiple regions. Her work sits at the intersection of product strategy, payments, and execution. Prior to fintech, she built digital products at The LEGO Group and The Walt Disney Company.
Samuel Afolabi
Senior Sales Manager · OpenPayd
Samuel Afolabi is a fintech sales leader with experience spanning cross-border and stablecoin payments. At OpenPayd, he works with growing businesses to build scalable financial infrastructure supporting long-term growth, helping companies leverage modern payment rails and digital asset solutions to unlock global expansion.
Princess Akari
Product Manager, Moniepoint · Founder, People in Product
Princess Akari is a product leader with over a decade of experience spanning operations, strategy, project management, and product development. She currently works as a Product Manager at Moniepoint, helping build and scale digital financial products that solve real customer problems across emerging markets. Princess is also the founder of PeopleInProduct (PIP), an award-winning product management community that has supported more than 7,000 product professionals through events, education, and career initiatives. She is passionate about building inclusive tech communities and developing the next generation of product leaders.
Shafie Ali
Product Lead · Wise
Shafie Ali is a product leader at Wise with more than a decade of experience building and scaling financial technology products. His work focuses on creating seamless global financial infrastructure that helps individuals and businesses move and manage money more efficiently across borders. With deep expertise across payments and digital financial services, Shafie is passionate about building products that solve real customer problems at scale. He regularly contributes insights on fintech innovation, product strategy, and the future of global payments.
Tawanda Mudimbu
VP, Enterprise Partnerships · Verto
Tawanda Mudimbu is an experienced fintech and financial markets executive with a track record of scaling partnerships across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. As VP of Enterprise Partnerships at Verto, a global B2B FX and cross-border payments platform, he drives strategic collaborations that enable businesses to move money efficiently across emerging markets. Tawanda previously led banking and expansion for Africa and the Middle East at Wise, helping the global payments giant deepen its local presence and connectivity. Prior to fintech, he held senior roles at Asoko Insight, where he oversaw commercial strategy and business development, and at Thomson Reuters, managing relationships across corporate treasuries, asset managers, and central banks in Southern Africa.
Stone Atwine
Founder & CEO · Eversend
Stone is a fintech entrepreneur building the financial infrastructure for emerging markets. As Founder & CEO of Eversend Tech Ltd (incorporated in London in 2022), he leads the growth of a stablecoin-powered payments and embedded finance platform serving businesses and individuals across 12 countries. Eversend has over 1.2 million users. Backed by Google, Techstars, Visa, Atomico Angels, and supported by the Mayor of London's Grow London Global programme, Eversend provides APIs, global USD/EUR accounts, FX, and instant cross-border settlement. Recognized by the Paris-based Institut Choiseul as one of Africa's top economic leaders under 40.
Ross Strike
SVP Investor Relations · Moniepoint
Ross is a finance professional with over a decade of investment banking and venture capital experience. He is responsible for developing and executing Moniepoint's M&A and fundraising strategy, as they expand into new markets. He previously worked at British International Investment, where he led their investment in Moniepoint. Ross was one of the founding members of BII's venture capital investment team, helping to scale the firm's early-stage activities, which has deployed over $350m across over 40+ investments. He started his career in Citibank's investment banking team and is a Kauffman Fellow.
Ola Oyetayo
Co-Founder & CEO · Verto
Ola Oyetayo is the Co-Founder and CEO at Verto. With a robust background in finance, consulting, and entrepreneurship, Ola's career includes significant roles at American Express, Barclays, and Lloyds Bank. Ola was inspired to found Verto by the challenges he observed some of his friends facing when making international business payments. It became apparent that businesses located in emerging markets often encountered difficulties in executing seamless cross-border transactions. Always drawn to solving large-scale problems, Ola gravitated towards addressing this issue, leading to the establishment of Verto with the vision to facilitate smoother global commerce. Under Ola's leadership, Verto was awarded the Fintech of the Year 2022 at the London Fintech Awards.
Gbite Oduneye
Managing Partner · ODBA VC
ODBA VC is an early-stage VC firm backing bold African founders building category-defining startups. With 20+ years across entrepreneurship, finance, and tech, Gbite brings deep experience and real operator empathy. At ODBA, he's led 30+ investments across sectors like Edtech, Fintech, Healthtech, and Logistics — backing ventures like Kuda, Treepz, Awabah, and Hurone AI. From London boardrooms to African startup trenches, Gbite is passionate about turning improbable ideas into transformational success stories.
Joe Kinvi
Founder · Borderless
Joe Kinvi is a systems-focused entrepreneur building connective infrastructure for diaspora capital and innovation across Africa. Founder of Borderless — a digital infrastructure platform powering investment remittances and collective investing for the African diaspora. Previously Head of Finance at Touchtech Payments (acquired by Stripe), Growth Lead at Stripe, and Partnerships Lead at Paystack. Board member of the African Business Angel Network (ABAN).
Dr. Austin Okpagu
Managing Director · Rova (FCMB Group)
Dr. Austin Okpagu is a distinguished fintech executive and organizational strategist with over a decade of experience driving high-stakes growth across the African financial landscape. He currently serves as the Managing Director at Rova, a fintech subsidiary of FCMB Group, following a highly successful tenure as Country Director for Nigeria at Verto, where he spearheaded the expansion of B2B cross-border payment solutions and navigated multi-jurisdictional FX liquidity. A pivotal figure in scaling the region's most influential fintech ecosystems, Dr. Okpagu previously served as Managing Director for West Africa at JumiaPay. His leadership portfolio also includes key strategic roles at OPay and Paga, where he was instrumental in building the infrastructure for merchant acquisition and transforming digital payment habits. Specializing in the synergy between innovation and regulation, Dr. Okpagu is a vocal advocate for building compliant, resilient financial systems. He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology, which informs his unique approach to leadership, human capital optimization, and strategic scaling. Beyond his corporate roles, he is a dedicated mentor to the next generation of African founders through his work with Innovest Afrika and other non-profit organizations.
Mariam Ogunbambi
Director, Client Success - Engine · Starling Bank
Mariam Ogunbambi is Chief Client Officer of Engine, Starling Bank's Software-as-a-Service arm. Engine provides financial institutions around the world with access to Starling's market leading cloud native banking platform. She leads the management of Engine's existing clients; responsible for onboarding, implementation through to relationship and success management. Her aim is to proactively work in partnership with clients by anticipating their challenges and providing solutions that enable them to succeed and grow using the Engine platform. Drawing on her consultancy background in Financial Services and experience in programme management and operations at Starling Bank, she seeks to work collaboratively with clients and help them reach and exceed their desired outcomes. Before working on Engine, Mariam was Head of Card Payments at Starling. Prior to this, she joined in 2016 and delivered integrations between Starling's own systems and the wider banking, payments and finance landscape. She is the winner of two FinTech Awards; TechWomen50 and Future Stars of Tech - Fintech Category.
Perkins Ogedengbe
VP of Sales · Payaza
Perkins is a commercially driven business development, partnerships, and sales professional with over 7 years of experience across financial services, fintech, SaaS, and technology. She currently leads global sales and partnerships at Payaza, driving strategic market expansion and enabling cross-border payment solutions across Africa, North America, and Europe. She has worked across key industries supporting complex growth strategies and navigating operational challenges in highly regulated sectors.
Avion Gray
Co-Founder & CEO · Belong
Avion Gray is the co-founder & CEO of Belong, a fintech startup on a mission to give everyone a revolutionary and captivating path to long-term wealth. Prior to Belong, Avion led the scale up Clover's point-of-sale platform from a start up to a multinational market leader. In this role, she led Clover's U.S. launch and international expansion of Clover into five European countries. She began her career in investment banking and leveraged finance, specialising in FinTech and B2B SaaS. Avion holds a Bachelor's degree in International Business & Finance from Howard University and a MBA from Stanford University.
Megan Bingham-Walker
Co-Founder & CEO · Anansi Technology
Megan is the Co-founder and CEO of Anansi Technology which is building automated goods in transit insurance for global businesses. She has 14 years of experience in fintech, high growth SMEs, machine learning and data science, including 6 years in venture capital at WHEB Partners, investing in telematics, home energy management systems and many of the technologies being used in insurtech.
Want to join the conversation? Connect with us.
Follow on LinkedIn →Looking for curated content to shape your events?
Black in Fintech can support with speaker sourcing, panel curation, and content strategy for your upcoming events.