{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/5ab6fe42bb6ddf45527e077e/6581744e9edee00016fc2766?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"MPower Financing with Manu Smadja | E306","description":"<p>Jason talks to Manu Smadja, CEO and Co-Founder of MPower Financing. MPower Financing is a company that specialises in lending loan to international students because they have their own specific challenges that are encountered by many people who come to a foreign country.</p><p><br></p><p>Episode Highlights:</p><ul><li>02:30: Manu elaborates on his realization about the ongoing challenges faced by international students, citing personal experiences, and the turning point a decade ago when a student approached him for financial help, sparking the idea for MPower.</li><li>03:13: Manu shares the pivotal moment when a student was on the verge of dropping out due to a small financial shortfall. This event led him to question why no one was addressing this issue and motivated him to establish Empower in April 2014.</li><li>05:40: Jason discusses the challenges of issuing loans to young people with no credit history or assets, and Manu emphasizes the need for alternative data sources.</li><li>07:11: Manu discusses the complexity of acquiring customers overseas and the challenge of servicing loans globally, which has been a focus for their company.</li><li>13:09: Manu highlights the importance of character, creditworthiness, and the proof of capability demonstrated during the selection and integration process for international students.</li><li>14:09: Manu explains how MPower leverages data on placement rates, graduation rates, and post-graduation salaries as part of their compelling value proposition.</li><li>18:32: Manu compares the traditional loan process to MPower's approach, emphasizing the company's role in making the market for students who can't secure loans locally and providing a better experience for those who can.</li><li>25:27: Manu emphasizes that the impact on students helps the team stay motivated and focused on understanding and addressing the needs of the students.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Key Points:</p><ol><li>A leader in international student financing, MPower Financing focuses on empowering students from 200 countries attending over 400 universities in the US and Canada.</li><li>The company's mission is to address the unique financial obstacles encountered by students studying abroad.</li><li>MPower Financing leverages alternative data for credit assessment, providing loans to international students who may face challenges securing loans in their home countries.</li></ol><p><br></p><p>Tweetable Quotes:</p><ul><li>\"Leveraging data on placement rates, graduation, and post-grad salaries, MPower Financing ensures a compelling value proposition for students worldwide.”</li><li>\"MPower Financing was born out of the realization that small financial shortfalls were pushing international students to drop out. We aim to bridge these gaps and make education accessible.\"</li><li>\"In lending to international students, we challenge the misnomer of treating no-file students like bad-file ones. Credit is a trajectory, and we leverage alternative data to understand and support their unique journeys.\"</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Resources Mentioned:</p><ul><li><a href=\"https://www.mpowerfinancing.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.mpowerfinancing.com/</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/esmadja/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.linkedin.com/in/esmadja/</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/jason.pereira\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook</a>&nbsp;– Jason Pereira's Facebook</li><li><a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/pereirajm?trk=org-employees_mini-profile_title\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;– Jason Pereira's LinkedIn</li><li><a href=\"https://www.woodgate.com/#plan-prosper-preserve-financial-planning-toronto\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Woodgate.com</a>&nbsp;– Sponsor</li><li><a href=\"https://barevalue.com/podcast-editing\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Podcast Editing</a></li></ul><p><br></p>","author_name":"Jason Pereira"}