One Vision Podcast — Fintech, Banking & AI with Theodora Lau

After more than a decade of crossing paths at conferences and following each other’s work, Theodora Lau finally gets the opportunity to host Sarah Biller, Co-Founder & Member Board of Directors of Fintech Sandbox, and Bank Director and Investor of Thread Bank, on the One Vision Podcast. In this episode, Sarah talks about building innovation ecosystems beyond traditional hubs, including her work in West Virginia and the influence of leaders like Brad Smith and John Chambers. Sarah describes what she looks for in founders. It’s about digging deep, listening closely, and finding solutions that truly matter. The conversation turns to AI’s rapid adoption in financial services, the shift to agentic AI, risks of replacing human judgment in regulated credit decisions, and the need to prioritize understanding and human-centered outcomes over speed and efficiency. The real constraint on a better financial future isn't AI, it's data, and whoever controls access to it controls the upper hand. And the episode closes on something both Sarah and Theo keep returning to in their work: the fragility of the household balance sheet, the millions of Americans who are one flat tire away from financial distress, and the choice in front of an AI-enabled industry — to widen that gap, or close it.If AI is the most transformative technology any of us will see in our lifetimes., whose financial future are we actually building?🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.📍Hot take: “ The next generation of financial services, if it is to correctly harness the power of AI to get there, it's not speed that matters, but understanding. And AI has to understand like you and I do as humans.” Keywords: AI, Fintech, Open Banking, Data, Future Of Work, Podcast Timestamps00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:42 Building Ecosystems in Appalachia07:00 Traits of Great Founders12:04 Data Access and Open Banking17:22 AI Hype vs Human Impact18:40 Agentic AI and Relationship Banking29:42 Friction Matters in Money33:45 Midyear Surprises and What’s Next39:30 Closing Thanks and FarewellMore about our guest 🌐Sarah Biller on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbiller/ More about our host and One Vision Podcast 🌐Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 🌐Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book): https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 🌐Unconventional Ventures (company): https://www.unconventionalventures.com/ 🌐Listen to all One Vision Podcast episodes by visiting: https://shows.acast.com/one-vision 

What happens to a deposit when the account holder dies — and why are banks so unprepared for the one moment they know is coming?In this episode of the One Vision Podcast, Theodora Lau sits down with Martha Underwood, Founder and CEO of Prismm and author of the new release: The Death of Deposits. Drawing on 25+ years across IBM, Silicon Valley, and BBVA Compass, Martha talks about the unspoken assumption in banking — that the user will always be there — and how that assumption is now colliding with the largest generational wealth transfer in history.Together, Theo and Martha unpack the retention illusion, why the beneficiary field is the richest unused lead list sitting inside every bank's core, and why deposit attrition at death is an infrastructure problem, not a marketing one. They dig into the operational reality, the cultural reality, and the human reality, and why AI's real job is orchestration under pressure (not more automation). A deeply human conversation about deposits, design, and what it really means to extend a banking relationship beyond a single account holder. 📍Hot take: “You cannot out-campaign demographics.”📍Hot take: "If you don't design for the transfer, you're going to lose the relationship."Keywords: AI, Wealth transfer, Wealth managementMore about our guest 🌐Martha Underwood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthaunderwood/ 📘 The Death of Deposits by Martha Underwood: https://a.co/d/07TBuFvC More about our host and One Vision Podcast 🌐Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 🌐Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book): https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 🌐Unconventional Ventures (company): https://www.unconventionalventures.com/ 🌐Listen to all One Vision Podcast episodes by visiting: https://shows.acast.com/one-vision

In this episode of One Vision, Theodora Lau sits down with Hay Yip, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief of Staff at FundPark in Hong Kong, for a conversation that spans heritage, working capital, and what it really takes for SMEs to scale in an uncertain world.Hay shares his journey from a commercial banking career at HSBC — spanning both London and Hong Kong — to the electric pace of a fintech startup, and why he now goes to bed "with one eye open." Born in Hong Kong and grew up in the UK, his story comes full circle as he returns home to help the small businesses he's always been drawn to.At the heart of the conversation is the often-overlooked engine of commerce: working capital. Hay makes the case that cash flow is the "bloodline" of any growing business, and explains how FundPark uses data and analytics to serve e-commerce merchants who are not just underserved by traditional banks, but in many cases entirely unserved. Theo and Hay explore the founders' origin story, why entrepreneurs deserve more credit for their courage, and how global supply chain fragility shows up in the everyday lives of merchants and the customers who depend on them.Tune in for a candid look at the unglamorous but essential side of fintech, and FundPark's vision of "scale up as a service" — helping ordinary people behind real businesses thrive.📍Hot take: "The only certainty is uncertainty."Keywords: Fintech, Financial Services, Startup, VC, Hong Kong, SME00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:06 The Backstory05:15 From HSBC to Startup 11:02 Expectations versus Reality 18:41 Working Capital Matters36:24 Hong Kong’s Strategic Role40:11 Closing and Takeaways**More about our guest 🌐Hay Yip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayyip/ More about our host and One Vision Podcast 🌐Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 🌐Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book): https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 🌐Unconventional Ventures (company): https://www.unconventionalventures.com/ 🌐Listen to all One Vision Podcast episodes by visiting: https://shows.acast.com/one-vision **

What do the American people actually expect from companies deploying AI — and are corporate leaders listening?In this episode of One Vision Podcast, Theodora Lau sits down with longtime friend Tyler Spalding, Chief Marketing, Communications & Engagement Officer at JUST Capital, to unpack the organization's latest research on how the public, investors, and corporate executives view AI's impact on society, jobs, and the economy.They dig into the perception gap between public sentiment (66%) and corporate optimism (94% of investors and 90% of corporate leaders see AI as a net positive), and what that gap means for business leaders navigating workforce decisions, reskilling investments, and responsible AI deployment.The conversation also explores the tension between AI-driven efficiency gains and the human cost of disruption — from layoffs framed as AI transformation and the anxiety facing the next generation entering the workforce, as well as the importance of defining and incentivizing responsible AI through consistent, comparable standards guided by public expectations.📍Hot take: “ I've long believed that listening is a superpower.”Keywords: AI, Trust, Financial Services, Responsible AI, Future of Work, Venture Capital #AI #ResponsibleAI #FutureOfWork 00:00 Welcome and Introductions04:02 What Just Capital Does04:29 AI Optimism and Trust Gap05:43 Responsible AI Expectations12:34 Jobs Anxiety and Layoffs15:13 Reskilling and New Opportunities17:51 Next Generation and Education21:34 Defining Responsible AI StandardsMore about our guest 🌐Tyler Spalding on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-spalding/ 🌐Spring 2026 American Public, Investor, and Corporate Leader Perspectives on Responsible AI Deployment: AI Optimism Rises but Concerns Remain: https://justcapital.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Wave-2-AI-Report.pdf More about our host and One Vision Podcast 🌐Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 🌐Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book): https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 🌐Unconventional Ventures (company): https://www.unconventionalventures.com/ 🌐Listen to all One Vision Podcast episodes by visiting: https://shows.acast.com/one-vision **

What separates an AI agent that demos beautifully from one that actually runs in production at a bank? In this episode of One Vision Podcast, Theodora Lau reconnects with Maté Jendrolovics, CEO and Founder of Intuitech, for a candid conversation about the reality of agentic AI in financial services — where "80% accurate" doesn't mean 80% of the value. Maté shares how Intuitech has expanded in the past year, and his idea of an AI-native bank. A grounded, hype-free conversation about doing AI in financial services the hard way — and why that's the only way it creates real value.📍Hot take: we don't treat agentic AI technology as a magical wand that does everything.Keywords: AI, Fintech, Agentic, AI Agents, Banking Industry #AI #Fintech #Agents #AgenticAI #BankingIndustry00:00 Welcome Back Maté03:10 From POCs to Production04:22 Accuracy Over Demos07:07 Composite Tech Not Magic08:49 When Not to Use GenAI10:46 Designing AI Native Workflows13:49 What Is an AI Native Bank15:15 Three Pillars of AI Native19:45 What We Want the Market to LearnMore about our guest 🌐Maté Jendrolovics on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mate-jendrolovics/ More about our host and One Vision Podcast 🌐Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 🌐Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book): https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 🌐Unconventional Ventures (company): https://www.unconventionalventures.com/ 🌐Listen to all One Vision Podcast episodes by visiting: https://shows.acast.com/one-vision

When AI agents start buying and selling on our behalf, who do they really represent? In this new episode of One Vision Podcast, Theodora Lau sits down with Marc Massar — payments veteran and founder of Aura Labs — to unpack the merchant side of agentic commerce that most of the industry is overlooking. They dig into why today's agentic protocols are still walled gardens, what happens when transaction context disappears but liability doesn't, why dynamic pricing gets dangerous at machine speed, and what merchants need to do now before they get trapped in someone else's ecosystem. Marc draws on past lessons to make the case that market design — not smarter agents — is what will determine whether agentic commerce works for everyone or just the platforms that control it.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro03:03 Protocols and Walled Gardens10:25 Who Does the Agent Serve14:20 Post Purchase Identity and Disputes22:54 Merchant Playbook for Agentic Search32:41 Consent and Payments Friction35:25 Dynamic Pricing Meets Agents39:06 Market Design and Controls44:48 Seller Data Playbook51:35 Closing 📍Hot take:  "Whose agent is it? Who benefits?"Keywords: AI, Agentic Commerce, Fintech, Autonomous Agents, Protocols, Market Design, Digital Commerce, Payments, Data Management#AI #Fintech #AgenticCommerce #Data #Payments More about our guest 🌐Marc Massar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcmassar/  More about our host and One Vision Podcast 🌐Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 🌐Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book): https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 🌐Unconventional Ventures (company): https://www.unconventionalventures.com/ 🌐Listen to all One Vision Podcast episodes by visiting: https://shows.acast.com/one-vision

While the conversation around AI often centers on automation and efficiency, the real opportunity lies in AI’s ability to act as a decision-making layer. In this episode of One Vision podcast, Theodora Lau hosts Bianca Zwart, Chief Strategy Officer at bunq, to unpack what it truly means to be AI-native. For bunq, AI isn't a feature bolted onto an existing model. It's the operating system. Bianca shares how bunq's obsession with the user experience drives every technology decision. The conversation also explores what's next for agentic AI — and why the future isn't about AI taking over, but about making users smarter supervisors of their own financial lives.Plus: bunq's bold move into the US market, the needs of the people navigating life on both sides of the Atlantic, and why Bianca believes trust — not technology — is ultimately the only thing that matters.📍Hot take: “... the first question that you always need to answer is, what is in it for the user?”📍Hot take: “You can copy features. But you cannot copy DNA (of a company).”00:00 Welcome and Introductions00:47 Why bunq Is AI Native03:42 Meet Finn GenAI Platform08:26 US Expansion Strategy13:00 User First AI Mindset18:39 Privacy Trust and Transparency22:10 AI Fraud Prevention Journey24:11 What Keeps Bianca Going27:20 Closing and FarewellKeywords: AI, Fintech, User Experience, Banking Industry, User Centricity, GenAI, AI Ethics, AI in Banking, FraudMore about our guest 🌐Bianca Zwart on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bianca-zwart/ More about our host and One Vision Podcast 🌐Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 🌐Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book): https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 🌐Unconventional Ventures (company): https://www.unconventionalventures.com/ 🌐Listen to all One Vision Podcast episodes by visiting: https://shows.acast.com/one-vision

In the ever-evolving world of digital banking, understanding the shifts and trends is crucial for industry practitioners and innovators. In this episode of One Vision, Theodora Lau hosts Dharmesh Mistry and Dave Wallace to explore the transformative moments in banking and fintech over the past decade, the impact of technology on the financial services industry, and the future of work. They discuss the rise of 5G, smartphones, digital banking, and the need for industry revaluation to adapt to rapid technological convergence.00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome02:20 The Game Changers and Misreads11:57 The Role of Fintechs and Neobanks21:24 The Future of Banking: A New Paradigm32:16 Rethinking Banking for the Future34:09 AI Native Banking37:03 Jobs and the Human Contribution 📍Hot take: “ We've had a new layer of financial services by the fintechs …  and we totally overestimated the impact of these new players to the existing players.”📍Hot take:  To create a better industry industry. It doesn't have to be FinTech completed. It's. Destroying banks. It doesn't have to be banks, completely destroying newcomers. There are so much, there's so much room for us to all play together to create a better ecosystem for all of us. Keywords: AI, FinTech, Digital Banking, Financial Services, Disruption, Future of Work, 5G, Banking InnovationMore about our guests 🌐Dave Wallace on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davejvwallace/ 🌐Dharmesh Mistry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dharmesh-mistry-b81207/ 🌐Demystify Podcast on Fintech Futures: https://www.fintechfutures.com/keyword/demystify-podcast More about our host and One Vision Podcast 🌐Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 🌐Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book): https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 🌐Unconventional Ventures (company): https://www.unconventionalventures.com/ 🌐Listen to all One Vision Podcast episodes by visiting: https://shows.acast.com/one-vision 

Brandon Purcell, a former vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, recently embarked on a remarkable journey to write a book that intertwines his experiences with addiction and recovery with the concepts of artificial intelligence. In this new episode of One Vision Podcast, hosted by Theodora Lau, we dive deep into Brandon’s unique perspectives on how these two seemingly disparate topics are closely related. It is raw, vulnerable, and a reflection on how we can find our way back to authentic connection and recovery.  00:00 Welcome and Intro01:55 From Forrester to Responsible AI04:04 The Book Idea Takes Shape06:58 AI Metaphors for Addiction16:05 Advice to Younger Self20:39 Looking ForwardHot take: Be pulled by love, not fear. Hot take: Pause more and be intentional in what we do.Keywords: AI, Humanity, Mental Health, Personal Growth, Purpose More about our guest 🌐Brandon Purcell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandoncpurcell/ More about our host and One Vision Podcast 🌐Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 🌐Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book): https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 🌐Unconventional Ventures (company): https://www.unconventionalventures.com/ 🌐Listen to all One Vision Podcast episodes by visiting: https://shows.acast.com/one-vision