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

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 

With a record number of companies vying for US bank charters, it’s crucial to understand the driving forces behind this surge. The regulatory environment is more welcoming than ever, allowing fintechs to innovate and meet the needs of consumers who feel underserved by traditional banks.  But it's not just about quantity; it’s about quality. In a saturated market, how can these new entrants provide real value that stands out? It's all about solving real problems and creating unique offerings that resonate with consumers. Keep an eye on companies that understand the nuances of the market and can adapt their strategies. What’s your take? Tune in and hear the take from Tiffani Montez and David Penn, in the latest episode of One Vision Podcast, hosted by Theodora Lau.00:00 Underserved Banking Opportunity14:44 Life Stage Subscriptions15:54 Niche Neobanks Strategy16:28 Who Will Win18:21 Incumbents Reaction20:09 Pressure To Modernize21:25 Rethinking Bank Models22:33 Trust And Charters24:36 Next 12 Months OutlookHot take: “We don’t need more banks. We need better banks.” Tiffani MontezHot take: “The sky is getting darker.” David PennKeywords: Fintech, Financial Inclusion, Neobank, Open Banking #Fintech #neobank #AI #Financialinclusion More about our guests 🌐Tiffani Montez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffani-montez-b794283/ 🌐David Penn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-penn-25431313/ 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, Theodora Lau interviews Jennifer White, Senior Director, Global Banking & Payments Intelligence at J.D. Power, about consumer behavior, financial resilience, AI in finance, and future trends. They explore how consumers are navigating financial challenges and the affordability crisis, against the backdrop of “an era of resilience” — with two-thirds of Americans being financially unhealthy. They also discuss AI's role in financial literacy, MrBeast’s move into fintech, why Chime is leading new account acquisition, and implications for existing players.Looking to understand the current and future landscape of consumer finance? Hint: Fundamentals in customer experience are more important than ever. 00:00 Welcome Back Jennifer01:24 Consumer Resilience Snapshot06:26 Holiday Reality Check16:21 MrBeast Meets Fintech23:46 Chime and New Account Churn28:41 Consumer Trust and AI Tools41:31 Back to Service FundamentalsHot take: "Basics of customer experience still matter."Keywords: AI, fintech, Buy Now Pay Later, Trust, MrBeast, Chime, Financial Resilience, Financial Literacy, Fraud, Affordability More about our guest 🌐Jennifer White on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-white-57257424/  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