This week’s interview is with a woman who has over a decade of experience managing and running marketing, communications and investor relations for both publicly traded and emerging, private technology companies.
Yasmin Moaven, CMO of Pipe, leads all marketing, communications and investor relations efforts. Pipe was founded in 2019 and reached a $2 billion (£1.6 billion) valuation within a year of launching – and arrived in the UK late last year.
Prior to joining Pipe, her experience includes working at Fair.com, a car subscription app, spearheading investor relations, communications and marketing.
Before that, she worked in marketing, communications and strategic partnerships for Sotheby’s, TrueCar and the LA Tourism Board.
She has a passion for fintech and financial literacy and holds a BA from the University of Southern California.
How and where did you start your career in fintech?
I started in fintech in the mobility space working at TrueCar and was one of the first employees at Fair.com. As the convergence of finance, auto, and tech, it was definitely a male-dominated space but I’m grateful to have gotten into the financial-tech industry and to have had great, supportive male founders who truly listened and valued what I brought to the table. Now, at Pipe, I’m focused on making non-dilutive financing available to more founders unbiasedly through our platform.
Are there any women in tech or fintech that have particularly inspired you?
Some of the most influential and inspirational women I’ve had the pleasure of working with were on the other side of the table in VC and banking. Women who forged the way in incumbent industries and then had the power to fund and enable growth for founders who may not have been seen by all.
One woman, in particular, is Lydia Jett, Partner at Softbank Investment Advisors. She invests in emerging markets, founders, and businesses that have a strong sense of financial wherewithal. She taught me that vision and storytelling are only half the battle, but if the unit economics make sense that’s where the real winner lies.
I believe what we’re doing at Pipe has a similar sentiment. Every company is rated on the basis of the health of its financials and given the opportunity to gain access to the capital markets regardless of background. That to me is remarkable in a world historically driven by prior relationships, physical presence, and other biases.
What’s the most pressing issue for women in fintech today?
Just like tech and finance on their own, representation is still a huge issue. We need more women at the table sharing their ideas and their voices if we’re going to create better solutions. We’ve brought on some amazing females in marketing, engineering, legal, and other areas, both in our UK and US offices, and it’s made us a better company every time.
How do you think fintech solutions can help advance women’s financial health?
Companies like Pipe are using technology to level the playing field and eliminate bias from financing. Whether you’re a female founder, an immigrant founder, or just a first-time founder without a lot of connections, that means you can grow your business based on merit and your business’s health, not a lender or investor’s bias. When women have equal access to financing, they do amazing things!
What advice would you give to women looking to get into fintech?
I’d say “Know what you’re worth”. By that, I mean both in terms of compensation and respect for the work you do. Know that you’re bringing something great to the table and then go find a company that values what you have to offer. Those are the fintech companies that deserve to have you on the team.
Fintech is growing so fast right now in the UK, the US, and across the continent because finance and financial literacy are at the core of what empowers people for growth. There are a ton of opportunities and it’s a great time to get into the industry. Five years from now, there are going to be a lot of amazing women telling stories about how they got into fintech during this time.
The previous fintech-themed interview with Zee West, Co-Founder of Picnic Bank, is here.
