Accion's Michael Schlein on Financial Inclusion, Fintech & Impact Investment Sceptics

Accion's Michael Schlein on Financial Inclusion, Fintech & Impact Investment Sceptics

Author: African Tech Roundup January 28, 2020 Duration: 39:33
Michael Schlein is a huge fintech fan, and as the President and CEO of Accion, one of the world's largest nonprofit impact finance organisations, he's backing startups which seek to advance financial inclusion by giving people financial tools to improve their lives. In this candid conversation with Andile Masuku, Michael shares useful context about Accion's origins and makes a case for increased cooperation between legacy financial institutions, governments and impact investment non-profit organisations like Accion to advance global financial inclusion. Listen in to hear him address sceptics who hold that the commercial and social impact incentives of the aforementioned parties are hopelessly misaligned. Michael is an MIT graduate who amassed nearly 30 years of international banking, management and public service experience before inhabiting his current role. Prior to joining Accion, he managed Citi’s network of Chief Country Officers as President of Citigroup’s International Franchise Management. He also previously served as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the Clinton administration and served in New York’s City Hall during the Dinkins and Koch administrations. Image credit: Eva Blue

For nearly a decade, the African Tech Roundup Podcast has served as a vital listening post for anyone serious about understanding the continent's digital transformation. Hosted by co-founders Andile Masuku and Musa Kalenga, this long-running series moves beyond surface-level headlines to foster genuine, substantive dialogue. Each episode convenes a dynamic mix of startup founders, venture capitalists, policymakers, and established tech leaders, creating a unique space where strategy, critique, and opportunity intersect. The conversations you'll hear are unfiltered and forward-looking, grounded in local realities while maintaining a necessary global outlook. Tuning into this podcast means gaining access to the nuanced discussions that shape Africa's technology, business, and entrepreneurship landscapes from the ground up. It’s less about hype and more about the hard questions, the lessons from both failures and successes, and the collaborative thinking required to build sustainably. If your work or curiosity is connected to Africa's economic future, African Tech Roundup provides the context and clarity often missing from mainstream coverage, making it an indispensable resource for informed perspective and actionable insight.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

African Tech Roundup Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Seyi Ebenezer of Payaza: Bookkeeping is the new black [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:49
Episode overview:Seyi Ebenezer didn't come to fintech from a hackathon or an accelerator. He came from KPMG's audit desks and Access Bank's corporate finance floors. These are environments where the numbers had to add up…