When Banking Meets Fintech: Fintech Ladies Dinner
On July 27th at Spindler & Klatt in Berlin, twenty-three women from the Fintech and financial industry got together to network and share ideas at the first Fintech Ladies Dinner.
The Fintech Ladies initiative was started by Pair Finance’s MD Christine Kiefer as a way to connect great women in the industry and inspire them to do business together. After joining FinLeap, MD Carolin Gabor began supporting the Fintech Ladies movement. Therefore, FinLeap was honored to sponsor the event.
The Dinner
The Fintech Ladies Dinner began at 8 pm. Every guest was welcomed by a card filled with the attendees’ names and contact information with a goal to continue the networking after the event is over. The hosts of the event had ensured an amazing setup on a lengthy table where all women could gather to talk and connect. The food was equally great with a three course menu including a salad, main course, and dessert. The evening closed on a positive note with some conversations and drinks in hand.
The Speeches
The dinner included two speeches that aimed to not only inspire, but also encourage women in the financial sector to relate to each other and work together. The first speech was by Number26’ Head of PR Helena Treeck. She gave an incredible insight of the ups and downs during the hard times the company had to endure. Helena emphasized the importance of making mistakes before it’s too late, so they serve as lessons for the future. She also spoke about the ability to attract customers back after the hard times are over. The second speech of the night was by Edeltraud Leibrock – an influential women in tech who just built her own company called Connected Innovations. She spoke about building a bridge between the old and new economy, encouraging collaboration between banks and startups. Before starting her own business, Edeltraud was an Executive Board Member of KfW bank, so she gave insights on the difficulties banks face when trying to move towards digitalization and include disruptive solutions in their business models. On a more personal note, Edeltraud mentioned her experiences in a big enterprise and her fight to make the financial industry digital.
The Reactions
It was amazing to see such a big group of ladies from the finance sector network, collaborate and share ideas during the Fintech Ladies Dinner. From the very first attendee until the very end of the dinner, the evening was filled with a communicative and easy-going atmosphere. The hosts, Christine and Carolin, thank everyone who attended. Very happily, they are already receiving positive feedback and requests for another Fintech Ladies Dinner.
We will be following the Fintech Ladies Dinner initiative in the future, so to be continued…