Summary:

In this episode of "Bridges to Excellence," host Desmond Nicholson welcomes Laura Gibson-Lamothe, the Executive Director of the Georgia FinTech Academy. Laura takes us through her incredible journey from a globally diverse upbringing, through a multifaceted career in the FinTech industry, and into her current role. The podcast dives deep into the objectives she aimed to achieve upon stepping into her role in January 2023, including enhancing strategic industry partnerships, increasing student engagement, and boosting the visibility and reputation of the academy.

Laura shares insights about the Academy's programs and partnerships, highlighting FIS as a top sponsor. She outlines her strategic efforts for increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the academy, ensuring a broad representation of students entering the FinTech sector.

Listeners will also get a glimpse of international partnerships, such as the Transatlantic FinTech Exchange in Ireland, and the move to integrate innovative educational models like student exchange and apprenticeship programs. Laura discusses the importance of mentorship in her career and the Academy, offering a heartfelt acknowledgment of mentors who shaped her professional journey.

Desmond and Laura wrap up with a discussion about her leadership style, future goals for the Georgia FinTech Academy, and her personal motivators. Tune in to get inspired by Laura's story and to gain practical insights into the evolving landscape of FinTech education.

Be sure to subscribe to the Bridges to Excellence podcast so you don't miss an episode and remember: the more you expect from yourself, the more you excel.

Key Highlights:

• Introduction to Laura Gibson-Lamothe and her early life experiences.
• Laura's objectives and achievements as Executive Director.
• Strategic partnerships with top-tier companies like FIS.
• The Georgia FinTech Academy's focus on DEI.
• International collaboration for advancing FinTech education.
• The role of mentorship in professional growth.
• Laura's leadership style and vision for the Academy's future.
• Insights into career opportunities in the FinTech sector.

For more information, visit the Georgia FinTech Academy on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and their official website at georgiafintechacademy.org.

Be sure to subscribe to the Bridges to Excellence podcast so you don't miss an episode and remember: the more you expect from yourself, the more you excel.

I was born to parents who were

embarking on, international.

2

Kind of experience.

3

My father played basketball,

professionally overseas.

4

I was born in Italy.

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I lived in Spain, Holland, Israel.

6

I actually came back to

the States and went to it.

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Mhm.

8

Desmond Nicholson: On our show today, we

welcome Laura Gibson Lamothe, Executive

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Director of the Georgia FinTech Academy.

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Mhm.

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Desmond Nicholson: It's now January

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Director of the Georgia FinTech Academy.

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You established some objectives you felt

needed to be focused on immediately.

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To what extent have

they been accomplished?

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In other words, how does

your report card read?

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Oh, yes.

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Our report card is

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Welcome to Bridges to Excellence podcast,

inspired leadership in payments and

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fintech, bringing you conversations

with payments, most fascinating

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people on top of their game, leaders,

influencers, experts, and innovators.

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Each weekly episode turns our

guests wisdom into practical advice.

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Their personal journey starts now.

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are meant to inspire and challenge

you to explore your possibilities.

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Here is your host, Desmond Nicholson.

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Picture this for a moment, a dynamic

leader standing at the crossroads

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of technology and finance, guiding

the next generation of innovators.

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Today, as part of our Women of

Impact series, I'm honored to

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introduce Laura Gibson-Lamothe.

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The executive director of

the Georgia FinTech Academy.

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Her journey in FinTech is

nothing short of remarkable.

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And her story is one of bold vision

and transformative leadership.

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When Laura stepped into her

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just did not take on a title.

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She embraced a mission.

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In a short time, she had propelled

the Academy to new heights, expanding

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strategic partnerships that bridge the gap

between academia and industry, increasing

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student engagement, and enhancing the

Academy's visibility in ways that have

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caught the attention of leaders across

Georgia's financial tech community.

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Her influence has not only lifted the

academy, but has positioned it as a

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key player in the fintech ecosystem.

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But Laura's impact goes far

beyond her current role.

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With over two decades of experience,

she has been at the forefront of digital

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transformation, program and product

development, and implementing innovative

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tech solutions that drive growth,

profitability, and customer satisfaction.

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In the payments, financial services, and

fintech sectors, she is known as a trusted

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advisor, one who sees opportunities

where others might see challenges.

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And now, as she shapes the future of

fintech education, Laura's leadership

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earned her recognition as a finalist

for the prestigious Fintech Person of

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the Year 2024 award earlier this year,

and most recently, Named a finalist

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for the 2024 Women in Technology of the

Year Award, a testament to her vision,

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dedication, and drive for excellence.

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Laura's visionary leadership

continues to break boundaries, advance

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diversity, and foster innovation

in a rapidly changing industry.

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Join us on this episode as Laura

takes us on her journey with some

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actionable takeaways along the way.

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Enjoy the episode,

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mhm.

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Desmond Nicholson: Laura, welcome to

the Bridges to Excellence podcast.

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Thank you so much, Desmond, for

having me, and I'm honored to be a

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part of this Women of Impact series.

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Desmond Nicholson: It's

great having you here.

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Someone to talk about the role educational

institutions like the Georgia FinTech

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Academy is playing, preparing the next

generation of FinTech professionals.

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I know as a fact, over the years, the

majority of people entering the payments

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industry got in by happenstance.

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We kind of fell into it, myself included.

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So with that said, we celebrate the

work you and the Academy are doing.

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And for that, we thank you.

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Mhm.

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Let's get to the conversation.

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Start, if you will, by giving us

an introduction overview of Georgia

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Fintech Academy, how it fits into

the overall Georgia State University

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system, its mission, and your

role as the executive director.

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. Yeah.

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So just a, an overview, a brief

overview of the FinTech Academy.

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Uh, we've been around since 2019

and our focus on talent development

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for the industry, for the FinTech

industry specifically, we offer

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a robust FinTech curriculum.

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I call it curriculum as a

service on the backend support.

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26 universities comprised within the

university system of Georgia, these

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public universities and institutions

are able to offer a variety of

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different fintech degrees of study

through the curriculum that we offer

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through those university systems.

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And so, over the years, we've specialized

in very technical areas of focus from

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data science to cyber security and

other disciplines, and we continue

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to mature and build out a very robust

curriculum from six courses to now 42

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and plus, uh, courses that are offered.

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Complementing the curriculum, we have

everything else from a programming

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perspective that's needed to make sure

that students are well rounded and

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prepared to enter into the industry.

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Uh, one of the things I'm excited

to highlight is our speaker series,

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twice a week, each week during

each semester, which is a mouthful.

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We have industry leaders representing

a variety of backgrounds, in areas

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speak to our students virtually on

a platform to provide accessibility

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across the entire university system.

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We have a co host student podcast,

which is focused on providing

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students the opportunity to interview.

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Um, and then we also do career fairs

and student trips where we're visiting

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different, partners and, industry

sponsors who are eager to interact,

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network and attract top talent.

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and so we focus on all these

programming elements, but we're

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in the prime location to do this.

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Uh, the state of Georgia, which

I'm constantly waving the flag

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for from a FinTech perspective is

become a key player in this space.

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we are a FinTech hub also known as

transactionally, to most of the folks

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that have, heard that terminology

before it's because of the fact

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that we, have such a presence here

from a processing perspective.

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I mean, 80 percent of U.

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S.

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payment transactions are processed

through the state of Georgia.

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That's 120 billion plus

transactions annually.

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and those companies that are

facilitating payments, are,

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contributing 70 billion plus in revenue.

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with also 240 billion

plus fintech spending.

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Um, that are also here

in the state of Georgia.

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And so we are bridging the gap, as you

mentioned, between industry and academia.

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by being that partner, we're not only,

intentionally trying to tap into a very

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diverse segment of students to provide

them access, exposure, and pathways into

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the industry, but we're partnering with

a lot of these companies to develop.

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Talent acquisition strategies and

help gain momentum in how they hire

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and staff talent going forward.

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Well done.

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Now let's get more personal

by sharing your backstory.

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So, so Laura, what do I need to know about

you and your earliest years to understand

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the woman who sits in front of me today?

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And what were those formative experiences

that shapes you most profoundly?

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Well, I know we don't have all day and

all night Desmond, so I'll be brief.

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A lot of my background is very

interesting because I was born to

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parents who were embarking on a

international kind of experience.

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My father played baseball.

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Basketball, professionally overseas.

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I was born in Italy.

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I lived in Spain, Holland, Israel.

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I actually came back to the States

and went to a Jewish Orthodox

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school for my elementary education.

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so I had a very diverse, globally

diverse upbringing, uh, exposure.

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I think that complements to my

ability to adapt and to be comfortable

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interacting with people with all

different types of backgrounds.

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Also the athleticism was something

that I inherited from my father.

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I am incredibly grateful.

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I am not 6'10 like my father.

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I used to have a complex, especially

since I've been the same height, 5'8

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almost 5'9 depending on the audience, I

might add a couple of inches, especially

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when I was playing collegiately, I

definitely have lied on the roster,

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But I definitely went through a

period of life where I was following

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the same footsteps of my parents.

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I, was pursuing education academically.

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I also played three sports in college.

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I call it a, it's a triathlete cause I

played three sports, but I also say I

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would try anything for full scholarship.

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And so I played three sports

competitively, division one, basketball,

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volleyball, and softball in that order.

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And I navigated my entire life being, or

most of my life being a student athlete.

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Now retired, I look back and I think

about some of the challenges and

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things I've had to overcome in my

journey, are very much what makes

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me successful, in so many different

functions and roles I've had in my

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professional career from time management.

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Teamwork and being able to be

innovative and think outside of the box.

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These are all skills that I've had

to, obtain over the years from my

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early childhood and going to live

from country to country and, having

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different situations, even academically,

to then playing collegiately and

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adapting to different teams and in

different channels and in areas of

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challenge for me as an athlete, to, post

graduation trying to navigate my career.

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And you mentioned earlier, many of us,

I've been in the industry 20 years,

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which kind of dates me at this point.

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I fell into it, I couldn't find a job and.

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In the arts or in, education,

which is what I was focused

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on, in my undergrad experience.

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And I pretty much just picked up

the first paid internship that I

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could find, which was at the United

States patent and trademark office,

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doing a server migration, underneath

the PMO project management office.

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And I was like, why did

I not know this earlier?

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I love telling people

what to for a living.

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I love.

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Project plans.

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I love, I live by Excel.

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I always have had Excel plans for

everything in my life, including grocery

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shopping, like that's just who I was.

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And I did not know there was a niche

for me with the skills that I didn't

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even look at as skills in this industry.

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and that, gave me the momentum,

and the exposure and the access,

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um, once I had that internship, it

completely changed my life and the

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trajectory, I think of my entire career.

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So how and when did you

actually get into FinTech?

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Take us through the highlights of

your career path and preceding roles

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that ultimately brought you onto the

Georgia State University faculty.

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Yeah, I would just say early 2000s.

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We don't need to get specific

with the numbers, but I started

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off my career at Bank of America.

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Bank of America had a college

pipeline program and actually the

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transition between that internship

I just mentioned in that Bank of

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America gig was that I had a mentor.

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Which is one of the most critical things.

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It was a friend's mother who actually was

training people to get PMP certification.

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I apprenticed under her.

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I had a short stint contract with

security clearance working for

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the Pentagon on a special project.

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Which again, gave me not only the

exposure, but some level of experience

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where I was able to present myself, I

think, in a compelling way and being

200

able to navigate to the government

side of things in the organizational

201

structure there, but applied for

the Bank of America college pipeline

202

program, which was rotational.

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And in that rotational program, I

got a taste for it all, almost like

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a broad enterprise view, change

management and enterprise release

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management to some product lines,

e comm and small business banking.

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I got a lot of different variety in

that stint of the rotation that they

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built out as part of that cycle.

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And I landed in change management,

again, complimenting, uh, The

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project management, exposure I had

early on, but project management was

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the gateway for me and my career.

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It went from there to bank hopping

in Charlotte, North Carolina, where

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there's so many different banks.

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We like to say, it's almost like,

you go into work and the coal mine,

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back in the day, like everyone's

just riding into the coal mine.

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We're riding into one of the banks.

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And so I went from, bank of America where,

um, I had the tremendous opportunity and

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I have some battle wounds from Countrywide

and Merrill Lynch's acquisition.

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Those were the two things that really

what started out my career working on

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some very challenging projects with a lot

of scrutiny and visibility, it put me in

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kind of that pressure cooker to shine.

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and to be promoted and to be given more

challenging, um, efforts and initiatives.

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I moved over to Wachovia six months

later, they were acquired by Wells Fargo.

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So then now I'm the M and A girl,

I'm the merger and acquisitions girl.

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Cause coming from big America,

countrywide Merrill Lynch.

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Gaining a reputation for helping clean

up, being on a cleanup crew, going over to

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Wachovia, being at the Wells Fargo side,

helping with transition type projects

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and efforts digitally and physically

with some of their branches, and then.

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Moving to Ally.

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Ally was three months in house to bake.

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It had a logo and the team I was

on, was responsible for helping

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stand up, the core platform on FIS,

developing different solutions from

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inbound, outbound customer email.

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I think about some of the things I

implemented during that time, IVR

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for the first time from scratch.

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no longer was I delving

into like enhancements.

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I'm building out new solutions from

scratch, which was what excited me.

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I then became kind of, again, an M and A

girl, a lot of banks that are trying to,

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gain traction speed to market has been

an immense focus because once you have a

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brand and now you're starting to build a

client base, you want to start offering.

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Everything cross selling and being

able to offer a full suite of services.

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So then it was, co brand credit card.

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I helped lead the co

brand credit card with T.

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D.

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Bank.

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The implementation successful.

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You thought about in

sourcing it, which meant.

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We need to be PCI compliant.

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So I led PCI compliance.

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I was responsible for QSA, I was

responsible for building out an

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operations, building out a governance

model to maintain that PCI compliant

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rock that we got for the first

time, some really exciting work.

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Then we acquired an investment

portfolio, we acquired a mortgage,

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we acquired other verticals.

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I started working on the auto dealer

side as well, formerly GMAC and

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an entity, sub entity underneath

the Ally Financial Umbrella.

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I had visibility to basically all

lines of business and experience

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in all lines of business.

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And so what drove me actually to Atlanta

was an opportunity to work for a service

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provider to Ally, which was a amazing

opportunity to really partner and then

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get the endorsement and the approval by

Ally leadership to go over to Feature

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Space, which specializes in, fraud

risk management, leveraging machine

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learning and artificial intelligence.

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a big player here in that, FinTech

ecosystem that I mentioned earlier

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in Atlanta, and I started working for

them, leading operations, replicating a

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lot of the mature operations that were

developed in Cambridge, UK over here

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in Atlanta to service their growing U.

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S.

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portfolio.

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And that was such a amazing journey

for me, but then the pandemic happened.

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I think you might recall right before

the pandemic, There were a whole lot of

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mergers and acquisitions during that time.

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And, pipeline kind of froze,

didn't really make sense for the

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role that I was coming in yet.

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and I pivoted into consulting.

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During the pandemic, I

was completely grounded.

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All the things I used to like love

and admire about consulting, the

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traveling and the status that you

would acquire because you're traveling,

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meeting with clients here and there.

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It's not as sexy when you're

just like working from your

280

home office during the pandemic.

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just hours over hours doing,

risk and compliance work,

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which is not my favorite thing.

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I want to do the thing that's

like customer impacting and

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front end type of solutions.

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And I sat during the pandemic

and re evaluated my whole life.

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I know I'm not that old, but I definitely

reflected on my journey and like

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what I want for myself going forward.

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And I said, Hey, maybe there's something

more out there for me that aligns with

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my passions, compliments, some of the

experience that I have where I can

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truly, make an impact, leave a legacy.

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Those things were the things I

thought about and my predecessor,

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Tommy Marshall, who was in the role

I'm in currently was moving off.

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he got bit by the startup bug,

moving off to, to work with a

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startup and mentioned this role

and I was like, Oh, I don't know.

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This is not in my vision

board for my career.

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I want to be CIO, CTO at a bank.

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That's what I wanted for myself.

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And I literally had a heart to heart

with myself, many pros and cons written

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down in a spreadsheet because I told

you already, I love spreadsheets.

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And I really evaluated the opportunity to

join the FinTech Academy, the opportunity

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to now in a post pandemic environment,

work on the scalability, help evolve and

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drive the scalability of the program.

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And yeah, we've seen tremendous results.

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And I would say a couple of years in.

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This is the most fulfilling moment

of my life, the conversations and the

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individuals that we're touching and

reaching is just so fulfilling for me

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to be a part of that and everything I

do, striving to deliver more of that,

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um, deeper across the state of Georgia.

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And now there's opportunities for

expansion beyond the state of Georgia.

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And so it's just been an extremely

rewarding experience to think about.

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My past and how I can help, support

a brighter future for others.

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Okay.

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So it's now January, 2023, and

you are the executive director

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of Georgia Fintech Academy.

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My understanding is that after you

got into the role, you established

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some objectives you felt needed

to be focused on immediately.

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And I've jotted some notes down here.

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Okay.

319

Uh, they were, strategic industry

partnerships, student engagement, enhanced

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visibility and reputation, and the

fourth one, internal faculty development.

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Now taken one at a time, in brief,

can you expand on the scope of these

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objectives, starting with the strategic

industry partnerships, and to what

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extent have they been accomplished?

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Okay.

325

Desmond Nicholson: In other words,

how does your report card read?

326

Oh, yes.

327

Our report card is strong.

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And this is the competitive

athletic nature in me, Desmond.

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I came into this role, I immediately

in my first like, what, 30,

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60 days did a SWOT analysis.

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I didn't want to come in guns a blazing.

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I was cautious of the environment.

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Academia works very much

differently than the industry does.

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And so there was a period of just

assessing the lay of the land.

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And.

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the things that I identified, which

were the ones that you highlighted

337

were what we've really prioritized

focusing on going forward.

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but strategic partnerships

are immensely important.

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So it's one thing to, focus on helping

students, identify FinTech, as a

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path for them and then obviously

support them in their journey.

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But it's another thing to say,

we have jobs for you, students.

342

We are working.

343

strategically with the industry to ensure

that you're getting the top, best in class

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education, but then we're also preparing

and equipping you to be competitive in

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this very competitive, employer landscape.

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And so, our focus has been on the

industries, partnerships that we have,

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and it's been so meaningful because

we are mostly considered a non profit,

348

as far as, the FinTech Academy goes.

349

So financially, and then also as part of

influencing the curriculum, and then also

350

ensuring that we get those students the

opportunities for internships and jobs.

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I've been the whole point of

navigating and strengthening our

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strategic industry partnerships.

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The student engagement piece we have

really focused on and we've been

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proud to boast about our efforts to

cultivate a diverse talent pipeline.

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When I talk about diversity, I'm

super excited about it because 70

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percent of our student population

represents that underrepresented,

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segment, group of backgrounds.

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And so we are intentionally

striving to pull in diverse talent.

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And then also we are stretching

ourselves across the entire state

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of Georgia, which I mentioned these

universities, the 26 have 350, 000

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students enrolled at them currently.

362

And so the student

engagement is key for us.

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It's essential for us to be able to

provide awareness that FinTech exists,

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awareness of the opportunities in FinTech,

awareness around the compensation and

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the monies, the salaries that students

can make in this, in this program.

366

dynamic, interesting, field.

367

but all of that has been, uh, shared by

way of the channel, of student engagement.

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We have student orgs that were

aligned closely with across each of

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these universities, and I call it the

mega church of FinTech, the Georgia

370

FinTech Academy sits at the top.

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We broadcast out all these different

resources, as I highlighted earlier.

372

but then we have on campus presence

by way of these student organizations.

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These are influencers, that are

sharing and evangelizing on behalf

374

of fintech that, hey, this is

something you should consider.

375

And we attract students in, not

only because They get it, they

376

see it in the news, they read,

they're also starting their own

377

financial literacy journeys as well.

378

and so all of that comprised is

what really appeals and brings

379

in students, and that's how we

really focus on student engagement.

380

The other piece is enhanced

visibility, as you mentioned, and the

381

reputation around the FinTech Academy.

382

So now we're starting to get

recognize in the state, out of

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the state and even globally.

384

the awards that you mentioned,

for me are also mirrored by the

385

awards that we're receiving for

the fintech academy in general.

386

the, A.C.C.S.B.

387

which is an accreditation entity.

388

that provides that accreditation for

curriculum across the entire globe.

389

Actually, it's not just a U.

390

S.

391

thing, it's a global thing.

392

They're an accreditation entity.

393

It's very serious from

an academic perspective.

394

we were flagged, or awarded the

395

Our program, the

structure, how we operate.

396

And the metrics are report card of

what we've achieved has, given us that

397

recognition to receive that award.

398

We also from, the Technology Association

of Georgia were just nominated and then

399

selected as a finalist for, tech for good.

400

Focusing on diversity and inclusion

are, metrics around, not only how

401

we're preparing, and helping cultivate

an inclusive fintech environment

402

because of our social efforts and our

programming, but then our intentional.

403

approach to be able to attract, students

that represent diverse backgrounds.

404

so all of that provides, some visibility

and gives us, some credibility in this

405

space, I think, as we continue to grow.

406

And lastly, the faculty development,

we've been around for five years

407

doing this, and we have a variety of

professors, almost 20 that are aligned to

408

the program, representing the different

universities of which they're employed,

409

those, faculty members need, some,

there's some investment required there.

410

for them, they need access to industry.

411

I actually, built, a whole database.

412

We have an intake process for volunteers.

413

We are constantly matchmaking,

faculty needs with industry.

414

Support and resources.

415

These faculty members are extremely

passionate about the students that

416

they serve, and they're constantly

looking for opportunities, whether

417

it be a guest speaker to participate

in the delivery, the facilitation

418

of some of the curriculum to.

419

experiential learning, which is one

element I'm extremely excited about.

420

The experiential learning piece is, it

could be a capstone project or a short,

421

hackathon that's aligned to a class.

422

we've even had, in the most, extreme,

use case of this is a project that

423

turned into a patent in which a

student was listed on this patent.

424

I want more of those

opportunities, paid or unpaid

425

research, projects or challenges.

426

We'll take them all.

427

but giving students relevant real

world, experience in the classroom,

428

really gets them the opportunity to

apply, the methodology, to a real world.

429

So those are the four.

430

I know I wasn't brief, Desmond.

431

I apologize for that.

432

That's quite okay.

433

I think that was a requirement.

434

You said at the front end, but

yeah, those were the four and four.

435

Well, well done.

436

Well done.

437

Now, if I may be presumptuous, it

appears to me that the heartbeat of your

438

program is grounded in your strategic

partnerships and collaboration amongst.

439

Stakeholders within the

Georgia Fintech ecosystem.

440

So before I get to my next question,

here are some facts I wish to share

441

with our listeners as reported

by the Technology Association of

442

Georgia Fintech Ecosystem Report.

443

Well, first off, Georgia is

recognized as a global Fintech hub,

444

and as you mentioned before, home

of some 250 plus Fintech companies.

445

Okay, now the 12 public FinTech

companies in Georgia alone

446

generates in excess of $50 billion.

447

Okay.

448

And please, correct me if, uh, some of

these numbers are slightly off and over.

449

$2 billion in venture capital was

invested in Georgia early stage fintechs

450

from 2020 to 2022 Atlanta, his home of

one of the 12 Federal Reserve banks.

451

21, 000 people are employed by

the top fintech companies in metro

452

Atlanta and 42, 000 people overall.

453

with an additional 8, 000

employed in Columbus, Georgia.

454

Now, in addition, um, a recent Wall

Street Journal article rated Atlanta

455

as a prime job market in the nation for

grads in search of fintech opportunities.

456

So, based upon these stats, the

academy appears to be operating in

457

an opportunity rich environment,

which leads to my next question.

458

Who are some of your top

tier sponsors and partners?

459

And how does, Georgia Fintech

Academy provides for these companies?

460

Yeah, I think about, our

top, tier, I would call it

461

like platinum sponsor is FIS.

462

FIS.

463

Has been a long way the entire

journey since the inception of

464

the Georgia Fintech Academy.

465

They recently renewed last year for

another $1, 000, 000 contribution and

466

gift, which was hugely impactful for

the ongoing development enhancements

467

that we're making to ensure alignment

with industry demands from an FIS.

468

Perspective, we've done it all.

469

All the things that I

highlighted that the Academy.

470

Is intending to do on

behalf of our students.

471

we've done in partnership with, sponsors

and partners like FIS income and, U.

472

S.

473

Bank, Elevon and visa these brands.

474

We work diligently with to ensure

that we've calibrated the curriculum.

475

We're constantly looking for

ways to involve into enhance it.

476

we also work side by side from a talent

acquisition perspective to ensure we

477

understand their evolving needs for

talent and how we can continue to,

478

provide the right level of education,

in skills development to ensure that

479

our students are, ready for those roles.

480

and so our partnership has evolved

over the years to think more

481

innovatively when it comes to.

482

How you source and bring in talent.

483

I think one of the things that I'm most

excited about, we did with FIS last

484

semester, which was, looking at their

Jacksonville headquarters, location,

485

there were a lot of early talent roles,

available at that specific location.

486

We took, 55 students from the

most Southern universities.

487

So thinking about like Columbus

state university, Savannah state,

488

Albany, a couple from up north.

489

So Georgia Tech also kind of came

in with that batch, but a quarter of

490

them were offered and accepted job

positions last spring from that one trip.

491

That trip was a scouting opportunity.

492

We proactively did some work

upfront our due diligence to make

493

sure we bought in top talent.

494

We had them apply prior to the trip.

495

The trip was really just kind of the

last check the box type of exercise.

496

But I think now employers have to

be more strategic and intentional

497

with that recruiting process and

that recruiting journey, to ensure

498

that they're bringing in talent.

499

And then also, being intentional when

we talk about diverse talent as well.

500

And so, it was a win win situation,

but I think that's an example of how

501

effective, these, you know, collaborative

relationships can be with a very,

502

interested and committed industry partner.

503

Good.

504

I understand that DEI, Diversity, Equity,

and Inclusion is a foundational pillar

505

deeply rooted in the DNA of the Academy.

506

Talk to us about the extent of

which this culture is infused in

507

the overall running of the Academy.

508

Yeah, I think one of the things that

people assume if you look at the landscape

509

of Georgia, we're very diverse, but some

of the campuses I, I'm at most frequently

510

have a large population of black students.

511

I recently found out there's a term for

it, predominantly black institution, PBI.

512

So, Georgia State, which is

not an HBCU, it is a PBI.

513

It's a predominantly black institution.

514

It's got over 55, 000 students enrolled

in that one specific university.

515

And our focus for DEI has been to not only

provide access and maybe visibility, To

516

diverse representation in the industry.

517

So we're bringing, you know,

leaders to speak with students.

518

We want the leaders to reflect also who

the students that we serve, and it's

519

important to provide that visibility.

520

I know for myself, uh, coming up

in banking, I definitely, was the

521

only one in the room and I didn't

see anyone that looked like me.

522

That didn't stop me by any means.

523

I was like, I don't mind being

the first, but for some of these

524

students, it's extremely important.

525

They need to be able to connect.

526

With who they see and how

they see themselves being in

527

that industry in the future.

528

And so from a DEI

perspective, we focus on.

529

Providing access to a diverse

representation of leadership, diverse

530

backgrounds, and by backgrounds, I mean,

we've talked about a lot of folks falling

531

into this industry, such as myself.

532

There are a lot of different pathways

people have taken in the industry.

533

So it's great to have

that representation there.

534

And then also being a

resource for students.

535

So the other side of things is you think

about how the industry has evolved and

536

They're now offering at the corporate

level on the corporate side, DEI

537

training and guidance and insights.

538

We do the same with our students.

539

So I think also preparing them

to transition into the industry

540

means making sure that they're

well rounded individuals.

541

And so from a DEI perspective,

it's important on both sides to

542

ensure that we're providing kind

of the cultural elements of that.

543

foundationally for our students,

544

Mhm.

545

let's talk about, artificial intelligence

and machine learning in the ever

546

evolving landscape of this technology.

547

How does the Academy stay ahead

of the curve to remain relevant

548

to meet the needs of the industry?

549

Yeah, it's so funny.

550

AI is like a trigger word for me now.

551

Cause it's every single place I

go, every event I've attended,

552

there's a, an AI track or.

553

Some AI panels, AI and machine learning

was at the beginning of how the

554

curriculum was developed at the academy.

555

And from a use case perspective,

it was predictive analytics,

556

looking at fraud trends, like that

type of applicability from an AI

557

and machine learning perspective.

558

Our students are not only gaining the

credential from, um, the university

559

perspective, but they're also.

560

Complimenting it with some

industry certs certificates.

561

And so while we have built the entire

package that has to continue to

562

evolve, there are unique use cases.

563

There are other channels where we're

looking at like ethical AI, for

564

example, and some other, adjacent,

but very dependent kind of areas

565

that need to be focused on when it

comes to AI and machine learning.

566

the future is, generative AI and I

get asked this question quite often.

567

it's interesting to see that the

industry hasn't solved it, but it is

568

very much academia to play a role in

solving kind of what generative AI,

569

large language models, et cetera, mean

to the fintech industry going forward.

570

And so.

571

What we've developed is opportunities

for students to be creative, uh, for

572

students to apply some of what they've

learned in the classroom, through

573

these, experiential learning projects.

574

Just getting them experience and getting

their hands on, certain technology,

575

sets the tone for their ability

to be a sponge, to be adaptive, to

576

have critical thinking skills, then

that's what employers truly want.

577

so while we're not necessarily certifying

the students or, giving them degrees

578

in generative AI from a AI, and machine

learning perspective, they're the data

579

science competencies and all of the

skillsets there are already foundational

580

in what they're learning, but they're also

being challenged to start to explore some

581

of these evolving emerging technologies so

that when they are on the employer side.

582

They're ready to grow with the

organization they're going into

583

good, What career opportunities

awaits graduates of the program?

584

Yeah, we try to highlight

our top focus areas.

585

There's a lot out there.

586

And to be honest, I struggle with

some of the students who have

587

this very rigid formula approach.

588

They have a degree.

589

In a specific area and they

believe they can only apply

590

to two jobs in the industry.

591

And I'm like, it's not

necessarily that cut and dry.

592

to be honest, why even limit yourself?

593

our focus has been to outline a good core

set of roles, whether it be technical or

594

non technical buckets that I call them.

595

You have the engineering, the

cybersecurity, the data analytics.

596

The data visualization, which is

actually a huge area where we have

597

a lot of students that are focusing

on the visualization of data.

598

And then you have the other side,

which could be business administration,

599

product slash project management.

600

marketing is even something that has

tremendously grown in the past couple

601

of years from a fintech perspective.

602

A lot of students that are coming in,

with marketing backgrounds and interests,

603

but apply to the fintech industry.

604

and so some of those areas,

oh, and I, I forgot to add, um,

605

business development and sales.

606

that's also an attractive,

niche and area for, students.

607

Entry level.

608

And to be honest, I feel like

that's a hot one because, a lot

609

of these, BDR sales roles, give

students a great foundation of.

610

Not only a solution, but being able to

articulate the problem and understand

611

why the technology works that way and why

it's been built and designed that way.

612

And they're learning how to speak

and interact with customers.

613

It's just a really, a great way to

kind of catapult, you know, Into your

614

career, starting off at an entry level.

615

And so those are kind of the key

roles that we continue to share and

616

refine and prepare students to look

for, but we're seeing all kinds

617

of roles that have been launched.

618

There's, I think, also

a shift where companies.

619

Who might not have had previously the

capacity to do a rotational process,

620

like I mentioned with my own professional

journey at the beginning, they're starting

621

to develop that now, which is amazingly

helpful for a lot of students who don't

622

really know they haven't figured it out.

623

They figured they like FinTech, they're

interested in certain areas within

624

FinTech, but they haven't necessarily

outside of an internship, which lasts

625

for such a short period of time at

a lot of experience in the industry.

626

And so those programs, especially

rotation is extremely helpful because

627

they get a taste of some of those roles

that I just mentioned, and they can

628

really choose their destination once

they've actually had the exposure.

629

Good.

630

Um, I'm curious, what's the stats on

FinTech position placements locally

631

since the Academy's inception in 2019?

632

Yeah, so fortunately, we've been able

to track out of the 8, 000 we've had

633

come through the academy, over 2,

500 have been placed in fintech jobs.

634

mostly here locally.

635

Unfortunately, those numbers are very

manual, and I know we've probably

636

placed more than what we've been able to

track, but it's a very manual process.

637

But for us, the reward is to see

the placement and to continue

638

to drive placement numbers.

639

This past spring semester, I had the

honor of attending a conference where they

640

were representing students, graduates,

alumni's were representing a variety

641

of different brands on an expo floor.

642

And that was extremely exciting for

me to see full circle the student in

643

the classroom to now the student who's

employed and representing a company.

644

And then also bringing in

talent themselves and working

645

from that perspective as well.

646

Desmond Nicholson: Let's

switch gears for a moment.

647

Mhm.

648

Desmond Nicholson: Earlier this year,

you were part of a group from the U.

649

S.

650

attending the Transatlantic FinTech

Exchange in Belfast, Ireland.

651

What was that about?

652

Were there any takeaways

from the experience you felt

653

could apply at the Academy?

654

Yes, that was such a rewarding experience.

655

I went along with the American

Transaction Processors Coalition.

656

They are a government

lobbying trade association.

657

Their efforts have spanned across from

transactionality to, the broader U.

658

S.

659

to now global, partnering with.

660

Ireland and cultivating this

experience where we got to not only

661

see Belfast, but we also did a Dublin.

662

So Southern and Northern Ireland,

both in the same trip, they

663

rolled out the red carpet.

664

There's a little bit of economic

development, conversation, which workforce

665

rolls up into, which is what I represent.

666

And I represent that here in Atlanta as

well with, our close partners, the Metro,

667

Chamber of Commerce, but there in Ireland.

668

It also bridge conversations.

669

We had a couple of panel discussions

as well in both areas, but it bridge

670

conversations with universities.

671

They're universities that also have a

fintech focus the numbers that we have

672

the volume from a curriculum perspective,

but then the numbers of students.

673

overshadow what they have, in Ireland

in general, And so our conversations

674

were around student apprenticeships.

675

Apprenticeship models are very common

in the UK, and we are embarking on a

676

journey to look at alternative academic

pathways, I call it, here in the U.

677

S.

678

Students don't necessarily want

to wait four years and make such

679

a hefty investment in education

before they can start working.

680

And so we're creatively

working with partners like

681

those in Ireland who have run.

682

Apprenticeship programs for years

in building out what that could look

683

like for the Fintech Academy to have

a registered apprenticeship program.

684

The other piece is, study

abroad student exchange.

685

maybe even a micro credential that could

be shared cross, areas, territories.

686

And I think the fun pieces we talk about

faculty development, giving faculty an

687

opportunity to stretch grow and develop

themselves beyond where they are now.

688

All of those things could happen with

these global, strategic partnerships,

689

through the relationships we have,

through associations and organizations,

690

and then our, industry partners,

and then also these universities

691

that are, located elsewhere that

also are tied together through the

692

shared common interest of fintech.

693

And that was 1 of those things that

we explored what that would look

694

like through that Ireland trip.

695

So it was very successful.

696

And now it gave me, let's just say 120

more to dues on my to do list coming

697

out of it because I'm like, all of it.

698

Great.

699

Right?

700

But like, my priority is to

help getting students hired.

701

And so that's always been the focus

Priority and the driving force, of

702

which we're marching towards for the

academy, but there's a lot of other

703

opportunities to help and amplify

and help grow and develop what we're

704

doing, by diversifying our offering.

705

And so I'm really excited to, to

be a part of that Ireland trip.

706

Yeah.

707

Um, and have those conversations there

and as we speak, any of these initiatives

708

being implemented at the academy.

709

Yeah, I think the 1 that was

implemented is kind of that exchange.

710

We've stood up routines.

711

We started building out our

project plan per se, and how we

712

develop, but it's still early days.

713

We went.

714

What was it?

715

May, this year and the

fall semester is heavy.

716

The fall semester is an intense

period because it's just the fall

717

semester is busy, but then on the

industry side it's just full of

718

conferences, get togethers, galas, etc.

719

And so we are just immensely

focused on both sides.

720

On current state, While we're in parallel,

at least making partial investments in,

721

nurturing and developing that plan to get

to some of those things that I highlighted

722

that we came away with from our trip.

723

Now, switching gears again, What are

your thoughts on mentorship and what

724

role mentoring played in your career?

725

Does any one person come to mind?

726

Yeah, a mentorship is key.

727

I came in thinking I could create some

sort of office hours on my calendar and

728

meet with every student that had a need.

729

And I realized really quickly, I can't,

I don't have the capacity to do so.

730

and so we built this like volunteer

form, which we have one of the areas

731

that people can volunteer from the

industry, uh, being that of mentorship,

732

which we're strategically planning

and aligning students with industry

733

mentors and they're providing.

734

That access to the mentorship

there, but it plays a huge role.

735

We have students from all different

backgrounds, some undergraduate,

736

some graduate level students.

737

So they have different needs some

students who are, early days,

738

not sure what they want to do.

739

And some who have a very detailed

plan and really just need some

740

coaching on what next steps to take.

741

And so we've been, intentionally building

out that mentorship or I should say

742

evolving that mentorship offering.

743

One thing I'm really excited

about and this is where.

744

Like worlds collide, right?

745

Because I'm on the

board for PayTech Women.

746

I also have been as part of the membership

engagement strategy kind of track.

747

And then as part of that

Next Gen has been a focus.

748

And so win, win kind of situation

for me is tying some of the students

749

that we have through the academy

and funneling them through the

750

resources pay tech women has to offer.

751

And so the mentorship piece there

has been really beneficial for me.

752

And as we embark on our journey

to mature, our mentorship.

753

Offering more broadly within the FinTech

Academy, leveraging what we have at

754

Paytech Woman has been very helpful,

but mentorship is extremely beneficial.

755

I think about how, as we started this

call, I talked about how I fell into this

756

industry, a friend of mine's, mother was

training people in project management,

757

PMP certification, and she became my

mentor and to be honest, I don't even

758

think I would have considered banking.

759

I knew she knew some

folks at Bank of America.

760

Next thing I know, she's advising me

on my application and coaching me on

761

my interview skills and really hands on

providing that level of guidance, which

762

is what I had hoped to be for everybody.

763

But I realize it's not realistic,

but I think that mentorship,

764

is it incredibly helpful?

765

and it played a huge role in my

ability to land the first job that

766

really set the tone for the rest

of my 20 year career in banking.

767

And so we're really strategically looking

to develop a mentorship offering that

768

continues to evolve with the evolution of

the type of students that we're serving.

769

And it's been incredibly

meaningful to see those mentorship

770

relationships, develop very good.

771

Laura, as you go about your daily task

as the Executive Director of the Fintech

772

Academy, have you come to terms in

understanding your leadership style?

773

And if so, how would you describe

your style of leadership and the

774

guiding principles behind it?

775

My leadership style is pretty open.

776

I'd like to say I take the

servant leadership approach.

777

so there's one thing that I really

enjoy about being a leader, and it's

778

the strategy, the big picture vision,

but I love being able to work within

779

a team to articulate the approach to

achieving that vision and making sure

780

everyone is on board and aligned.

781

We constantly focus with my board to

recalibrate what we have and ensure that

782

we're aligned to our core objectives for

the year and strategically identifying

783

initiatives that help further the

development of those objectives and the

784

progress made towards those objectives,

but my leadership style has always been

785

to be hands on, but not all the way in

the weeds to be able to delegate to the

786

team and empower them to be able to do

what they need to do to be successful.

787

And then to also just be a support.

788

That's what I guess I mean by the

servant leadership pieces to provide

789

that support when it's needed.

790

and to have emotional intelligence

enough to understand when there

791

needs to be a different approach

taken or some aid, in regards to some

792

of the things that we have to do.

793

Now.

794

What are you most excited about

Georgia FinTech's Academy future?

795

Well, this thing could go so far.

796

right now.

797

I'm challenged to not introduce

scope creep on a daily basis.

798

the fact that we're now gaining

reputation and Fintech education.

799

There's an opportunity to.

800

Continue to work and evolve our

executive education offering.

801

We actually did a partnership with

Fiserv and Synchrony last year,

802

where we were focused on diversity

supplier, supply chain, type initiative

803

where they were bringing in, diverse

suppliers, providing some training

804

and then putting them through their

third party supplier risk management.

805

Program in the hopes of being

selected to be a supplier to Fiserv

806

and to Synchrony and a part of that

training was fintech like foundations.

807

We took our core course

and we tailored it.

808

We basically white labeled it and it

was so exciting to see that happen.

809

But then I'm like.

810

There's a market for this.

811

we literally can go pro,

you know what I mean?

812

Like now there's an opportunity to

provide and supply a lot of these

813

companies, the same opportunity to

white label some of our curriculum and,

814

to integrate it within their learning

management, portals and programs.

815

And so we were working with a couple

of companies now to evaluate what

816

that looks like, to pilot in 2025.

817

So I'm really excited about that.

818

The other piece is, obviously

right now our brand and our name

819

is the Georgia Fintech Academy.

820

So we have a strong focus on

Georgia, but we recently were

821

tapped on the shoulder from Visa's,

CEO, Ryan McCurney to do a non for

822

credit fintech class at Notre Dame.

823

Wow.

824

First of the kind, where this fall, we,

helped them develop a, I don't like to

825

use the word curriculum, but we helped

them develop an extracurricular class,

826

with a capstone project in FinTech.

827

the hope was to provide students

exposure, the same thing we're doing at

828

the FinTech Academy, but at Notre Dame.

829

And that's one of the first use

cases where we're starting to

830

partner and consult, I think,

externally from the state of Georgia.

831

And so there's opportunities on both sides

academically to spread beyond the state.

832

To provide guidance and SME insights.

833

And then on the other side, from a

continued education, there's upskilling.

834

As you mentioned, many of us have fallen

into this industry and had no training.

835

My training was the practical

real world experiences that

836

developed my knowledge of payments.

837

and to be honest, it was

like, learn as you go.

838

it wasn't, I can relate me.

839

Yeah.

840

And so it was learn as you go.

841

And so I think a lot of companies could

benefit, a lot of individuals could

842

benefit from, taking some of the courses

that we've, worked so hard to refine.

843

and so those two channels, I think are

the things that I'm most excited about.

844

'cause that completely changes.

845

the layout of how we operate

at the FinTech Academy.

846

It also spreads our, the demographics of

who we serve and there's opportunities

847

for revenue, which is one thing

that as a nonprofit, I strive for,

848

because I'm constantly fundraising

849

the lifeblood of the business.

850

Yes.

851

Yes.

852

What do you attribute your

overall success and wellbeing?

853

Hmm.

854

I attribute the fact that.

855

I don't even know if this fits the

well being part, and that could be

856

questionable, Desmond, but the success

is attributed to the fact that I am

857

hungry, passionate, highly driven and

motivated to, the success of this program.

858

This is so fulfilling

as I mentioned earlier.

859

And not only do I get excited

about it, the people I talk to

860

seem to get excited about it.

861

I don't know, maybe my energy is a

little bit of a turnoff, but I feel

862

like when I talk to people about it,

they're like, Oh, I can get behind this.

863

And I see why this is a need.

864

And I love This and why wasn't this,

available when I was in college?

865

Like these are the reactions I get

and that's what fuels, myself and all

866

of the folks that, currently work and

or partner with the FinTech Academy.

867

And I think that's, attributed,

uh, to the success of the program.

868

but I think from a wellness perspective,

there's also a balance, right?

869

Like you talked about it, before, like

all of the things that we're trying

870

to achieve, it can take a toll if you

don't create some sort of balance.

871

And I haven't quite figured that out

because I just love this so much.

872

I live, breathe, eat, dream, everything.

873

FinTech Academy.

874

And I do know that lessons learned

from some of my previous roles

875

that I do need to think about

what that balance looks like.

876

Good.

877

We'll be right back for our final segment.

878

The lightning round bridges to

excellence inspired leadership

879

in payments and fintech.

880

Okay, Laura, quick

questions quick responses.

881

I pose the following questions and you

respond with one word or sentence or two.

882

Are you ready.

883

I am.

884

The lightning round.

885

What one word.

886

you would use to describe

your career journey so far?

887

I would say perseverance.

888

What is the best career

advice you have ever received?

889

Never give up.

890

How would you define

yourself in one or two words?

891

Highly motivated and driven.

892

What is one thing the people you work

with would be surprised to learn?

893

Oh, that's a hard one.

894

My, my creativity, my artistic side.

895

What's a cause that is

important to you and why?

896

Well, obvious 1, the next gen working

with young people is a cause, but I

897

also am on the board for a program

nonprofit that focuses on Hispanic Latino

898

communities, providing after school

care and education programs and ESL.

899

Uh, training as well, and I'd love to

help identify ways to support folks

900

that are immigrating and folks that have

unique challenges, language barriers.

901

It's a passion of mine as well.

902

What one book would you recommend

to our listeners and why?

903

You know, it's funny, I don't

know why this came straight to

904

mind, but the 48 laws of power.

905

Uh, I don't know if you're familiar with

the text, but there's a chapter that

906

in the middle of my career, I remember.

907

Reading it, it resonated so much with me

because it said never outshine the master.

908

I had a manager at the time that

really actually gave me an opportunity

909

to grow in ways I did not realize.

910

But that chapter in that particular

book was extremely important for me.

911

What's your guilty pleasure?

912

Uh, desserts, all of the desserts.

913

What drives Laura?

914

I would say where I am at now, the

Fintech Academy, working with young

915

people and then also working with

people who I can help and make an impact

916

and influence, encourage, support.

917

That's what drives me is

seeing others succeed.

918

mhm.

919

Laura, it's been great having you on

the show and congratulations to you

920

and the faculty members of the Academy

for your outstanding contribution

921

to the Georgia FinTech community and

of course to the industry at large.

922

For the FinTech executive listening to

this episode or anyone else who wishes to

923

support the work of the Academy, how can

they get in touch for more information?

924

Just informing everyone to

connect with us on LinkedIn.

925

We're also on Instagram and

YouTube channel as well.

926

We have a podcast out there.

927

It's just called Georgia FinTech

Academy, where our students

928

are actively, interviewing a

variety of industry leaders.

929

So just connect with us on those channels.

930

And I look forward to engaging with

some of you as we're always looking

931

for folks to contribute, to mentor,

to volunteer as part of our program.

932

The website, georgia fintechacademy.

933

org and, uh, Laura, again, we thank you.

934

And that's our conversation

a wrap up for this week.

935

Our guests, Laura Gibson-Lamothe,

Executive Director of the

936

Georgia FinTech Academy.

937

To our listeners, thanks for your

continued support and remember hit the

938

subscribe button so as never to miss an

episode and never forget the more you

939

expect from yourself, the more you excel.

940

You've been listening to Bridges

to Excellence podcast, inspired

941

leadership and payments and fintech.

942

Be sure to join us next time for more

conversations with another of your

943

colleagues in payments and fintech.

944

Insightful conversations in their

journey to excellence for transcripts

945

and other materials covered on the show.

946

Visit us at DesmondNicholson.

947

com.