IncomeConductor took first place in Quesnay’s 2018 Female Founders in FinTech innovation competition. Symend and OZÉ were named as runners-up. Winners were selected by a group of executives from Wells Fargo, Discover Global Network, Fidelity Investments, and PayPal.

Quesnay, a women-led consultancy, hosted the Female Founders in FinTech Final Pitch Event at PayPal New York office on Mar 7. Jennifer Byrne, Co-Founder & President of Quesnay, is giving an opening remark / ©️Jaclyn Fidler, TriNet

Observed since the early 1900s, International Women’s Day celebrates the achievements of women through unity, reflection, advocacy, and action. This year’s theme is ‘better the balance, better the world’ in an effort to build a gender-balanced world which is essential for economies and communities to thrive, something Quesnay’s Female Founders in Tech program has strived to do since it launched in 2017.

In support of International Women’s Day, Quesnay is pleased to announce that IncomeConductor is the winner of the 2018 Female Founders in FinTech competition. IncomeConductor’s platform provides financial professionals the ability to create, track and manage customized income plans that deliver a structured yet dynamic withdrawal strategy to their clients throughout the next phase of their lives.

IncomeConductor wins the 1st Place

“I’m really honored to have participated in this competition with so many wonderful women,” said Sheryl O’Connor, Co-Founder and CEO of IncomeConductor. “The access to mentorship and training has been very valuable and Quesnay along with their sponsors and partners have made it a fantastic experience.”

*Sheryl O’Connor, Co-Founder and CEO of IncomeConductor, won the 1st Prize*

IncomeConductor was one of five finalists invited to pitch to a panel of executive judges and over 100 competition supporters, including leaders from presenting sponsor Wells Fargo, supporting sponsors Discover Global Network and Fidelity Investments, and contributing sponsors RBC and Shearman & Sterling. The pitch event was hosted by strategic partner, PayPal, in New York to conclude the multi-month competition.

*76 women-led startups from 24 countries across 6 continents have submitted eligible applications*

IncomeConductor and the four additional finalists Benedetta Arese Lucini from Oval Money, Meghan McCormick from OZÉ, Tiffany Kaminsky from Symend, and Ksenia Yudina from U-Nest were chosen from more than 70 women-led startups from 24 countries that submitted eligible solutions over the five-week application period.

*Six final round judges from Wells Fargo, Discover Global Network, Fidelity Investments, and PayPal evaluated the final pitches*

Before pitching to the panel of judges - Kevin Bouey, Yvette Hollingsworth Clark, and Uma Meyyappan of Wells Fargo; Soumya Chakrabarty of Discover® Global Network; Amy Danforth of Fidelity Investments; and Lynda Koster of PayPal - the finalists received various forms of mentorship and coaching to help with their pitch presentations and other challenges related to growing a business. This included legal and business coaching and webinars on high-impact communication, investor insights, and financial planning. This phase of the competition has consistently been very well received as it provides a priceless opportunity for the entrepreneurs to work directly with executives.

“Given our deep history of supporting fintech startups, we are a proud sponsor of the Quesnay Female Founders in Fintech global competition,” said Lisa Frazier, head of the Innovation Group at Wells Fargo. “We congratulate IncomeConductor, all the finalists, and all 76 entrants in the competition. Helping to advance innovative startups is key to delivering the financial experiences of tomorrow that customers have come to expect. We are especially proud to support female entrepreneurs with Quesnay.”

What the winners will get

As the winner of the competition, IncomeConductor will receive additional mentoring from relevant experts at PayPal as well as $35,000, a delegate pass to the SALT Conference, and a 100 percent scholarship to IE Business School’s Venture Capital Program. Symend will receive $25,000 and OZÉ will receive $15,000. All three winners will also receive communications coaching from The TAI Group and an Innovation Women membership. Additional prizes awarded throughout the competition include:

Legal mentoring and coaching through Shearman & Sterling’s FinTech Advisory Program
Q&A with Alicia Syrett, Founder and CEO of Pantegrion Capital, on investing and pitching best practices
Access to Google cloud credits through the Google Startups Program
An Ellevest workshop on how to take control of their financial life

*The three winners receive cash prizes + other in-kind support*

The Female Founders in Tech series will continue to work towards a better balanced world by honoring and supporting women-led startups with programs throughout 2019.

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