Friday, February 12, 2021
"With over 5,000 NYC Fintech Women members, we had access to a vast pool of women building careers and navigating the world of startups and tech, all with inspiring stories to share," Newlin said. "Our mission is to connect, empower and promote women in their professional advancement in fintech."
Newlin further noted that NYC Fintech Women is a volunteer organization dedicated to curating events that provide opportunities and education. Membership is free, and partnering organizations can post job postings on the website as well as sponsor events and panel discussions. Volunteers can participate in event planning, sourcing and promotion, she added.
NYC Fintech Women co-founders Michelle Tran and Sasha Pilch kicked off the new podcast series by reminiscing about their individual careers and serendipitous meeting in New York City. Tran gave Newlin a shout-out on LinkedIn on Feb. 10, 2021, following the series debut.
"Sasha and I shared how we started NYC Fintech Women on NYC FW's new podcast created and hosted by the amazing Nicole Newlin," Tran wrote. "Did you know that Sasha and I met at the very first meetup at a bar in the Flatiron on a rainy Tuesday? She and I bonded over margaritas and our passion to elevate women in fintech."
In addition to serving in active leadership roles at NYC Fintech Women, Tran serves as advisor at Harness Wealth and founder of Storm King Advisors. Sasha Pilch is sales lead at Ramp. Both are big believers in the power of networking and encourage members to participate in monthly events. Recent events have included collaborations with fintechs Stash, Adyen, IEX and traditional enterprises such as Google, SVB and Deutsche Bank, Pilch stated.
Additional podcast guests included Najla Elmachtoub, engineering leader at Etsy, and Dale Laszig, senior staff writer at The Green Sheet and managing director at DSL Direct. As they reflected on their personal journeys, Elmachtoub recalled balancing the books at her father's roofing company and Laszig remembered early days at her father's advertising agency. Both moved on while never forgetting these formative experiences.
Elmachtoub stated that she has always loved math and creating things, adding that most people don't realize how creative programming can be. "You really are building a world in your mind and then figuring out how to map that onto a thing, whether that's Java or C++, and turning it into something that people can actually use," she said.
Laszig credited her success to her friend and mentor, Laura McHale Holland, without whom she may never have successfully transitioned from sales to a career in journalism, she stated. "She's one of the best wordsmiths I know, and she took the time to educate me about AP Style, data-driven analysis and all of the ways that reporters need to be objective, thorough and sure about their sources," Laszig said. "I basically got a Masters in Journalism, just by working with Laura."
Talk of Her Town podcasts are currently available at:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talk-of-her-town/id1552634751. 
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