‍Awards recognize leaders and advocates driving inclusive, transparent, and consumer-centric financial services and defining the future of responsible financial innovation

Washington, D.C. (November 20, 2024) – The American Fintech Council (AFC), the premier industry association representing responsible fintech companies and innovative banks, announced the recipients of the 2024 inaugural AFC Awards during the 2024 AFC Policy Summit on Tuesday, November 19. The awards recognize exceptional leaders and advocates in the fintech community who demonstrate a commitment to responsible innovation and are champions for the industry.

“AFC is proud to congratulate each of our 2024 AFC Awards recipients on their accomplishments and thank them for their passion and service to the fintech and financial services community,” said Phil Goldfeder, Chief Executive Officer of AFC. “The responsible fintech industry and consumers who rely on inclusive and transparent financial services are better off everyday thanks to the work of these leaders.”

The recipients of the 2024 AFC Awards are as follows:

Fintech Advocate of the Year: AFC recognizes Nat Hoopes, Vice President, Head of Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs and Gilberto Soria Mendoza, Senior Associate, Government Relations, both of Upstart Network, for their exceptional leadership in spearheading sound public policy standards in fintech and strenuously advocating for a transparent, innovative, and customer-centric financial system. Their work at Upstart, goes above and beyond to expand financial access by collaborating on initiatives like Project REACh with the OCC and founding collaborative organizations like MoreThanFair and participation and vocal leadership in the Senate AI Task Force.

Emerging Policy Leader: AFC recognizes Claudia Flores, Senior Manager, Public Policy at DailyPay, as a rising star with a strong commitment and passion for responsible fintech innovation. Her efforts at DailyPay, a company transforming payroll services and giving workers greater flexibility and control over their wages, exemplify her drive to improve financial wellness and empower workers.

Public Service Award: AFC recognizes Julian Alcazar, Payments Specialist at Federal Reserve Financial Services, for being a champion of responsible innovation in fintech through his role in improving payments systems at the Federal Reserve. His contributions to industry collaboration and enhancing the efficiency and security of payments demonstrate unwavering dedication to financial innovation.

Exceptional Woman in Fintech Award: AFC recognizes Laura Kornhauser, CEO and Co-Founder of Stratyfy, for her leadership in transforming the fintech industry while advocating for women and gender equity. Her leadership at Stratyfy, which delivers interpretable machine learning solutions to financial institutions, highlights her commitment to driving innovation and transparency in the sector.

Innovative Banker of the Year: AFC recognizes Chris Black, CEO of Thread Bank, for his contributions as a leader at the intersection of banking and technology who is helping to shape the future of finance by managing growth and innovation in a safe and sound manner. His work at Thread Bank, a pioneer in tech-forward banking solutions, showcases his ability to navigate the evolving financial landscape with vision and responsibility.

A standards-based organization, AFC is the premier trade association representing the largest financial technology (Fintech) companies and innovative banks offering embedded finance solutions. AFC’s mission is to promote a transparent, inclusive, and customer-centric financial system by supporting responsible innovation in financial services and encouraging sound public policy. AFC members foster competition in consumer finance and pioneer products to better serve underserved consumer segments and geographies.

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