Building FinTech That Works for Everyone

FinTech Leadership

The latest episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, hosted by Nadia, features a compelling conversation with Pam Kaur, Head of Bank Technology at BankTech Ventures. In this episode, Pam shares her unique journey into the financial technology space, the challenges she’s faced as a woman of colour in banking and tech, and how she’s now using her platform to foster real, lasting change in the industry. From confronting imposter syndrome to co-founding a community for women in tech, Pam’s story is a masterclass in resilience, authenticity, and inclusive leadership.

As a FinTech recruitment business, Harrington Starr is passionate about highlighting voices that shape the future of financial services and technology. Pam’s insights serve not only as inspiration but as actionable guidance for leaders, businesses, and talent navigating a fast-evolving FinTech landscape.

The Unlikely Entry into FinTech: Grit Over Glamour

Pam Kaur’s route into FinTech defies the traditional narrative. She doesn’t come from an Ivy League background, nor did she build a start-up and sell it for millions before becoming a VC. Instead, her path began at a local community bank in California while she was still studying computer science at university. A job posting for a tech role led to an interview, and soon enough, Pam found herself immersed in the world of banking technology—an industry she didn’t even realise existed at the time.

That initial opportunity sparked a decade-long career in a single community bank. Over the years, she held numerous roles, including CTO, CIO, digital transformation lead, and board advisor. Through hands-on work and relentless problem-solving, Pam became a true insider at the intersection of finance and tech, proving that determination and real-world experience can rival even the flashiest CVs.

For FinTech recruiters and hiring managers, Pam’s story is a crucial reminder: top talent doesn't always follow the expected route. Diverse, unconventional backgrounds often bring the depth and innovation that drive real transformation in the sector.

The Mission at BankTech Ventures: Building FinTech with Purpose

BankTech Ventures is not your typical venture capital firm. Created by and for community banks, the fund is deeply rooted in understanding the actual, on-the-ground needs of its banking partners. Backed by over 100 community banks across the United States, the firm’s general partners include the ICBA, the president and CEO of two community banks, and the investment banking group HDI.

Pam’s role at BankTech Ventures is as Head of Bank Technology, where she leads all post-investment engagement. She supports portfolio companies in achieving product-market fit and helps community banks adopt and implement the right technologies more securely and efficiently. The fund’s approach stands in stark contrast to the typical VC mentality of chasing the next unicorn. Instead, BankTech Ventures focuses on long-term sustainability, aiming for ten out of ten companies to succeed—not just one big winner.

For professionals seeking FinTech jobs or companies searching for top FinTech talent, this emphasis on practicality and partnership is vital. The best FinTech innovations are those that solve real problems, fit into existing systems, and foster mutual growth between institutions and tech providers. That mindset begins with hiring the right people—those who understand both the complexity of banking and the agility of tech.

Creating Community in a Male-Dominated Industry

While rising through the ranks, Pam noticed an unsettling pattern—she was often the only woman in the room. In her early days on a bank’s tech team, she was the sole female, with little sign that more women were coming through the pipeline. These experiences, coupled with the constant pressure to prove herself, prompted Pam to co-found Texas, a grassroots community aimed at supporting women at the intersection of banking and tech.

Texas is not another networking group built on business cards and elevator pitches. Instead, it offers a safe space where women can connect, decompress, and support each other through candid conversations and low-pressure meetups. Whether it’s early morning walks during conferences or curated lunches with like-minded professionals, the community focuses on real relationships over transactional interactions.

This kind of initiative is vital for talent retention, a topic often overlooked in FinTech recruitment. It's not just about hiring women or people from underrepresented backgrounds; it's about creating cultures where they feel heard, valued, and empowered to stay and lead.

Pam and her co-founder Katie recognised that even women in senior roles often felt isolated, burned out, and exhausted from constant code-switching. By building Texas, they offered a lifeline—a way to navigate the industry together, not alone. For hiring managers, the message is clear: inclusive recruitment must be paired with inclusive culture.

Tackling Imposter Syndrome in the FinTech Workplace

Despite her success, Pam openly shares that she grapples with imposter syndrome—every single day. Her vulnerability here is striking, especially because many assume that confident, high-performing professionals must feel secure in their abilities. For Pam, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.

She describes imposter syndrome as something that thrives in silence and comparison. Even women at the top of their game, she notes, often question whether their contributions are valid. In a sector like FinTech—where value is frequently judged by titles, academic pedigree, or flashy achievements—this pressure is even more intense.

Pam reframes the conversation. Imposter syndrome isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a result of operating in environments that weren’t designed with you in mind. Her advice? Don’t let your inner doubts go unchecked. Call them out, lean on community, and remind yourself that comparison is the thief of joy. The only benchmark should be who you were yesterday—and how you’re growing today.

For FinTech leaders and recruiters, this insight is invaluable. Creating workplaces that minimise imposter syndrome means creating cultures of trust, psychological safety, and open dialogue. It also means hiring and promoting people who bring emotional intelligence to the table—not just technical know-how.

Empathy as a FinTech Leadership Strategy

Pam’s leadership style is rooted in empathy, and she makes a powerful case for why it should be treated as a strategic skill—not a soft one. In sectors like banking and technology, where the focus is often on systems, metrics, and regulations, it’s easy to forget the human element. But as Pam points out, these industries are sustained by people. Without empathy, innovation becomes disconnected, regulation becomes harmful, and leadership becomes ineffective.

Especially now—with shifts in artificial intelligence, data governance, and public trust—leaders need to read the room and understand the human cost of their decisions. FinTech products don’t exist in a vacuum. Every platform, every regulation, every policy affects a real person on the other side. Empathy ensures that those impacts are considered, understood, and mitigated where necessary.

For anyone in FinTech recruitment, this is a critical lens. The best FinTech candidates today are those who combine technical excellence with emotional intelligence. They’re not just coders or analysts—they’re bridge-builders, communicators, and ethical leaders.

Pam’s analogy says it all: she is a “hoarder of animals and people I love.” That personal warmth informs her entire professional approach—and it works.

Driving Inclusion Through Daily Action

The final section of the podcast explores what it really means to “walk the talk” on inclusion. Pam pushes back against tokenistic approaches. Hiring someone different from you isn’t enough. True inclusion is reflected in who is promoted, who is supported, and who feels safe enough to speak freely.

Pam wants to see leaders sponsoring talent that doesn’t mirror their own background. She wants meetings where all voices—not just the loudest or most senior—are heard. And she calls out performative allyship: posting during heritage months means nothing if your team doesn’t reflect those values in action.

Inclusion, she says, should be a strategic business decision. It isn’t just about representation—it’s about relevance. The communities served by financial institutions and tech providers are diverse. The people building those systems should be, too. Otherwise, the industry risks stagnation, misunderstanding, and failure.

This ties directly into the work we do at Harrington Starr. Our mission is to help FinTech companies build teams that reflect the world around them. That means more than filling quotas. It means partnering with businesses to ensure their hiring, onboarding, and leadership practices are genuinely inclusive and sustainable.

Pam Kaur’s Lasting Impact on FinTech Culture

Pam Kaur’s story is both unique and universal. It’s the story of someone who didn’t wait for permission to enter the room—she created her own seat, then built more for others. Whether through her work at BankTech Ventures or her advocacy through Texas, Pam is leading by example. She’s showing that you don’t have to sacrifice your values to succeed in FinTech. In fact, those values might just be your superpower.

For businesses, her message is a reminder that talent like Pam exists everywhere—you just have to look beyond the obvious places. For candidates, her honesty about imposter syndrome and her commitment to community are proof that success is not about fitting in—it’s about standing out.

At Harrington Starr, we’re proud to support and amplify voices like Pam’s. We believe that FinTech works best when it works for everyone. And we know that building inclusive, forward-thinking teams is the key to unlocking long-term success across the sector.