Female Empowerment in Finance and Art

FinTech Jobs, DEI, and the Rise of Art as an Asset Class

At The Summit for Wealth Management 2025, FinTech’s DEI Discussions host Nadia sat down for a remarkable live recording with Emilia De Stasio, Founder and COO at Artscapy. This special episode captures the essence of innovation, inclusion, and transformation within financial services, as Emilia shares her journey from traditional finance to pioneering art as an investable asset class. The conversation offers deep insight into diversity in FinTech, empowering women in the industry, and expanding access to alternative investments. As a FinTech recruitment business, Harrington Starr is proud to spotlight stories like Emilia’s that blend financial innovation with bold inclusion.

From Finance to Fine Art: How Emilia’s Career Path Transformed a Sector

Emilia De Stasio began her career studying finance, which shaped her early professional experiences across both public and private financial institutions. From her time at the European Central Bank to working in forecasting and bank balance sheet analysis, Emilia’s foundational years were steeped in the analytical heart of financial services. This led to a role at Moody’s, where she headed up key research initiatives—including the complex task of leading Brexit impact forecasting. She described this assignment as both a privilege and a challenge, reflecting on the nuances of anticipating economic implications on a national and international scale.

Later, Emilia shifted her focus toward the private investment sector, joining a family office as an investment manager with a focus on the tech sector. During her time in this role, she encountered allocations into alternative asset classes, including art. For Emilia, this convergence of art and finance was more than coincidental; it represented an opportunity to merge her professional expertise with her lifelong passion. A self-identified collector and supporter of cultural production, she had spent over 15 years immersed in contemporary art, attending galleries and museums, and cultivating a deep appreciation for emerging artists. This dual interest laid the foundation for Artscapy.

Alternative Investments in FinTech: Elevating Art to an Investable Asset

In the live session at TSWM 2025, Emilia explained how Artscapy was born out of a desire to overcome the traditional barriers associated with investing in art. Art, she noted, is often considered an esoteric and inaccessible asset class, dominated by subjective tastes and lacking the structured insights investors expect from traditional financial products. Through Artscapy, Emilia has created a platform that offers services across the entire art investment journey—including data analytics, asset ratings, management, and even securitised lending.

Artscapy aims to take something perceived as distant and culturally elite and translate it into an accessible investment opportunity. As Emilia described, the goal is to turn art into a familiar and tangible asset class. Drawing on her time at Moody’s, she introduced ratings methodologies to Artscapy that help investors assess art using recognisable criteria such as risk, liquidity, momentum, and investability. This approach mirrors how traditional investors evaluate financial instruments and lowers the barrier to entry for new art collectors and investors alike.

In her words, Artscapy is not just about helping people collect art; it’s about helping them navigate the art market with confidence and clarity. And crucially, it’s about ensuring that the act of collecting also supports cultural production. By investing in contemporary art and living artists, Emilia believes investors contribute to sustaining and nurturing culture—a value often overlooked in wealth management.

Increasing Accessibility and Inclusion in FinTech Investment Markets

As Nadia and Emilia discussed the themes of the panel at TSWM—focused on accessing alternative investments—Emilia returned to the importance of accessibility. Whether it’s wine, watches, or art, passion assets often come with a set of unspoken rules and insider knowledge that keep newcomers out. Emilia is challenging this exclusivity by applying a data-driven, meritocratic lens to a sector previously fuelled by subjectivity and gatekeeping.

By leveraging structured tools, financial education, and user-centric services, Artscapy is giving people the ability to confidently invest in an area once considered too niche or opaque. It’s a move that reflects broader shifts in the FinTech sector, where platforms are increasingly designed to empower rather than exclude. At Harrington Starr, where we focus on FinTech recruitment, we’ve seen how this drive for accessibility is shaping new roles and hiring needs in areas like product development, data analysis, and financial inclusion.

Emilia’s platform is one of many exciting examples where financial innovation meets mission-driven leadership, and it is through this lens that she advocates for inclusion—not just within teams, but within investment frameworks and financial strategies themselves.

Empowering Women in Financial Services and Alternative Assets

Throughout the conversation, Emilia highlighted a powerful theme: female inclusion and empowerment. At Moody’s, she was an active member of a women’s empowerment group and hosted events to champion women in finance. Now, as a FinTech founder, she embeds those same principles into Artscapy’s hiring and leadership practices. Her approach is rooted in meritocracy. Regardless of gender, background, or orientation, she prioritises skillsets, passion, and potential.

In financial services, and particularly within alternative investments like art, Emilia still sees male-dominated representation. From the artists being collected to the investors holding portfolios, men continue to outweigh women in the data. Emilia’s work, therefore, is not only about changing what people invest in—it’s about changing who gets to invest.

She addressed a common but vital topic in the episode: imposter syndrome among women in financial services. Too often, she sees talented women second-guessing their right to apply for roles, raise their hands for promotions, or enter spaces where they feel underrepresented. Her message is simple: break down those barriers. Apply. Step in. Ask the question. And if you’re already in the room, make space for others.

This ethos is echoed throughout FinTech. At Harrington Starr, we continue to see demand for inclusive hiring strategies from clients who understand the value of diverse teams—especially in emerging areas like AI, blockchain, and ESG investing. There is a clear correlation between inclusion and innovation, and Emilia’s leadership at Artscapy is a standout case study of this.

Mentorship in FinTech: The Role of Connection in Career Growth

In a fitting close to the discussion, Nadia asked Emilia the signature question of the FinTech’s DEI Discussions podcast: what advice would you give to anyone wanting to drive inclusion in their workplace?

Emilia’s response focused on mentorship—an often undervalued but crucial tool for change. She encouraged those entering the industry to seek out mentors, whether through formal programmes, LinkedIn connections, or industry events. Mentorship, she explained, is more than reviewing a CV. It’s about imparting knowledge, building skillsets, and providing guidance through the complexities of career development.

Just as importantly, she called on people already in senior or established roles to open themselves up to being mentors. Even with the time constraints and pressures that come with leadership, Emilia believes everyone can make a difference—whether by offering application tips, advice, or simple encouragement. This reciprocity—of learning and giving—can be a game-changer for inclusion.

It’s a value Harrington Starr champions as well. In our FinTech recruitment business, we work closely with both clients and candidates to foster mentorship-based cultures. Especially within leadership roles, mentorship can be the bridge that transforms high-potential professionals into influential changemakers. Whether you're hiring or applying, mentorship increases access, confidence, and opportunity.

Building FinTech Companies That Support Culture and Change

Emilia’s conversation with Nadia encapsulated a broader message: FinTech is not just about numbers—it’s about impact. Through Artscapy, Emilia is not only offering tools for investors, she’s also inviting people to support artists, challenge gender norms in investment, and approach wealth with a wider social lens. She’s proof that financial innovation can go hand in hand with cultural preservation and inclusive growth.

By recording this episode live at The Summit for Wealth Management 2025, Nadia and Emilia captured the very essence of what the summit stands for: pushing the industry forward through dialogue, leadership, and bold thinking. Whether you’re a FinTech executive, recruiter, investor, or aspiring professional, there are valuable lessons in this discussion—from understanding how alternative assets are evolving to recognising your role in driving equity across the sector.

At Harrington Starr, we are proud to amplify these voices through FinTech’s DEI Discussions. We know that the future of FinTech recruitment is deeply tied to inclusion, representation, and innovation. The companies we work with are not just hiring for roles—they’re building cultures. And the candidates we support are not just seeking jobs—they’re seeking purpose.

This episode is more than a podcast; it’s a roadmap. Emilia De Stasio has outlined how passion, data, leadership, and inclusion intersect—and how we can all be part of shaping the future of FinTech.

Let’s Keep Walking the Talk in FinTech

As Nadia closed the conversation, she echoed a core message that resonates across our entire DEI series: let’s listen, let’s learn, and let’s walk the talk. Emilia’s story is a reminder that inclusion doesn’t happen by accident. It takes intention, action, and accountability. Whether you're investing in art or hiring your next Head of Product, you have the chance to reshape the future of finance.

Harrington Starr is a leading FinTech recruitment firm with a global presence and a mission to connect top talent with the most innovative companies across the financial technology sector. With offices in London, New York, and Belfast, we specialise in placing high-performing professionals across areas such as software engineering, quantitative finance, infrastructure support, data, DevOps, cyber security, sales, and marketing. Our deep understanding of the FinTech landscape allows us to offer strategic hiring solutions tailored to both permanent and contract needs. Beyond recruitment, we are committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across the industry, championing initiatives that drive real change. Through thought leadership content, award-winning podcasts, and collaborative partnerships, Harrington Starr continues to shape the future of FinTech hiring—one placement at a time.