Neil Underwood | Banker. Investor. Entrepreneur
“In venture capital, we get pitched all the time. As a bank executive, you get pitched all the time. It’s really hard to find the absolute truth.”
Over his career, Underwood has worn a variety of hats: he’s been a banker, a fintech executive, and now, an investor. In all these roles, Underwood has hired Cornerstone Advisors — not only to provide more intel for the bank, but for engagements for other companies he’s co-founded like Apiture (digital banking system), Finxact (core banking), and most recently, Canapi Ventures, a private equity firm that invests in software companies that aim to help banks operate more efficiently.
Tom Shen | Entrepreneur. Board Member. CEO.
“A leader’s role can be the loneliest. They serve customers, they serve teammates, they serve shareholders. I subscribe to a school of leadership called servant leadership, and it’s simply defined this way: The best leaders are servants at heart. The starting point of my mentorship is humility.”
Shen has a perspective that most in fintech don’t. He’s been in the industry for 40 years, including creating branch banking software that he sold to S1 Corp. In 2018, Finastra acquired Malauzai. He’s also worked at Digital Insight and served as a Board Member at Q2. Now, he sits on six boards, advising companies on their products and business plans, investing in early-stage fintech companies and attending fintech events with an important friend: a striking pup.