OUR TEAM
NIHARIKA SHAH
Founder and Partner
Niharika Shah is a connector of people, ideas, and technology. She has held C-level positions at Fortune 100 organizations and successfully launched, scaled, and exited AI and Data Science FinTech startups as Partner/GM at TIFIN, a fintech venture studio. A strategic marketer and entrepreneurship educator at The Rutgers Business School, Niharika brings expertise combined with ingenuity to scale platforms that deliver investor and socio-economic impact. Named Top 10 in Wealth Management in 2022, she is a prolific thought leader in GTM and entrepreneurial ventures with a passion for mentoring minority founders. Niharika earned an Engineering in Computer Science degree from the University of Mumbai and an Executive MBA from The Rutgers Business School. More ...
GEORGE CASTINEIRAS
Partner
George is widely recognized as an industry leader and innovator in the finance, insurance, and retirement industries. To date, he has founded seven diverse companies, served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for three businesses, holds three patents and sixteen trademarks. With a host of senior-level executive positions within Fortune 50 companies throughout his career, George has overseen over 2,400 associates and managed over $180 billion in assets at one time while consistently raising profit margins. With a proven talent in building high-performance teams and influencing strategic partnerships for numerous start-ups, George captures value that others can’t see. Currently, as founding partner of Sankaty Innovation, he consults with firms looking to serve the future financial and insurance needs for the US consumer. George holds a BA in Finance and Economics from Loyola Marymount University and an MBA from the Sloan School of Business at MIT. More ...
COLIN McCONNELL, ACC
Partner
Colin specializes in executive coaching for organizational performance. He works with leaders in start-up and early stage firms to ensure they have the skills to support rapid growth and success. Colin is a former c-level marcom executive with a track record of driving organizational excellence, and he holds many of the most prestigious honors in the marketing and advertising fields. Colin holds a BA in Political Science from Bucknell University, is a graduate of the Rutgers University Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance program, and is a certified member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Colin is also a songwriter/guitarist for indie recording artist Southpaw, which was named 2023 Country Group of the Year by the JMA Awards in Nashville. More ...
VINOD PANIKER
Principal
With over two decades of FinTech and financial services experience, Vinod currently serves as the Fractional CPTO, consulting at various early-stage companies. He is focused on transforming different firms into a customer obsessed, technology-led product organization and is deeply engaged in a health tech startup leveraging AI to enhance individual quality of life. Previously at Paceline, he developed platforms that merge financial services with health and fitness, incentivizing healthy behaviors. Educated at the University of Mumbai with a BS in Engineering, Vinod is a dedicated mentor and advisor. He serves on the board of mission-driven companies and is actively involved in initiatives like Public Bank East Bay. His innovative leadership continues to significantly influence the tech and financial sectors. More ...
TAYLOR SCHWARTZ
Principal
Taylor is a seasoned leader in business operations and corporate development, with over 12 years of experience driving growth and scalability for companies. She is deeply passionate about resolving organizational challenges, paving the way for companies to concentrate on their next phases of development. Collaborating closely with executive teams, Taylor has successfully guided companies like Stocktwits and TIFIN through periods of hyper-growth, intricate compliance challenges, and groundbreaking initiatives like Trade App, the first ever social media brokerage. She lives on Long Island with her husband and two girls.
MARK STENDER
Consulting SME
Mark is currently the CEO at Linqura AI building solutions for Insurance Brokers and Carriers. He is a serial Entrepreneur with 40+ years of experience building property & casualty and life insurance technology. Mark is a former CIO, CDO and Chief Enterprise Architect at large insurers and author of three insurance technology patents. He is an authority in digital transformation, technology ecosystems and integration. More ...
JACK SWIFT
Consulting SME
Jack is a successful entrepreneur, CEO, board director and advisor who has been building and leading companies for over 20 years. His work includes over 25 companies in technology and financial services, focused on building in the rapidly expanding world of AI with partners like JP Morgan and Motive Partners. Jack has witnessed firsthand the power of human performance as the most important catalyst for success and currently serves as CEO of Liminal.
As a West Point Graduate, Army Airborne Ranger, elite athlete and dedicated meditation practitioner, Jack is passionate about leveraging immersive experiences combined with data science and AI to power breakthrough human performance.
SAMITA MALIK
Consulting SME
Samita is Chief Insurance Officer at Arta Finance Inc., a series A fintech based in Mountain View, CA and funded by Ribbit Capital, Coatue and Sequoia. She also serves on the Board of One Degree, a licensed general insurer based in Hong Kong. Prior to her current role, Sam was based in Hong Kong and Bangalore and spearheaded insurance partnerships with super-apps like Alibaba, Tencent, GRAB,Flipkart and Pay(TM). More ...
DAVID JUSTUS
Consulting SME
David is an award-winning technologist who focuses on technology pursuits that sit at the intersection of creativity, engineering, and business. He has years of experience building high-performing teams, incubating companies, developing/designing innovative applications and complex AI- and data-driven solutions and systems. David has worked in enterprise environments, startup environments and has advised on several early stage companies in the U.S. and Japan. He has won several industry awards for his work and was recognized as 30 Under 30 by Forbes and has taught interaction design at Parsons: New School.
David holds a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. More ...
DAVE MERTENS
Consulting SME
Dave is an experienced leader, operator and advisor who has brought an entrepreneurial mindset to both small and large organizations. His work includes building and leading go-to-market strategies and teams for financial services companies and board governance for healthcare, mutual fund, ETF and fintech organizations. Dave has a passion for “skin in the game,” marrying growth-minded team members with organizations that possess a culture of sharing ownership with their next generation of leaders. Dave currently is partner of an investment firm focused on public-equity management for institutional investors and serves as chair and independent trustee to a series of mutual funds and ETFs. He and his wife serve as trustees to foundations within a hospital system in Portland, Oregon where he also chairs the foundations’ investment committee.
LISA MOUGIN
Consulting SME
Lisa spent the first three decades of her career in the investment management industry; first at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, followed by 20 years at ALPS Fund Services as part of the executive team that grew the company into a leading service provider, and next as a member of the initial leadership team at fintech startup TIFIN. Lisa currently serves as an Independent Director to a series of Closed End Funds, along with serving as Chief Investment Officer at Capital Sisters International, a non-profit organization that provides micro loans to impoverished women. Lisa spent two years living abroad in Barcelona, Spain with her family, where she became passionate about the refugee community and created the "Furnish a Future" project. Now living in Denver again, Lisa is an active member of the community, including serving on the Board of Directors for Project Worthmore. Outside of her career, Lisa enjoys traveling the world with her family and pursuing adventures in the mountains of Colorado. More ...
GIB
WATSON, CIMA
Consulting SME
Gib Watson is a financial services expert with over 30 years of experience. He is a prominent consultant, board member, investor, and speaker in wealth management. Most recently, he was Chief Strategy Officer at Swan Global Investments, focusing on growth and profitability. Previously, he was Vice Chairman at Envestnet, overseeing the Envestnet | PMC division and Envestnet | Retirement Solutions. Watson founded Prima Capital in 1999, leading it to prominence in manager research and multi-manager portfolios before its acquisition by Envestnet. Earlier, he led KPMG's Investment Advisory Services and managed AMG National Trust Bank’s wealth management division. Watson is active with the Investments & Wealth Institute and has served on various boards, including Dividend Capital's DCA Total Return Fund. He earned his MA and MBA from Wake Forest University and is involved in Colorado’s business and philanthropic communities. More ...
ROB SAUNDERS
Consulting SME
Rob Saunders has over 20 years of experience in high-growth startups, focusing on business development, partnerships, and go-to-market strategies. He was part of the founding team of Dotmenu (Campusfood.com and Allmenus.com), which grew to $60 million in sales before being acquired by GrubHub. At Acorns, he helped build the Acorns Earn program, expanding it to over 400 brand partners and driving revenue growth. Rob has also held leadership roles at GroundLink as VP of Business Development, winning the Phocuswright Travel Innovation Award, and at Mercantile as General Manager, contributing to both companies' growth. Rob's diverse experience spans FinTech, consumer marketplaces, travel, and food tech. Rob is dedicated to helping startups succeed by leveraging his cross-industry insights. He holds a BS in Leadership and Consumer Economics from the University of Delaware.
JOE VOLPICELLI
Consulting SME
Joe Volpicelli is the former Head of Creative at Prudential Financial. Recruited for the brand side role, he led a team whose work encompassed creative and video production efforts for the in-house agency. His post also put him at the intersection of external work being done by agency partners, McCann NY for brand campaigns and Interbrand for brand strategy efforts. Joe oversaw all creative work with a focus on their sports and entertainment sponsorships with the New Jersey Devils, Rutgers Basketball, The Rose Bowl, Broadway Curtain Up!, Team USA Olympic Sports Climbing and the Prudential Center in Newark. Prior to Prudential, Joe held ad agency leadership roles at BBDO, Grey and Deutsch LA. More ...
SMRITI SINHA
Consulting SME
Smriti (Sims) Sinha is an innovative leader with over 20 years of experience in strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Known for turning big ideas into impactful results, she has driven growth across the financial services, health, and wellness sectors.
At American Express, Sims led Pricing Management for the Global Business Travel Portfolio, overseeing $25 billion in transactions and achieving a 97% customer retention rate. Her strategies generated $110M in incremental revenue and earned her the Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Contributions.
As VP of Digital Product & Strategy at Prudential, Sims launched a $90M mobile-first life insurance product, achieving 5x customer acquisition and winning the Think Differently Award for Innovation.
Co-founder of the AI-powered app TasteSync, Sims demonstrated her entrepreneurial skills. Now, as CEO of wellness e-commerce company Natural Healing House, she mentors startups, helping them scale, achieve product-market fit, and prepare for exits. Her ability to navigate complex industries makes her a trusted partner for transformative business growth.