Guest blog by Cherie Lau
Booth FinTech Club hosted its flagship event, Annual FinTrek, on 13th and 14th February 2025, which brought together industry leaders from leading FinTech companies to share insights on their organizations, roles, and emerging trends. I had the opportunity to chat with Alejandro Farina Garcia, my fellow co-chair of Booth FinTech Club, about his experience in organizing FinTrek.
Before diving into our Q&A, a huge thank you to the FinTrek Organizing Leads—Alejandro Farina Garcia, Catherine Green, and Murad Jalilzade—as well as our supporting 1Ys (Jane Vaughn, Nam Nguyen, Jordan Green, Asfand Khan, and Chang Cheng) for executing such a successful event.
This year’s trek was our biggest yet, with a record sellout of over 100 Boothies in attendance! A special thank you also to the company representatives who joined us, including our sponsor, Capital One, along with Alloy Labs, Brex, Chime, Coinbase, Juno, Mastercard, One, PayPal, Rillet, Robinhood, SoFi, Stripe, and Wise.
What aspects of FinTech excite you the most?
A: I’m particularly excited about Fintech because of the idea of making financial services more efficient, accessible, and inclusive, enabling broader participation in the global economy. Organizing the trek provided me with valuable insights into the diverse business models and wide range of roles within FinTech companies. Through this experience, I gained a deeper understanding of how these companies develop and scale innovations, which has provided me with a valuable perspective that I’m eager to explore further in the rapidly evolving FinTech space.
What motivated you to take on a leadership role in organizing FinTrek?
A: There were a few key reasons. First, I wanted to pay it forward—last year’s FinTrek was an incredible experience, and I wanted to ensure both first- and second-year MBAs had an equally valuable opportunity. Second, I enjoy organizing events and building connections. FinTrek allowed me to engage with alumni, industry leaders, and company representatives in a meaningful way. Lastly, I’ve gained so much from speaker sessions over the years, and this was a great chance to both contribute and continue learning from the best in the field.
What were your key goals for this year’s FinTrek?
A: Our primary goal was to continuously improve the trek each year by enhancing the quality and accessibility of all sessions. We wanted to secure a strong lineup of guest speakers and drive high engagement. We were thrilled to have over 100 attendees across the Full-Time and Evening-Weekend programs, which was more than double the attendance from the previous year. We also greatly appreciated the immense interest from outside the FinTech Club, with over half of the attendees coming from outside our membership. This really highlighted how FinTech’s impact and appeal extend far beyond our club.
What approach did your team take in selecting and reaching out to companies?
A: Our primary selection strategy focused on aligning with the interests of our community and leveraging our own connections, emphasizing the power of networking. While we initially aimed for 10-12 companies, we successfully secured 14 sessions. Most companies were engaged through Booth’s network, but we also reached out via LinkedIn to firms like Robinhood, Wise, and Juno, which turned out to be highly successful.
Which companies participated in this year’s FinTrek, and what were the key themes discussed during their sessions?
A: Our lineup featured companies from a wide range of FinTech sectors:
- Digital Banking & Neobanks – Chime, One, SoFi
- Crypto & Blockchain – Coinbase
- Embedded Finance & Payments – Stripe, PayPal, Mastercard
- Lending & Credit Innovation – Brex, Juno
- WealthTech & Trading Platforms – Robinhood
Each session offered valuable insights into the dynamic FinTech landscape, making FinTrek an enriching experience for all participants.
What did you personally gain from the company presentations?
A: Before FinTrek, I hadn’t had the opportunity to dive deep into many of these companies, so it was an incredible learning experience. It allowed me to move beyond surface-level knowledge and really understand their products and business models. I was also surprised by the level of engagement from the audience. Many of us, myself included, weren’t as familiar with these companies’ operations, so it was really insightful to explore their business models and strategies in more detail.
What were the biggest challenges in organizing FinTrek?
A: The biggest challenge was securing guest speakers. We wanted to lock in the first few companies quickly so that we could plan our promotion strategy and timeline. Although it was tough at first, we were able to overcome this by leveraging the connections of our fellow Co-Chairs. Additionally, tapping into our Booth alumni network proved invaluable, as many were eager to pay it forward.
Looking back, what would you have done differently?
A: Since FinTrek was held over two days (virtual on Thursday and hybrid on Friday), we observed that participation on Friday was lower than anticipated. If we were to organize it again, we’d look into ways to increase attendance on the second day, perhaps by adjusting the schedule or incorporating more interactive elements. Additionally, we might consider transforming FinTrek into a one-day conference, as there seems to be growing interest in discussing broader FinTech landscape themes, rather than just focusing on specific company models and roles.
FinTrek 2025 was a huge success, and it was incredible to see so many Boothies engage with top FinTech leaders. A huge thank you to Alejandro, Catherine, and Murad for their leadership, and to all the companies and speakers who made this event possible. We can’t wait to see how next year’s FinTrek continues to grow!
