Nationwide — Last week, Angel Rich-Jones, founder of CreditRich, the AI FinTech app that rounds up users’ spare change to pay their bills intelligently, made history as the winner of Best in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Pitch Competition.For the past 15 years, SXSW organizes a pitch competition with entrepreneurs and innovators to promote emerging technologies. This year, CreditRich, one of forty companies competing for the big red arrow trophy, entered the competition as a finalist in the Enterprise and Smart Data category. Contestants from across the world gathered in Austin, Texas for SXSW to compete against the best of the best.
Over the past two years, CreditRich has become the first Black woman-owned neo-bank in partnership with VISA. It is also the first Black company to form a strategic partnership with a credit bureau and the first technology company to partner with Experian.
“Credit is the pathway to financial freedom. Demonstrating and assisting with how to use debt strategically has real value for families that can last generations and help close the wealth gap. It’s encouraging to see that our viable solution is recognized for the large-scale impact it will have on inclusion and helping younger generations navigate the financial landscape. Congratulations to our entire team and Capital Numbers, our technology partners,” said Angel.
During the event, Angel and her team hosted 4 days of jam-packed catered events with DJ Waffles including a Money Game themed-casino night, Ballers Brunch, and of course a Chill and Charcuterie day party. The team even managed to film seven episodes of their new podcast, CreditRich Charcuterie, coming to YouTube in April, and five commercials to promote their upcoming visa debit cards.
Angel continues, “We wanted to leverage as much of the opportunity as possible while we were there. We also made business cards shaped like our debit cards and put the QR code to the app on the back. We all passed them out as we walked down the street. There were about 12 of us total from the CreditRich team so it was an effective strategy.”
“Visa is committed to uplifting women fintech founders such as Angel Rich, who is using research and insights to develop innovative solutions aimed towards bringing financial literacy and equity to minority populations, bridging the wealth gap in America,” said Erin Pursell, Vice President of Fintech Business Development, Visa.
Angel says that her company will now go on to pitch their technology to the most important people they consider in their network – customers. The company will be conducting focus groups in partnership with VISA Visa to better understand how to deliver credit needs in an easy-to-use, affordable, and accessible manner. Starting next month in Charlotte, CreditRich will be meeting with financial leaders, community organizers, and churches to build pipelines to financial health.
Ultimately, Angel wants her customers to purchase homes or at the very least be able to buy when they are ready. To help customers climb the financial ladder, the company plans to offer unique rewards for things such as travel, gas, and even shopping at local retailers. Their goal is to maximize every dollar towards helping people build higher credit scores.
For more details about the company, visit the official web site at CreditRich.com
For press inquiries, contact Two Lewis at Two@getwealthylife.com