Banks call them risky. Hilda Moraa calls them promising. And she’s built a fintech to prove it. As founder and CEO of Pezesha, Hilda’s helped facilitate over 500,000 SME loans across Africa — with women as her platform’s most reliable borrowers. In this episode, we explore the myths holding back small business lending, why tools matter more than credit, and how regulatory sandboxes can help turn bold ideas into successful businesses. 
 
This marks the end of our first 6-episode season. Thanks for listening to Inside Financial Inclusion! Now we’d like to hear from you. Which episode stuck with you most, and why? Please share your thoughts. Your feedback shapes where we go next. 
 

Bio:
Hilda is now the Founder and CEO of Pezesha, a digital financial infrastructure company that supports working capital and credit scoring for SMEs across Africa. She made history with her first tech startup, achieving Kenya’s first multi-million-dollar exit in 2015, inspiring a new wave of entrepreneurs. An award-winning entrepreneur, author, and fintech pioneer, Hilda was named a Bloomberg LP New Economy Catalyst in 2023 and received the Tech & Innovation award from Forbes Woman Africa in 2024.  

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