S2E3: How Shivani Siroya Raised $200M+ to Change Her Customers' Lives

The Operators

Shivani Siroya built her first career as a strong performer in high-end finance job, but some part of her was craving a more impactful path. In an industry that errs on the side of caution - especially when it comes to lending to low-income borrowers - Shivani began asking, "how can we better extend trust to more people?"

With almost half of the global population unable to participate in the formal financial system, Shivani realized that so many people were left behind simply because of where they were born. She came up with a brilliant solution to a seemingly impossible problem: lending to users who lacked a meaningful credit history or involvement in the formal financial system. All that's needed is a mobile phone to underwrite, originate, and collect on microloans.

These microloans, which range from $100 to $500, drive massive impact for borrowers by enabling them to start new businesses, attain new educational opportunities, and have a stopgap for emergencies. With offices in India, Mexico, the Philippines, and Kenya, Tala now serves millions of borrowers with life-changing loans every single day.

Take a listen to Shivani's fascinating journey to hear about her experiences in starting and building Tala.