Theo Lau
As founder of Unconventional Ventures, she focuses on developing and growing an ecosystem of financial institutions, corporates, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists to better address the unmet needs of consumers (e.g. older adults and gig economy workers), with keen interests in women and minority founders. As part of her work, she regularly mentors and advises FinTech startups.
She is recognized as LinkedIn Top Voice for Economy and Finance, No. 1 Women in Finance by Onalytica, and Top FinTech influencer by various publications including Onalytica, Retail Banker International, and FinTech Finance. She co-hosts Rhetoriq, a podcast on longevity and fintech innovations, and runs a weekly blog on Irish Tech News. She is also a regular contributor for various top industry events, publications, and podcasts, including Harvard Business Review, MIT Tech Review, Money20/20, Finovate, RISE, American Banker, Breaking Banks, Financial Brand, Financial Revolutionist, Irish Tech News, Mercer, and INV Filter.
She provides strategic advisory services to a broad set of corporates; she advises startups and mentors entrepreneurs from different accelerators and incubators around the country. She is an advocate for diversity and inclusion – and frequently writes and speaks on the need for diversity on gender, ethnicity, age, education, and more. Her end goal is to help more financial institutions (incumbents and startups) focus on the needs of the forgotten demographics and build sustainable and inclusive business models.
Most recently, the team launched a new season of the Rhetoriq podcast called “The Other 50”, featuring women in the financial services industry, with topics from payments, financial inclusion, artificial intelligence, to cybersecurity, and beyond. Her work strives to highlight the contributions that these women have made in the ecosystem and to celebrate the value that each person is bringing to the industry.
