CAFE: Where Community Drives Acceleration

Real Growth. Real Community. Real Momentum.

“I tell everyone who will listen, I have grown as a human this month because of CAFE… In reality it’s because of the community that is built. If you LOVE good, honest, direct feedback and people who are wildly passionate about real impact. This is THE accelerator.” 

–– Moraya Seeger DeGeare (Calibrate)

🚀A Two-Month Accelerator Built for Impact

CAFE wrapped up our 4th powerful cohort of the CAFE Fintech Accelerator, our hybrid program designed to help mission-driven fintech founders scale their solutions that help people’s lives and expand access within the financial services sector.

Over two months, our founders engaged in a mix of virtual learning, coaching, and in-person experiences across Delaware, DC, NYC, and Charlotte all designed to accelerate product, partnerships, and growth.

🤝 Cohort Companies & Participants

We’re proud to support six mission-driven fintech startups this cohort. Each is tackling unique challenges in financial equity while building innovative solutions for financial institutions and their customers.

• • Calibrate– Nick Ashburn and Moraya Seeger DeGeare
  • Hansa– Henry Magun
  • Instarails– Yamini Sagar
  • Kaaj– Utsav Shah and Shivi Sharma
  • Kiro Money– Alisha Chowdhury
  • Sawport– Charles Oligobo and Victor Adetiba

🧠 Expert Led Industry Sessions

Throughout the program, founders engaged with top leaders in banking, fintech, and innovation, gaining insights on go-to-market strategy, compliance, partnerships, scaling effectively and more. These sessions offered actionable advice from leaders who have built, scaled, and supported some of their industry’s most successful ventures:

• • Beyond the Hype: Building AI-Powered Fintech that Matters – Theo Lau
  • Building High Value Partnerships with Financial Institutions – Jamie Scott Berniker
  • Network Growth Strategy – Michael Kainatsky
  • NayaOne Fintech Sandbox Platform & POCs – Ambar Vitelli
  • Partnering and GTM with Credit Unions – Angi Milano
  • People, Process, and Platform – Ila Eckhoff 
  • Credit Unions: The Hidden Engine Behind Fintech Scale – Julie Esser (IgniteFI

💼 CAFE Connections: Investors, Banks, & Financial Institutions

Each week, founders met both one-on-one and in small groups with investors, banks, and CDFIs committed to responsible innovation. These curated meetings offered introductions, product feedback, and new partnership opportunities with institutions aligned to the founders’ and CAFE’s impact goals.

• • BankTech Ventures – Katie Quilligan
  • Curql/ gener8tor – Rowan Hume
  • Calvert Impact & Mission Driven Bank Fund – Eric Heisner & Mayowa Sunisi
  • JAM FINTOP – Stephen Schroeder
  • Fin Capital – Jake Fuchs 
  • Chartline – Tim McIntosh & Christopher Rios-Villalobos
  • Cohen Circle – Amanda Abrams, Corinne Bortniker
  • American Bankers Association – Ryan Jackson, Samah Chowdhury
  • ICBA – Wayne Miller & Amelia Wainscott

👥 In-Person Opportunities

From program launch days to national stages, founders participated in in-person experiences designed to foster collaboration, build relationships, and showcase their solutions:

• • CAFE and Delaware Bankers Association‘s Demo Day Showcase
  • Washington, DC industry day with American Bankers Association and ResilienceVC
  • New York City fintech + investor meetings with Bank of New York and Nasdaq
  • AI for Social Good Event with Samvid Ventures
  • ABA Annual Convention
  • AFC Policy Summit
  • RevTechLabs Venture135

🎯 Coaching and Mentors

Our founders benefited from expert guidance and personalized support throughout the accelerator program. Weekly group coaching sessions from provided space to troubleshoot challenges, refine strategies, and build leadership skills alongside seasoned CAFE mentors. The program’s first Mentor Match session featured a one-on-one speed networking format, giving founders the chance to meet mentors and identify their best matches for future guidance and support. Thank you to these dedicated mentors that brought deep industry knowledge and practical insights to CAFE, helping founders grow their businesses and impact:

• • Abhishek Bhasin
  • Harsh Daiya
  • Jessica Chen
  • Mark Ferguson
  • Mark Freudenthal
  • Payal Rohira
  • Shefali Shah

🙏 Thank You to Our Supporters!

We’re grateful to the partners and sponsors who help make the CAFE fintech accelerator possible, providing the resources and connections that enable our founders to thrive. This cohort received valuable support from sponsors including American Bankers Association (ABA), Delaware Prosperity Partnership and deBanked among others, helping founders access mentorship, industry expertise, and opportunities to scale their impact.