CAFE Founders Circles – Join to Build, Grow, and Scale Together
Designed for mission-driven fintech founders to accelerate their business growth through peer support, expert guidance, and CAFE’s national network
What are the CAFE Founders Circles?
Founders Circles are exclusive groups of 6-10 fintech founders looking to scale their business and mission-driven impact through a support network. You’ll participate in bi-weekly sessions over three months starting the week of October 14th, combining peer coaching with insights from industry experts on valuable topics.
Peer Support
Based on the value we’ve seen in our flagship accelerator, founders share experiences, challenges, and solutions in a supportive, mission-driven environment.
Expert Insights
Gain valuable relationships and coaching from industry leaders who provide guidance tailored to growing your business and impact.
Targeted Growth Strategies
Develop and implement strategies that focus on scaling your fintech solutions within financial institutions and obtaining funding effectively.
National Network Access
Leverage CAFE’s extensive network of FIs, investors, and industry leaders to build partnerships and expand your reach within the financial services industry.
Fall 2025 Founders Circles
White-labeled financial wellness platform that combines learning management, personal finance tools, and coaching in a fully brandable solution that organizations can tailor to
their audience. Nonprofits and community organizations bring their financial wellness programs to life, helping low- to moderate-income (LMI) individuals strengthen their financial confidence and long-term stability, and enabling organizations to scale their impact efficiently.
Sam Ingrassia (Founder/CEO)
Personalizes banking for immigrant-owned small businesses by matching them with banks, credit unions, and CDFIs based on their industry, location, and credit profile for deposit and lending products. We transform financial wellness for LMI entrepreneurs by embedding trusted, local financial representatives into the process, turning access to capital into a relationship-driven, educational experience that builds generational wealth.
Yosmel Gutierrez (Founder/CEO)
Empowers organizations to offer 529 benefits, helping workers learn about, set up, fund 529 savings with payroll contributions, and save more with family and friends using the Hadley app. 529 savings grow tax-free for education, career training, student loans, disabilities, retirement, and career certifications, and they are a key driver for financial inclusion, economic mobility, and intergenerational wealth creation for LMI Americans.
Yosh Miller (Founder/CEO)
Enables older adults and families to safely manage expenses while protecting against fraud, scams and financial exploitation through an expense management and collaboration platform with a series of connected debit cards. myFloc advances financial wellness for older adults to get assistance with finances without giving up their agency and enables the 63+ million family caregivers to collaboratively manage expenses, eliminating hidden costs and financial stress that disproportionately impact LMI households.
Elizabeth Clubb (Founder/CEO)
Provides a SaaS digital vault that simplifies asset and document management for financial institutions, streamlining wealth transfer processes. By ensuring secure storage and automated asset transfers, Prismm advances financial wellness for LMI individuals by reducing the risk of asset loss or mismanagement during generational wealth transfers.
Martha Underwood (Founder/CEO)
Provides essential banking services by enabling cash-in, cash-out, and financial transactions through a network of merchant locations, eliminating the need for traditional ATMs. By offering accessible banking solutions where they are needed most, SPARE helps LMI communities manage their finances more effectively, bridging the gap between cash and digital banking to promote greater financial stability and inclusion.
D’ontra Hughes (Founder/CEO)
Makes homeownership possible for families who once thought it was out of reach through software that guides prospective homeowners from pre-approval to closing
through an interactive, educational dashboard that keeps their credit union and closing team aligned every step of the way. By replacing traditional commissions, families receive
closing-cost credits, gaining the savings and confidence to buy their homes and begin building generational wealth with the support of their trusted community lender.
Leland Remias (Founder/CEO)
Embedded investing infrastructure that connects loyalty programs directly to real investments. It empowers consumers to build wealth through the brands they love, and helps brands drive deeper loyalty, higher engagement, and measurable ROI.
Feli Oikonomopoulou (Founder/CEO)
The bank beyond the branch with an AI-embedded wealth companion that solves the problems of loyalty and conversion for bankers and financial advisors with intelligent banking journeys, cross-sell prompts, and global payment solutions that turn customer communities &
engagement into assets under management (AUM) at a fraction of the cost. Our clients’ customers use Wellthi to manage their financial goals with peers and trusted experts from their mobile banking app.
Fonta Gilliam (Founder/CEO)
How CAFE Circles Empower Founders
Build strong, lasting peer relationships.
Access to seasoned fintech industry experts.
Learn best practices in fundraising, scaling, selling to financial institutions, and compliance.
Belong to a trusted national network known for personalized founder support.
Boost visibility through CAFE’s brand recognition.
Gain clarity and confidence in navigating your founder journey.
How it Works
Step 1
Apply via F6S
Step 2
Interview with CAFE
Step 3
Get Matched to Your Circle
Step 4
Join us In-Person or Virtually for Kickoff
Step 5
Attend Online Sessions
Circle Types
Our program is tailored to meet the needs of founders at different stages and locations. Each “circle” is organized by location and business stage. For the initial launch, we will be hosting CAFE Circles in 3 regions:
1. Delaware-area: Early stage founders
2. NYC-area: Growth stage founders
3. Virtual Circles: Nationwide
Who Should Apply?
We’re looking for U.S.-based fintech startups that meet the following criteria:
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Have a product built and in-market and are ready to scale
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Have an initial customer base (including selling to financial institutions).
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Mission-driven: once your product gets in the hands of people, it improves their financial wellness, especially for low- to moderate- income (LMI) individuals
*Pricing & Discounts
Standard Pricing
Cost per Founder- Bi-weekly sessions with experts and peers
- Group coaching with like-minded founders
- Access to expert presentations and additional resources
- Extended networking opportunities
- Priority support from CAFE team
- Private Founders Circle Slack Channel
Early Bird Discount
Cost per Founder- All Benefits of Standard Pricing
- Save $150 with Early Sign Up
*Limited to 10 founders per circle. Applications for Fall 2025 Circles are now closed.
Join our exclusive circles designed for game changers ready to make a difference. Open to all mission-driven fintech founders with products that improve financial wellness.
Empowering Fintech Innovation Nationwide
At CAFE, our mission is to drive positive change in the financial services industry for low-to-moderate income (LMI) communities, through financial technology innovation and partnerships. With a proven track record in accelerating fintech startups, we provide the tools, connections, and expertise through our network needed to transform innovative ideas into impactful solutions.
Partner with Us for Impact
Join us in fostering the next generation of fintech leaders through sponsorships. Our sponsorship opportunities allow financial institutions to play a pivotal role in supporting the CAFE Founders Circles and driving innovation.