Shivani Siroya

Shivani Siroya is the founder and CEO of Tala, a financial platform serving the global majority—individuals overlooked by traditional systems. Since its founding, Tala has provided over 10 million customers across Kenya, the Philippines, Mexico, and India with access to credit, savings, and payment tools. Under Siroya’s leadership, Tala has raised nearly $500 million from investors such as IVP, Revolution Growth, and PayPal Ventures. The company has earned recognition on the Fortune Impact 20, CNBC Disruptor 50, and Forbes Fintech 50 lists. Recent milestones include launching a crypto wallet in Peru, securing a $48.5-million loan channeling partnership with Maya Bank, and publishing a report with the Atlantic Council. Despite economic headwinds, 2024 marked one of Tala’s strongest years, with customers—especially women—reporting improved financial health. A Columbia MPH and Wesleyan graduate, Siroya is also a board member of Airtm and Echoing Green. Prior to founding Tala, Siroya worked for the UN Population Fund. She also worked at Citi, UBS, and Credit Suisse in microfinance roles. Siroya has a Master of Public Health in Health Economics and Policy from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University in International Relations. Melinda Gates nominated Siroya in 2018 as a Wired Icon. Siroya was named an Ashoka Fellow in 2013. Fellows are leading social entrepreneurs recognized for their innovative solutions to social problems and potential to change patterns across society. Tala was named to the CNBC Disruptor 50 list in 2024. Siroya's experience working as an analyst and microcredit researcher with the United Nations Population Fund gave her first-hand knowledge of the barriers that small business owners face in Africa and Asia, including the lack of access to capital and the absence of financial services that cater to their needs. By interviewing people who belong to the global majority—the world’s financially underserved that comprises over half of the global population or nearly four billion people—she also found that their lack of credit score and financial identity prevented them from formally saving and borrowing through traditional institutions. Tala was designed to address these challenges. It uses customers’ alternative data and machine learning to modernize credit assessment, moving beyond the traditional barriers of legacy finance to assess an individual’s creditworthiness. Consequently, applying and getting approved for a loan through the Tala app becomes a quick and hassle-free process. The intensive work that Siroya has put into understanding the global majority and their financial needs has led to what Tala is today—disrupting lending through its proprietary technology and mobile application. With this, she earned the recognition as one of Forbes’ 250 greatest innovators. From its establishment 12 years ago, Tala is now operating in six markets: Kenya, Mexico, Philippines, India, Panama, and Guatemala; delivering $7 billion in credit to more than 13 million people worldwide. According to a global study conducted by impact measurement firm 60 Decibels in 2025, 82 percent of Tala customers saw improvement in their overall quality of life, reporting better financial management and decrease in financial stress. Tala was also named one of Forbes’ top 50 fintech companies for the 10th consecutive year, a strong testament to its leadership in making financial services accessible and tailored to the global majority. These achievements ultimately align with the vision of Siroya when she first started Tala: to shape a financial system that truly works for everyone.

Focus on financial inclusion and empowerment, Target underserved populations, Leverage technology for financial services