Prioritize Things That Fill You Up Holistically: Interview with Shivani Siroya, Founder and CEO of Tala
I recently went one-on-one with Shivani Siroya, founder and CEO of Tala, after connecting at the Milken Institute Global Conference.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Shivani: Growing up in both India and New York City, I had a deep interest in international cultures and global health, and I pursued a master’s in public health and econometrics. This led to fieldwork as an analyst and microcredit researcher with the UN Population Fund.
As a UNPF analyst, I conducted thousands of interviews with small business owners in Africa and Southeast Asia. I saw that lack of access to capital was holding them back and that there weren’t really any financial solutions built for them or how they lived their lives. I deeply believed that these individuals were creditworthy, and I became obsessed with finding a solution.
The time I spent living and working side by side with the people we designed Tala for remains a constant inspiration to this day, and I still visit customers when in our markets to keep them front and center in our decision-making.
Adam: How did you come up with your business idea and know it was worth pursuing? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with and test business ideas?
Shivani: I spent the bulk of my time interviewing people who lived in areas where credit bureaus were unreliable or nonexistent and did not have bank accounts, credit, or much in savings if anything. These are people — the Global Majority — our current financial system hasn’t figured out how to serve. When some of them needed capital for their businesses but had no way to get it, I was so frustrated by the situation that I actually started lending to them myself. I quickly realized the one thing these individuals had in common besides a lack of access to credit: they did not have a universal financial footprint or a credit score. Without a score, traditional financial institutions like banks have no way to gauge their creditworthiness and do not lend to them.
I set out to understand how to score them and started to think of a way to collect the kinds of information I learned from one-on-one interviews — information that could prove the trustworthy characteristics I had the proximity to witness through personal relationships. I was looking for a way to document daily life patterns to prove consistency in their lives, the kinds of qualities and consistency that make good borrowers. Eventually, I realized that much of this same daily life data was recorded on consumers’ mobile phones. So, we worked to build an app that could capture data that customers shared with us and essentially turn it into a credit score.
As for advice, I went out with a prototype and results and made it hard – if not impossible – for investors to look away. I wasn’t trying to sell an idea, and that caught people’s attention.
Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?
Shivani: At Tala, we hired local experts with a passion for the mission, empowering local leadership, and ensuring cross-functional communication and collaboration. Our mission is the thread that connects all of our offices, and we seek mission-driven individuals who are curious about the world and excited to work and learn from people from different cultures and backgrounds.
In terms of advice on getting to the next level: focus on scalability, customer feedback, and leveraging technology to be in service of supporting your customers in the most personalized manner that you can.
Adam: What are the most important trends in technology that leaders should be aware of and understand? What should they understand about them?
Shivani: We need more mission-driven companies to serve the Global Majority. With new shifts in technology — from AI and machine learning to blockchain, we can equip more people and more easily than ever to use these advancements to their benefit. And, it must be coupled with responsible regulation that both enables innovation and protects consumers.
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Shivani: Empathy, resilience, strategic thinking, and the ability to inspire and empower their teams. At Tala, we operate with “radical trust” not just with our customers but within our team. It's about creating environments where team members feel empowered to take risks, make decisions, and contribute their unique perspectives without fear of judgment or failure.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?
Shivani: Build diverse teams with complementary skills, foster a culture of open communication and collaboration, and provide growth opportunities. As a working mom, I also encourage prioritizing things that fill you up holistically as a human. That way, you can also bring your whole self towards your purpose.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Shivani:
Embrace failure and stay adaptable in the face of challenges
Encourage creativity and out-of-the-box thinking
Always keep customers in mind
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Shivani: Lean into your authentic self and your strengths. Don’t be afraid to name them so you can seek support in the areas you don’t uniquely excel. When you’re in this alignment, you can really harness your power towards that bigger purpose with the confidence to stay the course.
Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.
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