MFWW Podcast Ep. 22: Can a Credit Score Be Compassionate

Описание: Can a credit score be compassionate? What if lenders could see a climate shock coming—and adjust your repayment plan before it hits? In this episode of Making Finance Work for Women, we sit down with Puneet Gupta, CEO of Kaleidofin, to talk about a breakthrough in credit scoring that blends cutting-edge machine learning with human-centered design. Through a recent collaboration with Women’s World Banking, Kaleidofin tested an innovative model that uses climate disaster data to predict repayment risk—leveraging AI to anticipate financial stress before it becomes unmanageable. The goal? Not just to protect lenders, but to shield women borrowers from over-indebtedness before it starts. We explore how this new approach could allow financial service providers to pause or adjust repayment plans in anticipation of shocks, rather than reacting after the damage is done. If the future of finance is digital, this episode proves it can also be deeply empathetic.

Guest
Puneet Gupta, CEO, Kaleidofin
Puneet is a Co-Founder at Kaleidofin, dedicated to delivering financial services at scale. He believes that the power of technology can be harnessed to amplify the role financial services can play in the lives of customers. Prior to setting up Kaleidofin, Puneet co-founded Dvara Trust and Northern Arc Capital. Puneet also serves as the Director on the Investment Committee at the Incubation Cell at IIT Madras. Puneet began his career at ICICI Bank, where he spent seven years in various roles, including coordinating the microfinance practice and working in the CSR group focused on investments in education and microfinance. He has significant experience of working closely with NGO, academicians, State Governments and donor agencies. Puneet also has experience in running and managing his family business for 4 years. He is a commerce graduate with a Master’s degree in Rural Management from Institute of Rural Management. ‍

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Host
Dr. Sonja Kelly, Global Head, Women’s World Banking Institute
Sonja is the global lead for Women’s World Banking research and learning. Through research on the financial sector, policy trends, financial services providers, and end users, Sonja and her team advocate for women’s financial inclusion. Before joining Women’s World Banking, she advised the U.S. Department of State on strategy for U.S. Embassy engagement in digital finance around the world. She has served as the director of research at the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, has held consulting roles at the World Bank and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), and has worked in microfinance at Opportunity International. Sonja holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from American University where she researched financial inclusion policy and regulation.