Women in FinTech Friday Feature – Roxanne Herrera
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Meet Roxanne Herrera, Director of Corporate Development at Camino Financial. Read more on Roxanne’s day to day and how she became a leading lady in the FinTech realm.
Q: How did you end up as a leader in the FinTech Industry?
A: I started my career as an analyst at Bank of America in San Francisco where I built my financial analysis and credit underwriting skillset. I transitioned to a state impact investing role at the California Department of Insurance and later completed my MBA focusing on Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Investments from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. Most recently, I left Schwab’s community development lending team after helping manage a +$2B intermediary portfolio. In my current role as Director of Corporate Development at Camino Financial, a neo-CDFI FinTech, I’m focused on developing strategic partnerships and raising flexible capital to grow our small business lending portfolio centered on scaling underbanked businesses nationally.
Q: What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?
A: Most recently, I received a Key Contributor award during the pandemic as I led Schwab’s Community Development Lending portfolio. As I think back about the evolution of my career, I remember setting my first goal of becoming my high school’s valedictorian. I wanted to serve as a role model for other Latinas in my community and during this time, I completed my Associate of Arts degree. I then transferred some of these credits to the University of Southern California, allowing me to double major in Economics and Business Administration. This goal magnified the path that I’m on now; my goal setting has literally opened doors (one of my goals is to invest in real estate everyplace I move to) not only for myself but also for other Latinas who often reach out with “doubts” about belonging. I encourage them to keep carving a path where we are often told “no” to prove that they too can leave a legacy for other Latinas to follow.
Q: What advice would you give to young women today looking to start a career in the industry?
A: For other young women looking to enter the industry, I recommend volunteering at industry events and networking with community leaders. In this environment, attending remote events or listening in to strategic webinars while asking questions to learn more about the industry is crucial to becoming well-versed. I also recommend listening to industry podcasts and reading books/publications from thought leaders in the industry as a way to learn more about common terms and industry jargon.
Q: What new advances in technology are you most excited about?
A: I’m most excited about leveraging technology to break down barriers to access capital, information, and streamlining the process to deploy capital. This is something Camino Financial is taking the charge in to help the underbanked, a need that we saw magnified during this pandemic and something that I’m excited about helping bring more sustainable capital and strategic industry partners to the forefront as Camino’s Director of Corporate Development.
Q: Anything else you would like to share?
A: Giving back is important to who I am and part of the legacy that I want to leave behind. As I look back on my education and career trajectory, I attribute my success, in part, to perseverance, maturity, and a willingness to take risks on tough projects. I’ve embraced the things that scare me or those projects that are going to challenge me to reinvent my thinking and to help propel my projects to the next level.