Kathryn Petralia

What if your next raise came with strings attached and you loved it?

Kathryn Petralia never took a single business class.

She studied English lit.

She loved books.

And at 9 years old, her parents gave her a TRS-80 computer... igniting a passion for tech that never let go.

Fast forward a few decades: Kathryn’s not just any tech founder.

She co-founded Kabbage, a platform that deployed over $10B in capital to small businesses across 8 countries and was acquired by American Express in 2020.

But she wasn’t done.

In 2022, she launched Keep Financial, tackling a new problem: how to help companies retain top talent in an era of high turnover.

Her bet? A radical new model for compensation.

Forgivable wage advances that build loyalty and financial freedom.

Basically, employees get an upfront bonus but keep it only if they stay.

If they leave early, they might have to pay it back.

Kathryn has been shaping the fintech world long before “fintech” was even a word, leading strategy at Revolution Money and helping CompuCredit enter new markets.

Named one of Forbes’ Most Powerful Women in the World, Kathryn now sits on the boards of giants like CARE, CoreCard, Near, Tricolor, and more.

She calls herself “Chief Keeper.” But let’s be real. She’s been keeping the fintech world on its toes for years.