Sheena Allen
Sheena Allen
Interledger Ambassador

Sheena Allen is a tech entrepreneur, author, international speaker, and creative strategist passionate about building innovative, impact-driven solutions. While still in college, Sheena founded her first startup, Sheena Allen Apps, bootstrapping it into a mobile tech parent company that housed five apps and generated millions of downloads worldwide. In 2019, she launched CapWay, a fintech company dedicated to expanding economic access through inclusive digital banking, financial content, and payment infrastructure. As the founder of CapWay, Sheena raised millions in venture capital and became the youngest woman in the U.S. to own and operate a digital bank. She is currently the co-founder of GRITS, a parent company and community-driven launchpad for creators and entrepreneurs. GRITS is home to a growing portfolio of ventures, including the Rich Lessons podcast. In addition, she is building a stealth startup at the intersection of fintech and artificial intelligence. Sheena’s work has been featured in multiple publications, including Forbes, Inc., Business Insider, and Entrepreneur Magazine. She has earned recognition as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Business Insider Under 30 Innovator, Inc. Female Founders 100 recipient, and one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Most Influential. In 2021, she was awarded the Maggie Lena Walker Emerging Leader Award from PayPal for her contributions to financial empowerment. In addition to her ventures, Sheena is the author of The Starting Guide and has been featured in two documentaries, She Started It and a Google-produced short for its Black Women in Tech series, highlighting her journey as a non-technical founder breaking barriers in tech.
From Mission to Market: Where Fintech and CDFIs Align and Clash
A candid conversation about the philosophical and operational tensions between fintech speed/scale and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) mission/responsibility. What models have worked? Where have partnerships failed? What’s needed to build trust? This discussion will be centered on real talk and practical issues.