11 - Cash is Queen: Growth in Uncertain Markets with Joy Mbanugo, CFO at CXAI

5 to 50: Financial Strategies for Growing Companies

What’s the smartest way to manage cash when the market is uncertain?

In this episode of 5 to 50: Financial Strategies for Growing Companies, host Jeff Rudner sits down with Joy Mbanugo, CFO of CXAI and a former executive at Google and BlackRock, to answer that and more. Joy shares actionable strategies for maximizing cash reserves.

Navigating funding options and evolving your finance function as your company scales. She also unpacks how AI is revolutionizing financial operations and why finance should be a central pillar of business strategy. This episode is packed with valuable insights for founders and CFOs who are ready to lead with confidence.

What you will learn:

• How to strengthen your balance sheet by prioritizing cash during economic uncertainty
• Why distinguishing between different types of cash is crucial for decision-making
• The strategic approach to scaling your finance function
• How to position finance as a central function
• Why EBITDA and other key metrics should be understood across the company
• How to leverage AI tools in finance operations
• The differences between debt and equity financing and how to choose the right funding strategy
• Why cash management should be a daily priority

Joy Mbanugo is the CFO of CXApp (NASDAQ: CXAI), where she leads financial strategy, capital allocation, and investor relations for the innovative SaaS company. With a background at Google, BlackRock, and EY, she brings deep expertise in public company finance, board governance, and scaling high-growth businesses. Joy excels at aligning financial operations with business strategy, driving transparency, and building investor confidence. A lawyer and accountant, she’s also an active investor and advocate for women-led ventures and equitable growth in the startup ecosystem.

Episode Resources:

• Joy Mbanugo on LinkedIn
• CXAI Website
• Jeff Rudner on LinkedIn
• Proseer Website
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Previous guests include: Sabrina Valle and Jessica Quon, co-founders of the Jam Stand and Mighty Picnic, Tom Hunt, Founder and CEO of Fame, Kenny Dettman, Founder and CEO of TaxNow, Rick Zullo, founder and managing partner of Equal Ventures, Adam Schwartz, founder and CEO of Parable and former co-founder of TeePublic.
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