#277: Bridging Financial Gaps in Developing Markets with Isaac Were, USMA ‘16

Service Academy Business Mastermind

“I want Zimba to be a key part of the digitization process that we’re starting to see in Uganda and other parts of Africa, especially for financial institutions.” -Isaac Were, USMA ‘16

Isaac Were is the CEO of Zimba Technologies, a SaaS financial technology company that builds cloud-based software to digitize and automate financial institutions as well as provide them with access to capital. Zimba’s mission is to bridge financial gaps in developing markets through innovation and technology. Originally from Uganda, Isaac is addressing the problem of access to capital for individuals and business owners in the more rural parts of his home country. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a Biomedical Concentration.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What led Isaac to start Zimba
• The types of clients Zimba serves and the services the company provides
• The typical journey for a customer using our Zimba’s core banking platform
• Isaac’s most important short-term and long-term goals
• The biggest challenges Isaac is facing as he works to scale Zimba

Isaac explains that in Uganda, a majority of the population lives in villages that are on the outskirts of the major cities. By working with the Savings and Credit Cooperatives to help improve their operations and infrastructure, Zimba can improve access to finance for all people, regardless of location. We enjoyed our conversation with Isaac and admire the work he is doing to cultivate economic growth and inclusion in Uganda. Great work, Isaac!

Connect with Isaac:

• LinkedIn
• zimba.io
• [e-mail]

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Special thanks to Isaac for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01