Shivani Siroya

Shivani Siroya is the founder and CEO of Tala, a fintech company using AI and mobile data to provide financial services to underserved populations in emerging markets. Tala has served over 9 million customers across Kenya, the Philippines, Mexico, and India, disbursing billions of dollars in microloans.

Before founding Tala, Siroya worked at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and in investment banking at UBS. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA from Wesleyan University.

Tala's AI-powered platform assesses creditworthiness using alternative data sources — including mobile phone usage patterns, social network data, and device information — enabling financial inclusion for the billions of people worldwide who lack traditional credit histories. The company has raised over $350 million in equity and debt financing.

Siroya is a TED Fellow and has been recognized by Fortune, Forbes, and Fast Company for her work in financial inclusion.