Neha Mehta On Building Inclusive Technology Empowering Women In Diverse Communities And Emerging Markets

Neha Mehta is the Founder & CEO of FemTech Partners, a firm dedicated to driving financial inclusion through fintech solutions and promoting gender diversity in the technology sector.

With over 19 years of experience in venture capital, fintech, and international development, she has worked with leading organisations such as UNCDF, NTU, and SP Jain.

Neha is also an Adjunct Professor at leading institutions, where she teaches courses on fintech, sustainability, and climate tech. Her work spans across Asia-Pacific markets, focusing on digital finance, financial inclusion, and sustainable development.

Neha’s leadership extends to managing multi-million dollar projects and fostering ecosystems that promote climate technology and the blue economy. She has played a pivotal role in initiatives such as blue bonds, sustainable tourism, and ocean resilience in collaboration with governments and organizations like UNCDF.

In 2023, Neha authored One Stop: The Future of Financial Inclusion and Super Apps, published by Penguin Random House, exploring how super apps are revolutionising access to financial services globally. She has been featured in Singapore’s 100 Women in Tech and the FinTech 50 list, recognising her as a thought leader in leveraging technology for social good.

Neha discusses enhancing access and dismantling barriers to financial services through designing inclusive technology and how super apps can bridge gender gaps, drive climate resilience, and shape sustainable emerging markets.

Highlights from the interview (listen to the podcast for full details)

[Indio Myles] - To start off, can you please share a bit about your background and what led you to work in social entrepreneurship and FinTech?

[Neha Mehta] - I started off as a lawyer. One of the key reasons I wanted to be a lawyer is because I grew up in Delhi, where I saw inequity firsthand. I thought that if I became a lawyer, I would understand my legal rights better and be able to fend for myself and help others.

However, when I began interning with different law firms, I realised how the legal system works in India. Typically, you have to work extremely hard for the first 10 to 15 years before you can make a name for yourself. It’s a system that favours those who’ve been in the profession for generations. That wasn’t the case for me, I was a first-generation lawyer. My father told me he didn’t have the connections or money to help boost my career.

At that point, I began looking for jobs in Singapore. This was in 2008, just as the global financial crisis hit. I was fortunate to receive a couple of job offers in Singapore, so I started working as a lawyer in the finance sector. What changed things for me was a scholarship I received from the UK government through the Chevening Program. I was one of only eight people selected from India to attend King’s College in London.

This was in 2017, right when FinTech was taking off in London. I had the opportunity to learn directly from institutions like the Bank of England and the Bank of France, gaining firsthand insights from regulators and industry experts in the FinTech space. I knew that if I didn’t make the transition from working with finance industry bodies into FinTech, I would miss the boat.

I began working with startups, doing everything under the sun from partnerships to legal work and business development. I realised that every time a speaking opportunity came up, my male boss would say, “Why don’t you tell them you’re sick, and I’ll go on your behalf?”

That was a turning point for me. I began to suspect that some of these opportunities were coming my way because I’m a woman, but also, maybe I was good enough. That thought hadn’t occurred to me before. I assumed it was just because there weren’t many women in the space.

As all this was happening, I came to realise it’s never going to get better for women if nothing changes.

There are only a few of us whether you’re attending an event as a delegate or speaking at a conference. There just aren’t many women in the room. That led me to the idea of building an organisation that could help level the playing field. I wanted to provide free mentorship and run programs focused on making FinTech accessible.

My goal was to bring together everything I’d done in the past, but also to be an agent of change so I could see more women in those spaces. I want my allies in the room. That was the idea.

I’m not sure if I’ve been successful enough and I know I can always do more, but at the same time, I feel incredibly lucky. What was difficult for me shouldn’t have to be difficult for others.

I was fortunate to start my career in Singapore, which isn’t particularly challenging in terms of gender dynamics. But working in India is still very hard. I remember working there for a couple of years and seeing someone less qualified than me earning more.

As the founder of FemTech Partners, can you please how those early challenges shaped your purpose and approach to this organisation?

It was really about feeling deprived of opportunities, but also, at times, receiving them just because I’m a woman. That led me to ask myself, “Do I want to be part of the problem or part of the solution?”

Of course, if an opportunity comes my way, I’ll say yes and figure it out. But the bigger question is, how do I ensure that I might be the first person in the room, but not the last? As I climb the ladder, I believe it’s important to lift others along the way.

That’s been the underlying agenda. Bringing what I struggled to access to the next generation, and helping build a strong pipeline of talent for women in FinTech. I know firsthand what it’s like to constantly doubt yourself. I have so many friends who do the same; questioning whether they deserve their positions, wondering why the opportunity came to them, or whether they’re truly equipped to take it on.

Creating a safe space is essential. Somewhere we can be ourselves, share openly, and support each other. Through FemTech Partners, we run programs focused on reaching the last mile. We’re looking at how technology can deliver real solutions for poor women, youth, and marginalised communities.

We also look at how we can open doors for the next generation of girls studying STEM. How can we inspire them to explore AI, blockchain, and emerging fields? It’s about building confidence and making these careers more accessible.

What are some of the strategies you’re using to bridge the last mile? How are you designing programs to ensure they reach and empower the communities that need them most?

If you look at technology, it’s gender agnostic. Technology doesn’t care whether it’s used by a man or a woman. But is it used the same way by everyone? Not really. When you consider affordability, accessibility, and long-term engagement, women (particularly in developing and the least developed countries) face far more challenges.

Often, when I speak with women, they say they’re scared to use a mobile device. They worry that pressing the wrong button will cause their money to disappear. Many don’t feel comfortable using it without the assistance of a father or male figure in the household.

When you understand that this is the status quo, you start to ask how to change it. That’s why understanding the local context is so important. What works in Thailand may not work in India or Jakarta.

I just came from Jakarta. If you look at the ASEAN region, it actually has more women than men. Yet mobile technology usage and digital financial literacy is significantly lower amongst women. Solving that is critical, because only when we overcome fear can we empower ourselves and others.

When we invest in women and youth, we’re investing in people who invest in others. Women and girls often take on caregiving roles, so how can we give them the tools to leverage technology?

COVID and the rise of AI in our daily lives have shown that we simply can’t live without tech. Choosing not to engage with it is choosing to exclude ourselves from countless opportunities.

We start with literacy by making technology available, accessible, and affordable for the long term. Then we help women identify how to grow their businesses, moving from offline to online. We show them how to tap into opportunities through e-commerce, or even begin with something simple like digital payments.

From there, it’s about progressing into robo-advisory, making investments, getting insured online—there’s an entire ecosystem to access.

But all of this begins with small, manageable steps. Being willing to say, “I don’t understand this yet, but I’m willing to learn,” is key. As long as we keep showing up every day, we can get there.

You’ve also worked in the climate tech and blue economy spaces. Could you share more about how technology is helping accelerate environmental impact and sustainable development?

Just before this interview, we were chatting about Australia, and if you look at the Pacific Islands, they’re 97% water. It’s home to some of the deepest and largest bodies of water in the world. People there rely on the ocean for their livelihood, for leisure, and for tourism. It’s part of everyday life.

But these regions are also particularly prone to natural calamities. Every other week, you hear news of something happening in that part of the world. The question becomes how do we make sure we’re building resilient communities? How can we promote ocean tourism in a way that’s truly sustainable?

Every time a hotel or infrastructure is built close to the water, we’ve seen its negative effects like the bleaching of coral reefs, overfishing, and broader environmental degradation. Creating a sustainable environment for the long run is the key challenge.

In that context, I’ve worked with the Fiji Government on blue bonds. The capital raised through these bonds is channelled into initiatives that support resilient communities. This ensures, for example, that when a natural disaster strikes, funds are already available to build sea walls or take other preventative measures. That way, the damage isn’t as severe as it might have been otherwise.

But now imagine combining that with technology. You can use drones to capture real-time images of a disaster as it unfolds. Artificial intelligence can then analyse those images to determine the exact extent of damage. Digital wallets can be used to transfer money directly to those affected.

The faster that money reaches people, the faster they can rebuild—start over, build new homes, and get back on their feet. This is where parametric insurance comes in. Once a specific trigger like a natural calamity is identified, funds are automatically disbursed to the insured person’s digital wallet in real time.

That’s the beauty of combining a traditional institution like insurance with modern InsureTech. It brings fast, efficient, and impactful solutions to people in remote, vulnerable areas.

What would you say are some of the most pressing barriers to financial inclusion? And what should organisations or individuals be doing to ensure financial resources better meet the needs of marginalised populations?

I think the biggest barrier is something as basic as not having an ID. Both of us are very privileged; we sit in rooms where everything is handed to us. We never have to wonder, “Can I get a passport? Will a bank recognise me?” It’s all fairly seamless for us.

But imagine living in a remote village in Fiji, the Solomon Islands, or Tonga. You don’t have an ID. If you walk into a bank, they won’t even entertain the idea of serving you. If you’re a woman, it’s likely the land doesn’t even belong to you and it’s instead in the name of your husband, father, or brother.

Even if you do manage to get a loan, you may still be afraid of using technology. So how do you launch a business under those conditions? The problems are immense. Women are so often excluded, unrecognised and unaccounted for when it comes to accessing the basic financial tools and resources we take for granted.

But at the same time, history has shown us that leapfrogging is possible. There are countries that never had fixed-line phone infrastructure and went straight to mobile. Their first digital interaction was through a mobile wallet.

I was just in Jakarta. In Indonesia, 90% of people access the internet via mobile devices. They don’t use laptops often, so that mobile-first gateway into the digital world is powerful. It means that if you introduce an app in the local language, with an intuitive interface, people will adopt it quickly.

The Super App, which I cover in my first book, is a perfect example of this. One app offering a wide range of features, all in a format users feel comfortable with. It becomes a one-stop platform because people love the design, it’s easy to navigate, and it speaks their language. That’s how we begin breaking barriers to inclusion.

When your login is saved, it allows you to start building a digital and credit history. You may never have had a bank account, but suddenly these apps know your monthly income, your spending habits, and can assess whether you’re likely to be a reliable borrower.

While they may not know your intent to repay (you could still choose not to) they’ve at least solved half the equation: your ability to repay. That’s the beauty of technology.

In many of these emerging markets, we’re seeing significant progress, which reinforces the potential of embracing tech. Of course, it’s not foolproof. There are very real issues. For example, in the peer-to-peer lending space, women borrowers have been harassed or asked to share inappropriate photos.

I believe the possibility of achieving meaningful impact is far greater, and that shouldn’t scare us of. It should motivate us to engage more critically and constructively with technology.

Your book One Stop explores the impact and potential of super apps. Could you tell us more about the story behind the book and what readers can expect to learn from it?

Before I dive into what the book is about, I have to share a little backstory. I never intended to become an author. It wasn’t on my wishlist, it wasn’t even in my wildest dreams. A close friend of mine suggested we work on a book together, and I tend to say yes very easily. That’s just how I am; the default is yes, then figure it out. When you say no, you risk missing out on so many beautiful opportunities.

I agreed, and then he walked away, telling me I wasn’t a good enough writer. It became what I call an “author breakup.” But I kept going. At one point, I even thought I’d have to pay to publish it. But I was luckyPenguin came on board as my publisher. This book was a borrowed dream, but as I started writing, I realised just how much potential one app can have to change lives.

Take WeChat, for example. It began in 2013 in China as a simple messaging app, but it has grown to include more than three million mini-apps. It’s now a bank, a platform for e-commerce, and ride-hailing service. In China, people spend 95% of their time on either WeChat or Alipay. Ninety-five percent! About 90% of payment data flows to these private players.

Why the title One Stop? Because these apps literally offer a one-stop solution for everything. I often say they cover everything from loans, to love, to laundry, that’s how comprehensive they are.

Of course, there are questions. When you hand over so much data to one platform, is it safe? Is this our future? Should we be concerned? These are some of the critical issues the book explores. It also delves into why super apps are so prevalent in Eastern markets and not as much in the West.

Sitting here in Bangkok, we use Grab. I was just in Jakarta using Gojek. The beauty of it is if you ask for a bike ride, the driver is there in minutes. It’s safe, accessible, and efficient. That’s the power of these platforms.

I asked for a bike ride, and the driver showed up instantly. It’s that easy, safe, and accessible. That’s what makes super apps so powerful: the ability to connect people to gig workers, e-commerce, and even embed sustainability elements in the process.

What’s especially interesting (and this is where I try not to get too technical) is the distinction between super apps in Eastern and Western markets. In Asia, these apps tend to be horizontal, offering everything under the sun. From food delivery and payments to ride-hailing and shopping, it’s all in one place.

In contrast, super apps in Western markets usually go deep in one vertical. They might dominate finance or healthcare, but they’re not as comprehensive across services.

One Stop is my first book, and it’s been an exciting journey. Over the past year, I’ve taken it to different cities and countries on a book tour that lasted eight months. I honestly thought I’d never write again; the process is gruelling, eats up your free time, and can be brutal. But everyone told me, “You can’t stop at one.” And it turns out they were right. I’m now already 80% of the way through writing my second book.

You’ve clearly caught the writing bug!

I don’t feel guilty about it at all! It’s been such an interesting journey. I think I’m just someone with a very short attention span. I need to be doing multiple things at once, otherwise I become bored easily.

Do you have any advice for aspiring changemakers on how to manage their workload and creating impact?

What works for me is the excitement of learning something new every day. I teach at NTU and SMU in Singapore, and I absolutely love it because every time I walk into a room, I’m not just teaching,I’m learning too. It’s a two-way street.

Whenever there’s curiosity, space to fail and grow, I find that cycle incredibly energising. It reminds me that I don’t have to be perfect, I can show up as I am. For instance, I didn’t look at the questions before this interview. You prepared them, and I showed up to have a real, honest conversation. Maybe that comes with age, where you grow comfortable in your own skin and realise you are enough. You don’t need validation, awards, or applause to feel complete.

Managing a variety of projects may not work for everyone, but it works for me because I thrive on diversity and the synergy between different parts of my life. What I learn professionally feeds into my teaching, and those insights often become stories in my books.

Did I always know this would be my path? Not at all. There are still tough days when I have to push myself to show up. But what keeps me going is the strength of my dreams. When something keeps showing up in your thoughts, writing, or conversations, it’s your inner voice telling you that you have to do it.

That’s what happened with my second book. I didn’t plan to write it for a long time, but the message just kept resurfacing. I’ve learned that when your heart keeps nudging you like that, you have to listen or risk not being true to yourself.

Knowing yourself is the first step. Whether you want to be a changemaker for yourself or others, it all begins with self-awareness. I did a silent meditation at the end of last year, and it helped me realise all the answers I’d been seeking from others were actually within me.

We read that kind of thing all the time, but when you’re sitting in silence for 18 hours a day, it hits differently. You start to see that the expectations we place on others are often things we could provide ourselves. Our cup can be full, so we don’t need someone else to keep pouring into it.

If I could start again, I’d begin with meditation. I’d focus on figuring myself out before trying to figure out the world, the last mile, or technology. Because once you know how to ‘do you’ properly, everything else falls into place. If you don’t, you’ll keep stumbling.

Right now, I feel more comfortable in myself than ever before. I’m celebrating who I am. I’m giving myself credit for what I’ve achieved, even as I continue to travel and engage in new projects. Staying focused on what really matters and keeping my wellbeing at the centre has been key. I think it’s so important to recognise your strengths and acknowledge that you’ve done a great job.

What inspiring projects or initiatives have come across recently that are creating positive change?

I would actually point to an individual, Richard Branson. I really admire him. He’s done a lot of work in the impact space. But even beyond the societal impact, it’s the way he shows up as his true, authentic, and sometimes wild self that resonates with me.

Whether it’s supporting the Elders initiative or the unique way he markets his projects, there’s something very freeing about how he operates. It gives me hope that you don’t need to fit into a box. You can be yourself and make decisions that align with your heart, whether that’s about climate action or caring for the planet to contribute in small and meaningful ways.

For instance, I’m always mindful to switch off the lights when I leave a room. It’s a small thing, but I believe those little acts of responsibility matter.

Richard Branson had a huge influence on me in my early years. I read all his books. He talks about never saying never, and more importantly saying yes and figuring it out later. That’s been a core mantra of mine. I’m always shooting for the moon, expecting the best, and staying open to the magic. That mindset has very much come from his work and example.

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To finish off, what books or resources would you recommend for our audience?

I read a wide variety of things. Technology is obviously core to my work in FinTech, but I’m also really into self-help books. I still feel like I haven’t quite figured myself out, and I find my own mind and journey fascinating. So I’m constantly exploring that through reading.

Right now, I’m reading Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. I really like the story. The first line that stood out to me was about having a “bigness mindset”. Have the curiosity and boldness to dive into things without knowing exactly how to do them. Everything I’ve achieved in my life has come from that mindset. I didn’t know how to do most of what I’ve done, I just believed it was possible. Because I believed, I figured it out.

If I had spoken to a hundred people beforehand (about whether something could or couldn’t be done) I would’ve placed their limitations on myself. But because I trusted it was possible, I went ahead and did it. That “bigness mindset” is powerful.

The book I keep going back to, though, is by Swami Vivekananda. He passed away very young, at 39, but he wrote extensively about positive thinking and affirmations. His work has had a huge influence on me. Because I travel so much, I always carry a small book of his with me. Every time I’m about to step on stage or do something that scares me, I read a few lines and it gives me the strength to push through.

It might sound a bit silly, but it’s something I really hold close. I also talk to my father, who passed away 10 years ago. Whenever I walk into a new room or come across a new opportunity, if I’m still scared I ask him to come with me. He always wanted me to shine, and now I feel like I’m doing that. I try to bring him along in spirit, and that helps me find the courage to keep going.