Helping Fintech Startups Scale Up: A Q&A with Vanessa Di Frances, MBA ’22

Vanessa Di Frances (Jimenez) MBA ’22, is a graduate of the Executive MBA Metro NY program offered by the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. She made a successful career pivot with the help and guidance of the Career Management Center at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

A financial services professional who enjoys working with fintech entrepreneurs and who understands the transformative power of AI tools, Di Frances is part of the national fintech team at Silicon Valley Bank, which is now a division of First Citizens Bank. As senior vice president on the fintech team, she works with fintech clients from series A up to the point that a company reaches the growth revenue stage. Her role is to be an advisor and relationship manager for clients, understanding their needs and providing support as companies scale. In addition to helping with debt, payments, and infrastructure, she also works to create a community by organizing events for founders and investors.

“I’m particularly excited to see the impact of AI in fintech over the next few years,” said Di Frances. “With generative AI, there’s a significant opportunity for innovation within the sector, particularly for certain use cases, including CFO tools, insurance, capital markets, and fraud mitigation, she said. “We are already seeing initial development already in lending, regulation technology (regtech), and wealth management, as you can see in our recent SVB report, The Future of Fintech, launched last year. AI will also allow companies to build more quickly with fewer people. Although we’ve seen large market fluctuations recently, I remain optimistic about the outlook in fintech this year, as volatility can also create opportunities for disruptive technology.”

Before joining SVB, Di Frances was a product manager at Amount (formerly Linear Financial), a financial services company that uses AI tools to help banks and credit unions deliver a digital-first experience for customers.

At Amount, Di Frances supported a credit platform that helped banks process small business applications more efficiently. The U.S. Small Business Administration lists more than 33 million small businesses in the U.S. and they make up 99 percent of all U.S. businesses, Di Frances points out. “Although lending access for these businesses has improved in the last few years, there’s still work to do, as only 50 percent of small business applications were approved in 2024 according to a Statista Report,” she said. “Amount worked with banks to implement its platform to help underwrite and service small business loans, helping banks improve their approval rate and operations. While there, I worked with two banks, one in Australia and one in the U.S., to implement different features, regulations, and loan flows within the applications.”

What inspired you to switch to a new career track?

Di Frances: I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. My grandfather owned a textile store, my dad was an economist who also owned a business, and my mom worked in operations at a telephone company. Business and entrepreneurship were a big part of my childhood. I used to hang out with my grandfather looking at the different fabrics and asking questions about the business. My career started in wealth management, but I knew deep down that I wanted to work with small businesses and founders. So when I started business school, I decided to focus on that.

While at Cornell, I took a few entrepreneurship classes and joined W.E. Cornell (thanks to Andrea Ippolito ’06, MEng ’07), a program that helps women entrepreneurs in STEM fields create business plans, work on their ideas, and get advice and funding. I loved the innovation ecosystem, working with founders, and being part of the community. While I had to put my business idea on hold, I knew I wanted to work in the ecosystem. Before graduating, I interviewed at a few firms in venture, tech, and financial services, and SVB’s culture stood out the most.

In what ways did the SC Johnson College of Business Career Development staff help to guide you in your career pivot? What strategies recommended by your career coach proved particularly effective, and how so?

Di Frances: The business career staff was amazing. I loved working with Jen! [Jennifer Bobrow Burns, managing director, EMBA and Alumni Career Development, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.] She helped me brainstorm firms to go after, provided strategies on how to narrow down my lists and interests, and tips for better interviews. She was also supportive when I had to negotiate offers.

One of the benefits of working with the career staff is that they know all the resources that Cornell offers. For example, Jen recommended a group that helped with mock interviews, and I had a great experience working with them.

The best recommendation I received was to perfect my elevator pitch and be confident in delivering it.

Did you select course work or extracurricular activities to prepare yourself or gain relevant experience for your career pivot?

Di Frances: Yes! I went to many startup events, joined Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, W.E. Cornell, volunteered, and consulted at Alumni Ventures and Red Bay Angels. I also took an AI elective and a class focused on developing physical products and taking them to market. Lastly, our second-year class in business ideas was excellent, as you had to come up with an idea from scratch, work on a business model, do prospective customer interviews, and do a pitch to VCs as part of the final.

Did you build a new network of contacts that has been important to your career pivot? If so, what role did the SC Johnson College play in helping to build that network?

Di Frances: Absolutely! I’m still in touch with many of our professors and the Cornell startup community. My Cornell classmates and other alumni have also been very supportive in my career.

What advice do you have for other students or alumni of the SC Johnson College who are interested in making a career pivot?

Di Frances: Career pivots are hard but relying on all the support and resources that Cornell provides is very helpful. I’d start with identifying the gaps that you need to address in order to make the switch. Talk to as many people as you can, and research roles and industries well. Act as if you are already part of the industry by joining events, doing volunteer work, or finding part-time consulting roles to help you learn.