Live.Give.Save, a women-owned fintech startup based in Red Wing, has recruited three former senior leaders from local giants Allianz, Periscope and UnitedHealth Group to join its team.
"When I saw the massive opportunity on our horizon this year, I knew we needed to strengthen our team with leaders who have 'been there, done that,'" CEO Susan Langer said in a statement.
Live.Give.Save recruited Darlene Polzin, former senior director of capital finance at UnitedHealth Group, as its new CFO. Nancy Jones, who previously served as chief marketing and growth officer at insurance giant Allianz, joined the company's advisory board.
Live.Give.Save also recruited former Periscope operations director Klay DeVries as its new chief operations officer. DeVries is also now the product owner of the company's mobile app, spave. Langer is a former Periscope employee, which is how she originally connected with DeVries. He will work closely with the company's CTO, Ajay Nair, and an offshore development team.
Founded in 2016, Live.Give.Save offers an app that connects to users' bank accounts and allows them to use their everyday purchases to increase their savings and give to causes they care about. Spave helps users pay down their debt, search for volunteer opportunities and set up group giving competitions through microfinancing.
“Overall, people think giving to charity is good, but around 45% never do,” Langer previously told Minne Inno.
By linking to bank accounts, the three-step payment process allows consumers to pick from more than a million nonprofits worldwide and apply a certain percentage of their spending to one or more groups of their choosing.
The spave app, which officially launched in 2018, is free to consumers and nonprofits. Live.Give.Save makes money by charging organizations who benefit from its technology and who are actively seeking new solutions to better engage with new demographics.
In 2018, the company participated in the Queen City Fintech accelerator in Charlotte, N.C. During the 12-week program, companies receive $20,000 incapital, as well as connections to mentors and potential investors.
Live.Give.Save still has an office in Charlotte, but all of its new leaders will be based in the Twin Cities.
