Visibility Is Power in FinTech

FinTech Recruitment, Media Influence and Inclusive Growth in Financial Technology

In this episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, Nadia Edwards-Dashti sits down with Victoria Vaughan, Founder of B612, to explore what it truly means to build visibility, scale influence and drive inclusion across financial technology. The conversation moves seamlessly between brand recognition, media strategy, AI marketing, partnerships, representation and access, all themes that are increasingly central to the future of FinTech recruitment, FinTech leadership and the broader talent landscape.

Victoria’s journey begins in media. In 2013, she joined what was then a small media start-up called CoinTelegraph, at a time when blockchain and digital assets were only just emerging. The market was largely unknown. The industry was undefined. What began as publishing a few news articles each week quickly evolved into something much larger. Over time, the company grew significantly, and Victoria eventually became CEO. Through that experience, she developed a deep understanding of how media ecosystems function, how visibility compounds, and how network effects can accelerate growth.

That experience shaped her perspective on branding and influence. It also gave her the network and insight that would later inform her own entrepreneurial journey.

Rather than raising external investment, Victoria chose to build something she could scale independently. She founded B612 as a PR agency, initially serving blockchain and digital asset companies, leveraging her existing network. From there, she diversified into additional verticals including FinTech, health tech, AI and general technology. The emphasis was always on sustainable growth without reliance on fundraising. That founder mindset, disciplined, strategic and intentional, runs throughout the conversation.

For businesses operating within financial technology, particularly those scaling rapidly, there are clear parallels. Growth is rarely accidental. Visibility is rarely organic. Both require deliberate positioning.

Building Brand Recognition in FinTech and Financial Technology

One of the most compelling parts of the conversation centres on recognition. Victoria explains that CoinTelegraph differentiated itself early through distinctive visual branding. Every article featured a unique cartoon-style image, created by an in-house team of artists. Over time, this visual consistency became synonymous with the brand. Readers could instantly recognise the content.

Recognition builds trust. Trust builds authority. Authority builds returning audiences.

The company also partnered with industry experts who were active on Twitter and cryptocurrency forums. By collaborating with these voices, publishing their commentary and amplifying their insights, CoinTelegraph tapped into existing audiences. Those experts then shared the content across their own platforms, creating organic cross-pollination of readership.

Later, the company developed what they called the CoinTelegraph Media Group. They partnered with other industry websites, purchasing advertising space with one critical condition: those partners had to place CoinTelegraph’s news widget prominently on their homepage. This strategy allowed them to source traffic from across the industry ecosystem. Because they were a media company with strong returning visitor rates, those conversions were meaningful and sustained.

For businesses operating in FinTech today, including those hiring for FinTech jobs or scaling through FinTech recruitment partnerships, the lesson is clear. Partnerships matter. Cross-marketing matters. Visibility is a growth lever.

Nadia draws a powerful connection between this approach and the reality that many companies today are effectively media companies in their own right. The distinction between recruitment and media, for example, has blurred significantly over the last decade. Organisations that consistently create content, amplify voices and invest in brand storytelling naturally build recognition in their markets.

Inclusion, Access and Representation in Financial Technology

While visibility is one core theme, inclusion sits at the heart of the conversation. Victoria speaks candidly about representation and access. For her, inclusion begins much earlier than corporate policy. It begins in childhood.

She reflects on growing up in Russia and attending a mathematical gymnasium where her class consisted of 20 boys and four girls. She observes that often, parents do not even encourage daughters to pursue technical education. As a result, representation gaps appear early. Those gaps compound over time, leading to fewer women or people of colour applying for accelerator programmes, startup competitions and technical roles.

Victoria mentors in accelerator programmes and judges startup competitions. From that vantage point, she has seen first-hand that certain groups are underrepresented not because they lack capability, but because they do not always believe those pathways are available to them.

This creates a loop. On one side, individuals do not apply because they do not see themselves reflected. On the other side, companies struggle to find diverse candidates.

Breaking that cycle requires intentional intervention.

For FinTech leaders, hiring managers and FinTech recruitment partners, this insight is critical. Inclusive hiring does not begin at the interview stage. It begins with education, exposure and encouragement.

Victoria highlights initiatives within the digital asset space that focus on educating women about the industry, helping them understand how to secure roles and then connecting them directly with hiring companies. She notes that these programmes work because they provide tangible pathways. Education leads to confidence. Confidence leads to application. Application leads to opportunity.

From a sector-wide perspective, representation improves when ecosystems invest in access.

Scaling Through Partnerships and Media Strategy in FinTech

Returning to the question of growth, Victoria emphasises partnerships as a key driver for startups. Rather than relying solely on paid marketing or standalone campaigns, she encourages founders to look for non-competitive collaborators within the market. Joint initiatives, cross-promotions and shared visibility can multiply reach without proportionally increasing spend.

She also underscores a significant macro trend: every company is becoming a media company.

With the rise of AI tools, founders now have unprecedented ability to produce video content, automate monitoring and scale marketing activities. Victoria explains that even within her own PR agency, she has built AI-based tools that allow her team to monitor the media landscape efficiently, reducing manual tasks and freeing time for strategic work.

However, she balances this enthusiasm for AI with realism. The media landscape itself is shrinking. Major media organisations have reduced their teams. Journalists have been laid off. Competition for coverage has intensified. There are more PR professionals than there are journalists.

In this environment, positioning becomes critical.

Victoria observes that many startups approach PR without having completed thorough marketing analysis. They do not fully understand competitor messaging, product gaps or how they are differentiated within the market. Without clarity on positioning, visibility becomes harder to secure.

For businesses operating in FinTech recruitment, technology hiring or digital transformation, this principle applies equally. Clarity of value proposition is essential. Differentiation drives engagement.

Human Connection in an AI-Saturated FinTech Landscape

Perhaps one of the most resonant themes in the episode is the emphasis on human connection.

Victoria describes inboxes flooded with AI-generated outreach. Cold emails, templated messages and automated pitches have created noise. She refers to what many now call “AI fluff”. In that environment, genuine connection becomes a competitive advantage.

She advises building authentic, long-term relationships with journalists. Engage with their content. Support their work. Provide useful insights without expecting immediate return. Over time, trust develops. When a story pitch eventually arises, that foundation increases the likelihood of collaboration.

The principle extends beyond media. In FinTech recruitment and leadership, relationship-driven engagement consistently outperforms transactional interaction.

Nadia echoes this sentiment, sharing her own passion for amplifying other voices. The ability to platform insights and champion diverse perspectives becomes part of a broader strategy for inclusion and influence.

In a digital ecosystem dominated by automation, human intention stands out.

Representation and Education in Web3 and FinTech Careers

The conversation returns again to representation in digital assets and Web3. Victoria points to educational initiatives designed specifically to help women enter the industry. These programmes partner with companies that commit to hiring graduates, creating a clear pipeline from learning to employment.

Such initiatives demonstrate how ecosystems can self-correct. When companies collaborate with community programmes, sponsor events and actively engage with niche networks, they expand their talent pools.

Victoria also highlights the importance of attentiveness in hiring. She observes that many female founders naturally build teams with strong female representation and actively support one another within community networks. That sense of collective support can be powerful.

For organisations serious about inclusive growth, supporting communities, sponsoring events and participating in education-driven initiatives becomes more than a symbolic gesture. It becomes strategic.

In the context of FinTech recruitment and hiring for FinTech jobs, this approach aligns with long-term workforce sustainability. Diverse pipelines do not appear spontaneously. They are cultivated.

FinTech Leadership and Inclusive Workplace Strategy

As the episode draws to a close, Nadia asks Victoria for one final piece of advice to drive a more inclusive sector.

Victoria’s answer is practical. Collaborate with communities. Sponsor relevant initiatives. Be open and attentive when hiring. Support events that focus on inclusion. Participate meaningfully rather than passively.

The underlying message is consistent throughout the discussion: inclusion is not abstract. It is operational.

It shows up in how children are encouraged at school. It shows up in how founders position their brands. It shows up in how companies form partnerships. It shows up in how leaders build relationships.

For the broader FinTech ecosystem, including recruitment specialists, founders, hiring managers and marketers — this episode reinforces that growth and inclusion are interconnected. Visibility enables access. Access enables opportunity. Opportunity enables representation.

Victoria’s journey from media executive to founder illustrates how strategic branding, thoughtful partnerships and strong positioning can accelerate scale. Her reflections on representation illustrate how early interventions and educational pathways can broaden participation.

Taken together, the conversation provides a blueprint for modern FinTech leadership: build recognition intentionally, leverage partnerships strategically, adopt AI thoughtfully, prioritise human connection deliberately and invest in representation proactively.

In an industry defined by rapid technological advancement, the fundamentals remain deeply human.