This episode of the One Humanity Lab Podcast is for leaders, coaches, and changemakers who care about economic justice, systems change, and the power of deep listening. Guest hosts Mia Cellucci and Pauline de Castelnau welcome Mercedes Bidart, CEO and Co‑founder of Quipu, a social enterprise using AI and alternative data models to provide equitable credit access for micro‑entrepreneurs in Latin America.

Drawing from her journey running community development projects in informal settlements in Argentina, earning a Masters in City Planning at MIT, and moving to Colombia, Mercedes shares how Quipu has supported tens of thousands of micro‑businesses that have been structurally excluded from traditional banking. She invites listeners into the story of pivoting from the idea of creating a local currency to real‑world access to fair credit, and how falling in love with the problem her team is solving—not their original idea of what a solution might look like—can unlock human‑centered innovation.

Together, they explore leadership, risk‑taking, and “playing” with ideas while staying grounded in what communities actually need. The conversation offers both practical insight into inclusive fintech and deeper reflections on leading system change from a place of courage, humility, and service.

This episode features:

How Quipu is using non-traditional data and AI (videos, social media, phone and wallet usage) to assess risk and approve micro‑loans for entrepreneurs in seconds.
The origin story of Quipu in informal settlements and why building local wealth—not just access to services—matters.
Mercedes’ early experiments with community currencies and local marketplaces, and what she learned when those models didn’t work as her team had hoped.
The pivotal moment when a microfinance institution rejected a woman entrepreneur, and why Quipu decided, “If no one else will lend to her, we will.”
How Quipu evolved into both a lender and a technology partner for banks, MFIs, and digital wallets seeking to serve the informal economy.
Leadership lessons on falling in love with the problem, staying flexible, and holding ideas lightly while staying deeply committed to the people you serve.
How AI can be used to hyper‑personalize financial products and actually humanize finance instead of excluding those already at the margins.
Mercedes’ vision for changing the rules of lending within traditional institutions and educating financial leaders to use AI for inclusion.

Resources & Links:

Learn more about Quipu: https://quipu.com.co/
Follow Quipu on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quipulatam
Learn more about Escuela Quipu: https://quipu.com.co/escuela-quipu/
Connect with Mercedes Bidart on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mercedes-bidart-argentina/
Follow Mercedes Bidart on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mercedesbidart
Follow the One Humanity Lab: https://leadershipcoaching.cepl.gwu.edu/

Mia Cellucci and Pauline de Castelnau are Executive Coaches, alumni of the One Humanity Leadership Coaching Program, and Founding Fellows of the One Humanity Lab at the George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership.

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https://leadershipcoaching.cepl.gwu.edu/podcast/