Louise Hill: GoHenry's disruption in the world of fintech

“I wasn’t taught money management at school.” This is a long-held frustration by almost everyone who’s attended formal education. But one company has taken matters into its own hands, with the mission to “make every kid smart with money” and become a household name in the process.

The entrepreneur behind GoHenry, the financial technology company founded in 2012, is Louise Hill.  Targeted at 6- to 18-year-olds, the fintech was born out of frustration after realising that there was nothing in society that could help teach her children how to be good with money in an increasingly digital world. The company now boasts over 2 million members and continues to from strength to strength.

We spoke to Louise about creating a new market, the importance of getting out of the way as a good leader, being on both sides of an acquisition and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Who is the Henry of GoHenry? (00:20)
• Could you give us an overview of your career before you set up GoHenry? (03:20)
• You’d imagine GoHenry to be set up by someone who has a background in the banking sector, which you don’t. What made you take the step to start the business? (04:45)
• Would you say your lack of in-depth industry knowledge was actually a benefit? (06:53)
• Could you tell us about starting GoHenry with your Co-Founders? (08:07)
• Could you tell us about your funding journey? (09:09)
• Fast forward to 2016 and you broke the record for the largest equity crowdfunding on Crowdcube, raising £4m. Crowdfunding was in its infancy at the time, were you drawn to it as it was a disruptor like your company? (12:28)
• GoHenry can be regarded as a loud disruptor because most parents are aware of the brand. Were you nervous that established financial companies and traditional banks were going to squash your proposition in the early days? (14:45)
• How did you find the experience of hiring the right people to grow and scale the business? (17:23)
• GoHenry acquired Pixpay. Could you tell us about how this came about and any challenges you came across? (23:12)
• Did you pass on potential acquisitions because of a lack of cultural fit? (26:37)
• You expanded into the US after building a brand in the UK. Did you get frustrated that you had to start from scratch? (27:58)
• Did you find any differences between building a brand in the US, Europe and the UK? (29:18)
• You were acquired by Acorns in April 2023. Could you tell us how this came about? (31:40)
• You’ve been on both sides of an acquisition – when you acquired Pixpay in 2022 and were acquired by Acorns in 2023. Do you have any tips for people going through the process? (34:10)
• The Good News Postcard - If you went down a different career path, what would it be and why? (37:32)
• What makes a great business leader? (39:09)

Thanks to Hayden from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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