Chris Lawrence: Creating Financial Justice in a Mobile World

In this episode, Kristine Michie talks with Chris Lawrence, Chief Program Officer at the Interledger Foundation, about reimagining financial access in a digitally connected world. They explore what it means to create systems that move with people—across borders, crises, and communities—through open protocols and inclusive design. From artist-led explorations of money to refugee wallets and cross-border remittance tools, the episode shows how creativity, tech, and advocacy intersect to serve the 1.4 billion unbanked. Listeners will leave inspired to see financial inclusion not just as a tech fix, but as a human right—and a space where imagination fuels real change.

Key Takeaways:

• Digital connectivity can build financial systems that follow people across borders, crises, and time—access should be as portable as a phone number.
• True inclusion means designing for those without banks, credit histories, or infrastructure.
• Community value systems—like trust networks and mutual aid—should be empowered by tech, not replaced.
• If your solution excludes the most marginalized from basic services, it must be rethought from the ground up.
• Collaboration across tech, art, education, and activism is essential to build ecosystems rooted in shared values.
• Art and creativity aren’t extras—they help us grasp complex issues and imagine change.
• Open, decentralized systems can expand access—but need legal, cultural, and advocacy support.
• Financial rights are human rights—not market perks.
• We must stop treating money as taboo—economic empowerment is key to justice and transformation.

"A lack of creative solutions has a real chilling effect on progress." — Chris Lawrence

"Maybe there's something in a communal sense, where there's no value outside of that community, but if it's facilitating the transactions of that value within the community, then that’s serving a purpose." — Chris Lawrence

“Fun and play aren’t frivolous; they’re crucial in sustaining momentum, encouraging risk-taking, and breaking through ‘stuck’ thinking in serious work.” — Chris Lawrence

Episode References: 

Hacktoberfest: https://hacktoberfest.com/

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