Episodes
The road to financial health for all is long, and Financial Health Network President & CEO Jennifer Tescher has been walking it for almost two decades. In that time, she’s learned that lasting change requires diverse ideas and voices. She started EMERE Everywhere with that vision, and over the past year, she’s hosted finhealth visionaries making change across sectors. Listen to this special solo episode to hear Jen’s thoughts on the progress of financial health – and her hopes for the...
Published 12/14/22
Published 12/14/22
Dr. Bechara Choucair grew up in Beirut in the midst of the Lebanese Civil War, raised by parents that created stability in an otherwise unstable time. What he learned then informs his current work as Senior Vice President and Chief Health Officer for Kaiser Permanente: Stable environments create better, more equitable outcomes. In this episode, Dr. Choucair explains how health systems can promote health by fighting back against financial insecurity, which he sees as the next great health crisis.
Published 11/30/22
In 1992, John Hope Bryant brought a bus full of largely White corporate leaders to witness the disinvestment in South Central LA. This was the first big move for Operation HOPE, Inc., a nonprofit that John founded to empower underserved communities through financial literacy. In this episode, John and Jennifer discuss everything he’s learned in the 30 years since that first bus tour – including the importance of financial inclusion and building Black wealth.  
Published 11/09/22
Tom Spann is no stranger to helping people tackle financial challenges without judgment. He founded Accolade in 2007 to help working Americans navigate their health benefits, then co-founded employee financial wellness company Brightside in 2017. He did so to shed light on what he sees as a critical, yet underserved, part of health equity: financial health. In this episode, Tom and Jennifer discuss the role employers can play in improving financial well-being and using behavioral science to...
Published 10/26/22
A longtime finhealth champion in the credit union industry, Gigi Hyland has spent her career empowering credit unions to work within their communities to address today's unique financial health challenges. In this episode, Gigi and Jennifer discuss how credit unions can better serve their members' financial needs, technology's role in building financial well-being, and the deeply intertwined relationship between physical health and financial health.
Published 10/12/22
As a doctor’s son, Michael Hsu sees many parallels between the financial health movement and the goals of medicine: “The point is not to administer medicine. The point is to have healthy patients so that they can go about their lives.” He applies that perspective daily in his work as Acting Comptroller of the Currency. In this episode, Michael and Jennifer discuss how growing the federal government’s focus on finhealth can serve consumers and their communities while rebuilding faith in our...
Published 09/28/22
Holly O’Neill believes in the importance of building a consumer-first culture, having spent most of her career designing banking products and services around the true financial health needs of customers. Now, as president of retail banking for Bank of America, Holly joins Jennifer to discuss her work advocating for the financial health of consumers and the role retail banks can play in improving financial wellness.
Published 09/14/22
There are few people more familiar with the financial lives of Americans than Rachel Schneider.  Her seminal research on working families has profoundly changed our understanding of the financial struggles faced by families and communities across the U.S. An author-turned-entrepreneur, Rachel joins Jennifer to talk about her work on the pivotal Financial Diaries project and her new endeavor, Canary, a fintech company aimed at helping workers during moments of financial challenge.  
Published 04/06/22
In this episode of EMERGE Everywhere, Jennifer sits down with Shamina Singh, Founder and President of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, to explore her fascinating career from politics to the private sector. Shamina discusses her quest for a more sustainable and equitable future, and how she’s developing solutions to make the global economy work for everyone. 
Published 03/23/22
Honeybee CEO and co-founder Ennie Lim shares her experiences launching the financial wellness fintech in the wake of her own personal financial challenges. In this episode of EMERGE Everywhere, Ennie joins Jennifer to talk about coping with gender discrimination in financial services, helping employers navigate operational transformation through the height of the pandemic, and uncovering effective solutions for vulnerable workers, like rainy day funds for workplaces. Listen to learn how Ennie...
Published 03/08/22
To CEO Jeff Jones, H&R Block isn’t just a tax prep company – it’s an engine for growing financial confidence. In this episode of EMERGE Everywhere, Jennifer and Jeff talk about how his penchant for studying behavior and his own experience with financial hardship led him to center the company’s growth strategy on a sense of purpose. Tune in to hear how Jeff and his team are leveraging the H&R Block brand and deep customer relationships to turn tax time into an opportunity to improve...
Published 02/23/22
Dr. Tamarah Duperval-Brownlee has spent her career working to solve social disparities in the healthcare space. Today, the Chief Health Officer at Accenture is one of the most respected health leaders in the country. In this episode of EMERGE Everywhere, Jennifer sits down with Tamarah to talk about the pandemic’s effect on the medical community, how to approach healthcare from both a community and employee perspective, and the steps to create a more equitable healthcare system. 
Published 02/09/22
Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands’ passion for financial inclusion began as a child in Argentina, navigating the impacts of hyperinflation on families and desire to act. In her role as the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), she champions access to affordable and safe financial services for communities around the world, especially underserved groups. Through close collaboration with public and private sector partners,...
Published 01/26/22
It’s been a roller coaster of a year. Still, one thing is certain: There is a growing chorus of leaders committed to improving financial health for all – teaching us that while the context in which we operate matters, acting in line with our values matters more. In a special year-end episode of EMERGE Everywhere, host Jennifer Tescher shares reflections from conversations with 18 visionaries who graced the podcast this year and the lessons we can learn from them as we prepare for 2022.
Published 12/15/21
Can we predict the future? Brett King believes he can. The self-proclaimed futurist is known for his ability to see the social and economic changes coming and the opportunities they will bring. In this episode of EMERGE Everywhere, Jennifer sits down with Brett to discuss his newest book, “The Rise of Technosocialism: How Inequality, AI and Climate Will Usher in a New World,” and how we can prepare ourselves to meet the most pressing challenges facing businesses and societies today. 
Published 12/01/21
Our world is more interconnected and more siloed than ever before. Meet the silo busters – the leaders who are unleashing creative new ways of doing business by seeing customers, employees, and communities in 3D. Explore their vision of innovation alongside host Jennifer Tescher, founder and CEO of Financial Health Network.. 
Published 11/17/21
Brandee McHale of Citi Foundation understands the vision of financial health – she’s dedicated her career to creating measurable change and improving the lives of those in need. In this episode of EMERGE Everywhere, Jennifer sits down with Brandee to explore her professional path in the world of philanthropy, the importance of understanding the financial lives of Americans, and the latest findings of the Financial Health Pulse report.
Published 11/03/21
Where you come from shouldn’t determine your worth. This is the underlying belief that fuels Abbey Wemimo, CEO of Esusu, in his quest to promote justice-based capitalism. On this episode of EMERGE Everywhere, Abbey joins Jennifer to talk about his family’s immigration from Nigeria to Minnesota, how his experiences have shaped his views of the U.S. financial system, and his work to bridge the racial wealth gap. 
Published 10/20/21
Luz Urrutia’s passion for financial services developed early in life. Her own experience moving to the U.S. from Venezuela and trying to obtain credit as an immigrant lit a fire in her to help the Latinx community navigate similar financial barriers. As we recognize the contributions of Latinx people to the U.S. during Hispanic Heritage Month, Luz joins Jennifer to talk about her work in underserved communities, how we can support entrepreneurs of color better, and the issues facing small...
Published 10/06/21
Despite monumental progress, members of the LGBT+ community still face substantial social barriers and unique financial challenges. On this episode of EMERGE Everywhere, Rob Curtis joins Jennifer to talk about these obstacles and how his company, Daylight, is working to provide LGBT+ consumers with a tailored product that responds to their specific financial needs. For more information on this and other episodes, visit www.finhealthnetwork.org/emerge-everywhere-podcast/
Published 09/22/21
Financial inequity and systemic racism are two of the most pressing policy issues in America today as the country moves out of the pandemic. Urban Institute President Sarah Rosen Wartell joins Jennifer to discuss the country’s progress when it comes to affordable housing, the labor market, and racial inequity, as well as the role of government in enabling individuals to thrive. 
Published 06/30/21
After leading a group of 100 CEOs to meet Pope Francis in 2016, Fortune committed to advancing social progress by uniting leading minds at its annual CEO Initiative. As Fortune continues its transition from a magazine into a platform for change, CEO Alan Murray joins host Jennifer Tescher to talk about the future of the initiative, the progress of capitalism, and the need for greater compassion in business.
Published 06/16/21
Many financial companies have pledged resources to promote social good, but still struggle to leverage their own internal impact. In this episode of EMERGE Everywhere, JUST Capital CEO Martin Whittaker sits down with Jennifer to discuss his mission to help companies focus on the S in ESG, which includes investing in racial equity and employee financial wellness. Together, they discuss the importance of providing livable wages for employees and fostering inclusive workplace cultures, and how...
Published 05/26/21