Best Places to Work in Fintech 2023

June 5, 2023 2:14 PM

It takes more than setting up the stereotypical foosball table in a break room to be one of the Best Places to Work in Fintech.

Management also needs to be present and transparent. Employees need to feel a sense of belonging and see a future at the fintech. And the pay and benefits need to at least meet, if not surpass, the competition. The 50 firms that this year made American Banker's Best Places to Work in Fintech offered all of this and more.

This year, the winners ranged from one firm that had just 16 U.S. employees to a tech firm that had more than 800. Companies that were eligible for the ranking included challenger banks, core banking systems, data and analytics providers and more.

The ranking was determined through a two-part process with the help of Best Companies Group. The first assessment was an employer questionnaire completed by each applicant that covered benefits and policies and was worth 25% of the total score.

For the second part, employees of each applicant completed an engagement and satisfaction survey that consisted of 77 statements that they responded to and two open-ended questions. The questions focused on eight core areas, including leadership and planning, training and work environment. This survey was worth 75% of the score.

Read on for more details on some of the perks each winner offers in addition to why each fintech believes they are a great place to work.

Network Merchants (NMI)

San Francisco
CEO: Vijay Sondhi
No. of U.S. employees: 211
Service: A payments enablement platform

Why it's a great place to work: Network Merchants said that "trust, support and good communication" were key pillars that everyone strives to maintain and improve upon. The company's offices have been specifically designed with breakout areas to encourage collaboration. "Our employees look beyond the great offices, culture and benefits and find meaning in the work they do and the relationships they build, making NMI truly the best place to work," the company said.

Fun perk: Network Merchants offers free catered lunches every Tuesday in addition to extra treats every month to celebrate staff birthdays.

Pictured: Employees from the company's Glendale, California, office get ready for Halloween by decorating cookies.

Alkami Technology

Plano, Texas
CEO: Alex Shootman
No. of U.S. employees: 834
Service: Provides cloud-based mobile and digital banking technology

Why it's a great place to work: Giving back is integral at Alkami Technology. The company partners with various organizations, such as Bold Idea, which teaches students about computer science and technology skills; Feed the City, which provides lunches for people in need; and Minnie's Pantry, a food pantry in North Texas. "We know that finding meaning and purpose must extend past the day-to-day functions of our jobs," the company said. "Our Alkamists are passionate about improving the lives of individuals and families, offering their time, expertise and philanthropic giving to create more sustainable communities."

Fun perk: Alkami regularly sends gifts to show its gratitude to employees. For instance, it recently sent everyone a charcuterie board.

Pictured: Employees enjoy the annual Halloween costume contest.

Facet

Baltimore
CEO: Anders Jones
No. of U.S. employees: 286
Service: Provides financial planning app for individual investors

Why it's a great place to work: Facet has a few philosophies that influence its culture. "[A]ll employees are encouraged and supported to be their true selves at work," the company said. "Good ideas can come from anywhere, and all C-level executives … are open and approachable any time."

Fun perk: All employees have access to a free personal financial planner.

Pictured: Facet's leadership team participates in a recent training held in Baltimore.

Percent

New York
Founder and CEO: Nelson Chu
No. of U.S. employees: 56
Service: Platform for private credit investments

Why it's a great place to work: To ensure that all employees feel welcome and heard, Percent staff members have frequent one-on-one sessions with managers and the executive team, who want to take a pulse of what's going on. Feedback is also provided on areas of strong growth and where the employee can improve to reach the next step of his or her career. "[Percent] gives them the tools, space and mentorship they need to help contribute to the audacious vision we are building towards," the company said. "Everyone at Percent is aligned with clear goals in mind, and everyone does what it takes to reach them."

Fun perk: The fintech hosts companywide volunteer events, such as working with Covenant House, which helps young people access mental health services.

Pictured: Employees enjoy the company's quarterly off-site visit at a local rooftop venue in New York City.

Stephanie Linaburg-Ipock

FinFit

Virginia Beach, Virginia
CEO: David Kilby
No. of U.S. employees: 52
Service: Provides financial wellness program and tools to employers

Why it's a great place to work: FinFit said that employees are deeply committed to the company's mission of helping others improve their financial wellness. "They see themselves as being part of a greater mission, something that goes beyond simple revenue and profits," the company said.

Trust is also an important component at FinFit. "Employees trust our executives to lead a healthy, dynamic and growing company that looks out for its people," the fintech added. "Leaders trust workers to be advocates who will make decisions that support both the business and its customers. Co-workers regard each other as family who have each other's back."

Fun perk: FinFit offers a 100% match up to 4% on employee retirement contributions.

Pictured: Employees participate in a polar plunge event.

StrategyCorps

Brentwood, Tennessee
Managing partner: Dave Crook
No. of U.S. employees: 55
Service: Provides analytics for retail checking account products

Why it's a great place to work: A flat hierarchy allows employees at StrategyCorps to get face time with high-level executives. "With the growth of our business and the evolution of our solutions, there are opportunities to grow professionally and personally to pursue both career and social objectives for our entire team," the company said. "Our organizational structure is flat and allows for ample interaction with the owners and executives of the business and empowers everyone to share the responsibility of being creative and a problem-solver."

Fun perk: StrategyCorps started offering a book club about five years ago. Employees submit book suggestions and then vote on the winner, and the company pays for the books for everyone who participates. Discussions are ongoing over Slack, in addition to local participants gathering to talk about the selection in person while enjoying snacks or lunch. Remote workers can call in to join the discussion.

Pictured: Employees enjoy a United Way tailgate-themed campaign kickoff party.

Yieldstreet

New York
CEO: Milind Mehere
No. of U.S. employees: 141
Service: An alternative-investment platform

Why it's a great place to work: Yieldstreet wants its employees to go against the grain. "Yieldstreet team members are challenged to constantly be learning and to speak up against the status quo while also working well with diverse perspectives and viewpoints, which has led to strong retention and growth among the employee base," the company said. "Yieldstreet's crystal-clear mission and entrepreneurial work culture have enabled the company to stay ahead of the competition and become the largest direct-to-consumer platform for alternative investments."

Fun perk: The company sponsors monthly happy hours, often themed, complete with food and beverages.

Pictured: The marketing team participates in a pasta-making class.

T-Rex

New York
CEO: Benjamin Cohen
No. of U.S. employees: 46
Service: Provides data, analytics, reporting and collaboration technology for assessing higher risk markets

Why it's a great place to work: T-Rex aims to help employees both in terms of "financial capital" and "human capital." The first includes rewarding staff members with stock options and other perks. As for human capital, management strives to ensure all workers achieve their goals and are fulfilled. Collaboration among all the teams is also highly encouraged.

The company's hiring process looks for candidates that fit 70% of a role with the belief that the individual can learn the rest while sharpening their skills in the job.

"T-Rex follows a well-defined hierarchy of focus that starts with our team and flows to our clients and stakeholders, the markets and industries our clients invest in, the broader community, and the society we share," the company said.

Fun perk: T-Rex employees enjoy weekly happy hours.

Pictured: Employees participate in a walking tour of Wall Street.

Cross River

Fort Lee, New Jersey
CEO: Gilles Gade
No. of U.S. employees: 747
Service: Provides embedded financial solutions

Why it's a great place to work: Cross River likes to show employees it cares with various benefits, such as fully subsidized health care, unlimited paid time off and a fully stocked kitchen in its office. Management also takes the time to listen to every employee. "Our CEO will respond to every email sent to him, and take all comments to heart," the company said. "We take every opportunity to celebrate each other. From birthdays to themed monthly happy hours, we genuinely enjoy spending time with each other."

Fun perk: On Fridays, the company buys pizza for all staff members working in the office.

Pictured: Employees enjoy playing in a companywide dodgeball tournament.

Marstone

Providence, Rhode Island
Co-founder and CEO: Margaret J. Hartigan
No. of U.S. employees: 32
Service: A digital wealth management platform

Why it's a great place to work: Marstone's management team values open communication to gain a better perspective on what motivates employees. "We are working towards developing greater transparency committed to self-reflection and growth," the company said. "Collaboration and innovation are the core of Marstone, and we work to maintain these values and balance modernization with meeting requirements."

Fun perk: Marstone offers military leave for employees who serve in one of the armed forces. It also provides military family leave for eligible employees who are the parent or spouse of someone who is in the military and called to active duty.

Pictured: Marstone employees enjoy an off-site meeting in 2022.

Self Financial

Austin, Texas
Founder and CEO: James Garvey
No. of U.S. employees: 294
Service: Provides credit-builder products for consumers

Why it's a great place to work: Self Financial has expanded significantly since it acquired RentTrack and Level Credit, providers of rent and utility reporting, in February 2022. Its headcount has increased more than 50% over the past year, which has created opportunities for workers. Employees were moved from the "customer success" team into other roles throughout the organization, such as accounting, risk management, marketing and product management. It also enhanced its "career conversations" program to foster mentorship.

"We believe in cultivating talent from within," Self Financial said.

Fun perk: Self is a sponsor of the San Antonio Spurs, which means employees enjoy frequent ticket giveaways and other fun promos related to the basketball team.

Pictured: The Self Financial team gathers at the company's Austin headquarters for a special presentation by the San Antonio Spurs leadership team. Self is the official jersey patch partner of the Spurs.

Core10

Franklin, Tennessee
CEO: Jeff Hanson
No. of U.S. employees: 68
Service: Lending, account opening and APIs for community banks

Why it's a great place to work: Listening to staff members is at the heart of Core10's culture, the company says. Employees have two "Start, stop, keep" meetings with someone from the management team each year. Feedback gathered from these conversations is collected and given to the "employee input committee," which identifies actionable items and presents those ideas to the management team. Many changes have some from this process, such as offering more training opportunities after hearing from workers that this was something they wanted.

"To grow, we must first listen to our employees and take action when the occasion arises," the company said. "We'd like to highlight a few of the many instances in which we have heard our team members and responded with action."

Fun perk: Core10 offers an optional flex schedule where staff members can work longer days Monday through Thursday and then take a half day on Friday. This allows them to get an early start to the weekend.

Pictured: Employees enjoy an in-person celebration with the theme "Couldn't Have 'Donut' Without You."

Wise

London
Co-founder and CEO: Kristo Kaarmann
No. of U.S. employees: 560
Service: Provides cross-border payments through a mobile app

Why it's a great place to work: Wise puts its trust in its employees and allows them to work autonomously. It operates "in a mostly flat structure to eliminate top-down management and decision making," while working in autonomous teams allows them to prioritize and deliver the results, the company said.

"All this freedom and autonomy might sound scary, but it's not. Everyone has a lead who supports them, and teams collaborate, so there's always someone to talk things through with and tackle challenges," Wise added.

Fun perk: There is a dedicated budget for each team to participate in fun activities, such as ax throwing, in addition to cross-team events such as bowling and intramural sports.

Pictured: Employees in the company's New York City office gather to celebrate the launch of a new feature for U.S. customers.

Member Driven Technologies

Farmington Hills, Michigan
President and CEO: Larry Nichols
No. of U.S. employees: 144
Service: A credit union service organization that provides core technology and services

Why it's a great place to work: Member Driven Technologies said its customer service is how it distinguishes itself from the competition. And it can only do that because of its staff members. The company described its team as "highly capable" and "phenomenal."

"We have an unwavering dedication to attracting and retaining talented professionals, and we position them for success by providing training, coaching and career development," the fintech said. "We provide opportunities for achievement and cultivate a culture they are proud of, for they are our greatest assets."

Member Driven Technologies has also started a new Innovation Challenge program that all workers can participate in to promote their ideas on how to improve the firm. That could include focusing on a new product, service or a process.

"Through this program, our employees are directly helping with the ongoing evolution of our organization," the company said.

Fun perk: Employees are given three hours of time off each month, in addition to regular paid time off, to take care of personal appointments during the work day.

Pictured: The female leaders from Member Driven Technologies attend the Detroit Women Leaders Summit.

VizyPay

Waukee, Iowa
Founder and CEO: Austin Mac Nab
No. of U.S. employees: 86
Service: Provides credit card payment processing to small businesses

Why it's a great place to work: VizyPay said its "company culture runs deep in its DNA," so much so that co-founders Austin Mac Nab and Frank Pagano complete the final interview for all new hires. "Their commitment to company culture drives them to meet every potential new hire and assess their team fit individually, creating an incredibly diverse workforce," the company said.

Fun perk: During monthly all-hands meetings, the leaders of each department share what they are working on and the challenges they are facing. That allows employees to share their ideas and for the company to improve its processes and solve these issues.

Pictured: Employees enjoy a Halloween happy hour.

TruStage Perpetual Offers (formerly CuneXus)

Santa Rosa, California
President: Tony Salamone
No. of U.S. employees: 45
Service: Provides consumer lending technology

Why it's a great place to work: TruStage Perpetual Offers strives to listen to employees, and taking their feedback seriously is an essential component of its workplace culture. "By recognizing employees' value and praising their efforts, they are happier and more effective in their roles and more likely to exude that confidence, joy and appreciation in everything they do and with everyone they interact with," the company said. "It is truly a gift to be a part of a team that raises you up both personally and professionally."

Fun perk: Management sends each worker a basket of cookies for his or her birthday.

Pictured: Employees enjoy a bocce ball pizza party.

SmartBiz Loans

San Francisco
CEO: Evan Singer
No. of U.S. employees: 196
Service: Provides an online lending network that matches small businesses to lenders

Why it's a great place to work: To SmartBiz Loans, being a great place to work involves a simple ingredient: caring. "We operate with empathy and care about one another," the company said. "We understand, solve, then surpass by collaborating even with a remote-first, flexible and asynchronous workforce."

Fun perk: SmartBiz covers 100% of premiums for medical, vision and dental insurance for both employees and their dependents.

Pictured: Employees volunteer during SmartBiz's volunteer week at the St. Anthony's farmers market in San Francisco.

Savana

Malvern, Pennsylvania
CEO: Mike Wolfel
No. of U.S. employees: 155
Service: Provides financial software

Why it's a great place to work: Savana said it enables all of its staff members to do their best at home and at work by "providing unlimited [paid time off], flexible schedules and hybrid/remote work options to employees."

Fun perk: Employees are allowed to bring their dogs into the office. It's a great way for the pets to get exercise and socialization.

Pictured: Employees are introduced to a new puppy at the office while another waits for a treat.

KlariVis

Roanoke, Virginia
Founder and CEO: Kim Snyder
No. of U.S. employees: 38
Service: A data analytics firm

Why it's a great place to work: The KlariVis team is spread out across the U.S. To foster teamwork, creativity and appreciation, the KlariVis team gathers several times a year. "Day to day, we maintain a balance of collaboration and independence to support diversity in work styles to allow each team member to realize their full potential," the company said.

Fun perk: The fintech offers some fun swag, including custom branded shoes for its employees.

Pictured: Employees enjoy a company cookout hosted at CEO Kim Snyder's house.

Episode Six

Austin, Texas
Co-founder and CEO: John Mitchell
No. of U.S. employees: 55
Service: Payments technology and issuer processing

Why it's a great place to work: Episode Six recognizes that career development is essential to recruiting and retaining top talent. That's why it has partnered with Hone, a platform that offers leadership training. "Our people are always first," the company said. "We understand everyone's personal and professional goals and needs are different, and we support every individual in achieving and fulfilling their goals."

Fun perk: The company offers pet insurance as a voluntary benefit to staff members. The benefit is meant to recognize how important these furry creatures are to their owners.

Pictured: Employees enjoy a happy hour sponsored by the company in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Vestwell Holdings

New York
Founder and CEO: Aaron Schumm
No. of U.S. employees: 264
Service: Workplace savings and investment platform for small businesses

Why it's a great place to work: Vestwell Holdings completes an annual employee engagement survey, and this year's results showed that 95% of employees were proud to work there. The company attributes this to being true to its core values of "act like an owner, look for the better way, embrace the difficult, and help me help you help us."

"We have defined behaviors and expectations associated with each value and have operationalized them across the organization," the company added.

Fun perk: Vestwell not only offers unlimited paid time off, it also provides quarterly well-being days as formal company holidays. This encourages people to take time off to recharge.

Pictured: The Vestwell team attends the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries Conference.

Aces Quality Management

Denver
CEO: Trevor Gauthier
No. of U.S. employees: 86
Service: Provides audit technology

Why it's a great place to work: Employees for Aces Quality Management worked remotely before COVID-19 made that much more common, and management has no plans to change that any time soon. "We were remote before the pandemic, and we will always remain a remote workforce," the company said. "With being remote, time flexibility is one of our strong points."

Fun perk: The fintech has a Slack channel solely for employees to post fun activities. It also offers one for pets, which the company jokingly refers to as staff members' "work from home co-workers."

Pictured: Employees enjoy a fun outing at Top Golf.

Momnt

Atlanta
CEO: Barclay Keith
No. of U.S. employees: 108
Service: Provides technology related to consumer lending

Why it's a great place to work: Momnt prioritizes taking care of its employees by offering competitive pay, great benefits and a strong work-life balance, according to the company. Perks include unlimited paid time off. "We believe culture is critical to success and invest in our people accordingly; we know that great work comes from a well-supported team," the company said.

Fun perk: To help employees maintain a healthy lifestyle, the company reimburses workers up to $100 each month for eligible expenses, such as gym memberships and at-home gym equipment, that directly relate to their well-being.

Pictured: Momnt's sales team celebrates during an outdoor activity at the company's quarterly team-building event.

Snappy Kraken

Ormond Beach, Florida
CEO: Robert Sofia
No. of U.S. employees: 65
Service: Marketing automation for financial services companies

Why it's a great place to work: Snappy Kraken is dedicated to investing in the next generation of leaders at the company. That includes making sure the current leaders work as coaches and ambassadors of the firm's vision and culture. "Why? Because we realize that people are the lifeblood of this company, that a healthy culture will keep them with Snappy Kraken, even if they are offered more money elsewhere, and an impactful manager is critical to a superior employee experience," the company said.

Fun perk: Snappy Kraken has the "dream board challenge," which encourages staff members to set a big goal for themselves to achieve within a certain time period. This encourages colleagues to cheer each other on.

Pictured: Snappy Kraken employees participate in the Jolt! marketing conference.

Mpower Financing

Washington, D.C.
Co-founder and CEO: Manu Smadja
No. of U.S. employees: 32
Service: Lender to international students

Why it's a great place to work: Mpower Financing's secret to being a great employer is valuing diversity. Inclusion is one of its core values. Management thinks of this broadly and as including "embracing diverse viewpoints as well as supporting and celebrating diversity — across employees, students, investors, advisors, board members and partners," the company said.

"Companies and organizations are increasingly being called upon to model internally the values that they promote externally through their work," the added said.

Fun perk: Employees aren't required to request time off if they will be out of the office for less than three hours on any given day.

Pictured: Employees enjoy a day in the office.

Autobooks

Detroit
Founder and CEO: Steve Robert
No. of U.S. employees: 123
Service: Provides small-business banking technology to banks

Why it's a great place to work: Autobooks emphasizes that it wants employees' "ideas, passion and experience" to help improve what it offers to its customers. Its mission is to help improve small-business banking so owners can better manage their finances. "Our working environment is fast-paced, collaborative and highly rewarding," the company added. "We find strength in building camaraderie in the office, virtually and sometimes over a few beers and pizza."

Fun perk: Autobooks offers great swag every year, such as T-shirts, tech organizers and sweatshirts. The most coveted item is the Autobooks Small Business Champion Belt, which is a large novelty belt given to the company's customers, employees and others.

Pictured: Staff members enjoy a night of karaoke during the company's first company homecoming event where everyone had a chance to meet their colleagues in person.

Green Check Verified

Bonita Springs, Florida
CEO: Kevin J. Hart
No. of U.S. employees: 44
Service: Provides products to help financial institutions serve the cannabis industry

Why it's a great place to work: Management at Green Check Verified strives to treat employees the same way it treats clients. "[W]here many companies fail is that they forget that their team members, the very people that make a company great, have the same expectation as a client," Green Check said. "The team you work with is the first client you will see every day and the last one you will talk to at night. Do you give your team the same attention, opportunity and nurturing as you do your customers?"

Fun perk: A number of employees are avid gardeners at Green Check Verified, and they enjoy sharing recipes, pickling, pies and more with their colleagues.

Pictured: Employees enjoy a night out in Nashville after a conference.

Mantl

New York
CEO: Nathaniel Harley
No. of U.S. employees: 109
Service: Provides account-opening software

Why it's a great place to work: Mantl provides a diverse range of benefits to ensure that the needs of every team member are met. "We invest in our employees' well-being and empower them with robust benefits that span from fully covered health insurance to generous parental leave, unlimited paid time off, internal mentoring programs and more," the company said.

Fun perk: The company has an open forum to ensure workers can share their thoughts on training, benefits and other policies.

Pictured: During the company's annual retreat, employees team up to compete in the Mantlympics, a day of games, puzzles and contests.

IOU Financial

Kennesaw, Georgia
CEO: Robert Gloer
No. of U.S. employees: 67
Service: Online lender to small businesses

Why it's a great place to work: IOU Financial's goal is to provide a "dynamic and stimulating work environment," it said. The company does this by providing opportunities to staff members, such as bonus and incentive programs, cash prizes and weekend getaways for winners of its core values award. Staff members are also encouraged to recognize a job well done in real time.

"Through all of this, IOU celebrates the humor and individual expression — giving every member of our team the freedom to be themselves and rely on each teammate's strengths to make the company successful," IOU said.

Fun perk: Managers at IOU have an open-door policy to ensure that their staff members have an easy time approaching them with any concerns or questions.

Pictured: After working at IOU Financial for 10 years, employees are rewarded with a Bobblehead made in their likeness.

Teslar Software

Springdale, Arkansas
Founder and CEO: Joe Ehrhardt
No. of U.S. employees: 61
Service: Provides automated workflow and loan portfolio management tools

Why it's a great place to work: Teslar Software invests in its employees' professional development. This includes paying for one or two staff members to participate in the annual Leadership Springdale, an event hosted by the Springdale Chamber of Commerce. "Teslar Software is a fintech that prioritizes providing a positive, fulfilling work culture," the company said. "Its employees are key to its success, and they feel valued and pushed to reach their full potential."

Fun perk: Employees are required to take at least 15 days of paid time off each year and can take additional time as needed. The policy is meant to ensure a healthy work-life balance for everyone.

Pictured: A large team of employees who enjoy cycling participate in a local bike race. They do this twice a year, the company said.

Alloy

New York
CEO: Tommy Nicholas
No. of U.S. employees: 289
Service: Provides identity verification technology

Why it's a great place to work: Alloy describes its culture as "unique, quirky and mission-driven." To keep this alive, the company focuses on developing employees, empowering them and giving them the resources to do their best in and outside of the job. "Here at Alloy it's 'all for one, and one for all,' "the company added. "As our company continues to grow and has tremendous social impact, all 'Alloyans' share in that success and push each other to heights we never thought we'd achieve."

Fun perk: Employees are given a monthly grocery stipend that they can spend on items that fall into the "wellness" and "appreciation" categories. Employees can use their Level card, which is loaded with the stipend, to pay for qualifying expenses.

Pictured: The company's Asian American and Pacific Islander employee resource group took their peers for a food tour in New York City's Chinatown.

WebBank

Salt Lake City
President and CEO: Jason Lloyd
No. of U.S. employees: 218
Service: Bank partner to fintechs

Why it's a great place to work: WebBank takes employee feedback seriously. For instance, the company increased the amount of paid time off and began offering tuition reimbursement to employees based on feedback from a 2021 survey. It also added a no-cost medical premium benefit option. Based on its 2022 survey, it started offering a nationwide medical insurance plan and increased the amount of parental leave for the nonbirthing parents from one week to four weeks.

Fun perk: Employees earn $2,000 for referring a person who is subsequently hired by WebBank. They then earn an additional $2,000 when the new hire has been with the firm for six months. As a result, 60% of new staff members come from referrals from current employees.

Pictured: WebBank's business development team celebrates during the company's 25th anniversary event.

PHILLIP BROWN GOTHAM PORTRAI

Glia

New York
CEO: Daniel Michaeli
No. of U.S. employees: 129
Service: Provider of customer service communication software

Why it's a great place to work: Glia takes a multifaceted approach to creating a great workplace culture. This includes a flat hierarchy so every voice is heard, committees focused on providing programming related to diversity, equity and inclusion, and an employee-led charitable effort called Glia HUG, which stands for Help, Understanding, Giving.

"In short, we work to create a workplace where everyone is inspired, contributing and learning," Glia said. "This goes beyond attracting and retaining talent. We see our strong culture and engaged Glia team as a competitive advantage."

Fun perk: The Glia Guide program teams up veteran employees with new hires. This helps the new staff members to get onboarded and integrated into Glia.

Pictured: Glia employees work together to complete a challenge during a team-building exercise.

Smiley Technologies

Little Rock, Arkansas
President and CEO: Elizabeth Glasbrenner
No. of U.S. employees: 70
Service: Provides core banking modernization services

Why it's a great place to work: To continue to be a great place to work, Smiley Technologies focuses on its "people-first culture." This includes staff members, bank partners and the people in the communities it services through partnerships. "We are grateful for each," the fintech said. "We can't wait for what the future holds, but we know this, we will continue to make this a place where employees and partners feel respected, valued and cared for."

Fun perk: The company has a "fun committee" that plans activities for staff members, such as a fall festival and parties for Halloween, Valentine's Day and the Fourth of July.

Pictured: Smiley Technologies employees participate in a team-building activity called Shake It Up during the company's 20th anniversary celebration in October. Participants were split into groups and were given cards with certain activities to do during a specific time frame including building a human pyramid.

Encapture

Dallas
CEO: Will Robinson
No. of U.S. employees: 62
Service: A machine-learning platform for streamlining tasks

Why it's a great place to work: Encapture has experienced triple-digit growth in the last three years. The fintech credits this success to its "amazing team members who are passionate about company culture and setting a high standard of excellence, focusing on constantly learning and excelling."

Fun perk: The company said it offers competitive pay, including a 25% match on 401(k) contributions and a profit-sharing plan.

Pictured: The company's revenue team hosts its quarterly meeting to discuss updates.

Plaid

San Francisco
CEO: Zach Perret
No. of U.S. employees: 1,095
Service: Data sharing between banks and fintechs

Why it's a great place to work: At Plaid, employees enjoy a flat organizational structure that allows everyone to have a voice and an impact on the work. The company also remains connected to its "developer roots" by testing application programming interfaces in onboarding and hosting hackathons. "Overall, Plaid's employees are a group of passionate individuals focused on unlocking freedom for all," the company said.

Fun perk: All employees have access to Carrot Fertility, which provides fertility benefits such as pregnancy support, virtual chats with doctors and free consultations with adoption agencies.

Pictured: Plaid staff members listen to the company's bimonthly all hands meeting.

Braviant Holdings

Chicago
CEO: Stephanie Klein
No. of U.S. employees: 64
Service: Online lender for underserved consumers

Why it's a great place to work: Even with a remote-work environment, Braviant Holdings focuses on teamwork and collaboration. Management emphasizes this with monthly companywide meetings where business results, financial predictions, challenges and wins are discussed. "Whether we are collaborating in person or in a virtual setting, the best idea still wins every time, regardless of title or tenure," the company said.

Fun perk: The company has added a sabbatical program where employees who have been with Braviant for five years can take four consecutive weeks off, fully paid, to disconnect and refresh.

Pictured: Employees enjoy a whirlyball team outing.

Moca Financial

Bastrop, Texas
CEO: John Burns
No. of U.S. employees: 23
Service: Provides payment cards and technologies to community institutions

Why it's a great place to work: Moca Financial describes its employees as its "most valuable resources."

"We feel blessed to have the team we have," the company added. "We only try to hire the best and treat them that way. So far it has worked and we plan to continue doing it as long as we can."

Fun perk: To ensure transparency and strong communication within the company, Moca hosts frequent all-hands meetings.

Pictured: A Moca employee rings a bell to celebrate an accomplishment.

Corserv

Atlanta
CEO: Jerry Craft
No. of U.S. employees: 70
Service: Payment card issuer for banks and fintechs

Why it's a great place to work: Corserv said its people are a key strength, with the senior management and IT teams having worked together for decades. Managers are approachable, set clear goals and are willing to roll up their sleeves and work alongside the team to reach those goals. "Our culture is collaborative and rewarding. Each employee has a role and understands how his/her work contributes to the overall success of the company," Corserv said.

One Corserv employee said: "When you join Corserv, you're not just another person behind a desk. Rather, you are treated as a valuable asset who brings expertise and insight to the organization."

Fun perk: Employees can be recognized for their hard work and a job well done in Corserv's monthly newsletter and its monthly all-hands meetings.

Pictured: Employees (from left) Zach Fisher, Kristen Snyder, Kate Brown and Drew Thompson meet up in Des Moines, Iowa, to spend some time together. Since the company is fully remote, Corserv encourages staff members to get together whenever possible.

Summit Technology Consulting Group

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
CEO: Ben Wallace
No. of U.S. employees: 94
Service: A consulting firm that provides software services

Why it's a great place to work: Summit Technology Consulting Group's culture rewards success and motivates all employees to do their best. "We are fast-paced and require our team to work in a dynamic environment, but the rewards are worth the efforts," the company said.

Fun perk: Employees get unlimited vacation time each year.

Pictured: The company, along with a community bank, helped a family during the Christmas season in 2021.

White Clay

Louisville, Kentucky
Founder and president: Mac Thompson
No. of U.S. employees: 31
Service: A data aggregation and analytics firm

Why it's a great place to work: Flexibility, transparency and community are key values at White Clay. That translates into employees being given the freedom to complete projects with flexible work hours and work-life balance. "With no rigid hierarchy, teams are open-minded, adaptable and without pretension, so ideas are expressed and explored openly," White Clay said.

Fun perk: In March and December, White Clay hosts a companywide celebration during the workday complete with catered meals and beverages.

Pictured: Mike Wright, White Clay co-founder, and a team of employees grab their bikes and participate in the Pelotonia charity ride in Columbus, Ohio. It's an annual event that the company supports. Overall, philanthropy is important to White Clay's leadership, and the fintech supports other causes, such as the Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Louisville Zoo, throughout the year.

Ethic

New York
CEO: Doug Scott
No. of U.S. employees: 71
Service: Sustainable investing tech for wealth managers and individuals

Why it's a great place to work: Ethic describes itself as "an incredibly people-centric organization," which includes offering competitive benefits and opportunities to have fun and relax with colleagues. "We lead with empathy and are committed to fostering an environment that brings together many different voices, perspectives and lived experiences," the company added.

Fun perk: Ethic has created a diversity and inclusion task force and also celebrates various cultural holidays to ensure all workers feel welcome.

Pictured: Employees enjoy an all-company party in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Praxent

Austin, Texas
CEO: Tim Hamilton
No. of U.S. employees: 37
Service: Provides user-experience design and custom development services for fintechs and banks

Why it's a great place to work: Praxent's culture ensures that employees feel highly valued and happy, which in turn allows them to do their best work, the company said. Additionally, the company promotes about a fifth of its staff every year. It manages that by offering "a robust performance management program" while "every project requires innovation, the acquisition of new skills, and entrepreneurial leadership," Praxent said.

Fun perk: Praxent offers four "growth days" per year. During these days, the company closes the office so employees can focus on developing their skills and knowledge.

Pictured: Praxent employees help build a Habitat for Humanity home in Austin in June 2022.

Centime

Concord, Massachusetts
CEO: BC Krishna
No. of U.S. employees: 16
Service: Cash-management software

Why it's a great place to work: Centime said it innovates beyond the products it offers — it is also innovative in how it approaches a workplace culture. For instance, Centime's vice president of experience design is "evangelical about spreading joy and starts meetings with jokes" while the chief product officer shared a video of his fear of crossing a highway on foot during a visit to India, the company noted.

"Each employee is unique in their life experience and skills and that diversity is celebrated and utilized to create stronger relationships and more accessible technology," the company said. "We show up as our authentic selves fearing failure less and sharing ideas more. We do fun bonding activities and have great benefits. But it's this intangible quality, shared by leadership and junior colleagues, that makes coming to work at Centime satisfying and meaningful."

Fun perk: Centime offers a commuter benefits program that allows workers to pay for eligible commuting expenses, such as fare for public transit or parking, with pretax dollars. That allows the staff members to save money by avoiding federal and state income taxes on those dollars.

Pictured: Employees and their families enjoy an event hosted by Centime.

IntraFi Network

Arlington, Virginia
CEO: Mark Jacobsen
No. of U.S. employees: 232
Service: Provides deposit services to financial institutions

Why it's a great place to work: Continually keeping employees' "jobs interesting and providing opportunities to learn and grow professionally" is one reason for IntraFi Network's strong employee retention, the company said. Forty-four percent of workers have been with the company for more than a decade, IntraFi said.

"The icing on the cake is maintaining a collegial workplace with smart, dedicated people who are invested in their work," IntraFi added.

Fun perk: IntraFi offers employees $2,500 each year to spend on training to enhance their professional development.

Pictured: Employees set up to celebrate Oktoberfest.

YCharts

Chicago
CEO: Sean Brown
No. of U.S. employees: 106
Service: Financial data research platform

Why it's a great place to work: The team at YCharts "goes above and beyond to maintain its irreplaceable culture," the company said. That includes fun outings, like a trip to a Chicago Cubs game and whirlyball events, and helping the community through charitable contributions.

YCharts added that "there's something for all employees to feel welcomed and excited to be a part of the team."

Fun perk: Every Friday, the company gets together for "KYC" — know your colleague — where workers share personal information about themselves, such as their aspirations, biggest influences and passions.

Pictured: Employees enjoy the company's annual baseball game outing to watch the Chicago Cubs.

FIntegrate

Birmingham, Alabama
CEO: Kristopher Bishop
No. of U.S. employees: 19
Service: Provides analytics software

Why it's a great place to work: FIntegrate said that it "loves and empowers its employees" so they can do the same for their customers.

Fun perk: Installation and support staff assigned to large and complicated projects are recognized when the job is done with rewards, such as cash or a dinner out.

Pictured: Employees enjoy a Togetherness Tuesday where everyone gathers for a fun all-hands meeting.

CRS Group

San Francisco
Co-CEOs: Stephen Hawkins and Marco Buhlmann
No. of U.S. employees: 29
Service: A credit score data platform

Why it's a great place to work: CRS Group said its culture encourages mutual respect, open communication, trust and "new and wonky ideas."

"We are a realistically optimistic team," the fintech said. "Ours is a journey, and we are a band of skilled adventurers continually learning to work better together," the company added.

Fun perk: Employees can use an on-staff executive coach from the Columbia Coaching Certification Program to get ideas on how to navigate situations and gain multiple perspectives. The program has been used by executives in the C-suite, other senior leaders, front-line managers and high-potential workers.

Pictured: Employees enjoy an off-site event in September.

Ascent Funding

San Diego
Chairman and CEO: Ken Ruggiero
No. of U.S. employees: 106
Service: Provides student loans

Why it's a great place to work: Ascent Funding believes that the company becomes stronger by supporting employees. That includes offering events, such as spa days, that encourage wellness and promote work-life balance. "Employees are encouraged to be themselves and fully own their role. Employees feel motivated and inspired to do their best work," the company said.

Fun perk: When employees are in the office, Ascent offers unlimited snacks and drinks, including many healthy choices. Local microbrews, kombucha and cold brews are also available.

Pictured: Employees enjoy Ascent's summer party at Mission Bay Resort.

Thought Machine

London
CEO: Paul Taylor
No. of U.S. employees: 48
Service: Core banking software

Why it's a great place to work: Thought Machine said it prides itself "on being a company that our employees enjoy working at all while developing best-in-class technology that is destined to revolutionize the banking industry."

Fun perk: On Thursday afternoons, the company hosts "Thought Machine Thursday Night Live." Employees unplug from work, grab a drink and listen to music arranged by one of the company's DJs. They can also play a friendly game of minigolf or cornhole.

Pictured: Thought Machine's U.S. employees enjoy a Mets game at Citi Field in May 2022.