Aaron Wollner is a marketing leader in the FinTech Space with 15 years of experience building high performing teams that extract insights from data to drive growth. He has worked for both big agencies and startups, so he combines insight in processes needed in large organizations with the flexibility that is required in growing companies.
Currently, Aaron holds the position of Chief Marketing Officer at Quontic, a bank that started 10 years ago as a local small community bank and has over the years evolved to a digital one. Quontic wants to change the banking landscape: one of their key missions is to offer different mortgage solutions so that more people can afford home ownership.
Aaron believes it is important to make at least once a year ‘a big swing with a big idea’. A few years ago, they launched their bitcoin reward card, which made Quontic the first bank to offer a reward in crypto when making a payment with your credit card.
However, the bank does not act as a custodian of Bitcoin. This makes that the company is isolated from the evolutions of the crypto market. The ebbs and flows do not have much impact on them, as their customers aren’t buying cryptocurrencies, they are merely earning them.
One of their latest innovative ideas has been the launch of a unique wearable payment ring: with a simple tap of your hand, you can make contactless purchases. This payment ring is part of a promotional campaign in which you can get it for free by signing up for a checking account. The gadget was promoted by the company via different marketing campaigns, but for Aaron it was interesting to see these campaigns were completely overshadowed by the organic word of mouth.
Their innovative approach also reflects in the companies’ organizational structure: Quontic is headquartered in New York, but the employees are located in more than 35 different states. Quontic wants to invest in the wellbeing of their employees; they are one of the few companies to have a Chief Empowerment Officer in place, whose main role is to look after the company culture and make sure that people feel supported.
Quontic is also present in the Metaverse, more precisely in Decentraland, where they have a digital location. They have created a welcoming environment, where you can easily enter, without needing VR glasses. Once you’ve entered, you can interact with people, ask for advice or socialize with other visitors.
In short, they offer a fun and inviting environment, which is easily accessible for everyone.
You can check it out for yourself at their website: www.quontic.com!
KEY HIGHLIGHTS [00:56] Who is Aaron Wollner? [02:19] What is Quontic doing and what is the growth story behind this? [03:37] How did you come up with offering Bitcoin as a reward idea? And was it hard to offer those services? [04:58] Is enabling more people to afford ownership one of the whys behind the company? [07:16] Can you tell us a bit more about this unique variable payment ring? [10:48] Is there a scarcity aspect, which rings in a limited number? How does that work? [13:07] What are all your employees in 35 states doing? Are they delivering or in distribution or development? [14:53] Do you have challenges? Or is it all going smoothly? [17:55] Do cryptocurrencies have an impact on your business? [20:00] Are there any exciting evolutions that you see happening in your business? [21:25] Are there any plans to do something with the metaverse shortly? [21:42] Can people buy stuff within the metaverse? [25:07] Where should people go if they are interested in having such a ring? [25:22] Are you active on social media?
