Iqram Magdon-Ismail

Iqram Magdon-Ismail is a fintech entrepreneur and investor who co-founded Venmo, the mobile payments platform that transformed how people exchange money digitally. He built Venmo from a forgotten wallet moment into a company acquired by PayPal for $800 million, now serving over 76 million users and processing billions in quarterly payments. Named to Inc.'s 30 Under 30 and honoured as a "Great Immigrant" by the Carnegie Foundation, he now channels his expertise into founding JellyJelly, a new social media platform, whilst actively investing in innovative startups across enterprise technology and retail. His sessions equip entrepreneurs and business leaders with practical insights on building scalable products, navigating acquisitions, and spotting opportunities that solve universal problems.

A forgotten wallet during a 2009 weekend trip to New York City sparked the creation of Venmo, the mobile payments platform that Iqram Magdon-Ismail co-founded with Andrew Kortina to solve a problem millions face every day. What began as a simple solution between friends evolved into a financial technology revolution, transforming how people exchange money through their smartphones. After raising $5 million in early funding and navigating the challenges of building a startup, Venmo was acquired by Braintree in 2012 for $26.2 million, then by PayPal for $800 million just one year later. Today, the platform serves over 76 million users and processes more than $6.8 billion in payments per quarter, generating over $900 million in revenue.

Iqram's entrepreneurial journey began long before Venmo, shaped by his upbringing across Zimbabwe, Zambia and Uganda before immigrating to the United States. His ability to identify universal challenges and build scalable solutions has earned him recognition as one of Inc.'s 30 Under 30 in 2010 and as a "Great Immigrant" by the Carnegie Foundation in 2016. Beyond Venmo, he has established himself as an active investor and founder, currently focused on JellyJelly, a new social media platform that reflects his continued interest in how people connect and communicate digitally. His investment portfolio spans enterprise technology and retail, with recent backing of companies including Series, Hatz, Stitch and Flowhub across the United States and South Africa. This diverse range demonstrates his eye for innovation across multiple sectors and geographies.

Through his speaking sessions, Iqram equips entrepreneurs and business leaders with practical frameworks for building products that scale, navigating acquisitions and recognising opportunities hidden in everyday frustrations. He shares candid insights from Venmo's near-shutdown moments before acquisition, the viral growth strategies that drove adoption, and the lessons learned from building a company that fundamentally changed consumer behaviour around money. Audiences gain actionable understanding of product development, fundraising dynamics and the resilience required to transform early instincts into market-defining businesses. His approach combines technical expertise with authentic storytelling, helping organisations understand how to spot universal problems, validate solutions quickly and build platforms that create lasting value for users whilst achieving commercial success.