In what is a recurring feature, Finopotamus spotlights innovative women who are positively impacting technology applications in the credit union industry, and beyond. For this issue, we visited with Prizeout Executive Vice President of Business Operations Eliza Moore.
By W.B. King
Beginning her career as a senior business analyst for Coburn Ventures in 2015, Eliza Moore enjoyed working in the financial services space, but was unsure if her career trajectory would ever take a bend toward technology.
“I’ve always been drawn to new technologies and good at figuring out computers or programs, but I wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to do, so I entered financial services, eager to learn until I decided what I wanted to do,” she told Finopotamus.
At Coburn Ventures, she studied themes, mental models, and monumental change. “We would apply those models and themes to companies to create investment theses,” she explained, noting that after three years, she moved on to Baird, where she served as an institutional investment officer in equity sales.
Among lessons learned during her investment days is the importance of answering the following two questions before determining a new strategy: What insights can we gain from studying different cultures and communities? And how can leaders use those insights to make better decisions?
By 2020, Moore joined the CUSO Prizeout as its chief of staff. The New York City-based fintech has more than 40 financial institution (FI) clients, including credit unions, and supports 35 employees, 17 of which are tech facing. The company partners with various industries to optimize money flow, while putting money back into consumers’ pockets, she shared.
“Credit unions are at such a pivotal moment. They have a distinct competitive advantage and opportunity being built around diverse communities and cultures, as many younger generations seek new forms of community,” Moore noted. “How they use insights and data to support these communities and differentiate themselves will enable certain credit unions to grow and prosper.”
Paving the Way for Others
During her days at Coburn Ventures and Baird, Moore said most clients she interfaced with were male. “On the trading floor that I worked on, only one out of 10 to 15 directors or managing directors was female. Most portfolio managers that I worked with across my institutional investor clients were men as well.”
Upon joining Prizeout, Moore was presently surprised to find a stark difference in the ratio of men to women working in this niche FI space.
“I have been stunned by the number of strong, female executives that I get to interact with at our clients. Not only are there incredible women at every level within our partner credit unions, many of the CEOs are also powerful women who have paved the way for others in the industry,” said Moore who was named Prizeout’s executive vice president of business operations in 2023. “For example, our CUSO board is majority women. It’s incredible.”
When asked if she could point to a mentor, Prizeout CEO David Metz, she said, has been a great champion. Over the last four-plus years, she has observed his management and leadership style, including his ability to have difficult conversations and make tough decisions, all supported by effective communication skills. “He connects with people of all backgrounds with empathy and a passion for storytelling,” she noted.
“There are countless lessons in entrepreneurship, but the biggest takeaway I’ve seen is how he treats everyone like he would like to be treated—from stocking up the snack shelves to getting to know each employee, showing up at product training days with our partners, and ensuring that different team members can attend important meetings, even just to learn,” she said.
“One of the most critical leadership qualities is empowering your team and recognizing you can’t be everywhere at once,” she continued. “David has never failed to recognize growth and has given me opportunities to make a real impact in new and different ways at the company.”
Moore incorporates these leadership lessons into her role at the firm. To this end, she does her best to lead by example and pay it forward.
“I want my teams to feel inspired, happy to come to work, and to feel passionate about helping those that we partner with,” she offered. “I also aim to understand how I can best help my team improve in areas that they would like to grow and provide them with opportunities to take ownership and make an impact.”
Pathfinders
An innovative space for all FIs, especially credit unions, is understanding digital payments in relation to consumer preferences, Moore noted.
“Many of our credit union partners are now adopting different person-to-person (P2P) services, such as FedNow. I’m particularly excited about our new product CashBack+, that we're building alongside our credit union partners that will enable consumers to pay more seamlessly at checkout, whether in-store or online, while still earning instant cashback,” she said. “This approach benefits consumers by rewarding them immediately, rather than making them wait weeks or months.”
In her view, credit unions, opposed to other FIs, are generally more open to fintech partnerships. This is due, she believes, to the collaborative nature of the credit union industry.
“A credit union in Iowa might introduce you to another credit union in the state if they value your technology and services,” she noted. “In contrast, other FIs might discourage partnerships within the same geographic area.”
Moore also explained that a few months ago, Prizeout hosted approximately 10 members of its Pathfinders initiative at the company’s headquarters. Pathfinders, she explained, is an advisory committee the company formed with the goal of increasing partnership collaboration and enabling its partners to provide input and feedback on new products.
“We had the opportunity to dive deep into their perspectives on digital engagement and rewarding their members for being a part of their communities,” she said. “These representatives took two full days to collaborate on challenges and share their experiences—something, I believe, many FIs would be less likely to do.”
She added that many Prizeout credit union partners are open to sharing daily challenges and problems. “This fosters a much closer partnership. They often explain the reasoning behind their product requests or due diligence needs, rather than just asking for the end result.”
Another benefit of a credit union and fintech collaborative approach was realized last year, explained Moore.
“We had a group of credit union leaders in our office. At that time, we brainstormed one of their biggest headaches: their rewards programs,” she continued. “Over the last year, we have built an action-based rewards program where each of our partners can configure different rewards for their members based upon their business goals. This speed would not be possible without the close collaboration with our credit union partners.”