Lamine has an incredibly powerful story. Visceral, graphic, inspiring. He had to escape Azerbaijan and ended up in Moscow as a kid. For six years, he navigated life as a cash-strapped refugee, starting off in a cramped one-room apartment with a dozen other family members. Eventually, he landed in a semi-permanent spot—a run-down building once used for chemical labs. After experiencing economic exclusion firsthand, Lamine finally found a home in the US and kick-started his vision, which led to his latest project, StellarFi. Along the way, he did a bunch of impressive things - became a policymaker, sold several of his tech companies, and even joined the US Marines. The American dream at its finest. Lamine is the founder of StellarFi, which is part of the next wave of innovative consumer fintech companies. Tune in for this amazing conversation. (00:00) Introducing Lamine Zarrad (01:00) No money, no documents: life as a USSR refugee (06:10) From US immigrant to joining the Marines (08:58) Aiming high: What’s his ambition in life? (12:01) StellarFi, the next big thing in fintech (19:14) It's expensive to be poor (20:57) The history of credit and the FICO score (26:24) Is the FICO score failing us? (30:14) A new education path: Widgitization (33:59) Is the US consumer screwed? (38:20) The future of fintech (40:55) Where to find out more Show notes https://stellarfi.com/ https://www.thoughtco.com/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-4582571 https://www.amazon.com/Ascent-Money-Financial-History-World/dp/0143116177 https://twitter.com/jessicahblair/status/710935685398564864