FINTECH | MEDIA

How the measuring of the rice-to-water ratio led to an award-winning media company

While we were having brunch one cold winter morning, Anton Briones and Nicole Casperson told me about their first date. Anton invited Nicole to have dinner at his home. It was during the pandemic, and although they both lived in New York City, restaurants were closed. While Anton was preparing rice,  Nicole noticed him using his finger to measure the rice-to-water ratio. That gesture sparked a conversation about their Filipino mothers. Anton's mom is from Manila and his dad is from Mexico. Nicole's mom was born in Mindoro, and her dad is from California.

Five years later, Anton and Nicole are engaged and Fintech is Femme, the media company they built, is a 4x award-winning company. Their bi-weekly newsletter has 50,000 subscribers. They have partnerships with JP Morgan, Money 20/20, and Nasdaq. Last October, Nicole's first book, "Fintech Feminists," was released by Wiley. The book, which explores how women in fintech are building businesses, driving innovation, and reshaping the US economy, was met with rave reviews.

How they started 

When Anton and Nicole met, Nicole was the designated women's coverage writer at Investment News magazine. In 2021, she was approached by an agency to write and podcast about fintech (short for finance and technology, an industry using technology to improve financial services). Nicole introduced Anton, who had been performing in musical theater since age 11 and then later transitioned to marketing, to the head of the agency. Nicole became the face of the "What the Fintech?" podcast and Anton was the agency's head of creator development, coaching creators on performance and storytelling. In their first year, "What the Fintech" generated $1 million for the agency.

In November of that year, Anton and Nicole ventured out on their own and launched the "Fintech is Femme" newsletter, and later hosted a series of events in New York and San Francisco. The focus is stories of women in the fintech space, with expert analysis and blueprints for success. "We found out that people loved it," Nicole says. "The audience has been super happy."

I have attended three Fintech is Femme events in New York City and enjoyed each one. The attendees, mostly female fintech founders, are smart, creative, and energetic. When the program begins, Nicole—no Maria Clara—tells it like it is. She is whip-smart. Her questions are incisive. The speakers they choose are always inspiring, even the sponsors!

How it works

Each speaker is coached by Anton. "Our standards are high," Nicole says. Company ownership is 60/40, with Nicole, as the public face, holding the majority. In addition to coaching speakers, Anton runs strategy and operations. Nicole explains: "We use the newsletter as our distribution. We created an ecosystem between newsletters, social media, and events that allows us to host events worldwide and get paid for speaking engagements. Our partnerships with larger companies help us find new and emerging entrepreneurs. We bundle everything together to bring more value to those we work with."

Major developments in 2025

This year Anton and Nicole are focused on growing their membership community, The Academy of Fintech, adding team members, the Fintech is Femme leadership summit in April, and getting married in Mexico in August. On his dad’s side, Anton has 75 first cousins! 

🍚

I interviewed Nicole and Anton during brunch at Naks in New York City's East Village. I was touched because although we each chose from a set menu and only met once before, they immediately assumed we would eat family style. (We did use serving spoons.) Nicole and Anton were very open about sharing their background and their journey to owning a media company. (Watch out for part 2 of this interview!) I can’t wait to see their future moves.

(Part 1 of 2, click here for part 2)

Anton’s favorite book- A History of the Philippines by Luis H. Francia

“It really helped me opened my eyes to how the Philippines is such an abundant place and how because it’s an abundant place they formed matriarchal societies because women navigate when there's abundance.”

Nicole’s favorite - The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

“I read it when I was 15. I got to see my story represented and it just meant the world. The Joy Luck Club taught me the power of what a narrative can do. “

Nicole’s book - Fintech Feminists

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