social-finance
(2)
Forte
Forte is a New York-based social enterprise that finances reskilling and workforce development at no cost to individuals or governments and without relying on philanthropy. Founded by Dr Nat Ware on an idea he developed during his economics PhD at Oxford, Forte (Financing Of Return To Employment) sits between funders of education and training and the providers who deliver it, so funders 'never fund failure' - they only pay when people are trained and placed into better jobs. Repayment is tied to the future income-tax uplift generated by newly employed workers. Forte has run programs across Australia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, the United States and Peru, and its model has been endorsed by the World Economic Forum.
Frich
Frich is a New York-based social finance app for Gen Z that turns money - historically the most awkward topic on earth - into a shared, anonymous conversation. Users answer a daily 'Question of the Day' and benchmark their spending, saving, debt, and parental support against real peers in similar cities and tax brackets. Founded in 2021 by former NYU Abu Dhabi classmates Katrin Kaurov and Aleksandra Medina, Frich has grown past one million users and monetizes through a B2B model, partnering with credit unions and regional banks that want to reach younger members.