Tori Samples from Leaf Global discusses building blockchain-based financial services for unbanked populations in East Africa, including feature phone support, NFT-based income for refugees, and upcoming smart contract integration for lending products.
In this Tech Talk interview, Tori Samples, CEO of Leaf Global, shares her journey from music studies to building fintech solutions on Stellar. Leaf Global deployed a blockchain-based money transfer product serving mostly unbanked refugees and migrants across borders, recently acquired by IDT. The company pioneered non-smartphone blockchain access via USSD, enabling basic phone users to transact. Samples discusses why Stellar was chosen over Ethereum due to speed and cost, praises Stellar's documentation and approachability, and highlights impact-focused NFT collaborations with Lightman and JPEGDAO to generate income for refugee artists. Looking ahead, Leaf plans to launch smart contract-based microloans and decentralized identity solutions to expand financial access.