Rodney Williams
Rodney Williams brings powerful insights on fintech innovation, community finance and building products that expand financial autonomy.
Why you should book Rodney Williams for your next event
- Book Rodney Williams for a clear, energizing look into how community finance and fintech innovation reshape access to capital.
- Learn from a founder who scaled SoLo Funds to over one million funded loans while championing financial autonomy for millions.
- Gain practical strategies from the mind behind LISNR’s breakthrough ultrasonic tech used by global brands and partners.
Non-binding request for Rodney Williams
Fintech innovator, serial founder and leading voice in community-driven financial access.
Rodney Williams is a pioneering fintech entrepreneur known for building solutions that shift how people access, move and understand money. As Co-founder of SoLo Funds, he helped create the largest community finance platform in the US, reshaping capital access for more than 1.5 million users. His experience spans groundbreaking ventures such as LISNR, high-impact corporate roles, and board leadership across respected institutions. Rodney delivers a compelling blend of innovation, mission-driven thinking and real-world application.
Rodney Williams
Rodney Williams has spent his career redefining how technology can expand opportunity. As the Co-founder of SoLo Funds, he helped build the largest community finance platform in the United States, designed to give individuals more autonomy and control in their financial lives. Since its launch in 2018, SoLo has surpassed one million loans funded and reshaped access to capital and returns for a community of more than 1.5 million users. Its position as the only Black-led Certified B Corp fintech in the country reflects Rodney’s commitment to equity, responsibility and long-term impact.
SoLo’s growth achieving a four-times increase from 2021 to 2022 stands as a testament to its model and mission. Rodney continues to guide the company’s vision as a co-founder and chairman, championing a financial ecosystem built on trust, fairness and user-driven design.
From LISNR to Leading Innovation
Before SoLo Funds, Rodney founded LISNR, a Visa-backed fintech that introduced ultrasonic data transmission as a secure, flexible method for device-to-device communication. LISNR’s technology supports payments, mobility and connected devices, earning attention across major industries. Under Rodney’s leadership, the company secured partnerships with Visa, Synchrony Financial, DSP Group and Intel, while serving clients such as Lenovo, Jaguar/Land Rover, Ticketmaster, RocNation, Amdocs and Media Saturn.
Today, Rodney serves as LISNR’s Chairman, continuing to support the platform’s progress and adoption. His work at LISNR placed him at the intersection of hardware, software and real-time data, providing rare insight into how communication technologies influence commerce and user experience on a global scale.
Career Foundations
Rodney’s professional journey began at Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Department of Energy, where he worked as a Financial and Business Development Analyst. These early roles built the analytical foundation that later shaped his approach to product creation and strategic decision-making.
He went on to join Procter & Gamble, serving in brand roles across the company and eventually working within Brand Management for Pampers North America. This experience sharpened his understanding of consumer behavior, brand strategy and scalable execution all capabilities he now brings to stages worldwide.
Leadership, Boards & Recognition
Rodney’s contributions extend well beyond his companies. He previously served as a trustee on the board of directors for the University of Cincinnati and is a member of the Board of Advisors at Howard University. He continues to lead as Chairman and Co-founder of SoLo Funds, guiding its mission of community-driven financial empowerment.
His work has earned significant recognition over the past decade. Rodney has appeared on Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 and was honored with the Ernst & Young EDGE Award. He received a Cannes Gold Lion, was named Tech Entrepreneur of the Year by Black Enterprise, and appeared on the NAACP Inspiring Innovation list. Entrepreneur Magazine recognized him as one of the 25 Inspiring Entrepreneurs Under 40, and he was awarded EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year in Connected World Communications for the Ohio Valley Region. Rodney has also been featured on Ebony’s Power 100 and has repeatedly appeared on the CNBC Disruptor 50 List across multiple years.
Book Rodney Williams for your event
Rodney brings a dynamic, informed and future-focused presence to the stage. His talks blend entrepreneurial lessons with real-world examples from two major ventures SoLo Funds and LISNR each grounded in innovation and purpose. Audiences gain an inside look at building products that solve real problems, scaling technology responsibly, and designing financial systems that serve communities often overlooked by traditional institutions.
His unique combination of leadership experience, award-winning innovation and mission-centered thinking makes him a compelling voice for events focused on fintech, entrepreneurship, consumer strategy, technology transformation, and financial access.
Keynotes
Keynote by Rodney Williams:
Community Brand Building
Are you struggling to turn customers into a loyal community that actually drives growth?
Rodney Williams delivers keynotes that show how community is no longer a “nice to have” but the most effective go-to-market strategy for brands that want lasting impact. He reveals how authenticity becomes a powerful competitive weapon, how to engage people in ways that feel real, and how those connections translate directly into sales.
With Rodney on stage, audiences learn how to understand their customers deeply, build trust at scale and activate a community that fuels brand momentum and measurable results.
Keynote by Rodney Williams:
Inclusive Tech Fundraising, Development, and Ecosystem Building: From the perspective of one of the earliest founders
Are you finding it harder than ever to raise capital, break outdated pattern-matching, and figure out where to start as an underrepresented founder in tech?
Rodney Williams brings the perspective of an early founder who has navigated these exact barriers—and built thriving companies despite them. His keynotes unpack how to identify inclusive investment opportunities, stand out in rooms where bias shapes decisions, and build a community that attracts partners, strategics and real momentum.
Rodney gives audiences a clear roadmap for fundraising in today’s landscape, developing resilient companies, and creating an ecosystem that supports long-term success. His talks equip founders with the clarity, confidence and strategies needed to move from overlooked to unstoppable.
Keynote by Rodney Williams:
Wealth Gap (Financial Inclusion)
Are you watching the wealth gap widen and wondering why traditional financial systems still fail working and middle-class consumers?
Rodney Williams delivers keynotes that cut through the noise and explain how today’s financial landscape actually works—and why so many people remain excluded. Drawing on his fintech leadership, he breaks down what true financial inclusion looks like, how innovation has helped (and where it hasn’t), and the real impact of regulation versus enforcement.
Rodney gives audiences a grounded, actionable view of the consumers most affected by inequality and shows how fintech, policy and community-driven models can shift outcomes. His talks offer a clear path for leaders who want to understand the problem and be part of the solution.
Rodney Williams - Impulse Talk
Watch Rodney Williams in action
