- Panelist
Tate has a unique background unlike many founders of technology companies. With deep roots on the West Coast of Canada, Tate once spent 43 days on a commercial fishing boat. With a desire to escape the small town he called home, Tate attended the University of Victoria and later, the City University of Hong Kong where he received his Bachelors in Economics.
It was as a young adult that Tate found his passion in what would become an entire industry, FinTech. Between the ages of 16 and 23, Tate used Craigslist as a way to lend out more than $250,000 of his own capital to those in need. Through this journey, Tate discovered an entire industry built around a consumer’s need for short term liquidity, and unfortunately, it was an industry that preyed on its customers.
Tate founded ZayZoon as a way to combat payday loans while still giving people relief between paychecks. ZayZoon’s product allows employees to instantly access their earnings ahead of their regular scheduled payday, without debt or egregious fees. Today, more than 15,000 businesses across the United States leverage ZayZoon to reduce employee financial stress and improve key organizational metrics such as productivity and retention.