Ana Mahony is an inspiring FinTech leader who was recognized as one of the 2022 Inspiring Fintech Females by NYC Fintech Women. We will be featuring other recognized founders for the rest of the month.
Ana began her career in consumer finance where she gained experience in the private sector and government, including working at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) alongside financial regulators. With her affinity for earlier stage businesses, Ana joined Uber in 2014 where she spent six years, initially joining as the GM during the company’s growth period on the rides side of business. Later, Ana transitioned to UberEats where she held various leadership roles.
As Uber grew to more than 25,000 employees and went public, Ana was determined to create an impact in the financial markets. She recognized the lack of access to financial expertise in the market, and used her deep expertise in consumer finance and tech to create a solution to provide greater access to personalized financial expertise to people.
“When I was at the CFPB, I began to deeply appreciate that when people are given access to the right financial information, education and tools that help them make the best financial decisions for themselves they can greatly improve their lives. At Uber, I learned the power of building products and tech to reinvent traditional industry models to reach more individuals.”
With her previous experience and lessons learned, Ana founded Addition Wealth, a holistic financial health platform that supports employees in taking action to control their financial lives.
Addition Wealth’s mission is centered around promoting financial inclusivity and accessibility. As the founder and CEO of Addition Wealth, Ana is on a journey to help employees make well-informed financial decisions. Employers can bring Addition Wealth on as a benefit provider giving employees free access to its platform, which includes one-on-one sessions with financial professionals, digital tools and calculators, and programming including webinars and group sessions that are tailored to their companies and specific interests.
Ana is passionate about creating a culture at Addition Wealth which empowers every employee - “When you hire someone with specific expertise, you have to empower them to make decisions and execute.” Addition Wealth also prides itself in its open communication and providing room for employees to bring their unique perspectives to the table.
Ana is dedicated to making an impact in the financial market by Addition Wealth’s unique B2B2C model, which has the power to impact millions of people. By providing personal financial expertise and tools to employees all across the board, Ana is empowering people to make their personal financial decisions.
More on Ana
Where you currently live: NYC
Family at home: My husband and two young sons
Hometown: Salt Lake City
Favorite hobby: Hiking, yoga, and cooking
Favorite part of your day: The early morning before the rest of the world awakes
Favorite show to binge: Any show with strong female protagonist
Media recommendation: "How I Built This" podcast
What's the best job decision you ever made? What's the worst job decision you ever made?
Having the courage to launch Addition Wealth is the best career decision I’ve made. We are already seeing the power of what we are building in the feedback we get from our employee users. We’re helping people get out of debt, buy their first homes, save for their children’s college education, and so much more.
The worst decision I made was staying at a job that I knew wasn’t right for me. I should have left my role, but instead I stayed there too long.
Can you tell us about a time someone encouraged you to try a task or take on a project you didn’t think that you would know how to do/or be good at?
I have a pattern of taking jobs that I didn’t truly “know” how to do - and that in many ways terrifies me! It’s the curiosity, challenge, and determination to figure something out that keeps me motivated and engaged. I also love being surrounded by people who feel the same way.
What is the most important lesson you have learned from a mistake you’ve made in the past?
You always have to act within your own sets of integrity. The most important thing isn't what you achieve but whether you can sleep well at night. In the end it leads to less stress and confusion for everyone involved.
Do you have any productivity hacks? What keeps you motivated? How do you maintain a work/life balance?
I’m motivated by our mission and the work we are doing to help individuals take control of their finances and feel more confident about their personal situations. It’s hard to keep a work/life balance, but I put family above all else. As a remote-first company, I’m fortunate not to have to spend time commuting and be able to maximize the time in the day to spend quality time with my family and two young sons, while still putting in the hours on Addition Wealth.
Daily Dairy
Here’s my current weekday schedule (though I don’t know how long it will last!):
Weeks
5:45-6:30 am: Wake up, drink coffee, enjoy some quiet & alone time before the day gets started
6:30-7:30 am: Workout - yoga, barre or hit the gym
7:30-8:45 am: Get myself & kids ready for the day
8:45-9:15 am: School drop-off - I love walking my toddler to school and seeing the other kids and parents
9:15 am - 7:00 pm: Addition all the way
7:00-8:30 pm: Put the kids to bed or work dinner, depending on the evening
8:30-10:30 pm: Downtime or straight to bed!
Weekends
My goal is to keep the weekend days as unstructured as possible, though they typically consist of park hangs, kid birthday parties, spending time with family, and cleaning up way too many toys. And of course, some work as well.