Blaze Group
Casey Ariel Dike’ is the Founder and CEO of Blaze Group®, a finance innovation studio creating startups and solutions that transform how money moves in our communities. With over 13 years of experience in global finance, Casey began her career structuring multi-billion-dollar credit facilities for major tech corporations. She later served as Chief Credit Officer at Hello Tractor, where she pioneered pay-as-you-go financing models for underbanked smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2020, she launched Blaze Group® to bring financial education and access directly to overlooked communities. The Blaze Group® app, available on Android and iOS in 176 countries, offers micro-learning, AI business advisory, and customizable tools that empower entrepreneurs globally. Blaze Group® has earned multiple Webby Awards for excellence in Business, AI, and Technology, and is supported by a growing social media community of over 110,000.
Casey is a board member of Kiva US, a fintech lecturer at Alabama A&M University, and a leading advocate for reparative capital and equitable economic design. She has spoken at respected institutions including Amazon, ESSENCE Festival, Dartmouth College, Georgetown University, and The Wharton School of Business.
A candid conversation about the philosophical and operational tensions between fintech speed/scale and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) mission/responsibility. What models have worked? Where have partnerships failed? What’s needed to build trust? This discussion will be centered on real talk and practical issues.