TechCrunch was proud to host JPMorgan Chase at Disrupt 2023 in San Francisco. Here’s an overview of their partner session on the Breakout Stage.
In today’s world, truly disruptive technologies, like AI, quantum computing and frontier technologies are fundamentally changing the way we do business and live our lives. Startups stand at the forefront of these advancements as key agents for change. Being digital-first isn’t just a mindset; it’s a model that creates efficiencies, disrupts the status quo and enables innovation. In this Disrupt 2023 session, leaders shared how they’re rethinking traditional business models and are harnessing the benefits of these technologies to digitize processes and deliver meaningful customer value.
Speakers
Ashraf Hebela, Head of Startup Banking, JPMorgan
Ashraf Hebela is the head of startup banking at JPMorgan, focused on serving startups within the innovation economy across technology, disruptive commerce, life sciences, climate technology and healthcare IT. Based in San Francisco, Ashraf leads a growing national team of more than 60 bankers who help founders of pre-seed and seed companies with a range of services, including capital raising, strategic advisory and traditional banking services.
Prior to joining JPMorgan in 2023, Ashraf spent 14 years at Silicon Valley Bank. There he held a variety of roles, from product management to strategic analytics and sales operations. Ultimately Ashraf served as head of technology and healthcare banking for North America. Before joining SVB in 2009, Ashraf held senior positions at NorthStar Systems and Siebel Systems. He is a BUILD mentor, a chartered financial analyst (CFA) designate and a member of the CFA Society of San Francisco. He earned a BA in economics from Harvard University and an MBA in general management and finance from Stanford University.
Travis Hedge, Co-founder and CRO, Vouch Insurance
Travis Hedge is the co-founder and chief revenue officer of Vouch Insurance. Vouch Insurance is a new kind of insurance company for startups, built by founders for founders. The company provides insurance products and risk assessment tools to permit digital insurance coverage. Prior to founding Vouch in 2018, Travis was an investor with SVB Capital, focused on early-stage tech companies. Notable investments during his time at SVB include Root Insurance, Earin, and Opendoor. Travis earned a BA from Ohio State University, where he also briefly served as an adjunct professor in startup finance.
Sam Yen, Chief Innovation Officer for Commercial Banking, JPMorgan
Sam Yen wanted to be an astronaut growing up. Although his first pair of glasses disqualified that possibility, he followed his passion and obtained aerospace degrees at Cornell and Stanford, before stints at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A lot has happened between then and now. Sam joined JPMorgan Chase in 2018 as head of digital transformation for commercial real estate, in commercial banking. In 2021 he expanded his responsibilities as the head of innovation for commercial banking. Elevated to chief innovation officer in October 2022, Sam manages the process of innovation for the bank, focusing on delivering delightful end-to-end digital experiences for clients. Prior to JPMC, Sam was the managing director for SAP Silicon Valley and was SAP’s first chief design officer responsible for driving SAP’s design and user experience strategy and execution across the company. Sam holds a PhD from Stanford’s design program and continues to teach both at Stanford’s Institute for Design (the “d.school”) and the Graduate School of Business as a consulting associate professor on topics of creative cultures in organizations.