Throughout the month of March, Finopotamus will celebrate Women’s History Month by featuring intriguing profiles and unique stories impacting the credit union and fintech industry. In the latest installment in our “Women in Technology” series, we visited with Casap CEO and Co-Founder Shanthi Shanmugam.
By W.B. King
While working at Facebook as a product manager in 2016, Shanthi Shanmugam, fresh off earning a degree from UC Berkley in electrical engineering and computer science, learned firsthand how technology shapes user experiences at scale.
“I was drawn to the challenge of solving complex problems through technology,” she told Finopotamus. The next stop on her professional journey was a five-year stint at the online trading platform Robinhood. There she served as a senior product manager and later, a group product manager in customer care.
“It was my time at Robinhood that really inspired me to start Casap—seeing the operational challenges of supporting millions of customers and the gaps in financial infrastructure sparked a deeper purpose,” she said of the New York City-based fintech she co-founded in 2023 with Saisi Peter. The company offers a solution to automate payment disputes and prevent first-party fraud. “I wanted to build solutions that changed how we operate payments making it smoother, more cost-efficient, and resilient.”
Stepping Into the Spotlight
Over the last 10 years, Shanmugam said technology teams have changed—not just how they access tools but how they operate to achieve goals.
“When I started, there was a stronger divide between engineering, product, and operations—teams worked in silos, and change was slow. Now, there’s a real emphasis on cross-functional collaboration, automation, and data-driven decision-making,” she shared. “The biggest shift has been in AI (artificial intelligence) and real-time processing—what used to be manual processes that took hours or days now happens instantly. This has changed everything from customer experience to fraud detection to regulatory compliance.”
While she said there are more women working in technology than we she began her career, as far as leadership roles are concerned, there is still a way to go.
“One big change is visibility: women in fintech are stepping into the spotlight, leading companies, and creating stronger networks. There’s also a shift in how organizations think about hiring and retention, with more intentional efforts to support diversity in all facets,” she told Finopotamus. “But progress takes more than just hiring—it requires building environments where different perspectives are valued and heard.”
While at Robinhood, she learned a great deal from senior leadership who understood both the technical and human aspects of building products.
“I worked with people who shaped how I think about scale—not just in terms of infrastructure but in terms of designing systems that can support millions of people seamlessly,” she shared, noting that Casap has 15 employees, seven tech-facing and serve 10 financial institutions, including credit unions. “That experience has stuck with me, and now I try to pass it forward by mentoring others, particularly women in fintech who are navigating the same challenges I did.”
Removing Pain Points
Among challenges facing the fintech space is balancing security, compliance, and customer experience, she noted. Credit unions, she added, especially must navigate complex regulations, while keeping member interactions smooth and frictionless.
“The most interesting innovations happening in this space aren’t just about automation – they’re about making complex processes more intuitive,” she said. “For example, using AI to analyze fraud patterns in real time or guiding members through dispute resolution in a way that’s transparent and fair. These are areas where technology can remove a lot of pain points for both financial institutions and their customers.”
When asked what tech trends are on her radar, she told Finopotamus AI, specifically how to leverage the technology in innovative ways.
“One area I find particularly interesting is AI-powered decisioning in financial services. Historically, a lot of back-office operations have relied on manual reviews and rigid rules. Now, we’re seeing AI being used to make more nuanced, data-driven decisions that balance risk, compliance, and customer experience in ways that weren’t possible before,” she continued. “Another trend is real-time financial operations—whether it’s real-time fraud detection or instant dispute resolution, the shift away from slow, batch-based processing is a game changer.”
Credit Union Proactive Collaborators
What Shanmugam likes most about the credit union industry is its “people helping people” philosophy and how that informs the approach to adopting technologies.
“They’re thoughtful about the innovations they adopt, making sure every new tool or system genuinely benefits their members,” she said. “They’re also proactive about collaboration, finding ways to expand their reach while still keeping that personal, high-trust relationship within their communities.”
Casap, she shared, has learned from credit unions, especially how they prioritize automating dispute resolution and chargebacks, which helps members get faster, fairer outcomes and reduces operational strain. “Time and time again, I’ve seen credit unions use technology not just to keep up, but to strengthen their mission of financial inclusion, local support, and member-first service—just as they’ve done since the beginning.
Credit unions and fintechs compliment each other, she explained. The former brings deep relationships and trust, and the latter brings speed and innovation.
“The key to successful partnerships is alignment—working with fintechs that understand the credit union mission and can enhance it. One example I’ve seen is how credit unions are using AI to improve fraud prevention and dispute resolution,” she said.
“Instead of forcing members through long, frustrating processes, they’re able to resolve issues faster and more transparently, which ultimately strengthens member trust,” Shanmugam continued. “These types of partnerships aren’t just about efficiency; they’re about making financial services work better for the members they serve.”