Parin Shah: Creating a Level Playing Field For Startup Founders

Ladderworks is a publishing platform of diverse picture books and online curriculum with the mission to empower over a million kids to become social entrepreneurs. Our current series features interviews by our interplanetary journalist Spiffy with inspiring Social Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builders, who are advancing the UN SDGs.

Hi there, my name is Spiffy, I’m an interplanetary journalist hanging out on Planet Earth. Today I’m interviewing Parin Shah, the director of American Express, all the way from San Francisco, USA

Spiffy: Welcome, Parin! Let’s jump right in. What challenge are you addressing in your role at American Express?

Parin: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! I help startup founders grow their business through my position at American Express.

Spiffy: That’s awesome! What motivated you to do it?

Parin: It gives me a sense of fulfillment.

Spiffy: How are you and the company working towards a more equitable world?

Parin: We try to work with startup founders from all walks of life making it a level playing ground for everyone.

Spiffy: Can you tell me about a recent milestone or initiative in your work and the impact it makes?

Parin: Amex invested in Philanthropi, which empowers everyday givers to have a simple way to create and fund an account and give to the charity they care about the most.

Spiffy: What start-up or project have you worked with that exemplifies the impact you’re striving to make?

Parin: I invested in Pinwheel, an API platform startup that makes it easier for consumers to access income verification.

Spiffy: Thanks for speaking with me today, Parin—it’s been an honor!

Parin Shah joined American Express Ventures in 2021. His responsibilities include sourcing and evaluating early- and growth-stage investments in Consumer FinTech and driving partnerships between portfolio companies and business units. Before joining American Express, Parin was a VP in Citi's Technology Investment Banking team, leading M&A and Capital Markets transactions in the Consumer Technology space. He holds an MBA from Cornell's Johnson School of Business and a BE from Mumbai University. (First published on the Ladderworks website on February 16, 2022)

© 2022 Ladderworks LLC. Edited by Anushree Nande. Spiffy’s illustration by Shreyas Navare. For the Ladderworks digital curriculum to help K-3 kids advance the UN SDGs, visit Spiffy's Corner here.

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