Susan Langer, the Founder and CEO of Spave, is a trailblazer in the fintech industry, leveraging technology to drive social impact and sustainability. With over three decades of experience spanning corporate, entrepreneurial, and nonprofit sectors, Susan has established herself as a visionary leader. She has held key leadership roles at major organizations such as US Bank, General Mills, and World Vision, and has been widely recognized for her contributions to finance and technology. In 2018, she was named one of the Top Women in Finance by Finance & Commerce, and in 2022, she was honored as one of Twin Cities Business’ Notable Women in Technology as well as Dealmaker of the Year by Smart Business Dealmakers.
Beyond her professional accolades, Susan is deeply committed to her community. She has been elected twice to her local school board and continues to serve as a Commissioner on the City of Red Wing’s Planning Commission and as a board member for Goodhue County Habitat for Humanity. She resides in Red Wing, Minnesota, with her husband Gary, where she continues to lead and inspire with her innovative approach to social impact and financial technology.
Sustainability as a Core Business Principle
Susan believes that businesses must stay anchored in their values to integrate sustainability effectively. Her advice to business leaders venturing into sustainability is to align their mission with global frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This alignment, she suggests, allows businesses to define the specific impact they want to create, ensuring that sustainability is not an afterthought but a fundamental driver of innovation, efficiency, and long-term success.
She emphasizes embedding sustainability into the company’s core strategy, engaging stakeholders, and maintaining transparency through measurable impact metrics. “Sustainability isn’t just about minimizing harm—it’s about maximizing good,” she says. This mindset has shaped Spave’s approach, making it a pioneer in financial technology for social good.
Spave: Transforming Spending for Good
Spave’s mission is to redefine financial behavior by enabling users to integrate micro-savings and micro-donations into their everyday spending. The company’s approach aligns with key SDGs, ensuring that financial technology serves as a force for good:
- SDG 3 – Good Health & Well-being: By reducing financial stress, Spave helps individuals build financial confidence and achieve their personal goals.
- SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure: Spave pioneers “financial wholeness,” making saving and giving effortless through fintech innovation.
- SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals: Spave fosters strategic partnerships with businesses and nonprofits, enhancing corporate social responsibility initiatives and expanding mission-driven fundraising.
One of Spave’s notable successes came in 2021 when it sold 80% of its assets to the credit union industry. This move provided credit unions with technology that empowered their members to save and give more easily, promoting financial well-being at scale. The capital generated from this transaction allowed Spave to expand into new markets, accelerating its mission and impact.
A Vision Inspired by Global Challenges
Susan’s journey toward sustainability was profoundly influenced by her first trip to Africa in 1995, where she encountered systemic barriers preventing individuals and communities from reaching their full potential. Long before the UN formally established the SDGs, she saw the power of financial empowerment and collective action in creating lasting change.
This experience planted the seed for Spave—a fintech platform designed to make every financial transaction a catalyst for good. Over time, this vision evolved into an innovative ecosystem that empowers users to align their financial habits with their values. Today, Spave is a testament to how technology and sustainability can intersect to drive meaningful transformation.
Balancing Profitability and Sustainability
At Spave, profitability and sustainability are not competing forces but mutually reinforcing principles. Susan has built a dynamic business model that ensures all stakeholders benefit:
- Consumers gain access to a free, intuitive tool that integrates savings and giving into everyday spending.
- Employers can engage and retain employees with values-aligned financial wellness programs.
- Nonprofits receive mobile-first technology that connects them with digital-native donors, expanding their reach.
- Spave generates revenue through donations, employer partnerships, and nonprofit collaborations.
- Communities thrive as a network effect amplifies financial wellness and charitable giving.
By aligning purpose with profit, Spave has demonstrated that businesses can achieve financial success while making a lasting social impact.
Overcoming Challenges and Shifting Perceptions
One of the biggest hurdles Spave faced was investor skepticism—many believed that profitability and purpose were mutually exclusive. However, Spave disproved this notion by showcasing a scalable revenue model that integrates sustainability into financial behavior. The 2021 asset sale to the credit union industry validated Spave’s business model, providing the capital needed to expand into new verticals. Today, Spave is shifting the conversation in the investment community from “Can you be profitable while doing good?” to “How can we accelerate this momentum?”
The Future of Sustainability in Fintech
Susan sees sustainability as a fundamental driver of growth and innovation in the fintech industry over the next decade. Consumers are demanding more transparency, investors are prioritizing ESG metrics, and businesses are recognizing that sustainability is not just an ethical choice but a financial imperative.
Spave is at the forefront of this shift, demonstrating that financial technology can drive social impact while ensuring long-term business success. “The future of finance is not just about transactions—it’s about transformation,” Susan affirms. As sustainability takes center stage, Spave continues to lead by example, proving that purpose-driven businesses can thrive in a rapidly evolving financial landscape.
Empowering Individuals to Make a Difference
Susan believes that everyone has the power to create change through intentional financial habits. “Our choices—how we spend, save, and give—are a reflection of what we value, and those choices shape the world around us,” she explains.
Spave empowers individuals to align their financial actions with their values, making generosity effortless and sustainable. By taking small, consistent steps, people can create measurable impact that strengthens families, communities, and the planet. “When purpose drives our actions, generosity becomes second nature,” Susan concludes.
Through Spave, Susan Langer is not only revolutionizing fintech but also building a movement where financial empowerment and social good go hand in hand.
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