Cameron Peake

Peake cofounded Azlo with the smallest businesses in mind: entrepreneurs and freelancers who wanted to manage their business finances without the fees or the fuss. The 35-year-old had stints at Mastercard and BBVA’s incubator before cofounding the neobank with Brian Hamilton back in 2017, stepping into her role as CEO last year. Peake’s so-called challenger bank, owned by BBVA USA, lets small business owners and freelancers open no-fee checking accounts, connect accounting software and business apps like PayPal and Square, manage invoicing, and send payments without having to pay high fees (or venture to a physical branch). This year, the fintech’s mission to help small businesses “survive and thrive,” according to Peake, has been put to the test as the pandemic wreaked havoc on America’s Main Street. Peake and her team had to pivot at lightning speed to aid customers getting emergency funds through the government’s Paycheck Protection Program, partnering with fellow fintechs Fundera and Kabbage to help small-business owners find loans.