Today’s Man Crush, Rodney Williams is not only innovative but also entrepreneurial. From Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States, Rodney’s entrepreneurial spirit is driven by his desire to make an impact by providing financial solutions for the underserved.
He is the Co-founder of SoLo Funds, an ingenious mobile marketplace for emergency needs. From an economically disadvantaged family, Williams witnessed firsthand the gap in proferring equitable solutions to help people. As a child for instance, electricity in his home was once shut off because his mother didn’t have enough money to pay the bill. With such among other experiences from his upbringing and his community in mind, Williams and his co-founder Travis Holoway built a platform based on a new model for peer-to-peer lending that would lessen the impact that emergencies have on low-income families. As a leader, Rodney is pushing growth, financing, and innovation within the company to fulfill its laudable mission.
Before founding SoLo, Rodney had established LISNR, a Visa-backed fintech. Some of his major achievements in that capacity include getting the company over $40 million in funding, numerous awards, and partnerships across retail and financial services. He is currently the chairman of this world-class company.
Rodney’s consistency got him to the peak of his career that he first launched at Procter & Gamble in brand management. At P&G, he played a critical role in the company’s digital strategy and start in e-commerce and social media. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 in 2012; Cannes Gold Lion award in 2015; and CNBC Disruptor 50 List in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019. A graduate of West Virginia University and Howard University, Rodney is also a member of the 2019 Class of Henry Crown Fellows within the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute.
Rodney’s zeal in bringing equity and access to financial services makes him a remarkable Man Crush Monday. We are rooting for him for more achievements.