People Behind The Future: Delber Lage
THE FOREFRONT OF FINANCIAL INCLUSION
Delber Lage, CEO of Salaryfits, tackles entrepreneurial life by always keeping the flipside front of mind: “What keeps me awake are the endless opportunities and the other side of the coin; challenges. For most entrepreneurs, there’s always huge opportunity alongside a number of challenges.”
Growing up in the countryside city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, meant a provincial, considerate way of life for Delber. “The most important thing for my city is to be welcoming to our guests, you show them around the house, eat a big meal, and talk about the problems of the world.”
The influence of Belo Horizonte’s community is still evident in Delber’s outlook on life. He says that success is for himself, the people around him and their families to all be happy.
Delber has carried this attitude of altruism and care through both his law career and business ethos. He explains that the potential of Salaryfits to help people was a significant motivating factor in his move from the law to tech sector.
People’s happiness is clearly embedded in Salaryfits’ mission. The fintech platform, headquartered in Brazil, promotes financial inclusion and sustainability by bridging the gap between financial institutions and individuals. The platform integrates entities’ payrolls, allowing direct deductions from employees’ salary to be put towards services that fulfil their current financial needs.
The challenge for Salaryfits, with operations in London since March 2016, is keeping up with the city’s pace of life. “Everything is so big and happening quickly at the same time, if you don’t pay enough attention you’re going to miss it all.”
Yet again, Delber balances the challenges with the hotbed of opportunities for fintech in London. “You can find anything you want here, it’s an amazing place to be. This translates into business opportunities.”
“We are the only Brazilian company in Level39,” states Delber. “We are all equal though, everyone came here from a different place.” The tech community has provided Salaryfits with a diverse, yet anchored, environment in the centre of this fast-paced worldwide financial hub.
Looking to the future, although Delber keeps his feet firmly planted, his humble attitude shines through. “I’m not going to be the person that makes a huge difference out there, that’s unrealistic, but I can work to make a difference on a small scale.”