The Action Layer Episode 2 | Cythnia Chen, Co-founder & CEO of Kikoff

Cynthia Chen came to the U.S. at 17 with no credit history, no co-signer, and no one to co-sign an apartment lease. On her 18th birthday she spent the night in a computer lab applying for her first credit card. By graduation she had a 730 score, a car, an apartment, and a job at Capital One — where she spent 15 years watching millions of people get declined for the same reasons she almost was. That experience is the founding story of Kikoff. And in this episode of The Action Layer, Cynthia and Jordan get into what it actually takes to help people not just see their credit situation, but change it. They cover why showing someone their credit score isn't enough, how Kikoff built AI agents that negotiate debt with collectors on a consumer's behalf, and what it means to build for the one in three Americans with a credit score below 600. In this episode: 00:00:54 — What Kikoff is and how it started 00:03:38 — The difference between showing a credit score and actually changing it 00:05:08 — Why something has to be done to the actual debt for a credit profile to improve 00:06:04 — How Kikoff's AI-powered debt negotiation tool works 00:08:14 — Serving the demographic most financial institutions have passed on 00:09:21 — Becoming the first Spanish-language credit builder app and what happened next 00:10:46 — One in three Americans has a credit score below 600 00:12:28 — How Kikoff found its way to debt negotiation through customer service queues 00:16:04 — Cynthia's personal story: arriving in the U.S. at 17 with no credit and no co-signer 00:17:50 — Spending her 18th birthday in a computer lab applying for her first credit card 00:18:59 — How that experience led to 15 years at Capital One and eventually Kikoff 00:21:40 — What AI should do next for consumers — starting with the mortgage process About The Action Layer The Action Layer is a video interview series from Atomic exploring the space between fintech ideas and real-world outcomes. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one. Connect with Cynthia Chen LinkedIn:   / cc2004   About Kikoff Website: https://kikoff.com/ LinkedIn:   / getkikoff   Connect with Jordan Wright LinkedIn:   / wrightjordan   About Atomic Website: https://atomic.financial/ LinkedIn:   / atomic-fi