Ellen Mo: Creating National Impact Through Financial Innovation for Underserved America

Financial Technology Veteran Transforms Underserved Communities Nationwide

With over a decade of experience spanning investment banking on Wall Street and a senior role at OakNorth, a fast-growing, lower middle market-focused commercial digital bank, Ellen (Sicong) Mo has sought to make a difference to the United States' financial landscape by empowering mission-critical U.S. small- and medium-sized businesses, manufacturing, and housing projects through capital access and quantitative-driven strategic advisory. Through her continued efforts in investment banking and now in commercial banking at OakNorth, significant global capital has been channeled into the U.S., supporting job creation and fostering nationwide economic growth.

Key Moves to Energise Fintech Companies

Ellen's focus is on serving underserved small- and medium-sized businesses, manufacturing, and homebuilding-focused projects at a national scale. Job creation and industrial production, she believes, are both key to ensuring economic success.

While in investment banking, Ellen connected these to strategic partners so that they could receive public and private capital to raise the bar of their effectiveness, leading to significant, measurable outcomes. She has orchestrated landmark transactions that include major financial services IPOs, essential community bank capital raises, and sophisticated debt offerings designed to bolster institutions serving underserved markets. A company Ellen had brought public, a US consumer-centric digital retail mortgage lender, has funded more than $275 billion since inception, assisting more than 27,000 customers each month. Another regional bank that Ellen helped with raising $470m of capital, now serves seven states across the United States with 300+ branches and 4,200 employees, providing full financial services to millions of Americans.

Ellen's data-driven solutions address the substantial gap created by declining traditional bank lending and widespread rural branch closures, ensuring America's competitive edge in industrial production while generating essential employment opportunities across the country.

Today, Ellen's efforts in corporate development, strategy, and investor relations at OakNorth have contributed to the company's rapid expansion into underserved U.S. local markets, positioning the company as a critical bridge between global capital and American economic development needs. The US expansion became especially vital following the collapses of Silicon Valley Bank, First Republic, and Signature Bank, where local entrepreneurs had seen funding sources vanish almost overnight.

Thought Leadership on the National Stage

Ellen perceives healthy economic growth as being fundamental to the growth of society. For this reason, she wants to be a thought leader in her industry, encouraging and guiding aspiring investment and financial experts.

Ellen's leadership extends to major fintech conferences, including Money20/20, where she guides discussions among 200+ fintech founders and executives. She has also shared and exchanged insights with the world's top thought leaders during the 2025 Milken Institute Annual Global Conference in Los Angeles, a premier event that connects individuals with the capital and influence to drive change. Ellen is actively involved in conferences organized by major global investment banks and government agencies, addressing topics spanning fintech innovation, digital assets, and financial inclusion for underserved populations.

Beyond her commercial achievements, Ellen mentors emerging financial innovators through Columbia University's Career Services Center and serves on the associate board of Apex for Youth, a nonprofit organization that empowers Asian American youth from low-income and immigrant backgrounds to unlock their potential today. Her thought leadership creates an impact that extends well beyond individual transactions.

Ellen's passion for finance and her work ethic have created a significant national impact, and she believes that she will continue to affect change across the United States' economic landscape—proving that targeted financial innovation can create transformative change at a national scale where it's needed most.