The Passion, Perseverance and Persistence of Two Women Fintech Entrepreneurs

Boe and Hamrick joined forces in the late nineteen nineties with a mission to help consumers and small businesses address some of their biggest fears, financial decision making, and being judged on past financial decisions. Boe’s successful track record creating sales and marketing programs for Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and healthcare software companies and Hamrick’s engineering, consulting background, and deep knowledge of data modeling synced perfectly. The left and right brains collaborated for innovation at its best.

The women recognized that consumer engagement was a critical success factor for financial institutions. So, they started their journey by developing an algorithm that could match businesses’ products to customers’ unique needs, which they patented. Next, these fintech pioneers built a software solution that targeted retail banking. The innovative solution compelled bankers to put the customer first in the sales process. Because the software was way ahead of its time, almost bleeding edge, they had to pound the pavement and do some missionary selling to find and sign-up forward-thinking banks willing to try a new approach and willing to fully go to the cloud in 2000.

Tenacity, Perseverance, and Agility

Getting Ignite Sales off the ground and sustaining it were not easy tasks. Boe and Hamrick faced numerous challenges, including securing financing, finding the right team members, creating unique, advanced technology offerings in the cloud, and competing in what would be a hypergrowth fintech space. But their persistence, drive, hard work, and passion for seeing it through no matter what were critical ingredients to overcoming the many obstacles in their way. Boe and Hamrick’s desire to help millions of consumers understand and allay financial fears to create financial wellness was always at the core of every decision.

AI, Embedded Analytics, and SaaS Pioneers

Ignite has been a technology pioneer right from its inception. The company has been a trailblazer with its innovative use of operational AI, embedded analytics, and SaaS in banking. At a time when many in the financial industry were still cautious and unsure about the internet, Ignite Sales delivered a 100% SaaS solution. It provided a lower expense delivery model and eliminated on-premise hardware and software upgrades.

Big Banks First Customers

Ignite Sales’ initial success in 2000 was with the big banks, including Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Santander (formerly Sovereign Bank), who were not hesitant to try a cloud-based solution. Ignite’s software service and algorithms delivered unprecedented results for these banks, whose customers adopted products at multiples higher than any other marketing and sales solution. Subsequently, additional banks of various sizes and credit unions signed on with Ignite, and their metrics proved gains of similarly remarkable results.

Created a Culture of Excellence and Customer First

Boe and Hamrick have created a culture of excellence where customers come first – they are always at the center of every decision. The company boasts a family-friendly environment where employees have the flexibility and freedom to test approaches they believe will result in outstanding deliverables and innovations for efficiencies to our customers. Flexible hours are available to accommodate the team’s family needs. Ignite was recently recognized as one of the 2020 Best Places to Work in Financial Technology.

Over Twenty Years of Perseverance Results in Success

Through the past 20 years, Ignite Sales endured through events that dramatically impacted our country and businesses, including the dotcom bust, catastrophic attacks on 9/11, the 2008-09 recession, and now the global pandemic. Hard times and the accompanying difficult decisions are a true leadership test, and the women proved to be excellent leaders. Never wavering on their mission, with a great business model to keep them thriving in good and challenging times. There have been many ups and downs, but Boe and Hamrick never doubted that if they persevered, they would succeed.

Today, nearly 24 years after its founding, Ignite Sales continues its growth, and the company is stronger than ever. The algorithms continually become smarter, the volume of data has burgeoned, and their clients’ results have multiplied. The digital world we live in needs and appreciates the humanization Ignite’s solutions bring to financial decision making. This quote from Titi Cole, Chief Client Officer of Citibank, shows Ignite’s technology is right where it should be, 24 years later. She said it perfectly in a recent Financial Brand article.“Show me you know me so that, based on what you know about me, you can bring me relevant solutions to help meet my financial needs.”

“Barrier breakers Boe and Hamrick are compassionate, kind, empathetic, and intelligent women who bring those traits to Ignite and their client. The time is now for financial institutions to step in and help consumers and businesses understand and grow their finances in these challenging days.”

– Sharon Osterholt, Vice President, Strategy at Harland Clarke, a Vericast business

Whether online, on the phone, or face to face in a branch, the empathy and compassion of a financial conversation, will be the bank’s and credit union’s connection to grow with their clients into the future. Ignite Sales is here to provide the technology to drive that mission to fruition.

We celebrate and recognize fintech pioneers and Ignite Sales’ founders Barbie Boe and Julie Hamrick during Women’s History Month!

Ignite Sales is the leader in digital member engagement, using artificial intelligence for engaging analytics to facilitate growth, deeper product penetration and increase satisfaction levels of bankers and members.