TACOMA, Wash. – Sound Credit Union in partnership with the Milgard Center for Business Analytics at the University of Washington Tacoma (UWT), have announced Aashi Sharma as the winner of the 2024 FinTech Incubator Challenge. Sharma is an aspiring entrepreneur who is in the beginning stages of designing CreditUp,
an app designed to empower users to strengthen their financial health through education tools and management resources.
This is the fourth annual competition, which Sound and UWT launched in 2021 to connect with innovators interested in developing financial tools that help consumers manage their finances while helping to improve their financial health. Applicants submitted their ideas in September, and earlier this month, three finalists presented
their concepts to a panel of judges from Sound, UWT and Tacoma Venture Fund.
The judges were intrigued to learn more about CreditUp. “As a financial institution, we want to provide our
members with tools that will help our members manage their finances confidently,” said Nancy Sternitzky, Senior
Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Sound Credit Union. “CreditUp, is designed to enhance
consumers’ financial knowledge and connect them with tools to manage their finances with confidence. This
innovation aligns with the purpose of the challenge, as well as Sound’s commitment to financial empowerment.”