Safwan Shah
Safwan Shah | |
|---|---|
| Born | Pakistan |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Years active | 1999 to present |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Payactiv, Inc. |
| Notable work | It's About TIME (Book) |
Safwan Shah, Ph.D., is a Pakistani-American business executive and entrepreneur.[1] He is the founder and chief executive officer of Payactiv.[2] Safwan founded Payactiv as the first provider of Earned Wage Access services, and is credited with coining the term "Earned Wage Access."
Education and early career
[edit]Shah earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from NED University of Engineering & Technology. He later received a master's degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder.[1][3]
Shah has worked in various industries, including time with BioServe Space Technologies, where he worked to support the NASA space program.[4][5]
Shah has served as a faculty member at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, where he co-taught entrepreneurship in the MBA program, and has also lectured at the Baskin School of Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz.[2][4] Shah has spoken at numerous events, including TEDx.[6]
In 1997, he co-founded Chowk, a news website focused on Indian and Pakistani current affairs.[3]
Infonox
[edit]Before founding Payactiv, Shah worked in payments technology and founded Infonox, a payments company, where he was CEO from its founding in 1999 until its acquisition in 2008.[3] Infonox was acquired by TSYS for $50 million.[2][7]
Payactiv
[edit]Shah founded Payactiv in the 2012 as the first provider of Earned Wage Access.[8][9] He remains CEO of the company, a role he has held since the company's founding.
In 2016, under Shah's leadership, Payactiv became a Certified B Corporation and later a Public Benefit Corporation, appearing on the 'Best for the World' list for its impact on workers' financial security. In an interview, Shah shared that Payactiv works to provide financial security and emergency preparedness to employees.[10]
Under Shah's leadership, Payactiv has worked with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and other regulatory agencies to develop clear regulations for the on-demand pay industry.[11]
In 2024, Fortune reported that Payactiv was had previously been valued at more than $500 million in 2020.[12]
Bibliography
[edit]Shah released a book in 2019.[13]
| Title | Publication Date | Pages | Publisher | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| It's About TIME: How Businesses Can Save the World (One Worker at a Time) | April 8, 2019 | 180 | Conscious Capitalism Press | ISBN 9781950466023 |
Awards and recognition
[edit]In 2019, Shah received the George Norlin Award from the University of Colorado Boulder.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Safwan Shah (PhD AeroEngr'94) | Homecoming | University of Colorado Boulder". www.colorado.edu. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ a b c "Safwan Shah". American Banker. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ a b c "Safwan Shah – Techlogix". Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ a b "Safwan Shah". TEDxWilsonPark. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ "Safwan Shah". Conscious Capitalism, Inc. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ Shah, Safwan (2020-10-21). The surprising link between payroll systems & financial stress. Retrieved 2026-03-13 – via www.ted.com.
- ^ staff, Digital Transactions News. "With Infonox, TSYS Acquiring Gears up for Boom in Transactions". Digital Transactions. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ "U.S. Bank, Payactiv unveil new Earned Wage Access solution for employers". www.usbank.com. 2024-02-07. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ Marquis, Christopher. "How Earned Wage Access Can Upend Predatory Lending And Build Employee Financial Wellness". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-05-26.
- ^ Brock, James (2024-02-26). "Payday Loan Killer?". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved 2026-05-26.
- ^ "Payactiv jettisons some fees in wake of CFPB move | Payments Dive". www.paymentsdive.com. Retrieved 2026-05-26.
- ^ Beltran, Luisa. "Fintech firm Payactiv—valued at over $500 million in 2020—is seeking a minority investor". Fortune. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ "ISBN 9781950466047 - It's About TIME How Businesses Can Save the World (One Worker at a Time)". isbnsearch.org. Retrieved 2026-03-16.