Ms. Marlene Garayzar is an entrepreneur revolutionising financial services in Mexico and Latin America at large. She co-founded Stori, a company with the aim to make credit cards and financial services accessible to everyone. With over 1.4 million customers in Mexico, the brand continues to strengthen its place as one of the top digital banks in Mexico. Ms. Garayzar, who leads Stori as Chief Growth Officer, speaks to Women’s Tabloid in this interview.
Women’s Tabloid: Stori has made history by becoming the first Mexican unicorn to be co-founded by a woman. What was the core idea behind founding Stori?
Marlene Garayzar: The central idea behind Stori was clear from the outset: to make financial inclusion a reality in Mexico. In 2018, when we founded the company, the country ranked fourth lowest in financial inclusion in Latin America (World Bank, 2018). For me, that data was not just a statistic; it was a reminder of all the people who are left out of the system: students, freelancers, entrepreneurs, informal workers, real people with aspirations who could not access credit simply because they “did not fit the profile.”
That’s how Stori was born. We didn’t want to digitize what already existed, but rather reimagine how the financial system should work if it truly put people at the center. From day one, my partners and I worked with the conviction that it was possible to build something different: a system that does not discriminate based on history, income, or level of formality.
Becoming the first Mexican unicorn co-founded by a woman is a milestone. But our true success lies in the impact we are having today on 4 million people in Mexico. And this is just the beginning.
WT: Stori has built its customer appeal through disruptive offerings such as 99% acceptance credit cards and the highest yield in the market. What was the rationale behind these particular choices?
MG: Stori was born with a clear purpose: to say yes to those who had been excluded from the traditional financial system for years. That decision has allowed us to achieve major milestones and become a technology company with innovation in our DNA and artificial intelligence at our core.
We are able to maintain a 99% acceptance rate for our credit cards, thanks to our highly advanced credit risk assessment model that uses sophisticated algorithms and new technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence.
In 2023, we started the so-called “rate war” by launching, for the first time in Mexico’s history, a 15% return. Never before had Mexicans received such a high percentage simply for saving. At Stori, we made that a reality. Our goal is for more people to choose to earn with us, and to achieve that, we create options that reward their good financial habits.
WT: Why is the mobile-first approach taken by Stori important in achieving inclusive access to credit and financial services?
MG: Wherever there is a cell phone, there is the financial life of millions of Mexicans; being a true ally means being in the right place.
Designing a digital experience accessible from a cell phone from the outset allows us to eliminate traditional barriers such as paperwork, distant branches, or exclusionary requirements and accompany our users step by step with simple, transparent tools designed for their everyday lives.
Technology and artificial intelligence (our operational heart) are the pillars that allow us to personalize the experience, anticipate real needs, and serve each person with intention, from their context.
At Stori, we work to be the financial ally that millions of people deserve and trust. And bringing finance within reach is an essential step in building a more just and inclusive future.
WT: How has Stori impacted the gendered gap in access to credit and financial services in the region?
MG: At Stori, we believe that financial inclusion is not an end in itself, but rather a powerful tool that empowers women to make decisions about their money and their future. By providing access to products such as credit cards, we open the door to building credit history, reducing economic dependence, and closing the gender gaps that still persist in the financial system.
A concrete example is our co-branded card with a retail giant. The product was mainly adopted by women entrepreneurs who bring fashion to their communities while generating their own income. Their financial behavior—paying on time and responsibly—is now the foundation that will allow them to access more robust products tomorrow, such as a mortgage or car loan.
We don’t believe in pink or purple cards. Assuming that all women need the same thing is falling into a mistaken stereotype. What we do is design products with data, empathy, and a real understanding of their context. That is the way to close the gap.
WT: What advice would you give young entrepreneurs about building investor trust in their companies and securing funding?
MG: Don’t start with your ideal investor. Presenting your project for the first time to the person you are most interested in can go wrong. Practice opens doors: each pitch brings lessons that help you refine your narrative, better understand your business, and recognize when you are truly ready. That doesn’t mean improvising—on the contrary—it means understanding that preparation is built along the way.
Before asking for money, build relationships. Funding is a consequence of trust, and trust cannot be improvised: it is cultivated over time, with consistency and with facts.
