Cantaloupe Inc., a digital payments and software services company that provides end-to-end technology solutions for self-service commerce, announced that its CEO Ravi Venkatesan has been appointed to the board of FinTech Atlanta, a coalition of companies working to advance Atlanta as the recognized global capital of financial technology.
Ravi Venkatesan, an Atlanta resident, became the CEO of Cantaloupe Inc. in October 2022, after serving as its chief operating officer and chief technology officer since 2020.
FinTech Atlanta is led by seasoned industry executives whose priorities are to drive fintech industry growth, talent expansion, innovation acceleration and public policy influence in Atlanta and across Georgia. The state of Georgia has 210 fintech companies employing more than 42,000 employees, mostly centered around Atlanta, according to a report done by the Technology Association of Georgia. These companies process an estimated 300 billion in global payments transactions annually.
“I’m honored to join FinTech Atlanta as a member of their Board,” Venkatesan said in the announcement. “Atlanta is a growing FinTech hub and Cantaloupe is proud to have its leadership and numerous employees based in Atlanta at the heart of the FinTech community.”
Venkatesan is a proven leader with extensive expertise in product development, information systems, software development and program management. He brings more than 20 years of experience in driving innovative change within technology environments. Before joining Cantaloupe, he was head of Innovation at Bakkt. He held the dual roles of chief technology officer and chief product officer at Bridge2 Solutions, preceding its sale to ICE, the parent company of Bakkt. Prior to his position at Bakkt, he was the vice president of Information Technology Strategy and Delivery at Cbeyond. Earlier in his career he spent time as a consulting leader with Accenture. He graduated from Bangalore University with a degree in Electronics and went through a post graduate program in finance and information management from the Management Development Institute.
“We are excited to have Ravi join our Board,” Hillery Champagne, director of FinTech Atlanta, added in the announcement. “Our goal is to establish Atlanta as a global talent magnet creating high-value jobs required by today’s innovation economy. Cantaloupe is a fast-growing company that is helping do that within the Atlanta community."
Venkatesan’s appointment is effective immediately, and he will attend his first board meeting with FinTech Atlanta at its May 19 meeting.
