Leadership

Penny Lee, President and Chief Executive Officer

Penny Lee is the President and CEO of the Financial Technology Association (FTA), a Washington, DC-based trade association representing fintech industry leaders. FTA educates, informs, and engages with Washington, advocating for modernized policies and regulations that spur innovation and drive inclusion. As the voice of the fintech industry, FTA serves as an ecosystem and community for leaders shaping the future of finance. 

Before joining FTA, Lee led the public affairs practice group at Invariant, a leading Washington, D.C., government relations and strategic communications firm. She previously served as Chief Strategy Officer of 1776, a prominent technology incubator and accelerator servicing over 1,200 startups in its network. Lee developed and formalized the business strategy necessary to execute the company’s priorities internally and externally, with operational authority over the company’s personnel, product, and finances.

Additionally, she co-founded and chaired a Washington, D.C.-based angel investment group, K Street Capital, which has invested over $8 million in 65 companies. Lee is passionate about making the tech industry more inclusive, and while Chair of K Street Capital, female, female-identifying or underrepresented founders comprised 32 percent of the portfolio. Her experience also includes serving as Senior Advisor to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Executive Director of the Democratic Governors Association, and Communications Director for Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

Roles in social impact complement her professional expertise. She maintains leadership and board positions for several D.C. area investment groups and nonprofit organizations, including Black Girl Ventures, Center for American Entrepreneurship, and National Links Trust, an organization seeking to diversify the game of golf by improving accessibility and affordability of municipal golf courses.

Penny graduated from Baylor University with degrees in political science and journalism.

Angelena Bradfield, Head of Policy and Government Affairs

Angelena Bradfield is the Head of Policy and Government Relations at the Financial Technology Association. At FTA, she leads the organization’s regulatory and legislative advocacy efforts. Previously, she was a Senior Vice President for AML/BSA, Sanctions & Privacy at the Bank Policy Institute, where she supported its regulatory affairs department and led industry efforts to modernize U.S. anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance requirements. She previously held a similar position at The Clearing House Association.

Prior to her bank policy roles, she supported comprehensive immigration reform efforts at ImmigrationWorks USA and worked on various domestic policy issues at the White House, where she served as a staff assistant in both the Domestic Policy Council and Presidential Correspondence offices. She received her MBA in International Business from the University of Edinburgh and a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine.

Miranda Margowsky, Head of Communications

Miranda oversees all communications and marketing efforts at the Financial Technology Association. She is a strategist and policy communicator with over a decade of experience spearheading effective and integrated public affairs campaigns. At FTA, she crafts communications strategies and messaging to demonstrate how fintech drives value for consumers, small businesses, and the economy. 

Before joining FTA, Miranda worked as a Vice President at Precision Strategies, a strategy and marketing agency in Washington, D.C. At Precision, Miranda led integrated, multi-million dollar public affairs campaigns and provided strategic communications guidance to clients in the technology, health care, and financial services sectors. 

Miranda started her career on Capitol Hill and in political campaigns. Before joining Precision, she spent several years as a press secretary for members of Democratic leadership in the Senate and House. Miranda received a Master’s Degree in Global Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor’s Degree in history from Harvard University.

Samantha Russell, Research Analyst 

Samantha Russell joins the Financial Technology Association as a Research Analyst supporting the communications, government affairs, and policy teams. Previously, she served as Policy Advisor at the House Rules Committee, where she staffed and advised the Chair and managed legislation that came before the Committee. 

At the Rules Committee, Samantha worked across the aisle and collaborated closely with staff across jurisdictions to vet amendments from Members, develop materials for hearings, and answer real-time policy questions from Members. She brings expertise in policy analysis, research, and strategic communications to support FTA’s mission of championing the value of financial technology.

Samantha received her Bachelor’s Degree in international relations from American University.