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Charlie Youakim

Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sezzle Inc.

Search every verified Charlie Youakim interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Charlie Youakim, co-founder and CEO of Sezzle, has been active in media appearances and earnings calls discussing the company's growth and strategy. In 2025 and 2026 interviews, he highlighted Sezzle's market capitalization rising from roughly $35 million to over $3 billion in under three years, attributing this to efficient capital use, noting the company raised about $120 million compared to competitors raising over $1 billion. He described Sezzle's business model, which charges merchants a 6% plus 30 cents processing fee, and discussed product innovations such as subscription offerings Premium and Anywhere, which allow consumers to use Sezzle at a wider range of merchants. Youakim also addressed misconceptions about buy-now-pay-later, stating it is a safer and cheaper form of credit than credit cards for younger, lower-income consumers, and emphasized the company's focus on responsible lending, including stopping further purchases after a missed payment. Youakim has also spoken about Sezzle's operational history, including a period of near-collapse in 2022 when the company was burning $70 million annually and cut staff from 580 to 240 employees before reaching profitability. He discussed the company's shift to a remote-first workforce, which he said helped with hiring and retention, and expressed views on return-to-office mandates, arguing they can disproportionately drive out high-performing employees. In earnings calls and shareholder meetings, Youakim reported record growth, including 64.1% year-over-year GMV growth in Q1 2025, and reaffirmed full-year guidance. He also mentioned personal practices, such as borrowing against his stake at low leverage relative to quarterly net income, and cited influences like Charlie Munger and a "punch card" approach to decision-making.

Recent appearances

  • Club Conversation with Charlie Youakim, 85x Return in 3 Years

    May 18, 2026 · 📺 MicroCapClub

    Charlie Youakim is the co-founder and CEO of Sezzle (SEZL), a buy-now-pay-later company now valued at over $3 billion. He previously co-founded Passport, a mobile payments business for parking, and built Sezzle into one of the largest BNPL providers in the U.S. despite raising roughly $120 million in total, a fraction of the capital raised by competitors like Klarna and Afterpay. Sezzle first listed on the ASX in July 2019 and direct-listed on the Nasdaq in August 2023; its market cap bottomed at roughly $35 million during that stretch and has grown to over $3 billion in under three years, rou…

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  • This Fintech CEO Is A Pioneer In Helping People Buy Now & Pay Later

    March 10, 2026 · 📺 Smart Money Circle Show Hosted By Adam Sarhan

    This Fintech CEO Is A Pioneer In Helping People Buy Now & Pay Later Guest Charlie Youakim CEO Executive Chairman Sezzle Company Sezzle (NASDAQ: SEZL) Website https://sezzle.com/ Sezzle Bio: Sezzle is a fintech company empowering the next generation to shop smarter and build financial confidence. Its all-in-one app combines point-of-sale financing with tools that help users manage spending responsibly. Sezzle connects millions of consumers with a global network of merchants through a transparent, easy-to-use platform. Charlie Bio: Charlie Youakim is a tech entrepreneur who has founde…

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  • $35M → $3B in 36 Months: The Sezzle Growth Blueprint | Founder Charlie Youakim

    November 04, 2025 · 📺 Work in Fintech

    Today’s guest on the show is Charlie Youakim, Co-founder & CEO of Sezzle, the fast-growing Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) platform. In this episode, host Matthew Cheung sits down with Charlie to unpack: ✅ Sezzle’s business model ✅ How Sezzle makes money ✅ The shift that led to their rapid profitability & explosive growth ✅ How a billion-dollar company thinks about hiring ✅ Why BNPL is shaping the future of commerce, and what’s coming next If you’re a founder, CEO, operator, or anyone building in fintech, this conversation is a masterclass. From understanding how business model innovation can ch…

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  • Sezzle at FIT

    September 02, 2025 · 📺 Faculty Center SUNY Oneonta

    CEO CHarlie Youakim's interview with FIT Professor Shelley E. Kohan.

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  • Sezzle Q2 2025 Earnings Call | Q2 2025 Earnings Conference Call | Q2 2025 Results

    August 08, 2025 · 📺 i101

    Sezzle Q2 2025 Earnings Conference Call. #earningscall #StockMarketNews Q2 2025 Earnings Call | Q2 2025 Earnings Conference Call | Q2 2025 Earnings concall | Q2 2025 concall | Q2 2025 quarterly results | Stock News | Q2 2025 results | investment news | stock latest news If you want us to remove your company's earnings call or any other conference call, please reach out to [email protected].

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  • Sezzle’s $808M Quarter: Why Buy Now, Pay Later Is Just the Beginning

    July 24, 2025 · 📺 CMC Aureon

    Charlie Youakim, CEO and Co-Founder of Sezzle, joins OPTO Sessions to discuss company’s journey from startup to a leading public company in the fintech space, the evolution of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) model and record growth in the past 12 months. 0:00 Introduction to Sezzle 08:14 Passport: the Startup that Paved the Way 10:44 The Secret to Competing in Fintech 17:01 Innovative Product Features: an Overview 19:25 Navigating Customer Feedback & Product Testing 22:57 The Rise of BNPL & Sezzle’s Growth 27:58 Marketing Strategies for New Products 31:09 Funding and Fraud Prevention 35:05 Future V…

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  • Charlie Youakim - Buy Now, Pay Later, Build Forever | Leveraged Storytelling Episode 4

    July 01, 2025 · 📺 Tunheim

    In this episode of Leveraged Storytelling powered by Tunheim, I sit down with Charlie Youakim, co-founder and CEO of Sezzle — one of the fastest-growing company on the NASDAQ this year and a proud Minnesota fintech built on values as much as velocity. We dive into Sezzle’s core mission: helping the next generation of consumers build strong financial habits through its Buy Now, Pay Later platform — while simultaneously delivering the kind of performance Wall Street expects. Charlie shares how he’s managed to keep the company anchored in purpose while scaling aggressively in a competitive space…

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  • Sezzle (SEZL) AGM 2025 – Full Coverage

    June 11, 2025 · 📺 Fyfull

    Sezzle Inc. (NASDAQ: SEZL) held its 2025 Annual General Meeting on June 10, 2025. Join CEO and Executive Chairman Charlie Youakim for insights on fintech, buy now pay later trends, and AGM 2025 proceedings! Explore Sezzle’s 64.1% YoY GMV growth in Q1 2025, director reelections, and ratification of Baker Tilly US LLP as auditor. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction by Operator 00:23 – Charlie Youakim, CEO: Opening Remarks 03:00 – Q1 2025 Performance Overview 06:37 – Q&A Session (No Questions) 08:03 – Proposal Overview and Voting 10:27 – Meeting Closure 📈 Investment Sentiment: POS…

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  • From Near Collapse to $1.2B: The Sezzle Turnaround Story with CEO Charlie Youakim.

    March 06, 2025 · 📺 Remoti

    Welcome to the first episode of English Sessions – the podcast for CEOs and decision-makers navigating the future of hiring and the modern workforce. In this episode, Charlie Youakim, CEO of Sezzle, shares how he led Sezzle from a 96% market cap loss to a $1.2 billion turnaround. Learn how he leveraged a borderless workforce, adapted to market challenges, and made strategic hiring decisions that saved the company. Key Topics Covered: Sezzle’s near collapse & its $1.2B comeback Why a borderless workforce was key to survival Lessons for CEOs scaling global teams Hiring strategies for efficien…

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  • Sezzle CEO Charlie Youakim on Buy Now Pay Later

    October 24, 2024 · 📺 Christine Russo on What Just Happened

    The podcast features an interview with Charlie Youakim, CEO of Sezzle, discussing the company's journey in the competitive "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) space. Charlie highlights the strategic milestones of Sezzle, including its recent listing on NASDAQ and a notable sponsorship with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sezzle's growth is marked by its innovation and adaptability, moving from traditional merchant partnerships to introducing subscription services like "Premium" and "Anywhere," allowing users more flexibility to shop across various retailers. Youakim explains the development of Sezzle's di…

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  • Interview: Sezzle founder Charlie Youakim on moving to Wall St

    September 24, 2024 · 📺 Fear & Greed

    Sean Aylmer speaks to Charlie Youakim, co-founder and CEO of buy now pay later group Sezzle, about the company's growth since launching in 2016.  They talk about the plans to list in the US where Sezzle does most of its business, and how Charlie's previous start-up experience helped make Sezzle a success. Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

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  • How Buy Now, Pay Later Solutions Strengthen the eCommerce Economy With Charlie Youakim

    October 17, 2023 · 📺 Up Arrow Podcast

    Charlie Youakim is the CEO and Executive Chairman of Sezzle, a fintech company on a mission to financially empower the next generation by offering interest-free installment plans for online and in-store purchases. As a fintech founder, Charlie leverages his leadership and management skills to build exceptional companies. Before Sezzle, he founded Passport, a leader in the transportation payments space. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: • Charlie Youakim’s inspiration for founding Sezzle • Knowing when to pivot and adapt to discover the best product-market fit • Why young, non-prime cu…

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The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →