Chris Melendez
Fintech Consultant at Thrivent Financial
Chris Melendez has been on an amazing journey with God. He grew up privileged to be a pastor's kid, so he can't remember a time he didn't know the Lord. Married at 19 and with three kids by 23, Chris and his wife Julie learned early in life the need to be completely dependent on Christ while working diligently to make things happen. He discovered God feeds the birds . . . but He doesn't drop the worm in the nest.
Chris spent 10 years at American Express and then five years building a fintech startup. After selling the company, he was introduced to the folks at Thrivent Financial where he is currently building out a philosophy and system to help Christians steward their finances well. His three kids are all married and live in the Atlanta area. He has one grandchild and one on the way.
Fintech continues to advance rapidly, impacting people all over the world. Chris’s journey into fintech has taught him that whether we are engaging it as a user, a seller, or even a creator, Christians must approach this technology with self-control and surrender to the Lord. His journey begins with using fintech, to selling it, to finally creating it. His article was one of CEF’s 2019 White Papers.