#92 Christian Zimmerman: A Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree Helping to Pay Debt Off Faster Through Qoins
Here at Company Roots, we were recently given the chance to speak to Mr. Christian Zimmerman, the current CEO and Co-Founder of the highly praised company, Qoins. Qoins is a debt management service that uses spare change from purchases in order to help users pay off debt. As a whole, the company has paid off over 15 million dollars in debt and has been featured on Forbes, ABC News, NBC News, and CNN Money. In addition to this, Mr. Zimmerman has received the honor of being named a Forbes 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneur for his impact and contributions to society. In this interview, we probe his experience, learning about his accomplishments and ambitions.
Mr. Zimmerman credits his upbringing as the reason for his independence and drive. He was born in Houston, Texas but was raised in Atlanta, Georgia as the son of an immigrant mother and a military father. He believes that growing up in this environment made him want to strike out on his own, and led to his development of business acumen. He also attributes traveling as helping him see the world and forging his desire for independence. He believes that his parents were his greatest mentors, as they were the ones who guided his goals and made him want to make a positive impact on the world.
Mr. Zimmerman, as the CEO and Co-Founder, spends the majority of his time working on Qoins. He describes it as an app that helps build both better financial habits and pay off the debt by automating the process of saving. He believes the most important impact of Qoins is its ability to teach the benefits of proper financial habits to help avoid crippling mistakes early in life. He elaborates that Qoins was actually based on the problems he faced with debt and it was made to prevent others from suffering in the same way.
Looking back on his journey, Mr. Zimmerman speaks on the numerous hardships that he faced in getting to where he is now. He speaks on how the rules and regulations of the financial technology industry are difficult to understand and navigate. He also speaks on how he deviated from the norm by entering the industry at a comparatively young age. Mr. Zimmerman is most proud of his ability to make a positive impact on the lives of his consumers and believes that this impact is the culmination of all the hardships he has overcome. In the future, he looks to expand their impact by offering a more personalized experience with more accountability and education through financial consultation.
Mr. Zimmerman advises future players in the social-impact-technology space not to get distracted by “shiny objects”. Instead, he advocates that one should always be focused on the end goal in order to find success and have a large impact. He also states that one does not have to choose between having a positive impact or making money. He thinks that as long as one has solid ideals and strong morals, success will follow. He believes that it is never too early to start working towards your goals and also emphasizes that mistakes are inevitable and should be seen as an opportunity to learn and grow. He also underscores the importance of being a well-rounded person and having a proper work-life balance.
He imagines that in the future Qoins will continue to expand and be on the bleeding edge of automated personal finance. He looks forward to attaining the true potential of the company and increasing his impact on society.
You can watch the full interview here.
Interviewer: Rahul Kavuru
Author: Suhas Muthineni
Editor: Afia Lateef
Graphic: Sraavya Penumudi
Video Editing: Chinmay Korapati