Ep. 56: Car Ride with Filene Fellow Bill Maurer

Bill Maurer's Background: Bill Maurer is introduced as the Filene Fellow for the Center of Excellence on Emerging Technology and as Dean and professor at the University of California, Irvine. He explains his roles as both an academic and administrator at UC Irvine, including his responsibilities for fundraising and managing a large school within the university.

Trust and Technology: The discussion revolves around the importance of trust in the financial industry, especially in an era of rapidly advancing technology. Dr. Maurer emphasizes the significance of maintaining trust with customers and members, highlighting the potential pitfalls of data-driven marketing and the importance of member-oriented missions for credit unions.

Anthropology and Money: Bill Maurer's background in anthropology is explored, and he discusses how the study of money has always been an essential part of anthropology. He explains how anthropology examines economic transactions and rituals in different societies, including small-scale and remote communities.

Community Currency and Islamic Finance: The conversation touches upon Dr. Maurer's work on community currency and Islamic finance. He describes how these areas of finance share common foundations and have connections, emphasizing the importance of exploring alternative financial models.

Redesigning U.S. Currency: Bill Maurer was part of a group convened by the U.S. Treasury to discuss redesigning U.S. currency, particularly the $10 and $20 bills. The group advocated for preserving Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill, given his role in founding the national banking system, and instead, replacing Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill with a woman, possibly a woman of color. The conversation revolves around the narratives that currency can convey and the historical representations on banknotes.