In this episode of Evolve, Alex Sion, Head of Financial Services at Blend, is joined by Brett King, futurist, author, and fintech pioneer, and Jesse Fagan, Head of Data Science for Blend Synthetic Studios, for a conversation on the growing role of simulation in business. Together, they trace the evolution of simulation from aviation and gaming to AI, digital twins, and enterprise decision-making.
The discussion explores how large language models and synthetic personas are making it possible to simulate human preferences and behaviors with a new level of detail. Jesse shares how Blend is using dense personas, multimodal inputs, and agentic workflows to simulate customer decision points, run synthetic focus groups, and generate actionable insights for clients. Brett connects those capabilities to broader shifts in product design, creative development, and the future of financial services.
The episode also includes a live demo showing how simulation can be used to test product positioning and audience response before going to market. The broader message is clear: as AI makes simulation faster, cheaper, and more scalable, companies will need to treat it as a core part of product development, marketing, and customer strategy, not just an experimental tool.
Key Takeaways:
Alex Sion is a pioneering leader in financial services transformation with over two decades of experience across industry giants and fintech innovation. As Financial Services Vertical Leader at Blend, he drives end-to-end AI-driven solutions for the industry. Previously, as digital strategy executive at JP Morgan Chase and innovation leader at Citi Ventures, he championed mobile-first banking solutions. Alex also co-founded Moven, one of the first neo-banks, and at Motive Partners, orchestrated strategic partnerships to advance data and AI innovations across the financial services landscape.
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Caroline Caldwell is Head of Marketing at Blend, where she built and scaled the global marketing function to position the company as a leader in AI services. With experience spanning Oracle, Merkle, and high-growth ventures, she specializes in transforming emerging technologies into scalable, revenue-driving marketing engines. Caroline is passionate about helping enterprises operationalize AI at scale and building teams that turn bold vision into measurable growth.
Brett King is a top 7 globally ranked futurist (Global Gurus), the #1 ranked Fintech Influencer globally (Fintech Magazine) an 8 times international bestselling author, award winning speaker, and Fintech Hall of Famer who hosts two globally dominant podcasts (The Futurists/Breaking Banks) with over 20 million downloads. King was the founder of the world’s first mobile, neo-bank Moven (2010). He is co-founder of LumaBrush AI – an advanced AI oral healthcare startup. He advised the Obama administration on the Future of Banking; President Xi cited his book Augmented on smart cities and AI, and he currently advises the UAE Prime Minister’s Office and Central Bank. He currently advises Mastercard’s EEMEA AI Center of Excellence as Futurist-in-Residence
Jesse Michael Fagan, PhD is a Director of Data Science Delivery at Blend, where he leads AI strategy and advanced analytics initiatives across the organization. With over 15 years of experience spanning industry, academia, and consulting, he specializes in natural language processing, predictive modeling, and building high-performing data science teams. Jesse is known for translating complex data into actionable insights and driving innovation through collaboration, mentorship, and scalable AI solutions.
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