Malak Elleithy

The financial industry keeps asking how to attract Gen Z. How do we get them to open accounts, adopt financial products, and become loyal customers?

But what if we're asking the wrong questions entirely?

We're talking about a generation that's digitally fluent but not necessarily financially confident. A generation with more ways to spend money than ever before, yet often limited control over its financial future.

And while businesses continue investing in understanding Gen Z, many are still approaching young consumers through assumptions that no longer hold.

This talk challenges three of them:

1. That convenience automatically creates loyalty.
2. That access to financial products means financial inclusion.
3. That putting traditional banking services into a modern app makes them relevant to a new generation.

We'll explore what financial independence actually looks like for young consumers, why trust works differently at this stage of life, and what banks, fintechs, and consumer businesses may be overlooking.

The question isn't simply how financial institutions can acquire the next generation.

It's whether they truly understand the generation they're trying to serve.

Malak Elleithy is a 24-year-old Egyptian entrepreneur and actress, and the Founder & CEO of Youth, a fintech startup aspiring to become the financial home for students across MENA.

She began working at 16, exploring over 15 roles across banking, private equity, business, film, and theatre before founding Youth at 22. A graduate of the American University in Cairo, where she studied Finance and Theatre, Malak has built her career around two seemingly different worlds: finance and performing arts.

In 2025, she became the youngest and only Egyptian woman recognized in Forbes Middle East's 30 Under 30 Commerce & Finance category. She was also selected for the START Fellowship in Switzerland.

Alongside leading Youth, Malak continues her acting career in Egyptian film, television, and theatre.