When Katherine Wong Too Yen joined Adro as their first hire outside of the founding team, the mission was already clear: make financial access seamless for newcomers to the United States. What wasn’t yet clear was just how quickly this NYC-based fintech would start making waves.

In under a year, Adro has gone from a founder-led MVP to a fast-growing platform that’s being welcomed into universities, agencies, and even humanitarian partnerships all with Kat steering the marketing ship. We sat down with her to talk growth, grit, and why early-stage marketers need to be part creative, part Swiss Army knife.

Building a Startup with Purpose

Adro was born out of lived experience. The founding team, who met during their MBAs at Cornell, also spent time teaching, and kept hearing the same frustration from international students: “Why is it so hard to open a U.S. bank account before I arrive?”

While visas were approved and universities had done their vetting, banks treated these newcomers as invisible. The result? Students arriving in a new country, unsure if their cards would work at the airport, if they could call an Uber, or book a hotel.

Adro fixes that. The platform lets internationals open a U.S. account from abroad and start spending the moment they land. Kat puts it plainly:

“We help you open a U.S. account before you fly. Day one, you’re ready to spend.”

For anyone who’s been through the chaos of international relocation, that’s a game-changer.

A Go-to-Market Strategy Rooted in Community

Adro launched officially in mid-2024. Thanks to the founders’ connections in the academic world, the startup had early access to university ecosystems. They built relationships with professors, deans, and international departments, many of whom became advisors.

They didn’t wait for student questions to come in. Instead, they showed up to orientations with pre-made materials, hosted webinars, and filled a real gap.

“Universities are great at teaching, but not always at preparing students for real-world logistics.”

That early groundwork paid off. Now, universities reach out to them asking Adro to speak at events.

Growth didn’t stop at academia. Agencies supporting J-1 visa holders, healthcare workers, and refugees have all approached Adro. One of their most exciting new partnerships is with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), helping refugees onboard into the U.S. financial system.

And with momentum building, investors took notice. Adro raised a $1.5M pre-seed round, led by Era, Ex Nihilo Ventures, and the Cornell Tech Syndicate. The funding has helped them scale their partnerships, grow the team, and double down on building a category-defining product.

From Customer #1 to a Thriving Referral Engine

Kat was around for Adro’s very first customer.

“We were confident, but still you cross your fingers when you go live for the first time. It was definitely the most stressful for our CTO.”

Early adopters get something big: attention. When you’re one of the first users of a startup, you’re not calling a hotline, you’re texting the actual team that built it. That level of care has helped Adro build trust and turn users into advocates.

Today, most of their growth comes from three key sources:

  • University partnerships
  • Referral partners (like services that help students move money or find housing)
  • Organic interest from adjacent industries like international recruitment and nonprofit organizations.

The product is expanding, too. A new business banking product is on the way, and the team, now about 10 people strong, is scaling smart.

Lessons from the First Marketing Hire

Being hire #4 (after three founders) isn’t for the faint of heart. Kat was tasked with figuring out the company’s go-to-market, brand, and communications from the ground up.

So what’s her advice to other early hires?

“Be very comfortable with constant change and study how the founders work. Don’t try to duplicate what they already do well, fill the gaps.”

In those early days, being a generalist beats being a specialist. You have to be scrappy, adaptable, and creative, especially without a corporate-sized budget.

“You won’t have millions to spend, so you have to get crafty. You need to figure out the path ahead, then build the map as you go.”

Final Thoughts

Adro is a case study in how to grow by deeply understanding your users and meeting them where they are, literally. Through thoughtful partnerships, real empathy, and a razor-sharp value prop, they’re solving a real-world problem that affects millions.

And behind that success? A small but mighty team, led by people like Kat who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and build something that matters.