Finance Platform Offers Banking Solutions to International Students

The Business Council of Westchester’s Westchester Innovation Network (WIN) recently helped the financial technology company Adro bring its expat-banking solutions to international students at Manhattanville University.

This match addresses a critical need for the university’s international students: access to debit and credit cards. Adro, a New York-based fintech company, specializes in helping international students and workers in the U.S. access banking products with ease.

By providing services like checking and savings accounts and the Adro World Mastercard—backed by a reserve account—Adro fills a niche in the market. Traditional banks often create hurdles for international students, requiring complicated procedures to verify identity and income, delaying access to basic financial services.

“What we’ve built is better banking for international students. When I was teaching in New York I knew a lot of international students who struggled to open bank accounts and move money into the U.S. in a way that’s hassle free,” Adro co-founder and COO Sara Schmidt told international students at an orientation meeting organized by Manhattanville’s Office of the Dean of Students.

Through its web platform and phone app, Adro allows international students to set up accounts before they arrive in the U.S., with no need for a Social Security number. Upon their arrival, these students have immediate access to debit and credit cards through Apple Pay and Google Wallet, enabling them to pay for tuition and living expenses with ease. Additionally, students can begin building credit right away, a significant advantage as they integrate into life in the U.S.

“Manhattanville University is excited to be able to connect our international students with Ardo banking services and grateful to the Westchester Business Council for making this seamless connection possible,” said Susan Boyd, Dean of Students. “Innovative services like this help us to provide our international students with assistance in making the transition to both our University and the United States.”

The Adro-Manhattanville match demonstrates the importance of innovative solutions in supporting the financial well-being of international students and helping them integrate into their temporary home in Westchester County.

“BCW members like Manhattanville University are eager to assess innovative ideas, which is one of the reasons we created the Westchester Innovation Network. We want growing companies like Adro to understand the opportunities here and the value of bringing their operations to our county,” said BCW CEO Marsha Gordon.

Can Your Business Benefit from BCW WIN?

The Business Council of Westchester is committed to helping entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life through the support of its diverse business ecosystem in Westchester County through its BCW WIN initiative. Its network is composed of small and mid-sized companies, professional services firms, and non-profits along with several of the best-known brands in the world like IBM, Pepsico, MasterCard, Heineken, Danone, Morgan Stanley, and Regeneron. It also includes some of the largest hospitals and healthcare systems in the world and many colleges and universities.

To learn more about becoming an Innovation Partner or joining the BCW WIN program, visit https://thebcw.org/westchester-innovation-network/.