The through line of Parker Graham’s startup journey so far: resiliency.

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“People like to joke that cockroaches just don’t die,” laughed Graham, reflecting after his fintech company, Finotta — more pheonix rising than cockroach surviving — recently closed a $3 million seed funding round and completely changed the makeup of its team. “I feel like one of those companies where, whatever was in front of us, we just met head-on and crushed through whatever that barrier was, and we just keep crushing through those and breaking down those barriers.”

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A veteran of the inaugural Fountain City Fintech accelerator at nbkc bank in 2018, Graham’s startup — then branded as “Destiny Wealth” with a focus on helping individuals get out of debt — was venturing forward at full steam. Named one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startup to Watch in 2020, Graham predicted: “this is going to be a game-changing year.”

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Emphasis on the changing.

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Today the company is Finotta, having pivoted its focus to helping banks and credit unions personalize the app experience for customers. Graham, a member of the current Pipeline fellowship, now leads the six-person startup alone — his two co-founders having departed mid-pandemic.

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“I really look at Destiny, the first two years of the company, being kind of the life and death of one startup, and Finotta, our rebrand, being a new life,” he said candidly.

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But rebirth and reinvention didn’t come easily.

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