Khalid Keenan

Khalid Keenan is the Founder of Elevate, a financial technology platform providing US-based USD deposit accounts to non-US residents, and is currently based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Prior to launching the venture, he spent over ten years working as a software engineer within the banking and financial services sectors, specializing in building risk and investment management systems. Backed by Y Combinator and primary partner Tom Blomfield, his company offers FDIC-insured accounts designed to facilitate global freelancer payments. Under his leadership, the fintech startup Elevate expanded its operations into emerging markets such as Pakistan in January 2024 and subsequently launched new services in Sudan later that year. Holding a degree in Computing from Imperial College London, Keenan focuses his current efforts on expanding financial inclusion and cross-border banking access for remote workers in developing economies.