Coffee with a Founder Podcast: Natalya Thakur, Knova

17- Mar-2026

On this episode of Coffee with a Founder, Beck Bamberger sits down with Natalya Thakur, founder and CEO of KNOVA. The company is building infrastructure that allows financial institutions to operate seamlessly across both traditional assets and tokenized assets from a single technology stack.

The conversation explores the future of digital asset infrastructure, lessons from building fintech systems that institutions will actually use, and why thoughtful product development can matter more than startup speed.

If you’re into founders building the infrastructure layer behind the next generation of finance, don’t miss this one.

show notes:

0:29: What KNOVA does and the problem it solves

1:31: Why traditional and tokenized assets have remained disconnected

4:46: Natalya’s background at BlackRock and digital asset initiatives

8:00: Being mission-driven in the industry rather than founder-driven

9:19: Lessons learned from four years building

12:24: Why smaller teams can outperform

15:37: Focusing on inputs rather than outcomes as a founder

17:19: Founder hacks

Read More About The Episode:

0:29: What KNOVA does and the problem it solves

Natalya explains how KNOVA provides a single tech stack for financial institutions to operate across traditional and tokenized assets.

1:31: Why traditional and tokenized assets have remained disconnected

The conversation dives into how financial institutions often rely on multiple backend systems that make managing assets fragmented and manual.

4:46: Natalya’s background at BlackRock and digital asset initiatives

Natalya talks about working on BlackRock’s ETF and index investment team and how those experiences shaped her view of the infrastructure gap.

8:00: Being mission-driven in the industry rather than founder-driven

Natalya explains why she focuses on advancing the digital asset ecosystem rather than simply being a founder.

9:19: Lessons learned from four years building

The conversation highlights why patient capital, R&D, and thoughtful product development helped build a stronger technology moat.

12:24: Why smaller teams can outperform

Natalya explains how lean teams reduce miscommunication, move faster, and often produce stronger early-stage outcomes.

15:37: Focusing on inputs rather than outcomes as a founder

The conversation dives into how controlling inputs rather than obsessing over outcomes helps founders maintain a healthier mindset.

17:19: Founder hacks

Natalya shares practical hacks including quick follow-ups, leveraging recency bias, and staying responsive in business conversations.