Connect with Laura: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fintechsalesleader/Valid Systems: https://www.linkedin.com/company/valid-systems/home/Women in Fraud: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/34470006/Trail of the Lost: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/64000414-trail-of-the-lostHailey Windham: https://www.revfcu.com/knockout-fraud/Kelly interviews Laura Hollaway, senior director of strategic growth at Valid Systems, about her LinkedIn-based Women in Fraud community and how it grew organically. After 20+ years in enterprise sales and an 862-mile Appalachian Trail hike in 2024, Laura joined Valid Systems and sought mentors to quickly learn banking fraud; she started a free newsletter to recognize women practitioners, noting many fraud, risk, and compliance roles VP and below are 70–75% women while leadership skews male. Valid supported the initiative with a first-year budget for a “no sales zone,” helping it grow to 2,200 newsletter subscribers, 650 community members, monthly coffee talks, and live workshops. We discuss information sharing across institutions, remote work’s isolation, shared community resources (victim-conversation tools, a vendor list, and a member directory), male allies, and recommendations like Fraud Forward and Daniel Pink’s To Sell Is Human.00:36 Dinner With Al Capone01:15 Mafia Stories and Books02:44 Who Steals More04:27 Laura Origin Story07:05 Appalachian Trail Tales09:13 Valid Systems Backs Women11:38 Sharing Is Caring in Fraud13:20 Women Leaders and AI Shift15:53 Coffee Talks and Resources18:07 Remote Work and LinkedIn20:51 Professionally Persistent22:03 Fraud Media Recommendations28:30 Books Sales and Scammers31:18 How to Join and Support