Spotlight Series: A Conversation with Lauren Hasson

In the PayNearMe Spotlight Series, we shine a light on the people that make our company thrive. This month, we’re excited to welcome back Lauren Hasson, Director of Engineering, Client & Customer Experience. From her early days as the company’s sole iOS engineer to her current role leading cross-functional teams and championing women in tech, Lauren’s journey is one of resilience, transformation and purpose. We caught up with her to hear how PayNearMe has evolved, how she fosters innovation within her team, and what it means to be a woman in engineering leadership.
The last time we chatted with you was way back in 2020. Fun times, eh? From your perspective, how has PayNearMe evolved since then?
Lauren Hasson: I’ve been at PayNearMe for nearly nine years. I joined before we had product market fit as the only iOS software engineer.
At the time, we didn’t have a dedicated security team, so one other team member and I became the security team. During this time, I learned and grew in my skillset, developing on Ruby on Rails in order to help the company win our first large Enterprise Payments client. As I mentioned the last time we spoke, I built PayNearMe’s IVR technology from the ground up.
Since then, I’ve held roles in security, engineering and now leadership. Today, EP (Electronic Payments) is our primary growth engine, and I’m proud to say I played a small but critical part in that journey. It’s been amazing to see the evolution—from fitting the whole Apps org in one van to becoming a department of 30+ people. Not only have I seen PayNearMe grow by headcount, but I’ve seen the way we approach product development to address our clients’ problems. We are not just a payment processing company—we are focused on the entire end-to-end payment experience. With PayXMTM, which is PayNearMe’s approach to payment experience management, our goal is simple but powerful: Improve cash flow and profitability for our clients by helping them get paid sooner, at the lowest total cost of acceptance.
Inside engineering life at PayNearMe
What’s one change at PayNearMe that you’re especially proud to have witnessed or contributed to?
LH: When I joined PayNearMe, our flagship product was cash at retail. I have been a part of the team that helped make electronic payments (EP) our flagship product. My work building the IVR system wasn’t EP itself, but it was required for launching our first large EP client. That project set the stage for future wins with enterprise organizations such as Santander. We didn’t get there by luck; it was a companywide effort to figure out what would unlock growth. To be part of that turning point and see our momentum continue is something I’m really proud of.
Has the company’s approach to engineering changed as we’ve scaled?
LH: Absolutely. In the last two years especially, we’ve brought in key leaders who are helping us evolve our processes. We’re more agile, more collaborative and much more closely aligned with the product team. I consider myself a product engineer at heart, and I love that we’re now ideating together, testing hypotheses quickly and iterating based on what we learn. That kind of experimentation is what keeps me energized.
What sets PayNearMe apart from other tech companies you’ve worked at?
LH: Two things stand out: flexibility and innovation. Flexibility in how we work—scheduling, trust, autonomy—allows me and my team to operate at our best. And from a product standpoint, we aren’t paralyzed by uncertainty, especially around AI. We’re leaning into it. My team is actively engaging with our AI expert, learning, experimenting and integrating it into our workflows and product strategy. That mindset is rare and exciting.
Leadership and mentorship
How do you foster growth and innovation within your team?
LH: Ownership and recognition. I encourage my team to think like product owners. They’re not just solving technical challenges—they’re asking, “Are we building the right thing?” I’ve also pushed them to embrace AI, with regular upskilling sessions and knowledge sharing.
We’ve also built a strong culture of peer recognition. We celebrate not just outcomes but attempts, learnings and collaboration. That makes it easy for me to double down on what’s working and build an environment where people feel seen and motivated.
Tell us more about how you build team culture, especially while working remotely.
LH: One of my favorite traditions is our “question of the day” during standups—it can be something fun like favorite pizza toppings or more introspective. It creates connection amongst the team.
Recently, I swapped the daily question with something more meaningful: passing along a message of admiration to a teammate. It had such an impact that we continued it as “person of the day,” where the whole team shares what they admire about one person. We now do this twice a year. It builds vulnerability, trust and a sense of belonging.
You’ve stepped into a visible leadership role, especially as a woman in engineering. What has that journey been like?
LH: Like any organization, nothing is perfect. However, I’m a solution-oriented person and leader. Recently, I was asked to be involved with the Women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG). It’s not a “me” effort—it’s a “we” effort. We’ve got incredible support from other leaders and allies, and I truly believe we’re on the path to building a more inclusive and supportive organization for all of our team members. I’m committed to making PayNearMe a place where women in tech can thrive.
How do you balance technical leadership with mentoring and strategy?
LH: Many leaders talk about time management, but I focus on energy management. I delegate daily technical decisions to my team leads so I can focus on vision, scaling and strategic decisions where there’s ambiguity. I protect my mornings for deep thinking, meditation and self-care. I’m incredibly grateful and fortunate that the company supports this mindset. I also schedule time for workouts and therapy—and I’m open about that with my team. When I take care of myself, I show up better. And I want my team to do the same.
What helps your team stay motivated through long-term projects?
LH: We break big goals into smaller milestones and celebrate every win along the way. Starting something, hitting a tough technical challenge, helping a teammate—all of those are reasons to recognize progress. By the time we launch a product, we’ve already celebrated dozens of moments that mattered.
Outside of work, what have you been up to lately?
LH: A lot! I launched a keynote speaking platform and wrote a best-selling book, with another one for leaders on the way. I lost over 120 pounds and got really into weightlifting. And I’m platinum status at Cinemark—I see over 50 movies a year. It’s my way of disconnecting and recharging. My partner has a high-pressure job in global litigation, so we both value that time to reset.
If you weren’t in tech, what would your second career be?
LH: Keynote speaking—hands down! I’ve already built the platform, and I love being on stage, helping others grow and sharing what I’ve learned.