University of Iowa · Tippie College of Business

Habib Saine
& Sumika Thapa

Building Paycycle — student fintech that makes budgeting automatic.

Business Analytics & Information Systems seniors. Both joining RSM after graduation. Building the financial app we wish we'd had as freshmen.

Habib Saine Habib Saine Sumika Thapa Sumika Thapa
About

Two seniors,
one product.

We're turning a shared frustration with student finances into something real — and taking it with us into our careers at RSM.

Habib Saine

Habib Saine

Technology Risk Consulting · RSM Minneapolis

From Gambia to Iowa City, Habib brings a global perspective to every system he builds. A Business Analytics & Information Systems major graduating December 2026, he's spent the past few years learning to bridge business strategy with technical execution — from SQL databases and Python pipelines to AI-assisted development workflows and audit-ready system architecture. At Paycycle, he leads backend development and system design.

Sumika Thapa

Sumika Thapa

Microsoft D365 Finance & Supply Chain · RSM Chicago

Sumika is a Dean's List double-major in Business Analytics & Information Systems and Ethics & Public Policy, graduating May 2027. She brings sharp analytical thinking, a background in marketing strategy, and a client-first mindset to everything she touches. At RSM Chicago, she'll implement Microsoft D365 Finance & Supply Chain systems. At Paycycle, she drives user research, product strategy, and business intelligence.

Skills & Expertise

What we bring.

A complementary skill set covering the full stack of product development — from backend architecture to business intelligence.

Business Analytics Python · SQL · Data Wrangling · Excel / PivotTables · Power BI · Tableau · Data Modeling
Product Development User Research · Wireframing · Prototyping · Agile Methodology · Figma · Sprint Planning
Financial Technology Plaid API · Budget Automation · Event Sourcing Architecture · Flask · Microsoft D365
Project Management Agile / Scrum · Cross-functional Collaboration · Documentation · Process Optimization

Habib

Technology Risk & Backend Architecture

Technology Risk — ITGC, SOX, SOC2 Backend Development & System Architecture AI-Assisted Development Workflows Audit Automation & Compliance Systems

Sumika

ERP Systems & Business Intelligence

Microsoft D365 Finance & Supply Chain Data Analysis & Business Intelligence Marketing Strategy & Client Relations ERP Configuration & Process Optimization
Featured Project

Paycycle

Student fintech that makes budgeting automatic. Built for BAIS:3300 — and for every student who's ever overspent right after payday.

The Problem

College students face a fundamental mismatch: income arrives unpredictably — work-study paychecks, side gigs, internship stipends — but fixed expenses like rent and meal plans don't wait. Traditional budgeting apps assume steady income, leaving students to manually track and protect money earmarked for bills.

The result? Overspending in the days after payday, then scrambling when rent is due.

Our Solution

Paycycle automatically detects when money hits your account, allocates it to your predefined budget categories — rent, groceries, savings — and locks those funds from your "available to spend" balance. It's not about tracking where your money went. It's about making sure it goes where it needs to, before you have a chance to spend it.

This isn't just a class project. It's a product we wish we'd had as freshmen.

Tech Stack
Python Flask Plaid API Event Sourcing Figma Agile / Sprints
Private Development Repository
01

Plaid Integration

Instant income detection across bank accounts. The moment money hits your account, Paycycle knows about it.

02

Automatic Budget Protection

Funds allocated the moment they arrive. Your rent money is never in your "available to spend" balance.

03

Contextual Insights

Smart notifications surfaced based on your actual spending patterns, not generic advice.

04

Student-First Design

Built for irregular income from work-study, side gigs, and stipends — not 9-to-5 paychecks.

Build Status
User research & problem validation
Technical architecture — event sourcing ledger
Plaid sandbox integration working
Core budget allocation engine
Beta testing — April 2026
Contact

Let's connect.

Recruiters, collaborators, and fellow builders — we'd love to hear from you.

Habib Saine

Habib Saine

Technology Risk Consulting
RSM Minneapolis · Starting June 2026

Sumika Thapa

Sumika Thapa

Microsoft D365 Finance & Supply Chain
RSM Chicago · Starting Summer 2026

Download Resumes

Habib's resume is available now. Sumika's coming soon.

Download Resumes