| Mass Fintech Hub, a public-private partnership that supports the financial technology industry in Massachusetts, will hold its first virtual series next week as part of Boston FinTech Week.
The fourth edition of Boston FinTech Week is running online from Sept. 28 through Oct. 1. The free, four-day event is presented by Fintech Sandbox, a Boston-based nonprofit that also operates the Mass Fintech Hub.
“This year’s Boston FinTech Week not only features some of the leading voices in fintech across financial services, but is also home to new forums to learn, network and build great relationships as our thriving community continues to grow,” Sarah Biller, co-founder of FinTech Sandbox and a member of the Mass Fintech Hub, said in a statement. “By bringing together these great leaders to discuss the new era of fintech, we are also making great strides in promoting financial inclusion and sustainability to ensure that anyone can have access to financial services.”
The Mass Fintech Hub launched in June after a yearlong initiative by the Massachusetts Fintech Working Group, an initiative co-chaired by Massachusetts Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy and Mike Fanning, head of MassMutual U.S. The Fintech Working Group has more than two dozen members from different sectors, including business, nonprofits, government and academia.
Mass FinTech Hub’s virtual series next week will include a fintech career fair, a forum focusing on fintech partnerships and an angel investor education series.
Since the launch of Mass Fintech Hub, banks and credit unions have been curious about how the organization can act as a convener and connector between local institutions and local innovators, said Julieann Thurlow, president and CEO of Reading Cooperative Bank and a member of the Massachusetts Fintech Working Group.
“We often travel to conferences to see the newest fintech offerings, but a lot of great initiatives and events are also happening right here in Massachusetts,” Thurlow said in an email. “With the backdrop of the pandemic and the acceleration of multichannel customer and banking services, we all recognize the need to accelerate identification and adoption of new products and services for our customers.”
This year’s theme of Boston FinTech Week is “Financial Services for Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere,” and Thurlow said the topics are so varied that attendees from community banks and credit unions will find sessions for any number of interests, including financial literacy, consumer lending, bitcoin, artificial intelligence and decentralized finance.
A session Thurlow is looking forward to is “A Tale of Two Economies: How FinTech is Reducing Financial Volatility for Low-Income Americans” on Wednesday morning.
“Fintech and real time payments have the ability to smooth out irregular cashflows and help consumers keep their bank fees,” Thurlow said. “A lot of Boston fintechs are working on improving financial outcomes for consumers and families, and the Mass Fintech Hub can help banks and credit unions connect with those innovations.”
