Mass Fintech Hub Announces Programming for Boston Fintech Week 2023

BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2023 / In anticipation of Boston Fintech Week 2023, presented by Fintech Sandbox, Mass Fintech Hub has announced plans to host four in-person events that will leverage the expertise and learnings of current members of Mass Fintech Hub to educate, inform and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders. These events will help bolster the collaborative's ongoing mission to advance fintech in the Commonwealth.

"With special attention on the exciting innovations that are shaping our future, Mass Fintech Hub's programs during Fintech Week will leverage talent from across the Commonwealth and beyond, to address how fintech can bolster our economy and to engage the next generation of sector leaders," said Carolyn Kirk, executive director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a public economic development agency, and member of the Mass Fintech Hub. "Throughout the year, the Mass Fintech Hub hosts engaging events that spotlight a strong cross-section of leading Massachusetts sectors, including asset management, insurance, regional banking and the enabling tech that drives digital innovation. That continues during Boston Fintech Week, when a global audience will interact with our leading private sector companies, top thought leaders and world-class students."

2023 Boston Fintech Week programming will leverage the brilliant minds in the fintech and financial services industries throughout the Commonwealth and beyond to inspire and educate the next generation of leaders," said Carolyn Kirk, executive director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. "Even in the current dynamic environment, asset management, insurance, regional banking, and the enabling technologies remain a stronghold in Massachusetts, and we look forward to supporting the collaboration and innovation that this community has fostered across all Mass Fintech Hub programs and especially during this year's week-long event."

Mass Fintech Hub's official lineup of event programming will include:

• Massachusetts Fintech Ecosystem Highlights Luncheon*

Tuesday, October 10 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Speakers: Mike Fanning of Mass Fintech Hub and formerly MassMutual; Sarah Biller of Fintech Sandbox; Pat Larkin of John Adams Innovation Institute and Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

Three years ago, a Massachusetts fintech ecosystem assessment detailed 16 recommendations to further support the sustainability and growth of the fintech and financial services industries in the Commonwealth. The result? The creation of Mass Fintech Hub to develop a strategic framework to further drive the ecosystem to achieve global leadership. Attendees will hear updates on the Mass Fintech Hub's impact as well as highlights from a forthcoming KPMG study including stakeholder insights from across the ecosystem and areas of strength and opportunity for the Massachusetts fintech ecosystem to continue thriving. The results will help inform the programming and services of the collaborative and its partners in 2024 and beyond. *This event is invite only.

• On the Brink: Fintech Bootcamp

Tuesday, October 10 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Boston Federal Reserve

Speakers: Mona Vernon of Fidelity Labs; Carlo Guerriero of Eastern Bank; Bill Gold of Citizens Bank; Claire Verville of M&T Bank; Mohammed Dastigir of MassMutual; Joe Mancini of BankProv; Rob Sarnie of Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Marcel Blais of Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Jason Hoch of the Mass Tech Collaborative - with more to be announced

The Mass Fintech Hub will host its fourth bootcamp aimed at developing the fintech talent pipeline in Massachusetts. Developed for an audience of college and university students from Massachusetts and beyond with the goal of accelerating their career goals, the bootcamp will highlight two revolutionary technologies transforming the fintech landscape currently - generative AI and crypto - with insights from industry experts.

• From Fintech Operator to Angel Investor: Navigating Your Path

Friday, October 13 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Boston Federal Reserve

Speakers: Diane Hessan of Salient Ventures and Ashley Eknaian of Eastern Bank

This fireside chat will feature Diane Hessan, a successful entrepreneur, marketer, author and experienced investor with a portfolio of angel investments. Previously, she was the CEO of Startup Institute, which is dedicated to helping people transform their careers to succeed in the exciting innovation economy, and is currently the Chairman of C Space, a next-generation market research company. Ashley is the Chief Digital Officer of Eastern Bank. She also co-leads the Mass Fintech Hub's Angel Investment programming. Whether you are interested in becoming an Angel Investor or want to understand how they operate so you can perfect your pitch as a Start-up founder, you won't want to miss this session!

• Fintech Forum: The Future of Insurance Innovation

Friday, October 13 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Boston Federal Reserve

Speakers: John Rugel of MassMutual; Kartik Sakthivel of LIMRA and LOMA; Kate Terry of Surround Insurance; Richard Napolitano of Advisor 360

Wrapping up Mass Fintech Hub's programming for the week will be a panel featuring leaders from throughout the Massachusetts insurance industry and their fintech startup partners. Leaders will share their knowledge on what it takes to implement an "innovation agenda," while shedding light on their recommended best practices and pitfalls to enjoy. Networking opportunities will follow the 40-minute panel to encourage attendees to develop relationships with their peers.

For more updates and to register for any of Mass Fintech Hub's programming, please visit our events page: https://massfintechhub.com/discover/events/.

"Mass Fintech Hub's programming has been developed with the goal of fostering, sustaining and growing the fintech and financial services industries throughout Massachusetts to put ourselves on the map as a global leader," said Mike Fanning, Mass Fintech Hub Co-Chair & Former Head of MassMutual US. "This year's Boston Fintech Week programming is another reflection of that commitment and progression. We look forward to celebrating the successes we've had, while continuing to evolve and meet the needs of our ever-expanding community of students, entrepreneurs and industry leaders as identified by the ecosystem reassessment."

As an initiative under Fintech Sandbox, a nonprofit enabling innovation in the financial sector, the Mass Fintech Hub aims to provide strong support and involvement through comprehensive programming for the sixth annual Boston Fintech Week, presented by Fintech Sandbox. The theme of the week will be On the Brink: Building the Infrastructure We Need for a Bold Financial Future, focusing on the revolutionary technologies and financial infrastructure transforming the entire fintech industry.

For more details and to register for the overarching Boston Fintech Week 2023, visit BostonFintechWeek.org.

Since its official launch in June 2021, the Mass Fintech Hub has welcomed a total of 50 members and hosted programming, including student career fairs, fintech career boot camps, student mentoring, angel investor courses, corporate-startup collaboration events and other panels and networking sessions, for more than 2,000 participants. Although the collaborative is largely focused on Massachusetts-based initiatives, organizations and individuals from outside Massachusetts are encouraged to participate and contribute to the growth and expansion of the evolving fintech ecosystem.

About the Mass Fintech Hub

The Mass Fintech Hub is a public-private partnership comprising a network of Fintech leaders, financial experts, academics, public sector leaders and venture capitalists who empower Fintech startups to achieve success around the world. The initiative supports the Fintech ecosystem through programs that attract investment, talent, collaboration and encourage regulatory innovation. The Mass Fintech Hub stimulates activity and connections, creates opportunities and aligns key stakeholders for a better entrepreneurial environment that supports Fintech startups in all development stages. Learn more here: www.massfintechhub.com/contact-us/.

Contact Information:

Emily Mann
Caliber Corporate Advisers
massfintechhub@calibercorporateadvisers.com

SOURCE: FinTech Sandbox