For Release
WASHINGTON – The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) will host a virtual conference on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, to explore how financial technology and innovation can create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive banking system. Fintech: A Bridge to Economic Inclusion will feature leading voices in the world of banking, fintech and economic inclusion, including FDIC Chairman Jelena McWilliams.
“Regulatory agencies will either recognize the potential of technological innovation to foster financial inclusion and allow it to flourish, or maintain the status quo that has done very little for millions of unbanked Americans,” said Chairman McWilliams. “This conference will explore how we can responsibly harness the power of technology to create an inclusive financial system.”
The FDIC’s Chief Innovation Officer Sultan Meghji will discuss the role of the agency’s tech lab, FDITECH , to drive the adoption of new technologies across the financial sector. Other speakers include Colin Walsh, CEO and co-founder of Varo Bank; Jennifer Tescher, president and CEO of the Financial Health Network; and Jo Ann Barefoot, founder and CEO of the Alliance for Innovative Regulation.
The conference will also include panel discussions on:
- Enhancing inclusive consumer banking through fintech;
- Deploying technology to improve small businesses’ access to credit; and
- Exploring future opportunities for technology to drive economic inclusion.
The conference agenda includes the full list of speakers and presentations. Registration is free and available for all bankers, fintechs, community-based organizations and policymakers with a deep interest in expanding financial inclusion.