November 17th, 2020
BOSTON, MA - November 17, 2020 - On the heels of its Demo Day and Week of FinTech Talks, FinTech Sandbox today announces that Massachusetts Life Insurance Company (“MassMutual”) will join as a sponsor for Boston FinTech Week taking place in the latter half of 2021. Mike Fanning, Head of MassMutual U.S., will also join FinTech Sandbox’s advisory board.
“Mike Fanning's appointment and MassMutual's involvement with FinTech Sandbox brings additional leadership to the Boston FinTech community,” said Kelly Fryer, Executive Director of FinTech Sandbox. “Mike's advocacy and enthusiasm for our organization will enhance community support and fundraising efforts. He'll also bring a fresh and experienced perspective to our board discussions as we continue to execute our mission, expand our global footprint and develop our future strategy.”
MassMutual is a "Boston FinTech Leader" sponsor, committed to supporting Boston FinTech Week financially and through other efforts, such as content development and promotions. FinTech Sandbox will also host a Startup Showcase event exclusively for MassMutual to provide direct access to emerging technologies and budding FinTech startups in the ecosystem.
“FinTech Sandbox is one of the organizations leading the charge to make Massachusetts the premiere global FinTech hub, and I am honored to join their advisory board and support its mission and legacy of innovation,” said Mike Fanning, Head of MassMutual U.S. and co-chair of the FinTech Working Group in Boston, a group of 24 distinguished leaders from across the Massachusetts FinTech Ecosystem with the common goal of making the area a global FinTech hub. “We are on the precipice of extraordinary change in financial services with the emergence of FinTech and a culture of entrepreneurship in the region. With my fellow advisory board members, we will continue building momentum for innovative startups at this pivotal moment for the Massachusetts FinTech community.”
In its fourth edition in 2021, Boston FinTech Week will explore the theme of "Financial Services for Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime." The agenda will address topics, services, business models and technologies that meet the needs of people and the industry today - mobile, real-time, decentralized, and socially inclusive. The event will touch on the current state of FinTech, as well as what the future holds.
The FinTech Working Group recently commissioned the Ernst & Young (EY) FinTech Ecosystem Assessment Report, which evaluated the opportunity for FinTech growth in the Massachusetts region. The survey portion of EY’s research found that early-stage FinTech startups view Massachusetts as a healthy hub for growth, with 60 percent of the respondents believing that the overall Massachusetts FinTech ecosystem is strong. It also revealed tremendous opportunity for additional collaboration and investment.
Sarah Biller, co-founder of the FinTech Sandbox added, “MassMutual and Mike’s presence in our growing community will help us build upon the great foundation we’ve laid over the past few years. With their support we expect to further advance our culture of entrepreneurship, which is spurring on economic success in Massachusetts and around the globe.”
For more information and updates about events and speakers at Boston FinTech Week 2021 visit: https://bostonfintechweek.org.
About FinTech Sandbox
FinTech Sandbox is a Boston-based nonprofit that promotes innovation in financial technology and financial services globally by providing FinTech entrepreneurs and startups with access to critical data and resources. FinTech Sandbox also organizes Boston FinTech Week. For more information, please visit https://fintechsandbox.org/ and https://www.twitter.com/FinTechSandbox.
About MassMutual
MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policy owners. MassMutual offers a wide range of financial products and services, including life insurance, disability income insurance, long-term care insurance, annuities, retirement plans and other employee benefits. For more information, visit massmutual.com.