ICBA ThinkTECH Innovation Series focuses on technology innovation for community banks

Washington, D.C. (May 12, 2021) — The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and The Venture Center today announced a series of curriculum-driven events as part of its expanded ICBA ThinkTECH initiative. The ICBA ThinkTECH Innovation Series focuses on emerging technologies that have the potential to positively impact the community banking industry.

"Community banks continue to demonstrate a thoughtful and progressive approach to deploying technology to meet the evolving needs of their customers," ICBA Chief Innovation Officer Charles Potts said. "This initiative represents the next logical step in their innovation journey through formalized education meant to challenge and inspire how community banks approach and implement the solutions of tomorrow tailored to meet the needs of the customers and communities they serve."

ICBA and The Venture Center’s past programs, the first of which launched in 2018, have driven a culture of exploration and innovation within the community banking space. After the success of three fintech accelerators and two Paycheck Protection Program fintech showcases, the two organizations are responding to high demand for community bank innovation programming facilitated by ICBA Community Banker University.

The inaugural educational collaboration will kick off with a three-part webinar series on cryptocurrency, which explores community bank use cases, associated risks, and the current regulatory environment. Other topics in the series will include: Banking as a Service (BaaS), piloting with fintechs, and supporting digital transformation at community banks.

"The ThinkTECH Innovation Series is a powerful addition to the innovation culture that ICBA creates for community banks," Wayne Miller, executive director of The Venture Center said. "Education is the cornerstone of innovation, which is truly the path to success in this age of rapid digital transformation. We are committed to providing community bankers with the most critical educational content, in addition to the most relevant fintech solutions, and are proud to partner with ICBA to bring this educational series to community bankers across the country."

The cryptocurrency series runs through May 18.  ICBA offers a primer on cryptocurrency as part of its Payments Executive Brief series. For more on the innovation series click here.

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America creates and promotes an environment where community banks flourish. ICBA is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education, and high-quality products and services. 

With nearly 50,000 locations nationwide, community banks constitute 99 percent of all banks, employ more than 700,000 Americans and are the only physical banking presence in one in three U.S. counties. Holding more than $5 trillion in assets, over $4.4 trillion in deposits, and more than $3.4 trillion in loans to consumers, small businesses and the agricultural community, community banks channel local deposits into the Main Streets and neighborhoods they serve, spurring job creation, fostering innovation and fueling their customers’ dreams in communities throughout America. For more information, visit ICBA’s website at www.icba.org.

About The Venture Center
The Venture Center’s immersive accelerator programs are designed to accelerate the growth of early-to-late-stage companies and help validate their solutions for real-world problems. Our methodology provides a unique opportunity to connect with community bank executives, receive seed investment, and learn from a comprehensive curriculum aiding in strategically addressing go-to-market, business, and finance challenges. Learn more atwww.venturecenter.co. Follow The Venture Center on Facebook, LinkedIn,Twitter(@VentureCenter), andInstagram.

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