MBN USA

November 23, 2022

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Council focusing on increasing number of millennials using minority-owned, operated banks

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Bankers Association (NBA) announced its newly formed Next Generation (Next Gen) Advisory Council. The Council is made up of ethnically diverse leaders that have made noteworthy contributions to finance, technology, entertainment, and sports. As digital capabilities increasingly define financial services and the customer base gets younger, MDIs must modernize to survive. NextGen fulfills that need as they will focus on increasing the number of millennials using minority-owned and minority-operated banks while providing insight on ways to improve technology to meet the needs of their evolving customer base. On October 12th, the Advisory Council hosted an inaugural reception in Washington, D.C., and discussed the future as a cohesive body of game-changing leaders working with the National Bankers Association.

Advisory Council Co-Chair Kai Cunningham, who Co-Founded Limited Ventures alongside the Rockefeller, Forbes, & Costa Families, states, “In a time where diversity is paramount, it is essential that this organization, among others, are visible and accessible to provide opportunities to underserved communities whether it be access to financial literacy, and even down the line, the opportunity to collaborate in communities that focus on high structured finance such as venture capital and private equity.”

Advisory Council Co-Chair Chloe Barz, Director of External Affairs at Robinhood Markets, states, "The next generation expects their financial institutions to understand their financial goals and needs. Institutions that connect them to financial education opportunities and appreciate their values. I look forward to working with the NBA’s Next Generation Advisory Council to identify technological and trust-building opportunities for their member banks to connect with this base."

Next Generation Advisory Council Members:

• Kai Cunningham, Co-Chair and Co-Founder, Limited Ventures
• Chloe Barz, Co-Chair and Director, Robinhood Markets
• Stephone Coward II, Co-Founder, BankBlackUSA
• Chris Gray, Founder & CEO, Scholly
• Donald Hawkins, Founder & CEO, Kinly
• Rashaad Lambert, Senior Executive Vice President, Forbes
• Daniel Taylor, Co-Founder & CEO of Bags 
• Sheena Allen, Founder, CapWay
• Kelly Ifill, Founder & CEO, Guava
• Kori Hale, CEO, CultureBanx
• Joseph Akintolayo, CEO, Deposits
• Brandon Andrews, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, Gauge
• Victor Costa, Co-Founder, Limited Ventures
• Brandon Copeland, Current NFL Player & Professor, University of Pennsylvania
• Sasha Stevenson, CEO & Founder, The Pave Group
• Valentine Angeles, Deputy of Global Corporate Affairs, East West Bank

“Digital, modern banking is the future, and after generations of being left behind, it's time to bring minority-owned banks to the forefront of this movement,” said Chris Gray, CEO, and Founder of Scholly, an app featured on Shark tank that helps students easily find scholarships for college and graduates pay off their student debt.

Daniel Taylor, Co-Founder of Bags, a platform that helps banks and private lenders improve deal origination with diverse-owned small businesses, states, “A new generation of digital-first and minority-owned businesses, need capital to meet demand and grow, and the community must show up to provide that. We have a unique opportunity to bring collective knowledge, our platforms, and key data together to enable equitable lending through MDIs, leading an entrepreneurial equity movement backed by innovation, capital, and culture.”