Black Professionals United Kingdom’s Post

Representation matters, especially in rapidly evolving fields like fintech 🗣️ This Black History Month, we're honouring the black voices within Nucleus who are making waves in financial technology. Our members come from diverse backgrounds but share a common goal: leveraging technology to democratise finance and create opportunities for all. Read more: https://loom.ly/HIQHyO0 #diversityandinclusion #blackhistorymonth #bhm #fintech #fintechcareers

#BlackMenLead: Sekou Kaalund calls himself an “accidental banker.” At age five, the former head of Chase Consumer Bank for the Northeast Division told his parents he planned to run for U.S. Senate so he could create laws to help communities in need. “From a young age, my whole anchoring was on how can I be of service and drive impact,” says Kaalund, head of branch and small business banking at U.S. Bank. Banking wasn’t even on Kaalund’s radar until he won an award sponsored by the Executive Leadership Council while attending Duke University that offered the opportunity to learn from Black leaders at top companies across the U.S. “I realized that I could have a greater impact by influencing capital flows and leading people,” Kaalund says, which caused him to pivot his career aspirations. In a career that’s taken him from the New York Federal Reserve to fifteen years at JPMorgan Chase, Kaalund has helped to narrow the racial wealth gap by bringing more people from underserved communities – including Black Americans — into the financial system and helping them to achieve greater economic success. Read more about Sekou Kaalund's story on https://lnkd.in/e6W2G-u5 #BlackLeadership #BlackExecutives #BlackMenInFinance #FinancialProfessionals

The United States Black Chamber, Inc. has released the USBC Black Investment Report, which sheds light on the #investment landscape for Black households + businesses. The report conveys that stock ownership are one of the primary drivers of the nation’s wealth gap — with 66% of white families owning stocks vs. 39% of Black families. It’s notable to emphasize the role that #fintech has played in the #democratization of capital access for Black households, with companies like Robinhood making it simpler to invest. In fact, the report states that nearly 50% of Black investors are between the ages of 18-34, relative to only 21% of white investors being in that age category. 👏🏽👏🏽 While the finance sector continues to be a ‘warm introduction’ industry, fueled by tightly knit social capital predominantly dominated by white men — fintech #innovation has done well to flatten the learning curve for traditionally un-/underbanked individuals. Fintech has made many traditional means of accessing capital completely irrelevant — and that’s the energy we need! As a practitioner in the financial services industry, my peers and I have a RESPONSIBILITY to be more imaginative about meeting the demands of our communities. Communities deserve tailored solutions that flatten the learning curve. Simply regurgitating the rules of an antiquated system (which is exclusive by design) won’t cut it. Huge kudos to fintech innovators who are building solutions that mirror the everyday behaviors of the community. It’s working. Thank you, Marie Clark, for sharing this report with me. ➡️ Download the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eNpD6RyN

Hannah Lisa Smith, Managing Director at State Street Global Markets and Reboot ambassador, spoke to Financial News about her experience of working in the asset management sector as a Black woman. From facing job rejection after job rejection while her peers (many of them white males) secured them quickly, to contending with a dearth of Black role models in the workplace, Hannah delves into the challenges she has faced building her career to what it is today – highlighting the urgent need for greater diversity and inclusion in financial services, and a consistent approach to materialising it. Not only is driving DEI the right thing to do, but it’s a good for business too. Indeed, recent research conducted by Reboot among investment industry professionals showed that four in ten institutional investors would turn down working with a fund manager due to lack of ethnic diversity – a figure we hope to see increase exponentially. To find out more, see our press release showcasing the results here: https://lnkd.in/e2hNKUyW. #Diversity #Inclusion #Equity #RebootTheNarrative David Ricketts

#BTS 📸 - An engaging hybrid meeting discussing #EconomicTransformation and the rise of Emerging Black Asset Managers. The Momentum Consultants team joined as we explored strategies for driving inclusive growth in the financial sector. Insightful perspectives were shared on empowering underrepresented talent and fostering an ecosystem that promotes diversity in asset management - reinforcing our commitment to creating equitable opportunities. #DiversityandInclusion #DEI #TransformingFinance #AssetManagement

Today and always, we salute the Black financial professionals who blazed the trail so firms like Bright Ledgers can exist. #ThursdayThoughts #BlackHistory #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistory365 #BlackHistory366 #BlackAccountants #BlackCPA #BlackBusiness #BrightLedgers

Spotlight on Dana L. Wilson, MBA, a fearless founder shaking up the financial world with CHIP (Changing How Individuals Prosper)! 🌏 ✨ With a rich background on Wall Street and firms like Merrill Lynch and SunTrust Bank, Dana founded CHIP to spotlight Black and Latinx financial experts, fostering a wealth-building movement. 🤝 CHIP isn't just a directory; it's a gateway to prosperity for communities historically underserved in financial services. By connecting consumers of Color with seasoned professionals, CHIP aims to narrow the racial wealth gap and empower financial freedom for all. 🌈 💼 None of the information discussed should be taken as investment advice; please see a16z disclosures for more information.

According to recent studies, just 58% of Black Americans reported owning stocks of any kind — significantly hampering their ability to build financial independence and generational wealth.    As part of our ongoing commitment to Inclusion & Diversity in the #wealthmanagement industry, our team at Accenture recently spoke with more than 30 Black investors from diverse walks of life to better understand how financial advisors can meet their investing needs.    From strategically employing #GenAI to improve client services, to partnering with powerful community organizations to produce educational content, we've identified 5 steps firms can take today (login required): https://lnkd.in/gRSW2Ydp   Donrick Sanderson II Scott Reddel Rachel Silver Alice Chou Timothy Cooke Laurie McGraw

In Episode 2 of our Juneteenth mini-series, our CEO & Chairman, Kevin Cohee, dives into the racial wealth gap and its roots in systemic inequality. Discover how OneUnited Bank is using innovative technology to transform Black America and provide equal opportunities for success. Don’t miss this powerful conversation! 🖤✨ #Juneteenth #RacialWealthGap

In our #BlackHistoryMonth Roundtable, my dedicated J.P. Morgan Wealth Management colleagues shared their stories from perspectives spanning generations and various years of professional experience. Read more about the wisdom and journeys they shared during this engaging conversation.