4th Annual Summit:

Financial Equity Summit 2025

Our 4th annual Financial Equity Summit will take place over two days, October 7th via webinar from 9am-12pm and October 8th in-person from 10am-2:30pm at The Vault, 238 Essex Street in Lawrence. Registration is now open.

This event was approved by ABA Professional Certifications for 7 CRCM, CFMP credits. Certification holders must report these credits at https://aba.csod.com. This event will appear under Approved Non-ABA CE as: Partnership for Financial Equity/ 2025 Financial Equity Summit.

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Presenting Sponsor:

Summit Conveners

Summit Organizers

Community Champions

Summit Preview

Our two-day Summit, with Presenting Sponsor LendingClub, takes place this year on October 7-8, 2025. We have a compelling two days scheduled with the announcement of our Elevating Equity awards; the release of cutting-edge research on trust in banking; an exciting new statewide coalition announcement; expert panels and “you won’t want to miss” keynotes!

October 7th on Zoom

9:00 AM – Welcome from Brook Ames, General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer, Leader Bank

9:10 AM – Roundtable discussion: Protecting Consumers – Leadership at the State and Local Level with Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga, of NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection

9:40 AM – Panel #1: Building Financial Equity: The Bank On Massachusetts Coalition Launch

- - Jason Andrade, PFE (moderator)
  - Lisa Locke, Bank On National Data Hub, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
  - Beverly Somerville, Dedham Savings
  - Paige Diner, Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund

10:40 AM – Break

10:50 AM – Panel #2: Leveling the Playing Field: Securing Fair Lending Practices for Small Businesses

- - Louis Caditz-Peck, Responsible Business Lending Coalition (moderator)
  - Tracye Whitfield, Coalition for Equitable Economy
  - Elyson dos Santos, Rockland Trust
  - Ana Hammock, Ascendus
  - Cailey Locklair, Maryland Retailers Alliance

October 8th at The Vault, 238 Essex Street in Lawrence

10:00 AM – Coffee, tea and networking

10:15 PM – Opening Keynote: Julieann M. Thurlow, CEO, Reading Cooperative Bank and past chair of American Bankers Association

10:30 AM – Panel #1: What Does Trust in Banking Really Mean? Results from Our New Research

- - Jason Andrade, Partnership for Financial Equity (moderator)
  - Rich Parr, MassINC Polling Group
  - Amalie Zinn, USC Sol Price School of Public Policy (formerly Urban Institute)
  - Juan Bonilla, United Way of Massachusetts Bay

11:15 AM – Break

11:25 AM – Panel #2: Lawrence Rising: Local Voices, Lasting Impact

Juan Bonilla, United Way of Massachusetts Bay
Erika Hernandez, ACT Lawrence
Gynn Lloyd, Nectar Community Investment
Jess Andors, Lawrence CommunityWorks

12:10 AM – Remarks from Brian A. De Peña, Mayor of Lawrence

12:20 AM – Elevating Equity Awards Presentation

12:30 PM – Lunch and networking

1:00 PM – Panel #3: CEO Panel: Branches that Build Communities

- - Sabrina Correia, JP Morgan Chase (moderator)
  - Dana Neshe, CEO, Middlesex Savings
  - Julieann Thurlow, CEO, Reading Cooperative
  - Ryan Bailey, CEO, Cambridge Savings

1:45 PM – Closing Keynote: Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, author of The Double Tax; How Women of Color are Overcharged and Underpaid

2:15 PM – Reception and book signing