5th Annual Summit:

Financial Equity Summit 2026

More than 300 people attended PFE’s 2026 Financial Equity Summit, a two-day event that culminated on October 7 at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton.

Featured panelists and speakers included Lisa Rice, CEO, National Fair Housing Alliance; Horacio Mendez, CEO, Woodstock Institute; Dr. Anurag Agarwal, CEO, RiskExec; Vu Le, author and activist, Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy; and James Diossa, Rhode Island General Treasurer.

Each year, the Summit brings together leaders from financial institutions, community organizations, government, and research organizations to examine both the policy challenges and practical solutions shaping financial equity in Massachusetts and across the nation.

“The core mission should not change,” Brook Ames, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer at Leader Bank and chair of PFE, said in his introductory remarks which referenced proposed changes to the Community Reinvestment Act. “It should be about lifting up communities that have been left behind.”

Presenting Sponsors: JPMorganChase and Happen Bank.

7.75 CRCM, CFMP, 4 CERP credit. APPROVED NON-ABA CE search for training will appear as: Partnership for Financial Equity | 2026 Financial Equity Summit

 

 

 

 

 

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Presenting Sponsors

 

 

Summit Recap

Our 2026 Summit took place on October 6-7. Presenting Sponsors: JPMorganChase and Happen Bank.

Day One 

Tuesday, October 6th from 9am-12:30pm – Zoom webinar

•Open and welcome from Brook Ames, SVP, General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer, Leader Bank
“The core mission should not change. It should be about lifting up communities that have been left behind.”

•Looking forward to a Modern, Strong and Stable Community Reinvestment Act
Lisa Rice, CEO, National Fair Housing Alliance
“We are seeing an unprecedented attack on fair housing and civil rights. What is new is the removal of supports, systems, data and collaboration. We reach out [to our partners in government] and get crickets!” • “The law hasn’t changed!” • “If we don’t submit comments, the Administrative Procedures Act can become fallow.”• “CRA needs to be extended to all those in the lending ecosystem.” • “If you have violated the Fair Housing Act, you should not be eligible for a Satisfactory CRA grade.”

Horacio Mendez, CEO, Woodstock Institute
“It is one of three paintings in the Museum of Wretched Ideas.” • “I’m afraid the comment period is decorative.” • “It is a dumpster fire of ineptitude.” • “When you aren’t sure of the rules, you hide.”

Dr. Anurag Agarwal, CEO, RiskExec
“Data is king. How else will banks understand how they are doing?” • “Banks should be asking, how much data do I have to understand my exposure.” • “Stay the course.”

•Leveraging Community Data: Navigating PFE’s New Mortgage and Branch Data Portal

Moderator: Thomas Callahan, Partnership for Financial Equity
Serrater Chapman, Director of Applied Research, Woodstock Institute
“The new data portal for Massachusetts can help community organizations use evidence to guide advocacy and discussions with lenders and can help banking partners identify potential barriers and opportunities.”
Amalie Zinn, PFE Jim Campen Non-Resident Fellow
“Data is power.”

BREAK

•Building Wealth from the Ground Up – Asset Building and Inclusive Banking Strategies

Moderator: Jason Andrade, Partnership for Financial Equity
Davida Walsh Farrar, Vice President, Financial Health Policy, JPMorganChase Policy Center
Jason Ewas, Associate Director, Lifelong Saving and Investing, Aspen Institute
David Rothstein, Senior Principal at the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund/Bank On

•“Vault-side” chat with Vu Le, author and activist, Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy
moderated by Tom Callahan

Day Two 

Wednesday, October 7th from 10-2 in-person at Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton

•Reception with Restoration Coffee cart
•Opening remarks from Brook Ames and Vanessa

•On the Ground in Brockton: Expanding Homeownership and Economic Development

Moderator: Jason Andrade, CFP®, Partnership for Financial Equity
Dr. Eliza Wilson, Director of Economic Development, City of Brockton
Rob Corley, CEO, NeighborWorks Housing Solutions
Alex Edwards, Principal Broker, Thumbprint Realty

•Bridging the Gap: Statewide Paths and Partnerships for Affordable Homeownership

Matthew Konsa, National Grants & Partnership Lead, Community Responsibility, MassMutual 
Keith Fairey, CEO, Way Finders
Courtney Brunson, Director, Economic Equity Initiatives at The Boston Foundation
Symone Crawford, Executive Director, MAHA

•Elevating Equity awards presentation 

Banking Services award: Coastal Heritage Bank and My Brother’s Keeper
Small Business Lending award: Santander and Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC)
Mortgage Lending award: Dedham Savings Bank and NeighborWorks Housing Solutions 

•Announcement of inaugural PFE student scholarship award with Brockton High School

LUNCH provided by Signature Kitchen of Brockton

•Keynote speaker – James Diossa, Rhode Island General Treasurer introduced by Brenda Clement, Executive Director, HousingWorks RI

•Championing Main Street: The Campaign for Transparency in Small Business Lending

Moderator: Tom Golden, Senior Vice President, Director of Enterprise Compliance, Rockland Trust
Jessica Moore, Director of Government Affairs, Massachusetts Restaurant Association
Kimberly Lyle, CEO, Dorchester Bay EDC
State Senator Liz Miranda, Second Suffolk District

Reception and tour of Fuller Craft Museum

Previous Annual Summits

• 2026