MIAMI – Sept. 5, 2014 – Fintech LATAM, a one-day conference being held in Miami on Sept. 24, will bring together banking executives, technology professionals, innovators and thought leaders to share their ideas on technology trends that are changing the way businesses and consumers use financial services. The event is being led by Miami-based companies CVOX Events LLC and Nobox in partnership with the Florida International Bankers Association and the Latin American Private Equity and Venture Capital Association with support provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.  

The global financial technology sector (“fintech”) is gaining momentum; according to a recent report released by Accenture and the Partnership Fund for New York City, investments in this area have tripled to $3 billion since 2008, and are poised to grow to $8 billion by 2018. At the same time, new technologies continue to disrupt a number of industries including the financial sector. Banks and other financial services companies are finding themselves in the new world of Bitcoin, decentralized payment systems and mobile banking. These changes require industry professionals to build a culture of innovation to effectively compete.

Fintech aims to capitalize on this trend by pushing forward Miami as a financial technology center. The conference will inform and educate bankers and regulators on innovative ideas, products and solutions that are revolutionizing the financial services industry in the United States and throughout the world. Participants will discover how to apply these ideas to their work. Additionally, programming will focus on introducing innovations to Latin America to make the region’s financial systems more competitive, efficient and inclusive.

Over 200 leading banking executives and information technology professionals throughout Florida and Latin America are expected to attend. The conference will feature presentations, keynote speakers, workshops and networking opportunities that will address essential topics in today’s financial industry, including cybersecurity, regulating the digital frontier, financing the future of banking and overcoming challenges to financial technology innovation in Latin America.  The conference will also include workshops on designing a winning digital strategy and building a culture of innovation.  

“As a city that is home to one of the largest concentrations of international banks in the world, Miami is poised to benefit from the increasing focus on financial innovation that is transforming the way consumers use and access financial services,” said Ray Ruga, co-founder of CVOX Events LLC. “By creating a conference that introduces bankers – both local and Latin American – to ideas in a fresh, fast and dynamic fashion, we intend to help promote financial innovation and position Miami as the fintech hub of the Americas.”

“As Miami’s emerging technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem continues to evolve and diversify, financial technology offers a unique opportunity to position the city as a global leader,” said Matt Haggman, Knight Foundation program director in Miami. “With this in mind, Fintech will allow a host of innovators to connect and further strengthen Miami’s talent for generating homegrown ideas that spread beyond its borders.”

The conference, to be held at The Lightbox at Goldman Warehouse, will feature world-recognized subject matter experts, including Andres Bzurovski, CEO, Astropay, and Bitcoin entrepreneur; Daniel Cohen, senior vice president emerging payments, Mastercard, Latin America; Alberto España, CEO and founder, Bid2Pay and Payment Power Inc.; Daniel H. Gonzalez, vice president of industry engagement, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; Jonathan LeBlanc, head of global developer evangelism, PayPal and Braintree; Alexis Panagides, CEO, mxHero; Lisa Raggiri, executive vice president, Apriva.

Support for Fintech forms one part of Knight Foundation’s efforts to invest in Miami’s emerging innovators and entrepreneurs as a tool to build community, while fostering talent and opportunity. Over the past 18 months Knight has made more than 50 investments in entrepreneurship in South Florida. 

Fintech tickets for the general public are now on sale and cost $499. To access the full list of Fintech LATAM 2014 speakers and the program or to view how to become a Fintech LATAM sponsor, visit www.fintechlatam.com.

About Fintech LATAM 2014

Fintech LATAM 2014 is a one-day conference exploring the technologies, ideas and trends poised to disrupt Latin America’s financial landscape. It is being hosted in collaboration with Florida International Bankers Association (FIBA) and the Latin American Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (LAVCA). Fintech LATAM 2014 will host over 200 banking executives and IT professionals from financial institutions throughout Florida and Latin America. For more information, visit: www.fintechlatam.com.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more information, visit: www.KnightFoundation.org.

Contacts:

Nina Rodriguez, CVOX, Fintech LATAM, [email protected], 305-573-4775.

Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, Knight Foundation, [email protected], 305-908-2677.