First Access Featured by Emerging Markets Institute at Cornell University

First Access is a proud contributor to the 2019 Emerging Markets Institute (EMI) Conference at Cornell Tech, where CEO Nicole Van Der Tuin shared lessons from the field on fintech's real contributions to financial inclusion and which challenges remain intractable, at least for now.

Nina Nieuwoudt (Left), Vice President of Product and Innovation at MasterCard Labs, and Nicole Van Der Tuin, CEO & Co-Founder, First Access

Representing the perspective of a fintech alongside that of an investor, a corporate, and a development finance institution, Nicole spoke on a panel with Du Zekai, Head of Investment and Research at Haitou Global, Nina Nieuwoudt, VP of Product and Innovation at MasterCard Labs, and Momina Aijazuddin, Global Head of Microfinance/Financial Inclusion and Principal Investment Officer of the Financial Institution Group (FIG) at International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Their discussion explored successes, failures, and opportunities in fintech across emerging markets, including unintended consequences, the spread of hype and fear, and the critical importance of partnerships in product design, delivery, and distribution.

First Access regularly engages with students and faculty at major research institutions to share lessons about our work in emerging markets. Through lectures, speaking at events, and being featured in undergraduate, graduate, and online curriculum, First Access has contributed to education at more than 20 universities around the world.

About Cornell's Emerging Markets Institute

Founded in 2010, Cornell’s Emerging Markets Institute at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management provides thought leadership on the role of emerging markets—and emerging market multinationals—in the global economy. The Institute brings together preeminent practitioners and academics from around the world to develop the next generation of global business leaders and create the premier research center on the role of emerging markets in the global economy.

Photo credit: Cornell University.