1871’s 2026 FinTech Innovation Summit: The Next Financial System

1871, Chicago’s global nonprofit innovation hub, will host its FinTech Innovation Summit: The Next Financial System on November 12, 2026, at UBS Tower in Chicago, sponsored by BMO, CGI, William Blair, UBS and The Coleman Foundation.

The summit centers on one question: What will the next financial system look like, and who will build it?

Leaders from across financial services, technology, and the startup community will come together to explore how AI, digital assets and new payment infrastructure are reshaping how money moves, how decisions get made and how trust is earned.

This year’s summit puts emerging fintech founders at the center of the conversation. Founders will take the stage in the WMNfintech Pitch Competition to compete for a $25,000 prize a share of $25,000 in prizes, and startups will connect with attendees in Startup Alley, sharing the solutions they’re building for the future of financial services.

For founders, the summit is more than an opportunity to showcase what they’re building. It’s a chance to connect with potential customers, corporate partners, investors, and industry leaders who can help accelerate their growth.

Summit Agenda

The summit brings together leaders who are building, financing, and transforming the next generation of financial services. The program will explore the technologies gaining traction, the decisions facing financial institutions, and the opportunities emerging for founders and investors.

The day will conclude with Startup Alley and a networking happy hour, bringing founders, investors, corporate leaders, and other attendees together to discover emerging solutions, make connections, and explore opportunities to work together.
Featured conversations include:

• State of the Industry: Cindy Hull, Director of the Financial Markets Group at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, will examine which financial technologies are moving from experimentation to real-world adoption.
• AI and Control: Sandeep Maira, Founder and CTO of Raven Risk AI, will explore where financial institutions should embrace AI autonomy and where human judgment must remain central.
• The Future Money Stack: Edward Woodford, Founder and CEO of Zero Hash, will explore how stablecoins, tokenization, and new payment infrastructure are creating competing visions for how value will move.
• The Evolution of Trust: Coinflow will explore how trust, identity, and security must evolve as financial transactions become faster and increasingly automated.
• Closing Keynote Fireside: Tom Sosnoff, founder of tastytrade, co-founder of thinkorswim, and CEO of Lossdog, will draw on more than 40 years of financial innovation to explore which technologies actually transform financial services and where the next opportunities will emerge.

The WMNfintech Pitch Competition winner will award $25,000 in prizes to the top three finalists, and judges include Andrew Harrison, Head of Emerging Partnerships & Innovation Fund at BMO, and Salvador Dueñas, Senior Director of Programs at Chicago Blend.

Additional speakers and programming details will be announced soon.

The summit will run from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM CST noon to 6:00 p.m. CT at UBS Tower, One North Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606.

The day opens with two parallel lunches: one for corporate innovation leaders, and one for founders and investors. The public program begins at 1:30 PM with interactive programming throughout the afternoon, wrapping up for all attendees with the Startup Alley happy hour.

Invitation-only gatherings begin at noon, with the main program starting at 1:30 p.m. and concluding with the Startup Alley happy hour.

Be part of the conversation about what’s next for financial services. Tickets are $150, and space is limited. Reserve your seat here.

Interested in being part of the summit as a speaker, sponsor, or partner? We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to membership@1871.com to explore opportunities to get involved.

About 1871

1871 is a nonprofit technology hub headquartered in Chicago, with members everywhere. Our mission is to inspire, equip, and support the leaders building the future.

At the heart of 1871 is a community of builders — from early-stage founders to growth- and late-stage companies, corporate innovators, investors, mentors, universities, and civic leaders — who share knowledge, open doors, make connections, become customers, invest capital, and help one another succeed.

Today, the 1871 community includes more than 2,000 alumni companies, hundreds of startups, and 60 corporate and civic partners. Since 1871 was founded in 2012, companies that got their earliest start at 1871 have created more than 20,000 jobs, generated approximately $1.4 billion in annual salaries, and raised more than $7 billion in capital.

1871’s job is to increase the probability of success and shorten the time it takes to get there. Because extraordinary companies aren’t built alone. The magic of 1871 is the people. A win for one is a win for all.