The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and The Venture Center’s ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator is a financial technology accelerator program helping community banks effectively find and partner with fintech companies. Our next program will begin in January 2023. Be the first to know when visits open by sharing your email below.

The ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator Program Features

• Offers a hybrid of in-person and virtual visits to connect bankers with founders from each company
• Is FREE for ICBA Member community banks.
• Allows you and your organization to meet 1-on-1 with the  most relevant and high-potential fintech companies with solutions for community banks looking to address real challenges and opportunities
• Fintech companies that have been handpicked by the ICBA, The Venture Center, and community bankers on the ICBA selection committee based on their relevance to current day challenges and opportunities
• Guidance from The Venture Center team about which companies may be of interest to various departments within your organization. 
• Offers a structured 25 minute meeting with each fintech founder, and follows an agenda with proven innovation results:

SAMPLE AGENDA

1. Brief introduction from you and your bank (~2 mins)
2. Company overview and product demonstration (~10-12 mins)
3. Feedback and questions (Remainder)
4. Break/Debrief with The Venture Center (~5 mins)

Know Before You Go

Come prepared to share. The Accelerator is most successful when the cohort and bankers have an open dialogue about the challenges community banks face as well as the opportunities possible through new technology. Your experience as a community banker is invaluable—make sure to provide any information that you feel may be helpful in their journey.

Keep an open mind. Each company in the cohort seeks to solve a unique challenge. As community bankers, you understand the real-world challenges of working with small business entrepreneurs. If a company’s solution is not best suited for your bank, provide information that could be helpful to them in their next steps and try to consider the potential challenges of other community banks.

Continue the conversation. Relationships are built at the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator program. Make connections with the Accelerator cohort participants and keep in touch beyond the program. Leverage these connections to explore new solutions for your bank and continue to share pertinent information that can inform their solutions and help transform the future of community bank innovation. 

Where to stay + Where to go

Little Rock’s big on hospitality, so there’s no shortage of high-quality hotels and excellent dining. There are many other hotels and restaurants around town, but here are a few of our favorites that are nearby.

Hotels

Upscale Restaurants