On Friday 25 September, The Finance Innovation Lab officially launched as an independent organisation with a mission to build a financial system that works for people and planet.
The launch marks a new phase for The Lab, which was founded in 2009 as a joint project between the World Wildlife Fund UK (WWF-UK) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW). Since then, The Lab has grown into an award-winning initiative that has engaged thousands of people, catalysed change in government policy and enabled new campaigns and business models in finance. Independence will allow The Lab to scale its work nationally and internationally for a more democratic, responsible and fair financial system.
At the launch event, which was attended by social innovators, campaigners, academics, finance professionals and systems change practitioners, Anna Laycock, The Lab’s new Lead Strategist, said:
A better financial system isn’t just possible, it’s absolutely necessary. We won’t solve today’s social and environmental problems unless we tackle the failings of our self-serving, unaccountable financial system.
For The Lab, independence doesn’t mean going it alone. Everything we do, we do in partnership with others. This job is bigger than any one organisation, campaign or coalition – but as we grow our community of changemakers, I’m convinced we’ll see the radical transformation our financial system needs.
The Finance Innovation Lab works with innovators creating socially useful businesses in finance, civil society leaders advocating for change, and people working in mainstream finance who are ready to use their power to transform their professions. It connects these changemakers, grows them as leaders and helps them scale their work.
Notes to editors
1. The Finance Innovation Lab was founded by WWF-UK (World Wide Fund for Nature) and ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) in 2009 in order to change the financial system so it serves people and planet. Both WWF-UK and ICAEW will continue to support The Lab through significant funding, strategic oversight as Trustees and through ongoing collaboration with The Lab on projects of mutual strategic interest.
2. For more information about the work of The Finance Innovation Lab, please visit https://financeinnovationlab.org.
3. The Lab’s new core team includes Anna Laycock, Lead Strategist, Chris Hewett, Head of Advocate Programme, and Nicky Johnston, Communications and Events Manager. A full profile of each team member can be found here.
4. The four original co-founders of The Lab (Charlotte Millar, Jen Morgan, Rachel Sinha and Richard Spencer) continue to support the development of The Lab in an advisory and consultancy capacity.
5. For the full story of The Finance Innovation Lab, please download our new publication A Strategy for Systems Change here.
6. For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Anna Laycock, Lead Strategist, on anna.laycock@financeinnovationlab.org or 07841 647 121.