NEW YORK, Oct. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MetLife Foundation and Verb will host winners of the Inclusion Plus competitions, a series of 10 competitions across 12 countries for entrepreneurs focused on improving the financial well-being of low- to moderate-income people around the world. On October 10th and 11th, the Inclusion Plus Global Summit will honor winners and bring together experts for workshops, panels, and to spur connections between those seeking to improve financial health.

According to the World 2017 Findex Database, approximately 1.7 billion adults globally are considered unbanked.1 This number does not encompass the millions more that have a bank account but are still not financially healthy, and in the U.S., less than half the population has enough money to cover a $400 emergency expense. Across 12 countries, the competition received more than 650 applicants. MetLife Foundation awarded nearly $1 million in grants to the 50 winning teams, which are collectively impacting over 8 million low- to moderate-income individuals. Additionally, MetLife employees leveraged their business expertise as volunteer judges and mentors. The competition included 640 volunteer judges and 550 volunteer mentors. All in all, over 8,000 hours were donated to help narrow down and support the top ventures.

"When MetLife Foundation announced its focus on financial health and inclusion five years ago, we knew that technology and innovation would be two main drivers of progress around the world. We have been impressed with the ingenuity of the Inclusion Plus grant recipients in finding new ways to provide affordable, high-quality and convenient financial services that enable low- to moderate-income people to manage finances, expand income opportunities, build self-reliance and realize their full potential," said Dennis White, President and CEO of MetLife Foundation.

This Summit will also bring together the expertise of Common Cents Lab, Center for Financial Services Innovation (CSFI) and Village Capital. Keynote speakers include Dan Ariely, Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University and founder of The Center for Advanced Hindsight, Susan Podlogar, MetLife's Chief Human Resources Officer, Daryl Collins, co-author of Portfolios of the Poor and CEO of BFA, Wes Wilkes, MetLife's Vice President and Head of Global Brand Strategy, Suzi Sosa, Co-founder and CEO of Verb, A. Dennis White, CEO and President of MetLife Foundation and Magogadi Makhene, author and inspirational speaker.

The finalist ventures in attendance have tackled key financial health issues including access to credit, short- and long-term savings, day-to-day financial management, insurance, and small business development – each has been awarded grants and other support to ensure their continued success. Ventures attending the Summit and available to discuss their solutions will include:

Australian Ventures


Korean Ventures


Good Shepherd


LearnInvest


Microfinance's Financial 


Owls


Inclusion Action Program




(FIAP)


Lebanese Venture


Frollo


Reable






Bangladeshi Ventures


Mexican Ventures


Apon Wellbeing


Destácame


ShopUp


Comunidad 4UNO






Chinese Ventures


Portuguese Venture


Yibao Plan


GoParity


Haihui






Spanish Venture


Egyptian Venture


OpSeeker


Moneyfellows






United States Ventures


Indian Ventures


Benefit Kitchen


Shram Sarathi


Earn: SaverLife


Swadhaar Swadhaar


Onward Financial




Oxygen


Irish Ventures


PYT Funds


Grid Finance




Initiative Ireland




In addition to being recognized for their winning solutions, finalists, along with thought leaders in the financial inclusion arena will participate in design-thinking workshops and intensive discussions with the goal of unlocking groundbreaking ideas to advance financial health around the world. Follow along on Facebook @InclusionPlus and at InclusionPlus.com.

About MetLife
MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.

About MetLife Foundation
MetLife Foundation was created in 1976 to continue MetLife's long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Since its founding through the end of 2017, MetLife Foundation has provided more than $783 million in grants and $70 million in program-related investments to organizations addressing issues that have a positive impact in their communities. In 2013, the Foundation committed $200 million to financial inclusion, and our work to date has reached more than 3.5 million low-income individuals in 42 countries. To learn more about MetLife Foundation, visit metlife.org.

About Verb, Inc.
Verb provides people with the tools, knowledge, and networks they need to make change. Founded in 2013 in Austin, Texas, the talent development platform specializes in leadership development, guided mentorship, and social impact projects. Verb enables today's employees and social innovators to gain the skills needed to become global purpose-driven leaders. For more information, visit www.verb.net/.

1https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/29510/211259ov.pdf

 

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SOURCE Verb, Inc.