Considered an industry that continues to shape and influence the way business is being conducted around the world, fintech is only poised for greater integration into the lives of individuals through the myriad services — shopping, banking and investment, to name a few — that companies are offering.

That’s the driving force behind a community-wide effort to connect fintech expertise at The Ohio State University with practitioners from throughout the region to establish Fisher and Ohio State as a destination for the understanding and advancement of fintech.

“This challenge — to further the understanding and power of fintech — is one way our university community can deliver on Ohio State’s modern land-grant mission,” said Anil K. Makhija, dean and John W. Berry, Sr. Chair in Business.

“Working hand-in-hand with our partners across campus and in the business community, this first step represents an incredible opportunity to harness new and emergent technologies to advance workforce development, spark new business creation and educate, equip and empower the curious minds that will lead at the forefront of fintech.”

The effort kicked off in October with the inaugural Fintech @ Ohio State & Beyond conference, a virtual gathering that drew more than 100 entrepreneurs, corporate professionals, faculty, staff, students and members of the business community interested in growing their fintech knowledge, recruiting top talent and previewing Ohio State’s plans to lead in the fintech ecosystem.

The two-day conference highlighted opportunities and trends in fintech and featured industry and academic leaders, including Drive Capital’s Mark Kvamme, Lower.com’s Dan Snyder, Matt Armstead, partner and co-founder at Horizon Two Labs and executive director at Fintech71, and Ohio State’s René Stulz. The event, made possible by a generous gift from Fintech71, also focused on innovation in the space and provided insights into the changes, needs and workforce skills required to succeed in fintech. Other topics included blockchain, artificial intelligence, startups and how to incorporate fintech into corporate cultures.

“This event represents a big step forward in Ohio State’s shared desire to grow and to become a leader in fintech — an aspiration we feel can be accomplished through research; partnerships among colleges across the university, industry and government; and curriculum development for students at Ohio State,” said Bernadette Minton, the Arthur E. Shepard Endowed Professorship in Insurance and chair of Fisher’s Department of Finance.

The conference represented the latest step forward in Fisher’s leadership in fintech at Ohio State. The college recently unveiled additional programming designed to introduce students to fintech and equip them with the skills and experiences to lead. The Student Fintech Innovation Competition was announced at the Fintech @ Ohio State & Beyond conference, providing teams of Ohio State students with the opportunity to pitch a fintech idea or innovation and win cash prizes. The event begins December 1.

On the horizon are a pair of new undergraduate offerings, including a micro-certification in fintech fundamentals. The program, which is scheduled to launch in autumn 2022, will provide an introduction to fintech and the technologies ­— artificial intelligence, machine learning and blockchain ­— that companies use to improve and automate the delivery of financial services.

Also beginning in autumn 2022 is a new Industry Immersion track geared toward fintech. The program provides students from across Ohio State with a semester of instruction on the fundamentals of fintech and a semester working with fintech companies on specific projects.

“What is truly exciting about this initiative is knowing that this is the first step, the ground floor, and the launch pad for something bigger: a university-wide commitment to transforming Ohio State into a leader in fintech,” Makhija said.