Financial Equity and Inclusion

OFFERING • AIR’s Innovation Elements Framework

AIR’s proprietary human-centered framework helps financial regulators demystify and navigate complexity, adapt responsibly, and build confidence for sustainable change. This isn’t theory. It’s a tool for action.

WHITE PAPER • Stablecoins in Africa Playbook

Building on GDF’s Global Stablecoin Regulatory Playbook, this new companion paper written by AIR in collaboration with CGAP and MIT DCI translates global stablecoin principles into African market regulatory considerations, supporting policymakers in assessing risks and opportunities across diverse markets and user segments.

INITIATIVE • Gender-Disaggregated Data for Inclusive Regulation

This program supports regulators to strengthen how gender-disaggregated data is collected, analyzed, and applied in supervision and policymaking. By positioning data as both a diagnostic and an accountability tool, the program supports more adaptive, inclusive regulation.

REPORT • AIR’s 2025 Progress Report

AIR’s 2025 Progress Report highlights how we’re building ecosystems of change — convening global leaders, advancing regulatory innovation, and strengthening financial systems through collaboration, tools, and real-world solutions.

BLOG • Navigating Stablecoins: From Global Standards to Local Realities

This blog outlines a “global-to-local” approach for stablecoin regulation, balancing financial stability with innovation. It addresses policy questions and details AIR’s multi-phase program to bridge global standards with local African realities.

DESIGN SPRINT • Harnessing Gender Data for Inclusive Regulation

AIR’s virtual Global Design Sprint, July 20–Sept. 4, 2026, brings global experts together to turn gender-disaggregated data into practical tools, insights and action for inclusive financial regulation.

TECHSPRINT • AIR, U.K. Regulator Team Up on Women’s Empowerment TechSprint

The Alliance for Innovative Regulation and Financial Conduct Authority partnered on a transatlantic competition and conference examining ways to address the disproportionate impact of the COVID pandemic on women.

WHITE PAPER • A Purposeful Journey into Digitization: Lessons Learned from MDI Digital Modernization Programs

This paper underscores the essential role Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) play in supporting marginalized communities, while offering a road map for these institutions to remain competitive in the digital financial services landscape.

PODCAST • How to Include Everyone: The Gates Foundation’s Michael Wiegand

Michael talks about the global evolution of financial inclusion and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s ongoing efforts. Learn about digital financial inclusion, consumer protection, digital public infrastructure, and barriers to fair finance.

PODCAST • Seeing the Gaps: Gender Data and the Future of Inclusive Finance

Wendy Teleki and Tatiana Alonso join Jo Ann to explore why gender-disaggregated data is essential to inclusive finance, smarter supervision, and unlocking capital for women entrepreneurs worldwide.

TECHSPRINT • Fairness by Design TechSprint by Consumer Reports & AIR

AIR and Consumer Reports convened builders and everyday consumers for the Fairness by Design Tech Sprint, a hands-on session to co-create more transparent, accountable and user-centered digital financial tools.

ARTICLE • The Survival Of Minority Depository Institutions Requires A Journey To Digitization

This brief focusing on key stakeholder actions to support MDIs is a companion to the white paper titled “A Purposeful Journey into Digitization: Lessons Learned from the MDI Digital Modernization Pilot & ConnectTech Programs.”

WHITE PAPER • Harvard Papers on Financial Inclusion

Fifty years of U.S. regulation aimed at promoting financial inclusion and consumer fairness has largely failed. In these papers, AIR CEO Jo Ann Barefoot reports on her two years as a Harvard senior fellow, arguing that new technology can lead to better results.

ARTICLE • Advancing Digital Identity: Building Essential Infrastructure

In March 2024, AIR partnered with the Aspen Institute to convene two roundtables with a cross-section of digital identity experts. This brief summarizes the dialogue and next steps, and extends an invitation to engage with this work.

INITIATIVE • AIR Initiative to Create Digital Transformation Road Map for MDIs

The MDI ConnectTech initiative helps participating Minority Depository Institutions assess their technology capability, identify digital offerings to benefit their customers, and establish a road map to implement third-party digital solutions.

BLOG • Going Further, Together: Collaborating to Strengthen Gender-Disaggregated Data

This blog outlines collaborative work, challenges in data use, and the multi-country effort to better collect, analyze, and apply GDD for meaningful policy impact.

NEWS • AIR Hosts Key Stakeholders at U.S. Capitol to Weigh Future of MDIs

AIR gathered financial policy leaders, bank and credit union representatives, technology innovators and other stakeholders at the U.S. Capitol to advance an ambitious initiative to enable MDIs to adopt the digital tools that they need to improve financial services offerings for communities of color.

BLOG • Power of empowerment: Swanari TechSprint Takeaways

AIR was a partner with India’s Reserve Bank Innovation Hub on a tech competition and ideas forum exploring digital financial services solutions for women’s economic advancement.

PODCAST • ‘There Were Zero Plane Crashes Before We Had Planes’: Kyle Hauptman

Kyle Hauptman, vice chairman of the National Credit Union Administration, comes on the show to discuss how his agency encourages credit unions to take steps to stay relevant in the digital era.

PODCAST • The Reserve Bank of India’s Path to Financial Inclusion

Rajesh Bansal is head of India’s Reserve Bank Innovation Hub, which along with AIR hosted the Swanari TechSprint looking at ways to expand financial services access for women. He speaks with Jo Ann about the country’s pioneering innovation strategy.

IN THE NEWS • American Banker Publishes Story on AIR’s MDI Initiative

The Alliance for Innovative Regulation’s effort to highlight technology challenges facing Minority Depository Institutions was the subject of an in-depth article in the industry news publication.

PODCAST • Rep. Gregory Meeks on Technology’s Power to Expand Financial Inclusion

The New York Democrat and House Financial Services Committee member has embraced digital financial solutions as a way to strengthen low-income communities. He sits down with Jo Ann to discuss the Community Reinvestment Act, bipartisanship in Congress and more.

PODCAST • Activism and Algorithms: Making Lending Fairer

Lisa Rice, CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance, is a civil rights activist. Kareem Saleh is a tech guy who founded the startup FairPlay, which uses AI analytics. They come from different worlds, but have teamed up to combat unfair lending.

PODCAST • Jason Cave on FHFA’s Goal to Modernize Mortgage Process With New Tech

Following the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Velocity TechSprint, the official leading the agency’s conservatorship and fintech strategies joins Jo Ann to discuss all the ways the mortgage market is ripe for a technology overhaul.

ARTICLE • How MDIs Are Focusing on Technology Needs to Drive Their Mission

Like all small financial providers, Minority Depository Institutions face a challenging environment staying competitive in the digital era. Through a program developed by AIR, the National Bankers Association and Inclusiv, some MDIs are upping their digital game.

NEWS • AIR Partners with Visa to Help Minority Banks and Credit Unions Close Tech Gap

The MDI Digital Modernization initiative seeks to strengthen competitiveness and customer access at Minority Depository Institutions to narrow the racial wealth gap.

WHITE PAPER • AIR Coauthors Paper on MDI Digital Modernization

The article, released with the National Bankers Association and Visa Economic Empowerment Institute, lays out a case for using a shared-technology model to help Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) enhance digital capability and product offerings.