Ventures Fintech Summit 2025 Speakers

Join us for the Fintech Summit 2025, hosted by TruStage™ Ventures!

Individuals talking to each other about TruStage at a networking event

Learn more about the individuals speaking at this year's Fintech Summit.

Keynote speaker

CEO & Founder, Wide Open Ventures

Lamont Black LinkedIn - opens in a new tab

Dr. Lamont Black is a finance professor at DePaul University in Chicago and a recognized expert on emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, blockchain and the metaverse. He is the founder and CEO of Wide Open Ventures, an AI and crypto consultancy that helps organizations navigate the future of technology and innovation. Dr. Black recently joined Filene Research Institute as a Fellow and is now conducting research on “The Credit Union of the Future.”

A sought-after speaker for conferences, strategy sessions and the media, Dr. Black frequently discusses the impact of emerging technologies on business strategy. His award-winning teaching has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and includes courses on business technology, data analytics and cryptocurrency. Prior to joining DePaul, he served as an economist at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., during the financial crisis. He holds a Ph.D. in finance and economics from Indiana University and a B.A. from Stanford University.

For more information on his speaking, teaching and research, visit his personal website. You can also watch Dr. Black in action on Amazon Prime and Apple TV in the new crypto documentary, The Highest of Stakes.