Track 5: HBCU Students for Fintech Leadership | The Miseducation of Financial Technology

Casey Ariel Dike'
6 days ago
2 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

A fintech education mixtape.

Centering HBCU Students for Fintech Leadership

It's time.

At Alabama A&M University (AAMU) this fall, we launched a Fintech Foundations course for accounting and finance majors — but this is just the start.

In Spring 2026, business and computer engineering students will step into an experiential learning opportunities program, prototyping real fintech solutions — with the support of Interledger Foundation.

In other words: we’re not just teaching fintech. We’re giving students the tools, framework, and ownership to build it themselves.

From Classroom to Incubator

Recently, AAMU was awarded a $50,000 grant from Interledger Foundation to support their inclusive finance initiative, giving students hands-on access to digital banking education, design thinking, and startup incubation.

Through this grant (via the “Dollarcraft Challenge”), students will:

Design inclusive payment solutions connecting underserved communities to the digital economy.
Prototype interoperable tools powered by open-rail systems like Interledger.
Learn how to navigate real-world compliance, user trust, and financial parameters — skills banks and legacy fintech haven’t always welcomed communities to master.

This initiative is made possible through a visionary collaboration between AAMU’s College of Business & Public Affairs, the College of Engineering, Technology & Physical Sciences (CETPS), the Interledger Foundation, and Blaze Group®.

In this partnership, we are leveraging our expertise as a financial education and strategy firm to offer cutting-edge fintech training frameworks.

Why This Matters

When you center HBCU students in fintech design, you shift power dynamics to the primary users. There is no need to "play the game" when students are empowered to write the rules.

We are unlocking solutions rooted in lived experience: from understaffed neighborhoods needing instant payments, to gig workers needing cash-flow tools, to communities shut out by traditional banking.

We are establishing a pipeline of talent — not just for the corporate workforce, but for new ventures that meet real community needs.

The Invitation: For Institutions, Investors & Founders

If you know an HBCU, a historically underserved region, or a community with untapped fintech potential: reach out. The curriculum we’ve built is license-ready. Combined with Interledger’s open rails, the opportunity to design accessible financial infrastructure is open.

We're building the future, putting control into the hands of the communities who already know what works best for them.