On Oct. 30–31, Fayetteville State University hosted its second annual Fintech & Insurtech Conference, bringing students, faculty, industry leaders and entrepreneurs from 23 universities for two days of nonstop innovation and career momentum.

From AI and blockchain to hands-on workshops, packed keynotes and a buzzing career fair, the conference provided students with an inside look at where financial and insurance technology are headed next, and how they can be part of it.

The career fair, organized by the Office of Career Services, featured representatives from the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the Institutes’ Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter Society; North Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance; North Carolina Department of Insurance; Erie Insurance; the FSU Master of Business Administration Program; TRP Sumner, Professional Limited Liability Company; and Builders Mutual, among others.

The conference opened with an array of concurrent workshops on the fundamentals of fintech and blockchain, as well as MedPro’s Foundations of Insurance and Leadership Development. Attendees were inspired by former NFL player Marques Ogden, who delivered a motivational keynote emphasizing perseverance, overcoming personal setbacks and rebuilding after adversity. Students brought their ideas to life in a pitch competition, followed by a lively panel discussion on federal and state policy changes related to digital transformation. 

The evening concluded with a keynote from Teena Piccione, the secretary and state chief information officer of the North Carolina Department of Information Technology, who explored the challenges posed by AI-powered cyberattacks and the evolving cybersecurity landscape in today’s digital economy.

The momentum continued as Traci Adedeji, the immediate past president and chair of The Institutes' CPCU Society, energized the program the following morning. Interweaving industry history, technological advances, and personal anecdotes, Adedeji illustrated the insurance sector’s evolution—from manual underwriting tools like “rate wheels” and mailed-in applications to contemporary practices such as predictive analytics, parametric insurance, and AI-assisted risk assessment. 

Adedeji emphasized that while automation accelerates processes, judgment, ethics, and personal integrity are still indispensable. “AI won’t replace what you bring to work,” she assured. “The tasks may change; your value doesn’t.” Her keynote equipped students with advice on prompt engineering, professional involvement, and building confidence, as well as tips on networking, salary negotiation, mentorship, and overcoming impostor syndrome.

For many students, Adedeji’s message of confidence and agency resonated strongly.

“I came in expecting this to be all about finance and insurance,” said Nahlisia Boneparte, a senior healthcare management major, in a press release. “But hearing Ms. Adedeji tell her story opened my eyes to professional organizations and mentorship, and how you have to advocate for yourself and not play small. That was inspiring, and it made me think differently about my own future in this industry.” 

The program continued with a second full day of career fairs and sector-specific sessions discussing new models in digital assets, blockchain, decentralized finance, on-demand insurance, talent needs and tech-driven career paths. 

Throughout the event, participants benefited from the expertise of distinguished speakers such as Jimmie Lenz, D.B.A., executive director of the Duke University FinTech master’s program; Kwamie Dunbar, Ph.D., finance professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute; John Fumble, executive in residence at Duke’s financial technology program; Trenton Eden, chief operating officer at The Verse Digital Media Assets; and Jeffrey Bayne, senior manager of software engineering at GEICO. 

A highlight of the program was a keynote address by Tonya Evans, president and CEO of Advantage Evans LLC, whose talk, “From Cash to Crypto: How Digital Money Is Redefining Our Financial Future,” explored the shift toward digital currencies and their impact on the future of finance.

The conference was made possible with support from the Division of Student Affairs, Farm Bureau Insurance, the North Carolina Surplus Lines Association, Spencer Educational Foundation, MedPro Group, Erie Insurance, PNC Bank, the Broadwell Gift Fund, and Deloitte.

The conference captured the energy, ambition and curiosity that define Bronco Nation, and it showed how FSU continues to open doors to industries that are changing fast.