The Financial Health Network today announced that Michael S. Barr, member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, will deliver a keynote address at EMERGE Financial Health 2026, the organization’s flagship annual conference. This year’s event, scheduled for May 19–21, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia, will convene leaders from across financial services, fintech, policy, research, and community sectors for three days of keynotes, panels, and interactive sessions.
In a period of rapid innovation and rising expectations for the financial services industry to drive outcomes for the people they serve, this year’s conference will examine how trust is earned, how technology reshapes risk and opportunity, and how standards can create clarity amidst change. Governor Barr’s session, “Measuring What Matters: Data, AI, and the Next Chapter of Financial Health,” will examine how improved measurement and clearer definitions of financial health can drive responsible innovation and advance financial health for all.
Additional 2026 Highlights Include:
- Jennifer Tescher, founder and CEO of the Financial Health Network, will deliver the opening remarks. In her keynote, she will spell out the three converging disruptions shaping the future of financial services and why they represent an opening to build a financial system that couldn’t have existed before.
- Brian Goldstone is a journalist, anthropologist, and author of There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America, named one of the 10 Best Books of 2025 by The New York Times and The Atlantic, and one of Barack Obama’s favorite books of the year. He will explore how rising housing costs, unstable income, and rigid systems displace working families, even when they’re doing everything right.
- Jamil Zaki, PhD, professor of psychology at Stanford University, will reframe empathy as a leadership discipline, exploring how leaders can sustain it under pressure and make decisions that reflect their values even when speed and scale complicate judgment.
- Alex Johnson, founder of Fintech Takes, will join a closing panel tackling the toughest questions shaping the future of financial health, from AI and fraud to climate exposure and new payment models.
Spots are limited and interested attendees should register before April 24 to secure their spot. Journalists, broadcasters, bloggers, and podcasters may be eligible for a complimentary press pass. Please complete the Media Form, and the team will be in touch regarding your submission.
