Today, Accion announced the first five investments by Venture Lab, its $10 million seed capital initiative, which invests in start-up companies that help expand global financial inclusion. A pioneer and leader in bringing financial services to the underserved, Accion launched Venture Lab in April, 2012.

Accion President and CEO Michael Schlein addressed students and members of Columbia University’s Microlumbia Fund at their 6th annual conference on May 3rd in New York City.

Elisabeth Rhyne writes in The Guardian: "Financial inclusion policy makers and providers must understand how financially included and excluded people manage their money, because improved money management is in itself one of the main objectives of financial inclusion and because wrong assumptions about money management can lead to failed products and client indifference."

By providing small loans that average just $10,000 in the U.S., leading microlenders Accion and Opportunity Fund are significantly contributing to small business sustainability, as well as increases in income and job creation according to their microTracker lending outcomes study – U.S. Microfinance: Small Loans, Big Results.

Accion today pledged support for the Smart Campaign’s Client Protection Certification Program. The program, created by the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, launched in January to ensure that client-protection standards are both achievable and valued by the microfinance industry.