Nicole Valentine is the MI Finance FinTech Director at the Milken Institute with over a decade of financial services, international Mergers & Acquisitions, technology, and innovation experience. As the FinTech Director, Nicole explores market innovation and developments, analyzes alternative regulatory approaches, and offers policy recommendations to facilitate FinTech’s responsible development. Her work engages and educates policymakers and stakeholders to improve access to capital, financial inclusion, transparency, and compliance. In 2023, Nicole was appointed to become a member of the CFTC GMAC (Global Markets Advisory Committee) Digital Assets Market Subcommittee. Nicole’s thought leadership on digital assets, Web3, FinTech, AI, the metaverse, and the future of finance is also frequently featured in news publications, including CNBC, Forbes, USA Today, Worth, FinTech Times, Fox Business, Yahoo Finance, CQ Roll Call, E-Crypto News, Miami Herald, and Protocol Braintrust (Politico). She weighs in on topics that include Digital Assets legislation and regulation, financial inclusion and fluency, innovative technology, and crypto’s cultural relevance in society.