Accion Opportunity Fund Names Robert Sears as New Chief Product Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:

Janel Knight Trulear
Janel@emccommunications.com
617-875-6581

Jan 30, 2023, San Jose, Calif. — Accion Opportunity Fund has named Robert Sears as Chief Product Officer for the organization. Accion Opportunity Fund is the nation’s leading nonprofit CDFI providing small businesses with access to responsible capital, networks, and coaching. 

“Robert brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to serving small businesses,” said Luz Urrutia, CEO of Accion Opportunity Fund. “Accion Opportunity Fund is thrilled to have someone with Robert’s credentials join our team to oversee our product innovation, research and development, and digital transformation.” 

Robert Sears is an experienced financial services and technology executive, serial entrepreneur, and innovator. Sears has held business and technical executive roles in large multinational corporations, including BBVA where he served as CEO of Open Platform, running BBVA’s global open banking initiatives. He regularly advises Fortune 500 companies on digital transformation, machine learning, and AI, and has worked with the World Economic Forum on data strategy and financial services. Sears has founded and led investor-backed start-ups to scale, including one of the earliest consumer neobanks and a consumer lending and payments platform.

“Accion Opportunity Fund is doing important work to provide small businesses with expert advice, resources, and financial services that close the entrepreneurial opportunity gap, and I am thrilled to be joining the team,” Sears said. “The small business financial services sector is ripe for disruption — too many of our nation’s most promising entrepreneurs are overlooked and underserved. We’ll continue to innovate so all entrepreneurs have ready-access to the capital and connections needed to thrive.”

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About Accion Opportunity Fund
Accion Opportunity Fund works to create an inclusive, healthy financial system that supports the nation’s small business owners by connecting entrepreneurs to affordable capital, educational resources, coaching, and networks. Through innovative partnerships and outreach strategies, we reach entrepreneurs of color, low-income entrepreneurs, and women, who often lack access to the financial services they need to build and grow their businesses. Accion Opportunity Fund Community Development is the lending arm of Accion Opportunity Fund, California Finance Lender license #6050609. Visit the organization at aofund.org to learn more about their business growth resources and funding opportunities.