The FinTech Innovation Lab in New York City helped put the city on the map as a hub of offintech activity. Maria Gotsch, the president and CEO of the Partnership Fund for New York City, is one of its founders.

The FinTech Innovation Lab is an accelerator that connects early- and growth-stage fintechs with executives at Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, BlackRock and other big-name financial institutions for mentorship, product feedback and more. The program also includes workshops, panel discussions and a demo day. The banks choose the accelerator participants, “so every year it’s an interesting microcosm of what is rising to the top in terms of where innovation is needed for large financial institutions,” said Gotsch.