Mel King Community Fellows program (CoLab)

The CoLab Mel King Community Fellows program builds upon a 40-year tradition of bridging practice-based knowledge and academic research. Dedicated to the legacy of Mel King, a still-active champion of cities and the communities they comprise, the program originally provided fellows with a year-long sabbatical at MIT to reflect, conduct research, acquire new skills, and build upon their existing networks. Today, Fellows continue their community-based work at their respective sites while simultaneously deepening their connections with their partners and each other. CoLab staff, students, and faculty affiliates support Fellows as they undertake self-directed learning projects of mutual benefit.

Values-Based Banking Cohort -- This cohort of Mel King Community Fellows is focused on the field of Values Based Banking. Values-based banks operate and innovate within the so-called “real economy”. They avoid speculation and derivatives and work to better serve their members, the planet, and the communities in which they operate. In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the demand has grown for banks and financial institutions that operate under this triple-bottom-line philosophy. However, the business model is being challenged by new entrants into the banking market (such as Facebook and Google), low interest rates, and new regulations designed to reign in larger banks.

The Fellows are focused on building materials and opportunities for knowledge sharing and leadership development in the field of values based banking. Much of this work will be done in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Banking on Values, a network of 25 values-based banks in 30 countries around the world. Currently, the fellows are co-facilitating an 18-month course on leadership in values-based banking for mid-career professionals from across the GABV. They also plan to develop and implement a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on “Banking as if Society Mattered.” The goal is to facilitate knowledge sharing and networking within the values-based banking community as well as to disseminate information about values-driven financial models to organizations, individuals, and communities around