Timberlake joins the organization, having spent the past 10 years investing in and advising early-stage fintech startups
BOSTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2026 / Fintech Sandbox, a nonprofit that provides early-stage fintech startups around the world with free access to critical datasets and infrastructure through its Data Access Residency, today announced the appointment of Lucas Timberlake as its new Executive Director. Timberlake joins Fintech Sandbox after spending the past 10 years as the co-founder and General Partner of Fintech Ventures Fund, an early-stage VC fund focused on emerging fintech and insurtech startups.
In his role as Executive Director, Timberlake's primary responsibility is to determine and lead the nonprofit's strategic direction. He is also responsible for partnerships with data providers and day-to-day operations in support of startups participating in the program and the greater fintech community. Timberlake is also tasked with leading Fintech Sandbox's flagship events, Demo Day and Boston Fintech Week, as well as fostering and maintaining strong relationships with the startups, data partners, and other stakeholders involved in the Data Access Residency program.
"Fintech Sandbox is a first-mover and established brand in the fintech startup space, and their approach to supporting early-stage fintech companies has drawn the attention and respect of many industry players," said Timberlake. "I am looking forward to finding ways to merge Fintech Sandbox's programming for startups with my knowledge of the venture capital landscape to help today's founders become tomorrow's industry leaders."
During his time at Fintech Ventures Fund, Timberlake oversaw investments in 20 portfolio companies, deploying $25 million in pre-seed and seed funding. Prior to starting the firm, Timberlake worked in private equity and investment banking, including a stint at Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he helped facilitate over $2 billion in advisory and capital markets transactions for municipal and private sector clients in the northeast. He is a graduate of Columbia University, where he earned a degree in economics and political science.
"Lucas has a proven track record for identifying and supporting rising stars in the fintech sector," said Sarah Biller, Co-founder of Fintech Sandbox. "His experiences operating and investing across regional fintech ecosystems is invaluable to our next chapter. We are thrilled to have him on the team as we continue our efforts to support the next generation of fintech leaders through the Data Access Residency program and other key initiatives."
Timberlake joins Fintech Sandbox following a year of tremendous success in 2025 in which the organization onboarded a record 74 startups to its Data Access Residency program. These startups represented eight different countries, including the first startups to join from Argentina, Japan and Switzerland. To date, Fintech Sandbox has supported more than 450 startups, more than 84% of which are either still in operation or have been acquired.
Fintech Sandbox is hosting its 12th Demo Day, a virtual event, on April 28, 2026. Timberlake will be the lead moderator, presenting each startup for the event. To learn more and register, visit here.
About Fintech Sandbox
Fintech Sandbox is a nonprofit that provides a leg-up for entrepreneurs around the world by providing free access to critical datasets and resources to build their early-stage fintech products through its Data Access Residency. Fintech Sandbox startups, in return, collaborate with current and past residents, sharing learnings and advancements that benefit the ecosystem. Participating startups - more than 450 thus far - pay no fees and no equity is taken. Boston Fintech Week and Mass Fintech Hub - a public-private partnership dedicated to making the Commonwealth a global leader in fintech - are initiatives under the Fintech Sandbox umbrella. For more information, please visit https://fintechsandbox.org and https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintech-sandbox.
Contact Info:
Caliber Corporate Advisers
fintechsandbox@calibercorporateadvisers.com
SOURCE: Fintech Sandbox
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/banking-and-financial-services/fintech-sandbox-names-lucas-timberlake-as-new-executive-director-1146468
