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>> Welcome back to Houston
newsmakers. Well, I’m joined
now by Lawrence Parks, the
founder and president and CEO
of Agility Bank that will open
its doors tomorrow in Houston, the queen to Cypriot as the
the queen to Cypriot as the
chief banking officer of not
only the new U.S. bank in
Houston, but the first in
United States to be primarily
woman owned and woman lead. Good morning to both of you.
Good morning to both of you.
Good morning. Thanks for having
and so on. Lauren, talk about
this to you is the founder.
How did that come about just
the wake up one morning and say
I want to sound a bank out of
that word.
>> Not really. It’s a process. This is my background. Is
This is my background. Is
community banking been in a
long time found that things
were changing making
observations about lack of
women in the Boardroom C suite
equity position and over time
realize that something needed
to change, complained bitterly
to my husband who finally said
do something about it, change
it. And so here we are on that. >> And so what kind bank will
>> And so what kind bank will
agility be? This different from
other banks is we’re worst
great question where minority
Depository Institution, which
means we’re 51% female owned or more actually.
more actually.
>> And we actually are. I have
a mission of serving an
underserved community, which
is women, financial community
are underserved. So look, we
did what kind of focus will you have in the small business
you have in the small business
community specifically? It
seems to me that that part a
lot of women are small business
owners primarily. Absolutely.
There’s more than 200,000 small businesses in Houston.
businesses in Houston.
>> And we are excited about
working with them in my I’m
responsible for ensuring the right products
right products
and services. offered to our
potential clients and clients.
We also are focused on making it easy for those business
it easy for those business
clients as well. 2 things that
we offer that really
differentiate us to be loan
express, which allows businesses to apply online and
businesses to apply online and
have an approval within 3 hours
or less in some cases
>> say that is very unique.
And yes, so that’s a part of
it. and another part of it is
that I saw some of the
researchers said that women
run businesses actually do
better.
>> There’s metrics and studies
it all out there that tell that
when women are at the table
when they’re in the C suite
when they’re in leadership,
there’s a different team that’s
built. There’s a more
collaborative environment.
And there’s studies that show
that the businesses are more
successful, more profitable.
>> I have to imagine and above
frustration to both of you
through your careers, as you
have seen the ways women have
been dealt with in the
businesses and fired up.
You want to get out and try
to hope that you can kind of do
something about that. It’s just
time for the women to be at the
table and into the have
representation and have the
support, the nurturing of that
she economy, that female
business economy. That’s a huge
part of everything in Houston.
>> What do you think is what I
think that you’re doing now as
a bank, this really going to
kind of change the way the
industry is view.
>> Well, I I think it creates
more of a comfortable place for
everyone to be a part of
banking, not not only for
business clients, but also for
leadership for females in
banking and to bring other
women up in banking into leadership role. And you talk
leadership role. And you talk
about the fact that this kind
Digital’s
>> causing. So how is that?
That sounds like that’s
different. We’re definitely a
digital presence. We partner with fintech companies so we
with fintech companies so we
could build this different of
tech stack for clients. We’re
all about the client experience
commercial and business clay
experience those businesses.
Those fintech partnerships are
going to continue to grow with us as we go with Houston.
us as we go with Houston.
So it’s a wonderful, a backdrop
for the community bank of the
future where you said when you
say tech stock, what is the tax
tax tax tax are? You know?
No, that’s okay. I probably mobile a tech stack, which is
mobile a tech stack, which is
just the layering of different
products and services. This
unique to us. So taking
existing technology and using
an innovative way for our
clients. >> So if you can go online to
>> So if you can go online to
get a lot of information now
that you couldn’t get before.
Sure. And so you can online do
just about anything with us.
You can even
>> click a button and have a FaceTime like conversation with
FaceTime like conversation with
your banker.
I like has a pretty No need
to give out doses. If you’re
doing that right. Save you time and gas right now. Traffic they
and gas right now. Traffic they
can. There you go. Good So
opening Day less about branches
did then just opening. Are you
excited?
>> To me, very excited. It’s it’s been a jury. We’ve been
it’s been a jury. We’ve been
working together on this and
the whole team has we’re very
excited to be a new presence
and of that really.
>> Leaning forward presence. And here in the Houston market.
And here in the Houston market.
>> That story the first day
Don’t have it. You have one
location at that 0. One
location and will grow
digitally with digital
presidents. And when we grow
physically, we’ll have satellite locations. So low
satellite locations. So low
carbon footprint, all part of
being the bank of the few.
And that’s part of a strategic
plan that you have in place at
this point service all about
the bank, very, very unique being the first United States
being the first United States
to do what you’re doing as a We
believe so. So were the first
nationally chartered bank with
this specific focus and stay
one right here in Houston where
it all began and will grow from here.
The queen to SIPRI on Lawrence
Parks. Congratulations. Thank
you. Monday it opens. where
where can they find is Julie
Bank. 24 0 one North Shepherd.
So 24th and North Shepherd just
right off the 6.10, in the
Heights website Www agility
Dot bank. That’s it. That’s it.
Thank you. It’s been a good way