Franklin Templeton Wins Diversity Award From Fund Intelligence Recognizing Franklin Templeton's Support of Nex Cubed’s HBCU Founders Program

Franklin Templeton’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts were recognized when the company received the inaugural Best DEI Initiative of the Year Award at Fund Intelligence’s Mutual Fund Industry and ETF Awards.

The award recognizes Franklin Templeton’s strong support of Nex Cubed’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Founders Program. In April, Franklin Templeton became the program’s second founding partner with the goal of readying students and alumni of HBCUs for their pursuit of entrepreneurship. Nex Cubed is a leader in early-stage innovation and startup acceleration, with nearly 60% of its portfolio of companies being led by female and minority founders.

Franklin Templeton’s partnership with the HBCU Founders Program plays a critical role in closing the racial disparity gap and creating equal representation in fintech and beyond. As a founding partner, Franklin Templeton has a role beyond monetary support. The company provides advisory support, mentorship and networking opportunities to the HBCU founders through employees who serve as mentors and advisors. In September, Franklin Templeton extended its partnership to Nex Cube’s Historically Black Colleges and University Founders Initiative which offers pitch competitions and startup courses to all HBCUs.

The HBCU Founders Program addresses each aspect of Franklin Templeton’s Diversity and Inclusion strategic framework: workforce makeup, workplace culture and practices, and the company’s public commitment. In an effort to continually diversify its workforce, Franklin Templeton has offered internship opportunities to HBCU founders and conducted an industry awareness session.

To date, more than 350 students and alumni from over 50 HBCUs have enrolled in the Nex Cubed program and participate in industry webinars and virtual ideation sessions. Franklin Templeton leaders and employees from across the organization have led workshops and “speed mentoring” sessions to accelerate their growth.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc.  [NYSE: BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 165 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company brings extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, multi-asset solutions and alternatives.  With offices in more than 30 countries and approximately 1,300 investment professionals, the California-based company has over 70 years of investment experience and over US$1.5 trillion in assets under management as of September 30, 2021.  For more information, please visit franklinresources.com.

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