John Hancock's 'Lab of Forward Thinking' Partners with MassChallenge and Startup Institute

BOSTON, Sept. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock announced that it has formed a partnership with startup accelerator MassChallenge and with Startup Institute, a skills and culture "boot camp" for individuals entering startups and high-growth companies. Through its recently opened 'Lab of Forward Thinking' (LOFT), John Hancock will share resources for creativity and innovation with MassChallenge, and will work with Startup Institute to help train and place the program's graduates.

"We're excited to partner with MassChallenge and Startup Institute as an integral part of Boston's thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem," said Jesse Bean, CFA, CAIA, Vice President and Head of Innovation at Manulife, John Hancock's parent company.

"Rapid changes in technology, consumer behavior, and the competitive environment are presenting a growing number of challenges for financial services companies.  For us, part of the solution is John Hancock's LOFT, an innovation hub where employees work with our businesses on disruptive and transformative ideas for new technologies and products designed to help foster holistic and long-lasting customer relationships," Mr. Bean said. "Further leveraging relationships with leaders such as MassChallenge and Startup Institute, we believe, will have benefits for all parties."

Scott Bailey, MassChallenge Boston Managing Director, commented:  "At MassChallenge, we're so excited to partner with John Hancock and LOFT to offer a new resource for the innovation community where entrepreneurs can iterate on their ideas safely and quickly."

"What companies like John Hancock are building, with projects such as the LOFT, is central to the future of business and technology innovation. As Boston's startup ecosystem grows and becomes more mature, it's important for start-ups, scale-ups, and mature businesses to work together to drive innovation and growth from all angles," said Rich DiTieri, Head of Global Partnerships at Startup Institute. "We're pleased to be working alongside a world class company that is embracing and designing for innovation."

In July of this year, John Hancock launched the LOFT, a 6,500 square foot space located at its Seaport area headquarters in Boston's "Innovation District," devoted to a culture of innovation and creativity within all facets of the organization. Its objective is to cultivate a high impact environment and provide a centralized resource for employees across the company to collaborate and devise new forward-thinking technology solutions for John Hancock's various wealth and asset management and insurance business lines.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife
John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, our group of companies offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were C$883 billion (US$708 billion) as at June 30, 2015. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

About MassChallenge 
MassChallenge runs startup accelerators designed to catalyze a global renaissance by connecting high-impact startups with the resources they need to launch and succeed. Anyone can apply to MassChallenge, with any early-stage startup, in any industry, from anywhere in the world. MassChallenge does not take equity or place any restrictions on the startups it supports.
With programs in Boston, Israel and the UK, MassChallenge provides entrepreneurs with mentorship, office space, education, access to a vast network, and other resources during four months of acceleration. MassChallenge awards over $2 million in non-dilutive grants to the startups demonstrating the highest impact and highest potential. A nonprofit organization, MassChallenge is funded by corporate, public and foundation partners. To date, the 617 MassChallenge alumni have raised over $947 million in funding, generated $485 million in revenue and created 5,105 jobs. For more information, visit www.masschallenge.org.

About Startup Institute 
Startup Institute gives professionals the skills, mindset and networks to get a job in a startup or high-growth company – and thrive in a new career. To date, over 1,000 alumni have graduated from Startup Institute's 8-week program and are now working across the innovation economy in sales, technical marketing, web design and web development. With offices in Boston, New York, and Chicago, Startup Institute has hundreds of partners from hiring companies who help to teach its programs and mentor its students. For more information, visit startupinstitute.com.

SOURCE John Hancock Financial