The collective good

The Challenge

MetLife Foundation sought to connect its senior leadership with the tangible realities of financial inclusion. Despite significant investments in supporting underserved and unbanked communities globally, many executives lacked firsthand understanding of the daily challenges these communities face. The challenge was clear: how could MetLife’s leaders gain a deeper, more personal connection to the Foundation’s mission and the impact of financial inclusion?

Future Caucus has an audacious mission to activate young leaders, bridge the partisan divide, and transform American politics. Entering the pandemic, they welcomed a new leader and new team members. With this in mind and the increasing polarization of policymaking, Future Caucus had an opportunity to engage and grow its membership.

The Approach

TCG designed an immersive experience in Delhi, India, for 35 senior executives. The goal was to take them beyond the theoretical and into the heart of communities where financial inclusion strategies were making a real difference. The experience centered around spending most of the day in the community—riding through Delhi’s bustling streets in rickshaws and interacting directly with people who are using micro loans and mobile banking to build their businesses. By visiting microfinance institutions and speaking with business owners and their families, executives gained firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities of financial inclusion. This immersive exposure allowed them to connect with the human side of the work they were funding, moving beyond numbers to see the direct impact on individuals.

Co-creating a strategy that centered the voices and needs of the Future Caucus community of young legislators. Our analysis provided an understanding of:

Future Caucus’ North Star to remove the barriers young legislators face in order to build a more inclusive and effective democracy
Systemic challenges that legislators face including minimal leadership training, absence of mentors, insufficient time and opportunity to focus on innovative policy solutions, and difficulty connecting with the voters who’d most likely be energized by collaborative, productive leadership
Future Caucus’ unique positioning in the space to tailor support and position young policymakers to engage across the aisle

From this process, Future Caucus gained a clearer focus on building a constituency for inclusive governing and amplifying new narratives.

The Results

The experience fostered empathy, connection, and alignment:

Deeper Understanding: Executives gained a personal view of how financial inclusion changes lives.
Actionable Insight: Leaders were inspired and equipped to partner with local nonprofits and drive tangible change.
Replicable Framework: The experience created a model for similar global engagements, helping MetLife leaders connect deeply with the communities they serve.

Our Partnership:

Renewed Future Caucus’ vision of restored public trust in democracy, improved public leadership, and more representative public policy
Crafted an ambitious 5-year strategy with key performance indicators to ensure accountability and track progress
Strengthened collaboration between staff and the Board around key strategies, including:
- Amplifying models of bipartisan public service
- Activating and connecting their network
- Building a high-performing organization that exudes their values and ethos

From this process, Future Caucus gained a clearer focus on building a constituency for inclusive governing and amplifying new narratives.

Going Global to Make a Financial Impact More Local

The Challenge

The Approach

The Results

Could you see your story here? Let's do it!