About Us

What if a bank lived out its name? What if it were a bank that could move quickly, keep customers ahead of the curve, adapt to change, and create opportunity?  What if it collaborated with its customers and community? And what if its technology gave its customers a platform for efficiency and effectiveness?

Small and medium-sized companies, and individuals that reflect the diversity of Houston, will find a home at Agility Bank, particularly those in medicine, health sciences, manufacturing, business services, real estate, and technology. Our digital stack is enhanced by hands-on bankers—relationships are deployed alongside the tech. Quick and nimble responses connect need with reliable solutions. Collaboration is second nature to our bankers who have served our communities for decades. We know how to innovate and create opportunity.

We are making commercial community banking relevant for everyone.

We are helping Houston companies grow by utilizing forward leaning technology, and smart bankers make a banking experience that are agile, actionable and serve our diverse community.

Frequently with technology, a clean slate is the best place to begin. That has certainly been true with the formation of Agility Bank, but let’s take a step back.

When Lauren Sparks began to think seriously about forming a bank, it was pre-COVID, and banks were lumbering into the digital world - some quicker than others. The big banks who were early adopters of technology were wrestling with legacy systems. Many regional banks that had grown through mergers or acquisitions were grappling with how to take systems that had been bolted together and make them function as a whole. Community banks were caught with little resources—or inclination—to venture far into technology because their clients didn’t seem particularly interested and things were fine as they were. Lauren, the visionary behind Agility, knew that there had to be a better way for clients - and the bank. 

If you follow us on social media or visit the bank on a Friday, you may see our staff sporting red sneakers. This all started during a team meeting early on in our process of establishing this bank. We talked about everything we were going to do before we opened our doors, and we joked about running towards the "finish line" so we could start serving Houston. In that meeting, a staff member told a story about her son never leaving the house without his red sneakers. Ever since, we've been donning our red high-tops and running towards the finish line. Now that all approvals of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) have been received, and we have completed our capital raise, we have reached the finish line. Our real journey is just beginning, and every step of the way will be taken in red sneakers!

Agility is the first primarily women-owned and led bank created for this purpose and designated as a Minority Depository Institution (MDI) by the OCC. We received this special charter by having over 51% of our voting stock owned by a minority group, which in our case is women. In fact, women own 72% of our voting stock, make up more than 90% of our staff, and more than 70% of our leadership and board of directors. We knew from the beginning that we were going to be a designated MDI. That was the object of our whole mission. Women are exceptionally underbanked and are much more likely than men to donate their money instead of investing it. So it was critical to us to help close this gap. All this said, our goal is to have all the best voices, both men and women, at our board table so that our clients can receive the best ideas and service possible.  Learn more about MDIs and our status as one here.