Bankadelic: The colorful side of finance

As Founder and CEO of CapStack, Michal Cieplinski brings decades of operational, product, legal and compliance experience to realizing his fintech vision. CapStack is the first integrated operating system that enables cooperation across banks and FIs to drive profitability and asset diversification, and on this freewheeling episode, Cieplinski shares his views on a broad range of tech topics. Among the most important: how cooperation can deepen the strengths banks possess via the smart application of fintech.

Memorial Day and the Summer of '24 are upon us, and so the Bankadelic crew is in search of hot sun, cool waves and excellent podcast fodder for banking’s sizzling season. What might the next three months hold? Where might the buzzkills be hiding? And why is there hope for all? Join your favorite lifeguard/podcaster Lou Carlozo as he chats with three vibrant guests:

Kimberly Clay, Founding Principal, Director of Marketing Research, Bancography

Tori VanCura-Rutland, Chief Growth Officer, HC3

Preetha Pulusani, CEO, DeepTarget

No matter how much financial institutions claim to have robust risk management in place, re-evaluation matters. Hackers never stand still--and even if they did, risks never fail to multiply. Industry veteran Gill Hundley, Chief Operating & Risk Officer and "Resident Career Banker" at Klarivis, makes the persuasive case for why risk management is everybody's business and the positives that result when banks embrace that mentality.

Given how fast things move in our high-tech world, it’s a puzzler why employee paychecks and even direct deposit don’t reach the speed of digital. Nico Simko, Founder & CEO at Clair, explains how his company is establishing itself in a growing niche of fintechs that get workers paid as soon as they clock out—and in the process offer a much-needed alternative to the predatory practices of payday lenders.

Banking too often reinforces an exclusionary narrative where small businesses are underserved, entrepreneurs overlooked and diversity relegated to a checklist. Rodrigo Suarez, the Chief Banking & Innovation Officer at Piermont Bank, explains how his institution is successfully addressing those issues — and making history as the first multiracial Minority Depository Institution in the United States.

Even after several rounds of revolution in technology, call centers still conjure up nightmares of voice mail hell and endless wait times for consumers. Nor is fixing these problems as simple as moving to the cloud or plugging in some AI. Dan Michaeli, the CEO and Co-Founder of Glia, walks us through how to redefine customer interaction and bring support to higher (and previously unattainable) levels.

It’s sobering to think that just one in ten consumers want anything to do with a bank branch anymore. On top of that, loyalty gets spread among many financial institutions and their various products. Sarah Martin, CEO of Pulsate, discusses how she’s putting technology in place that helps community banks and credit unions get a leg up in an ultra-competitive space — all by bringing order and sharp focus to product offerings under one digital roof.

Coming off our interview with Scott Mills of the William Mills Agency, this episode features three contributors to the WMA Bankers as Buyers Report 2024. Monarch President Lee Farabaugh, Aditya Khandekar of Corridor Platforms and Sam Kilmer of Cornerstone Advisors talk about the views and observations they brought to the document, touching on subjects from the ascendancy of digital financial upstarts to what it will take to make AI work for banks.

Certainty used to be a watchword in finance—until the arrival of crypto, VC madness, regulatory stumbles and the fall of Silicon Valley Bank. Jeff Nowicki, the VP of Banking at Treasury Prime, explains how his company is working to create an environment where banks and fintechs can operate with greater confidence and focus.

Dating to the turn of the 21st Century, the Bankers as Buyers report ranks as a must-read document. This year’s version, 86 pages long, comes chock full of spot-on observations and fascinating findings sure to impact banking and fintech. Scott Mills, President of the William Mills Agency, walks us through the report and reveals some of the key findings gleaned from across the financial services industry.