Bankadelic: The colorful side of finance

Between the twin pillars of accelerating technology and talent challenges, banks that want to serve the small business community, especially on a local level, may think the challenges a bit overwhelming. Ricky Guillot, President and CEO of BAFS, explains how his company helps community financial institutions grow their commercial loan portfolios without adding staff or taking on extra risk.

The fact is that today, much of the small business lending world moves at horse and buggy speed. Old school applications? Check. Bank PDFs? Check. Four week decision times? Check. Time to cross off all those check marks and add a definitive game changer to the mix. On this episode, Casca CEO Lukas Haffer explains how he brought the financial pain points learned at Stanford into the real world, making lending -- for instituions of all sizes -- move at the speed of real life.

If you think the joke’s on you, you’d almost be correct: It’s on Lou, as he does his absolute best not to look like a dumbass in the presence of three guests who know their fintech, AI and then some. What were banks fooled by? Where do they get the last laugh? All that and more, with special appearances from three of Bankadelic’s Not Ready for Prime Rate Players: billionaire Worthington Bigbucks, Elmo the Gentleman Farmer (who knows more about silos than ay CTO) and Sarge, the trainer/taskmaster at Barbell Bank.

Our Guests:

Lisa Pent, CEO and Founder, PentEdge

Chris Poor, Vice President Strategic Solutions, Quinte Financial Technologies

Preetha Pulusani, CEO, Deep Target

The uncertain economic environment that has sent gas prices soaring and tossed the stock market topsy-turvy has created ripples felt throughout financial services, especially at the level where small businesses need to secure money to grow and function. Will Tumulty, the CEO at Rapid Finance, explains how small businesses can beat the odds, obtain funding the smart way and leverage advances in artificial intelligence.

As financial institutions grapple with some serious issues, from fraud to disconnected workflows, many are rushing — in some cases too fast — to enlist AI as the Bot in Shining Armor. Sriram Natarajan, President at Quinte Financial Technologies Inc., walks us through smart ways to think about AI and employ it as a tool to address challenges when given the right data, focus, and end-to-end visioning.

With 2026 set to be a record-breaking year on the IPO front, our guest Greg Martin, Founding Partner of Liquid Stock, weighs in on what he sees over a range of high-flying companies from SpaceX to OpenAI. He also discusses the pain point his company aims to solve: helping employees tap into their liquidity during the often long ramp-up to a business going public.

Jill Castilla of Citizens Bank of Edmond has been recognized time and again as one of the financial sevices industry’s leading lights. Kian Sarreshteh of InvestiFi has brainstormed how to bring digital investing inside traditional accounts. On this special episode of Bankadelic, Kian and Jill share how they’ve brought the InvestiFi platform to Citizens Bank account holders, giving them an easier way to invest (even in crypto) while maintaining the stellar customer attention and service community FIs are known for.

Who says you cabn't declare your bankiinglove twice in one week? In this second special Valentine's Day episodes, four Cupids of Coin gather to discuss their loves, loathes and hopes in banking. The goss in 2026 is whether AI is the white knight on a silicon stallion, or a two-timin' hallucinating player. Join us as we solve that mystery and many others in the relam of love and finance.

Our guests:

Tyler Brantley, VP of sales and partnership, VerticeAI

Josh DeTar, EVP of Evangelism, Tyfone

Jessica Evett, SVP of Product Strategy & Technology Operations, CloudVirga (hard G)

Rebecca Secor, Chief Experience Officer, Member Loyalty Group

In love with banking? Feeling jilted by AI? Is your fintech life a box of chocolates? Whatever the state of your financial attachments, Bankadelic invites you back to another two-part holiday special, featuring three fabulous guests sharing their views on the state of banking play in 2026. Resident Bankadelic tycoon Worthington Bigbucks also drops by to deliver a Shakesperean sonnet that shares the sad tale of his luvvy-duvvy running off with his chauffer.

Our guests:

Sarah Koulogeorge, Director of Business Development, Casca

Keith Riddle, General Manager, Payfinia

Martha Underwood, Founder of Prismm

While many prospective homebuyers are living the American Dream Deferred, others are finding their way thanks to committed professionals who understand how to turn knowledge gaps into opportunities to educate and win customer loyalty. Jeremy Davis, President of Mortgage at Southern Bancorp, describes his successful business approach centered on consumer education and community involvement. His hands-on style serves an overarching philosophy that margin and mission are not mutually exclusive.