Bankadelic: The colorful side of finance

The discussion around open banking first heated up before ChatGPT and LLMs became a fact of digital life. Now, the power of that technology — and the impending arrival of agentic AI — promise to multiply open banking’s power exponentially. Ray Denis, the CEO and founder of Sandbox Wealth, walks us through how open banking works and the incredible potential artificial intelligence brings to it.

Though the work of the Federal Reserve’s Faster Payments Task Force took up a good portion of the last decade, its efforts to speed the rails of payments in the U.S. are just starting to bear some exciting fruit. Keith Riddle, General Manager of Payfinia and its CUSO structure, explains the fine points of payment efficiency, how consumers will benefit on so many levels--and why credit unions will want to capitalize on the latest payments technology as a way to deliver on their positive promise.

What better way to spice up the backyad BBQ and ignite those fireworks than to spend it with your friends at Bankadelic, and our three specoial CEO guests? They're all at the top of the fintech game and here to tell you about what makes for banking freedom in 2025 -- while also looking at those last pockets of dependence in the finserv landscape and celebrating achievements worthy of lighting a sparkler.

Our guests:

David Eads, CEO of Vine Financia

Shanthi Shanmugam, CEO of Casap

Edward Vincent, CEO of SRA Watchtower

As part of our ongoing series on the biggest tech breakthrough in history, Bankadelic's "AI 5" experts tackle the subject of banks and data. The truth is, banks aren't doing nearly enough with customer data--and while the numbers often seem abstract to consumers, the freedom to move their money more freely isn't. From agentic AI to the question of banks getting their high-tech act together, our distinguished panel assesses the present and looks ahead to a future in data that promises to be like no other.

Our guests:

Emiliano Giacchetti, CEO, Parascript

Mitch Rutledge, CEO, Vertice AI

Mac Thompson, CEO, White Clay

Jon Tvrdik, CEO, WaveCX

Matthew Wood, Sr. Director of Banking, Tavant

As artificial intelligence ascends to heights never before seen in banking, Bankadelic brings back a panel of experts to discuss the fine points and the future: "The AI 5." On this episode, our five fintech experts give us a glimpse into the perils and promise of cybersecurity. It's a time when hackers brandish more powerful tools than ever--but banks and consumers can fight back, even to the point of using an app that sounds like a confused granny who endlessly ties up the bad guys on the phone.

Our guests:

Emiliano Giacchetti, CEO, Parascript

Mitch Rutledge, CEO, Vertice AI

Mac Thompson, CEO, White Clay

Jon Tvrdik, CEO, WaveCX

Matthew Wood, Sr. Director of Banking, Tavant

It's all too common to find stale slogans like "Your hometown bank" among financial institutions that compete on the same tired turf for better rates and the like. But as Martha Bartlett Piland explains, banks really need to determine what they stand for before they can stand out. She's the author of a brand new book, "Don't Just Brand There, Do Something," and on this episode she discusses how businesses with purpose can brand themselves around it, and win over customers, prospective employees and community members alike.

Bankadelic is the only financial services podcast that features multiple music tracks written and performed by its host. Here Lou Carlozo introduces the theme for the new “AI 5” series of Bankadelic roundtable shows. “Highland Main Line: Edinburgh to Inverness” is a co-write between host Lou Carlozo and Kathryn Swezy, who plays tin whistle on this recording. Special thanks to Jim Quinn (percussion) and Mark Swezy (didgeridoo). Guitars, bass, keyboards, additional percussion, engineering and mixing by Lou; mastering by Mike Hagler.

With the tariff news out of Washington changing almost daily, even a brief reprieve isn’t of much comfort. Whether you’re a banker, a borrower or a consumer looking to buy a big-screen TV with your credit card, stability and peace of mind have given way to uncertainty and anxiety. In this special episode of Bankadelic, host Lou Carlozo chats with Will Tumulty of Rapid Finance and Dr. Daniel Ahn of Delfi to get their read on how tariffs could impact the financial services industry — including the small businesses that depend on it — in the months ahead.

What bank doesn't think it's great? The real question, though, is this: How many banks actually are great--or are they simply mediocre? In the second of two episodes, Joe Sullivan of Market Insights and Steve Ramirez of Beyond the Arc cover a wide range of topics from how financial institutions can attract young employment prospects to the realities of neobank competitors doing a better job of serving customer needs.

Though the economy is going through a rough patch the climate still looks good for mergers and acquisitions, as financial institutions seek to build on competitive advantage, broaden customer base and embrace a future guided by AI. On this episode, the first of two parts, Steven Ramirez of Beyond the Arc (left) and Joe Sullivan of Market Insights (right) and break down the ins and outs of the M&A climate and delineate what drives success in this marketplace niche.