Bankadelic: The colorful side of finance

While the challenges of creating management and training programs for bank staff have meant long lead times -- often marked by frustrating roadblocks -- AI has changed the game in one noteworthy instance. John Findlay, CEO and Co-Founder of LemonadeLXP, shares how he developed InsightAI as a tool to revolutionize knowledge management and training for banks, credit unions, and other financial services. John also dives into the dilemmas financial institutions face as they try to solve myriad puzzles that come with AI implementation.

It's common sense that financial institutions that look out for their customers -- especially when it comes to improving their financial health -- would come on top where loyalty is concerned. But with a heavy bottom line focus and a "so what" attitude, many miss the mark by a mile. Rochelle Nawrocki Gorey, Co-Founder & CEO SpringFour, guides us through how her company is trying to close the gap and shares findings from the SpringFour Q4 2024 Impact Report.

Agentic AI. Quantum computing. New terms and tech are redefining the banking sector’s use of artificial intelligence in 2025. Yet financial institutions can still get sucked into chasing a tricked-out gadget as opposed to a smart business solution. The bottom line is that applied right, AI promises a future where banks anticipate and fill customer needs like never before. In the second of two parts, Bankadelic explores the promising, sometimes confusing and always exciting road ahead for AI in banking.

Our guests:

Emiliano Giacchetti, CEO, Parascript

Mitch Rutledge, CEO, Vertice AI

Mac Thompson, CEO, White Clay

Jon Tvrdik, CEO, WaveCX

Matthew Wood, Sr. Director, Fintech, U.S. East, Tavant

Having already shaken up financial services — and the world at large — artificial intelligence will ascend to heights in 2025 never before seen in the history of banking . But will the view look like from up there? And how will it affect the way customers transact business, and financial institutions move into a future that would’ve seemed stranger than science fiction just a generation ago? In the first of two parts, Bankadelic convenes a panel of five industry leaders in financial technology who deal with AI day in and day out. Join them as they give us a glimpse into the future that’s already on the way.

Our guests:

Emiliano Giacchetti, CEO, Parascript

Mitch Rutledge, CEO, Vertice AI

Mac Thompson, CEO, White Clay

Jon Tvrdik, CEO, WaveCX

Matthew Wood, Sr. Director, Fintech, U.S. East, Tavant

Bankadelic is devoting two episodes to a crucial topic for 2025: where small businesses sit (and fit) in a challenging economic landscape. The U.S. Bank Small Business Perspective survey sheds light on the forces and concerns that matter — as reported by the business leaders themselves. In Port One we discuss the findings and what they reveal with Shruti Patel, U.S. Bank, Executive Vice President, Chief Product Officer for Business Banking.

It's true: Bankadelic host Lou Carlozo writes, edits, engineers and performs most (and often all) the instruments on his podcast themes. Inspired by a visit to London a few decades ago, "Impossibly Sunny Day" started brewing as Lou strolled Carnaby Street and tried to imagine the scene when every cool Bristish band and celeb hung out there. Carnaby is kinda touristy today, but this instrumental longingly looks back at Swingin' London through psychedlic glasses. Enjoy!

In Part Two of a special Bankadelic presentation, we delve further into the latest U.S. Bank Small Business Perspective survey. Shruti Patel, U.S. Bank, Executive Vice President, Chief Product Officer for Business Banking, shares survey finding the gauge what truly makes workers happy and how SMBs are facing a future full of optimism and significant growth tasks. In an age where opinions pose as facts, ther report offers a clear-eyed view of the SMB landscape.

Just when you think the bankers of the world couldn't be more in love -- with AI, that is -- along come four fintech experts to lay it all out for us in 2025. It promises to be the year of "agentic AI," among other things. And if that cute chatbot leaves roses on your desk, so much the better. Thanks to our special podcast guests:

Joseph Ahn, CSO and Co-Founder, Delfi

Amy Orosco, Director of Customer Success & Implementations, SWIVEL

Mitch Rutledge, CEO and Co-Founder, Vertice AI

Ed Vincent, CEO, SRA Watchtower

There’s a lot of attention being paid to how banks can simultaneously team up with fintechs and best serve SMBs and entrepreneurs on the product side. Trouble is, there hasn’t been a whole lot of action. Allan Rayson, Founder and CEO of Finov8r, talks us through the opportunities within “adaptive fintech ecosystems.” The idea is to create modular, flexible solutions that allow banks to remain agile in the face of regulatory and operational challenges — and embed banks into the product development before they sell.

While there’s so much stress these days placed on chips and artificial intelligence, all the digital firepower in the world isn’t going to create new products that people want. In this episode, Neil Stanley, Founder and CEO of The CorePoint, talks about how banks need to move beyond the rate sheets of old and start developing products for consumers living in an age of apps and e-commerce. He also touches on how banks, in responding to interest rate changes, can go beyond knee-jerk mentality and respond thoughtfully.