Finovate Podcast

Host Greg Palmer sits down with Ohad Kotler, CEO and co-founder of Tweezr, fresh off the company's third Best of Show win—a remarkable hat trick spanning FinovateEurope 2025, FinovateEurope 2026, and now FinovateFall 2026 in New York. Ohad shares the origin story behind Tweezr, rooted in his own frustrating experience as a head of product at a large European bank, where a seemingly simple feature request for joint accounts turned into a year-long ordeal because only one engineer truly understood the legacy codebase. That pain point inspired him to build Tweezr: a platform that creates a "digital twin" of legacy systems using deterministic, formal code analysis to build a knowledge layer, giving developers, product managers, and AI agents expert-level, traceable answers about how their core systems actually work.

The conversation dives into how Tweezr's platform has evolved over the past 18 months, growing from a code-based knowledge layer into a tool capable of driving end-to-end software development lifecycle transformation—even enabling changes to be deployed directly onto mainframe and core systems. Ohad also reflects on the timing and challenges of expanding into the U.S. market, candidly noting the personal sacrifice of traveling with a four-month-old baby at home, balanced against the clear business opportunity of tapping into American financial institutions. He offers a revealing comparison between European and U.S. banking relationships with technology, observing that many U.S. regional and community banks have outsourced their technology stack to core providers like FIS, Fiserv, and Jack Henry, creating a sense of detachment and "lock-in" that differs sharply from the tightly coupled technology ownership common among European banks.

The episode closes on a forward-looking note, with Ohad challenging the common assumption that banks must wait for a full system migration before modernizing. Instead, he argues that institutions can achieve the "future of banking" today by gaining control and understanding of their existing systems, without the years-long disruption of a migration. Looking ahead, Ohad predicts a future where programming languages and underlying infrastructure—whether mainframe or distributed—become far less of a constraint, as natural language increasingly becomes the primary interface for understanding and evolving code.

More info:

Tweezr: https://www.tweezr.io ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/tweezr/

Ohad Kotler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ohad-kotler/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/



#Finovate #FinovateFall #Tweezr #fintech #financialinstitutions #banking #communitybanking #creditunion #cufintech #backoffice #infrastructure #legacyfintech #modernization #technology #businessbanking #fintechstrategy #data #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #finserv

The Finovate Podcast returns with host Greg Palmer continuing his series of conversations with the FinovateFall 2026 Best of Show winners. In this episode, Cara Oppenheimer and Cary Telander Fortin, co-founders of Goodbuy, share the unconventional origin story behind their company. The two met in Boise in 2017 while touring a daycare, discovered they were both pregnant with their first children, and went on to become close friends and business partners whose kids now attend the same school. Goodbuy began nearly five years ago as a B Corp marketplace for local businesses, born out of Cara's personal experience watching her parents' small business struggle against Amazon and ultimately close during COVID. The idea for the company and its name reportedly came to Cara in the middle of the night, and within a month and a half the pair had raised their first funding round and left their jobs to build Goodbuy full time.

Goodbuy has since evolved into an FI-branded community commerce platform that connects a bank or credit union's member base directly to small businesses in their community, creating a new marketing and growth channel for those businesses while offering members incentives and education. The founders explained that after running their direct-to-consumer marketplace and onboarding 1,500 businesses in just 10 months, they recognized that community financial institutions already had deep, trusted relationships with both small businesses and everyday customers, which led to a strategic pivot into a QSO model around 2025 and 2026. The platform is designed to grow small business deposits, deepen account relationships, and increase interchange income and engagement across a bank's entire customer base. A pilot with MSU illustrated the impact: among 300 businesses onboarded in one region over three months, 56 percent opened new products or grew deposits. The founders also highlighted a compelling insight from their Finovate conversations: since roughly half of Americans work for or own a small business, individual members and small business owners often overlap, meaning that strengthening engagement with one group can unlock value with the other.

Looking ahead, Cara and Cary outlined plans to use their growing base of first-party and third-party data, combined with artificial intelligence, to help banks and credit unions move beyond simply having data on small business prospects toward actively informing go-to-market and relationship-building strategies. In terms of growth, Goodbuy has expanded from a single proof-of-concept partner a year ago to an expected 10 credit union partners by year's end, with more in the pipeline, and the founders expressed hope of tripling that partner base within the next year. Beyond commercial growth, the co-founders emphasized their identity as a B Corp focused on creating real impact for small businesses and the financial institutions that serve them, with a long-term vision of fostering a more equitable, interconnected commerce ecosystem where small businesses across different regions support and learn from one another.

More info:

Goodbuy: https://www.trygoodbuy.com ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/trygoodbuy/

Cary Fortin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caryfortin/

Cara Oppenheimer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-oppenheimer-149b4418/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/

#Finovate #FinovateFall #Goodbuy #fintech #financialinstitutions #AI #banking #communitybanking #creditunion #cufintech #smallbusiness #modernization #technology #businessbanking #fintechstrategy #data #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #finserv

In this episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg Palmer sits down with Mitch Rutledge (CEO) and Tyler Brantley (Head of Sales and Partnerships) from Vertice AI to discuss their second consecutive Best of Show win at FinovateFall.

The conversation explores how Vertice has evolved from their 2025 debut to their 2026 presentation, showcasing their new solution, Vertice Optimize. This innovative platform empowers community financial institutions and credit unions to leverage their account holder data through AI-driven growth and personalization strategies, bringing Amazon and Netflix-level intelligence to smaller financial institutions competing against mega banks.

The discussion delves into the key learnings Vertice gained over the past year, particularly the growing appetite among financial institutions to embrace AI in tangible, actionable ways. Mitch and Tyler explain how they transformed market feedback into Vertice Optimize, a solution that bridges the gap between strategic goals and execution. The platform uses constraint-based optimization to help institutions—from $200 million credit unions to $5 billion community banks—turn their growth objectives into personalized campaigns and actionable plans at scale. They emphasize how their approach democratizes access to data science capabilities, enabling even one-person marketing teams to achieve meaningful outcomes without getting lost in technical complexity.

The conversation also provides valuable insights into the preparation required for a successful Finovate demo, with both guests sharing their rigorous practice routine of daily hour-long sessions for weeks leading up to the event. They stress the importance of seeking outside feedback, being open to iteration, and finding the balance between showcasing technology and maintaining clarity for the audience. The episode concludes with their wishes for the industry's future, including eliminating the resurgence of cumbersome RFP processes and providing board members and senior leadership with foundational AI education to overcome fear and uncertainty, enabling faster innovation adoption across community financial institutions.

More info:

Vertice AI: https://verticeanalytics.ai ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticeai/

Mitch Rutledge: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchrutledge/

Tyler Brantley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerbrantley/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/

#Finovate #FinovateFall #VerticeAI #fintech #financialinstitutions #AI #banking #communitybanking #creditunion #cufintech #aiimplementation #modernization #technology #strategy #fintechstrategy #data #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #finserv

In this episode of the Finovate Podcast, host Greg Palmer sits down with Greg DeVore, CEO of ScreenSteps, a FinovateFall 2026 Best of Show winner. DeVore shares his unconventional journey from the Berklee College of Music and film industry to founding ScreenSteps—a company that began as a means to secure health insurance for his son with cerebral palsy. What started as a simple $20 desktop utility for creating training materials for 3D/4D ultrasound systems has evolved into a sophisticated AI-powered procedure platform serving over 80 financial institutions. The company's evolution was driven by observing real-world friction points, from sticky notes covering complex medical equipment to contact centers struggling with intricate procedures.

DeVore explains ScreenSteps' distinctive approach to AI implementation in financial services, positioning it differently than most competitors. Rather than using AI to interpret procedures for employees in real-time through chatbots—which can distract from customer interactions—ScreenSteps leverages AI to extract knowledge from subject matter experts and create human-approved, followable procedures. This "GPS-like" or "sheet music" approach allows customer-facing employees to focus on members while receiving clear guidance, addressing the perfect storm of challenges financial institutions face: hundreds of complex, constantly changing procedures performed by often inexperienced staff. The platform has helped organizations reduce teller onboarding time from 6-12 months to less than two weeks by shifting from requiring employees to memorize everything to teaching foundational knowledge while providing just-in-time procedural guidance.

The conversation highlights the transformative cultural and operational benefits ScreenSteps delivers to financial institutions. Organizations transition from "tribal knowledge" environments—characterized by knowledge bottlenecks, variability, and employees feeling overwhelmed—to empowered workplaces where staff become confident critical thinkers who understand the business deeply. This transformation frees up 25-50% of subject matter experts' and trainers' time, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives rather than constantly answering questions. The increased agility is remarkable: one organization went from implementing changes every six months to rolling out improvements continuously, while maintaining consistent, high-quality customer experiences and dramatically improving employee satisfaction and capability.

More info:

ScreenSteps: https://www.screensteps.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/screensteps/

Greg DeVore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregdevore/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/



#Finovate #FinovateFall #ScreenSteps #fintech #financialinstitutions #AI #banking #implementation #aiimplementation #modernization #technology #strategy #fintechstrategy #proceduralAI #data #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #finserv #knowledge

In this episode, Greg Palmer sits down with Melissa Solis, CEO of Inbenta, a global AI orchestration platform that enables financial institutions to deploy trusted, self-service AI solutions in days rather than months. Melissa brings her extensive experience from the fraud and risk industry to discuss the evolving landscape of AI adoption in financial services. The conversation explores how the industry has shifted from exploring what's possible with AI to demanding what's actually real and effective, as many organizations have experienced failed deployments and unmet vendor promises over the past year.

The discussion delves into the critical difference between being sold AI versus actively buying it, emphasizing the importance of asking hard questions and conducting thorough due diligence before implementation. Melissa shares insights from Inbenta's partnership with Scious, whose founder Josh Sens spent two years searching for an enterprise AI solution that could meet their requirements for governance, transparency, and conversational voice capabilities. This real-world example illustrates the challenges organizations face when vendors overpromise on capabilities like agentic AI without delivering practical, governed solutions that can prove the source of every answer—a requirement that regulators are increasingly enforcing.

Throughout the episode, Melissa emphasizes the shared responsibility between vendors and buyers in successful AI deployment. While vendors must be transparent about their technology's capabilities and limitations, financial institution leaders cannot outsource their judgment to vendors alone. She stresses the importance of defining clear success metrics, understanding business requirements, conducting real-world pilots beyond controlled POCs, and maintaining governance standards that ensure AI solutions resolve issues rather than simply deflecting them. Looking ahead to 2027, Melissa expresses hope that the industry will move beyond validation conversations to celebrating genuine success stories where the right combination of AI technology and human expertise delivers exceptional customer service.More info:

Inbenta: https://www.inbenta.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/inbenta/

Melissa Solis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-solis-3532302a/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/



#Finovate #FinovateFall #fintech #financialinstitutions #AI #banking #implementation #aiimplementation #modernization #technology #strategy #fintechstrategy #personalization #data #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #finserv

In this episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg sits down with Luca Terragni, Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder of Prestatech, a finalist in the Risk Management category for the 2026 Finovate Awards. Luca shares his fascinating journey from traditional investment management in New York and London to launching PrestaCap, an alternative lending platform in Europe in 2016. What started as a direct lending business using their own balance sheet evolved into a powerful technology solution when Luca and his team discovered that traditional financial data points weren't sufficient for accurately assessing SMB creditworthiness. Their breakthrough came from analyzing real-time bank account transaction data, which provided a much clearer picture of a business's current financial health compared to backward-looking financial statements and credit bureau reports.

The conversation delves into how Prestatech transformed from being a lender competing with banks to becoming their technology partner. After successfully exiting PrestaCap to a private equity fund in 2020, Luca and his co-founder realized their bank account data analytics technology could serve a much larger purpose. Rather than lending to a few hundred businesses annually with their own capital, they could empower banks to make better lending decisions for millions of businesses. The technology focuses on monitoring loan book health by processing SMB bank account transactions on a regular basis, identifying distress signals much earlier than they would appear in traditional credit bureau reports—a capability that's particularly valuable for regional and community banks sitting on vast, underutilized bank account data lakes.

Now expanding into the U.S. market, Prestatech is bringing its battle-tested European technology to address the acute challenges American financial institutions face in the current tightening credit cycle. Luca explains that their cash flow analytics layer helps banks identify creditworthy businesses that might otherwise be filtered out by traditional underwriting methods, especially newer or "thinner-filed" companies that lack extensive credit histories but demonstrate strong real-time financial performance. With their technology already regulated and audited by the European Central Bank, Prestatech is positioning itself as a trusted partner for U.S. banks looking to enhance their risk management capabilities through smarter use of bank account transaction data.

More info:

Prestatech: https://www.prestatech.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/goprestatech/

Luca Terragni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terragni/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

Finovate Awards: https://informaconnect.com/finovate-industry-awards/



#Finovate #FinovateAwards #fintech #financialinstitutions #finalist #smb #risk #riskmanagement #modernization #technology #strategy #fintechstrategy #personalization #data #transactiondata #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv

In this episode, host Greg sits down with Oban MacTavish, CEO and co-founder of Spade, an intelligence company transforming how financial institutions leverage their payments data. Oban explains how transaction data represents the highest throughput information banks have about their customers, yet remains largely untapped due to poor data quality and outdated payment infrastructure dating back to the 1960s. He discusses how Spade addresses this challenge by creating a comprehensive merchant graph covering 99.9% of businesses across the United States and Canada, enabling banks to understand exactly where their customers spend money in under 40 milliseconds.

The conversation explores the delicate balance between personalization and privacy in banking. Oban argues that personalization doesn't have to feel creepy when done right—citing examples like banks no longer requiring travel notifications and suggesting that offering relevant products based on customer behavior can actually enhance trust rather than diminish it. He emphasizes that banks are uniquely positioned to leverage customer data effectively, as consumers already expect their financial institutions to understand their spending patterns and needs. The key is meeting customers where they are with relevant products at the right time, rather than making irrelevant offers that erode trust.

Looking ahead, Oban shares his vision for the future of banking, predicting that financial services will increasingly run on verticalized AI models specifically designed for the industry's unique data challenges. He pushes back against the hype around AI agents replacing human customer service, arguing that the real opportunity lies in using AI to enhance customer experiences and drive revenue through better underwriting and personalization. Despite predictions of disruption, Oban maintains that traditional banks aren't going anywhere—instead, the winners will be those institutions that successfully compete on user experience and leverage their data assets to provide truly personalized service.

More info:

Spade: https://spade.com/ ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/spadedata/

Oban MacTavish: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oban/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/

#Finovate #FinovateFall #fintech #financialinstitutions #creditunions #AI #modernization #technology #strategy #fintechstrategy #personalization #data #transactiondata #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #cx #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv

In this engaging episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg sits down with Derek Corcoran, VP of Strategy at Accutive and author of "Designing for Need: The New Rules of Customer Experience in Banking." Derek shares his remarkable journey from software developer to fintech evangelist, reflecting on his tenure at Avoca, where he helped build the company from employee number eight or nine to its eventual acquisition by Temenos in 2018.

He credits four key factors for Avoca's success: an incredible team, unwavering support from his wife during their relocation from Australia to Colorado, early clients who took a chance on the startup, and the transformative impact of Finovate itself, which helped them refine their messaging and presentation skills that translated into every subsequent sales meeting.

Derek offers invaluable advice for this year's FinovateFall demoers, emphasizing the importance of getting into the software quickly, avoiding buzzwords, and engaging the audience first before educating them. He advocates for a two-person demo approach with one person narrating and another driving the demonstration, and stresses the need to put the audience in the driver's seat through day-in-the-life scenarios.

His book introduces a unique perspective on customer experience, arguing that it should be treated as two distinct disciplines: experiences for things people want to do (like vacations and fine dining) versus things they need to do (like banking and paying taxes). For need-based experiences, Derek contends that customers prioritize speed and efficiency over delight, wanting to complete necessary tasks quickly to free up time for more enjoyable activities.

Looking at the current state of fintech, Derek expresses both surprise and optimism about several trends. He's amazed that checks are still in use in the United States and sees tremendous potential in AI, particularly in accelerating product development, though he remains cautiously skeptical about certain applications like agentic banking for investment decisions. Most encouragingly, he's witnessing a resurgence among community banks and credit unions, which are increasingly investing in technology to compete with digital-first challengers like Chime. While acknowledging that the US has a disproportionate number of financial institutions (9,500 out of 44,000 worldwide), Derek emphasizes the critical importance of maintaining community-based institutions that support local businesses and communities, provided they can achieve a better balance between branch and digital technology investments.

More info:

Derek Corcoran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekcorcoran/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/

#Finovate #FinovateFall #fintech #financialinstitutions #creditunions #AI #modernization #technology #strategy #fintechstrategy #CU #design #author #book #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv

In this episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg welcomes back listeners after a summer break and introduces Ning Duong, President and CEO of Financial Center First Credit Union in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ning shares her impressive 25-year journey in financial services, which began unexpectedly when she took a job at a mega bank to pay for nursing school tuition. What started as a temporary position evolved into a passionate career dedicated to helping people with their financial needs. Now leading Financial Center's 60,000 members, Ning brings her people-process-technology leadership philosophy to guide the credit union's strategic direction.

Six months into her tenure, Ning discusses her priorities and approach to technology implementation at Financial Center. She emphasizes the importance of enhancing member experience through strategic use of existing technology, particularly focusing on consumer and mortgage lending journeys. The credit union has made significant strides in improving loan turnaround times and communication processes, recognizing that members compare their banking experiences to world-class services like Amazon. Ning highlights the successful implementation of "Ella," an internal chatbot that leverages AI to help team members quickly access policies and procedures, ultimately enabling them to serve members more efficiently. However, she maintains a balanced perspective on AI adoption, advocating for human judgment in critical areas like recruiting, where she personally reviews applications for key positions like the CIO role.

The conversation concludes with valuable insights for fintech companies looking to partner with credit unions. Ning stresses the importance of understanding each credit union's unique strategy and member base before approaching executives with sales pitches. She emphasizes that credit unions need strategic partners, not just vendors, and warns against generic presentations that don't align with the institution's specific goals. Following a recent robust board planning session, Financial Center has established clear strategic pillars, identified their target member profile, and defined key performance indicators for the next three years, with technology recognized as an essential enabler rather than a standalone priority.

More info:

Financial Center First Credit Union: https://www.fcfcu.com/ ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/financial-center/

Ning Duong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ning-duong-cude-icude-cce-0a19449b/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/



#Finovate #FinovateFall #fintech #financialinstitutions #creditunions #AI #modernization #technology #strategy #fintechstrategy #CU #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv

In this episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg Palmer sits down with Finovate colleague Heather Stowell to discuss an exciting new initiative launching in New York this year. Heather, who has been instrumental in selecting and preparing demoing companies for the Finovate stage for over a decade, shares details about IMPACT Funders and Founders — a dedicated forum running alongside FinovateFall on September 11th.

This new program represents an evolution of successful investor-startup initiatives that Finovate has been testing over the past few years, now expanding into its own standalone event designed to connect early-stage fintech companies with investors including VCs, angels, and private equity firms.

The IMPACT forum will feature pre-arranged one-on-one meetings between startups and investors, carefully customized to align with investor portfolio focuses and startup funding needs. Beyond capital raising, the program emphasizes building long-term relationships and facilitating knowledge exchange, with investors sharing insights on pitch decks, scaling strategies, and hiring practices, while startups gain valuable feedback and industry connections.

The day will also include curated startup pitch sessions featuring eight hand-selected companies, dedicated content stages with speakers from both the investor and entrepreneur communities, and opportunities for participants to network, creating synergy between the Impact audience and traditional Finovate attendees.

Looking ahead, Heather envisions IMPACT filling a critical gap in the market as a fintech-specific investor-startup event, leveraging Finovate's extensive network of past demoing companies and interested investors. The program has already attracted participation from notable organizations including Experian Ventures, Fidelity Investments, and Summit Partners, with success stories ranging from brand-new startups to Finovate alumni returning to raise their next funding rounds.

Future plans include expanding mentorship opportunities, enhancing one-on-one experiences, and continuing to serve as a vital resource for the fintech startup ecosystem — all while maintaining the personal relationship-building that has become a hallmark of successful venture capital partnerships.

More info:

IMPACT Funders and Founders: https://informaconnect.com/impact-funders-founders-forum/

Heather Stowell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherstowell/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/



#Finovate #FinovateFall #IMPACT #Banking #banks #creditunions #VC #founders #startup #investment #innovation #startup #capital #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization