Fintech Combine

In this episode of the Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovacs sits down with Mitch Rutledg, co-founder and CEO of Vertice AI, to explore how community financial institutions can finally unlock the power of their data without massive teams or endless projects. Mitch shares his journey from leading advanced analytics at global giant SAS to building Vertice AI specifically for credit unions and community banks, and explains how smarter use of first-party data, AI-driven targeting, and intelligent agents can transform member engagement, lending and deposit growth, and indirect conversions. If you’ve ever felt “too small” to be truly data-driven, this conversation will change your mind.

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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones

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In this episode of The Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovac sits down with Omar Jordan, founder & CEO of Coviance, to unpack how credit unions can deliver a true fintech experience in home equity and HELOC lending. Omar shares the origin story (from fax-era frustrations to 72-hour clear-to-close), why broken process and policy—not the LOS—slow lenders down, and what’s changed at Coviance over the last 18 months, from scaling the team to helping 450+ institutions modernize member lending.

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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones

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In this episode of The Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovac sits down with Jonty Hirsowitz, founder and CEO of Deferit, to explore how his latest innovation — Pebble — is helping consumers build credit simply by paying their everyday bills on time. Jonty shares his journey from corporate law to fintech entrepreneurship, the problem Pebble solves for thin-file consumers, and how credit unions can use embedded credit tools to engage younger members and drive financial inclusion.

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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones

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Want to Start a Podcast? Hear This First.Before you hit record, listen in on what works, what doesn’t, and what every fintech leader needs to know about launching a show.

In this episode of the Fintech Combine, Kris Kovac talks with Cale Johnson, founder of Onsetto and former ClickSwitch CEO. Cale shares hard-won lessons from building and selling his first fintech, why business account switching is the industry’s hidden bottleneck, and how Onsetto is helping banks and credit unions finally achieve true commercial primacy.

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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones

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In this episode of the Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovacs sits down with Karan Bhalla, founder of AIVantage, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping credit unions and community banks. From hyperpersonalization to fail-fast innovation, Karan shares lessons from his 25-year career in banking and fintech, and offers practical insights into how small and mid-size institutions can embrace AI to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones

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In this episode of The Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovacs sits down with Marcell King, CEO of Nuuvia, to explore how youth banking solutions are helping credit unions stay relevant in a rapidly changing market. From financial education for kids to competing with fintech giants like Greenlight, Marcell shares insights on how Nuuvia is transforming the way credit unions engage the next generation of members.

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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones

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In this conversation, Mark Price, CTO of Akuvo, shares insights into the innovative solutions his company is developing in the FinTech space, particularly focusing on their cloud-based collections platform and the introduction of AI technologies. He discusses his journey from a coder to a management role, the impact of their Virtual Collector product, and the importance of building a culture of innovation within the organization. Mark also emphasizes the significance of effective communication and understanding audience needs when presenting ideas and solutions.

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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones

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In this episode of The Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovac sits down with Steve Soukup, CEO of DefenseStorm, to discuss how the company protects credit unions and community banks from evolving cyber threats. They explore risk management, fraud prevention, AI‑powered threat detection, and why trust is the foundation of effective cybersecurity in the financial sector.

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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones

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In this episode of The Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovac sits down with Jon Sternstein, founder and CEO of Stern Security, to explore his journey from credit union security engineer to cybersecurity entrepreneur. Jon shares how he built a bootstrapped SaaS platform protecting credit unions and hospital systems, the evolving threat landscape, and why securing the planet starts with smarter, scalable tools.

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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones

Follow Anson Beckler-Jones

Instagram - @ansonandco

Youtube - @ansonandco