Provoke.fm Media

Finovate Awards Winner InvestiFi on the changing investment landscape, consumer education, and bringing investment assets back to banks and CUs.

Detailed Summary:

In this episode of the Finovate Podcast, host Greg Palmer interviews Kian Sarrestheh, co-founder and CEO of InvestiFi the 2025 Finovate Awards winner in the Best Alternative Investment Solution category. InvestiFi provides a digital investment platform specifically designed for banks and credit unions, allowing their customers to invest in stocks, ETFs, crypto, and roboadvisory portfolios directly from their checking or savings accounts without transferring money to third-party platforms. This innovative approach keeps deposits on the financial institution’s balance sheet while providing a seamless user experience that eliminates the friction of moving money between accounts.

The conversation explores how consumer investment behavior is rapidly shifting toward third-party apps like Robinhood, Coinbase, and SoFi, with financial institutions losing between 5-10% of their deposits to these platforms. Kian explains that these fintech companies are expanding beyond investing into traditional banking services, including mortgages, checking accounts, and savings products, creating a significant competitive threat to community banks and credit unions. InvestiFi addresses this challenge by enabling financial institutions to offer comparable digital investment experiences while maintaining the customer relationship and deposit base within their own ecosystem.

Looking toward the future, Sarrestheh predicts that banks and credit unions will ultimately prevail over third-party investment apps due to their physical presence, established community trust, and ability to provide in-person customer service when issues arise. He believes that financial institutions offering similar digital investment capabilities through platforms like InvestiFi will leverage their 150-year track record of resilience and local relationships to win back customers who have migrated to fintech alternatives. The discussion emphasizes the importance of consumer education and the value of maintaining that crucial primary financial institution relationship in an increasingly digital investment landscape.

More info:

Tenerity PrivacyGuard: https://investifi.co/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/investifi-cuso/

Kian Sarreshteh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/technologykian/

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

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

#Finovate #InvestiFi #FinovateAwards #investing #wealthmanagement #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #creditunions #banks #cryptocurrency #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization #innovation #startup #banking

Markets are whipsawing, rate paths are murky, and headlines keep revising “the facts”, but no matter where we are in the economic cycle, the future presses on regardless. Our resident futurist Brett King and our resident “recovering banker” JP Nicols debate what that means for incumbent financial institutions and insurgent fintechs.

We unpack how AI is shifting from pilots to profit (and where it’s still hype), why deposit mobility and funding stability will be the quiet kingmakers of 2026, and how the inevitable continued rise of agentic AI and its insatiable need for energy collide with real world Monday morning priorities.

If you’re ready to retire the 2006 playbook and win in 2026, you’ll want to give this one a listen.

The real threat of AI-enabled fraud might not be what you think – hear from an expert on what you need to be focusing on right now.

Detailed Summary:

In this episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg Palmer interviews Christopher D’Aprile, Director of Business Development at PrivacyGuard, following his keynote presentation at FinovateFall. D’Aprile brings over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, having worked at major institutions including MBNA Bank, NASCAR, Allstate, and Kobe Marketing before joining PrivacyGuard. The conversation centers on the growing threat of identity theft and how financial institutions can better protect their customers in an increasingly digital landscape.

The discussion reveals alarming trends in identity theft rates, which typically hover around 9-10% but spiked to 12-13% during the pandemic due to increased digital banking adoption and government money transfers. Chris explains that while deepfakes capture public attention, the real AI-driven threat lies in fraudsters becoming more efficient at targeting victims through sophisticated data analysis and demographic profiling. Rather than focusing on complex deepfake technology, criminals are using AI to identify vulnerable populations and optimize their scam operations, treating fraud as a business with the same analytical approaches legitimate companies use for marketing.

The conversation goes on to highlight critical gaps in how financial institutions approach identity theft protection. While many banks provide educational resources on their websites, D’Aprile emphasizes that identity theft restoration is too complex for a DIY approach and requires professional assistance. He advocates for banks to partner with specialized third-party providers like PrivacyGuard to offer comprehensive, white-labeled solutions that can generate revenue while providing customers protection at reduced costs. Looking forward, Chris discusses emerging features including scam protection, data scrubbing services, reimbursement for stolen funds, and offensive capabilities that allow consumers to report fraudulent websites for takedown, giving victims the ability to “punch back” against criminals.

More info:

Tenerity PrivacyGuard: https://www.tenerity.com/privacyguard/ ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/tenerity/

Christopher D’Aprile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-d-aprile-0928aa3/

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

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

#Finovate #PrivacyGuard #FinovateFall #security #AI #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #antifraud #banks #financialsecurity #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization #innovation #startup #banking

This week Brett is joined by guest host Kevin J. Anderson as the futurists have a conversation with science fiction documentary filmmaker Jeffrey Morris on his new documentary reviewing world of Space 1999. We also discuss coming Mars and Moon plans.

In this episode, Paolo Sironi interviews April Rudin and Nick Rice to explore their new book Wealth Management with a Difference, an essential guide for advisors and firms navigating an era of unprecedented wealth transfer, where millennials, Gen Z, and women are poised to inherit trillions while technology revolutionizes financial services. From understanding demographic trends, like serving tech-savvy younger clients and empowered women, to mastering retirement planning, wealthtech tools, and digital marketing, April and Nick explore how to build deeper connections between wealth managers and clients and how to drive business efficiency. Whether you’re an advisor seeking to elevate client engagement or a firm leader aiming for sustainable growth, this conversation provides actionable frameworks to thrive amid disruption.

LINKEDIN
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilrudin/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-rice-028b1948/

INSTAGRAM
@aprilrudin
@brunswickgroup

TWITTER
@TheRudinGroup
@BrunswickGroup

This episode of Breaking Banks features host Jason Henrichs sharing thoughts and key take-aways fresh from Money 20/20 USA.

Stablecoins, Agentic AI and especially Agentic Commerce dominated many conversations at this year’s Money 20/20 event. Cross Border Payments another big topic not to mention AI, how it’s changing the game and being used by financial institutions.

Jason had the opportunity to speak with Harriet Rees, CIO of Starling Bank (UK), who discussed the exciting announcement made at Money 20/20 regarding Starling Bank’s collaboration with Google on fraud detection. Through this AI-powered partnership, Starling Bank can now help customers identify warning signs of purchase scams. Their new tool, Scam Intelligence, allows customers to upload images of items and ads from online marketplaces. It then analyzes them for signs of fraud and provides personalized guidance within seconds. This tool, built with Google Gemini in collaboration with Google Cloud, is available today for personal, joint, and business account customers. This UK-first initiative by Starling and Google has the potential to save billions of pounds annually.

Listen now, and enjoy the episode!

This episode of the Finovate Podcast features an interview with John Findlay, CEO of Lemonade LXP, one of the Best of Show winners from FinovateFall. The conversation explores how Lemonade has transformed from its original 2018 concept into a comprehensive all-in-one learning and knowledge platform specifically designed for financial institutions. Findlay discusses the critical gap in traditional learning management systems, which typically focus on compliance training rather than equipping frontline staff with the skills needed to drive business growth, promote digital products, and provide effective customer service.

The discussion delves into Lemonade’s unique approach to training, which emphasizes interactive micro-learning experiences that fit within the flow of work rather than lengthy, traditional training sessions. Findlay explains how their AI-powered platform allows institutions to drag and drop documents to automatically create training content, while also providing a chatbot for real-time support. A key aspect of their success has been their customer-driven development approach, where they democratize their roadmap by allowing customers to vote on features and development priorities, ensuring the platform evolves based on actual industry needs.

Throughout the interview, Findlay shares impressive results and metrics from their implementations, including significant reductions in staff onboarding time, decreased attrition rates, and improved digital product adoption. The conversation also covers the various use cases that have emerged organically as customers have adapted the platform for different needs, from new staff onboarding and compliance training to universal banker programs and contact center operations. The episode concludes with insights into what types of financial institutions are best suited for Lemonade’s platform, ranging from smaller institutions looking to replace basic compliance systems to larger organizations implementing specific business-focused training initiatives.

More info:

Lemonade LXP: https://www.lemonadelxp.com/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/lemonadelxp/

FinovateFall Demo: https://finovate.com/videos/finovatefall-2025-lemonadelxp/

John Findlay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-findlay-a03545/

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

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

#Finovate #LemonadeLXP #FinovateFall #BestofShow #training #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #AI #banks #financialtraining #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization #innovation #startup #banking #creditunions #communitybanks

In this episode of Breaking Banks Africa, Executive Producer Matteo Rizzi sits down with Sandra Yao, Group Head: Cross Border Remittance, Payments & BaaS (Fintech) at Ecobank. With 20 years of experience driving fintech and payment innovation across Africa, Sandra brings a unique “builder’s mindset” into one of the continent’s largest financial institutions, operating in 39 markets. From pioneering mobile money to tackling fragmented infrastructure and regulatory environments, Sandra shares how interoperability, accessibility, and digital transformation are reshaping the future of payments in emerging economies. She also reveals how Ecobank is empowering young African talent, forming major tech partnerships (including Google), and creating API-first solutions to help fintech founders scale across borders. A must-watch for anyone passionate about Africa’s digital growth story, inclusive innovation, and the people turning vision into execution—from Nairobi to the world.

As Breaking Banks Europe approaches its 6th anniversary, we’re celebrating with a special throwback! Host Matteo Rizzi welcomes back Serena Torielli, CEO and founder of WealthHype, who first joined us in Episode 3 – at the very start of our journey: https://provoke.fm/episode-3-insurtech/

In this new conversation, Matteo and Serena dive into Revolut’s explosive growth in Italy, the future of private banking, and how AI, Bitcoin, and gold are reshaping investing. They also explore regulation, stablecoins, and global market shifts, with Serena sharing her optimistic view on innovation in AI, energy, and biotech as drivers of the next financial revolution.

Connect with our guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serenatorielli/

Inside The Futurists X Summit: Preparing For An AI Powered Future

This week Breaking Banks comes to you from The Futurists X Summit in Dubai, the world’s largest gathering of top-ranked futurists. This summit brings together leaders, innovators and policymakers from around the globe for meaningful dialogue on the future of technology, business and society.

Tune in as Breaking Banks and The Futurists host Brett King speaks with Mastercard’s J.K. Khalil, EVP and Division President of East Arabia, and Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Mastercard.

JK and Brett kick off the discussion with JK highlighting Mastercard’s partnership with the Ministry of AI in Dubai and their AI Center of Excellence in the UAE. Mastercard is always talking about the fast and accelerating pace of change and its impact on consumers’ lives. The AI Center of Excellence aims to demonstrate that AI is more than just a buzzword, helping people see the bigger picture and understand the broader implications — how this access to information and AI translates to daily life. The discussion also touches on exploring possible futures and enhancing the human experience.

Then, Raja joins Brett to share his perspective on an AI-powered future. As AI improves quality of life, helping to alter the work-life balance — working less, experiencing more — what does the world look like? With AI, chores can be delegated to the machine, you can let go of certain things and have more time for other things. Time to pursue your passions – a long-standing focus for Mastercard is helping elevate lives through experiences.

As technology levels the playing field—and everyone feeds similar briefs into the same AI tools—outputs will start to look alike. That’s exactly why this moment could become a new golden age of marketing: a chance to break through the sameness with real creativity, smart risk-taking and unconventional ideas. With advanced tools and the right mix of strategy and imagination, the possibilities are endless. And when you serve consumers with heart while driving revenue, that’s marketing at its best.

It’s an engaging and thought-provoking episode from leaders in the field….priceless!

Interested in hearing more about The Futurists X Summit? Follow our sister podcast, The Futurists.