TechSolutions4CUs

When headlines broke that $6 billion in digital assets were stolen from Binance, the immediate instinct for many credit union executives was to hit the brakes on digital asset strategy. In this episode of TechSolutions4CUs, host John San Filippo sits down with Jon Ungerland, CIO of DaLand CUSO, to unpack why credit unions should actually be putting their foot on the gas.

Ungerland breaks down the crucial distinction between a failure of an unregulated, cloud-based exchange and the unbroken security of underlying distributed ledger networks like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDC. Together, they explore why keeping member digital wealth on third-party exchanges or hardware wallets hurts local communities, how Wall Street giants are quietly positioning themselves for the "crypto banking advent," and how credit unions can leverage their existing modern cores to custody digital assets safely alongside checking, savings, and loans.

Key Takeaways From This Episode:

• Exchange vs. Network: Why the Binance breach was a failure of centralized exchange infrastructure—not a flaw in the Bitcoin or Ethereum networks, which have experienced zero protocol breaches since inception.
• The Cost of Doing Nothing: How sitting in the "neutral camp" forces members to choose between vulnerable offshore exchanges and isolated USB sticks, draining capital and yield from the local community cooperative.
• Watch What Wall Street Does, Not What It Says: Why major banks and tech giants (including JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Fidelity, and Google) are rolling out institutional crypto custody and key storage right as retail trust in crypto exchanges erodes.
• Estate Planning & The PFI: How housing digital wealth directly on a credit union's core alongside traditional accounts solves massive probate, beneficiary, and security headaches for members and their heirs.
• The Philosophical Fit: Why decentralized, permissionless money networks naturally align with the 100-year-old member-owned credit union ethos—and how local trust gives credit unions an edge over megabanks.

Finopotamus is a proud media partner for the Finovate conference series. With FinovateFall in New York just around the corner, we invited the host of the show Greg Palmer into the studio to talk about what makes Finovate different and why credit union technologists should attend this important event, as well as to discuss the current state of financial technology.

This episode of TechSolutions4CUs opens with Finopotamus publisher John San Filippo talking with Palmer about the evolution and impact of the Finovate conference series. Palmer shares what sets Finovate apart from traditional mega-conferences—highlighting its fast-paced, 7-minute live-demo format where slides and pre-recorded videos are banned in favor of working technology.

The discussion explores:

• The Finovate Difference: Why the 7-minute live demo format creates a hyper-efficient environment for financial institution executives to evaluate new technology.
• Dedicated Credit Union Focus: Details on the Credit Union Spotlight session taking place on Tuesday, September 8th, designed specifically to bring credit union leaders and fintech innovators together in a collaborative, dedicated space.
• State of Fintech: Palmer's perspective on how venture capital trends post-2020 have produced more battle-tested, business-minded fintech startups focused on immediate value and clear paths to profitability.
• Keys to a Winning Demo: What separates "Best of Show" winners from the crowd, including clear messaging, ease of implementation, and starting a meaningful conversation rather than delivering a high-pressure sales pitch.
• AI and the Consumer Backlash: Palmer’s prediction on why credit unions must balance AI implementation with member-first service to avoid damaging customer satisfaction scores through frustrating automated interactions.

Listeners can save 20% on their registration for FinovateFall by using the promo code FINOPOTAMUS20.

What happens when credit union leaders get too comfortable? They miss the subtle, rapid shifts that are quiet core-disruptors.

In this episode of TechSolutions4CUs, host John San Filippo sits down with Jim Perry, Senior Strategist at Market Insights, for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about why complacency is the single greatest threat to the industry today. Jim brings 21 years of industry experience to the table to dismantle assumptions and look closely at the hard evidence driving modern consumer behavior.

John and Jim dive deep into the converging trends that credit union executives can no longer afford to put on the back burner.

What We Discuss:

• The Reality of Agentic AI: Why "human in the loop" is losing its meaning, and why credit unions must demand vendor accountability instead of just collecting buzzwords.
• The Stablecoin Wake-Up Call: Why a new 140-business payment platform—featuring major players but zero credit unions—means CUs need a real digital asset strategy right now.
• Cleaning Up the "Dirty Data Lake": How real-world transactional data can prevent massive relationship-building misses (including Jim's personal mortgage-payoff story).
• Reaching Gen Z Beyond Tech: Why trying to out-tech mega-banks is a losing game, and how credit unions can win by aligning with Gen Z's passion for community causes.
• A Bold Decade-End Prediction: Why we could see up to 500 fewer credit unions in the next four years if leaders refuse to step outside their comfortable boundaries.

Step out of the comfort zone and tune in for an episode packed with actionable strategy, sharp insights, and a much-needed reality check for credit union leadership.

In this episode of TechSolutions4CUs, host John San Filippo spoke with Clair Finkenbinder, the co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Veritium. The conversation focused on how managed service providers (MSPs) operate within the financial sector and how Veritium is disrupting the traditional MSP market through its co-managed cloud model. 

Redefining the MSP Model

Finkenbinder explained that traditional MSPs typically require a credit union to fully outsource a specific tech stack or function, which often leads to vendor lock-in and a loss of technology ownership. Veritium differentiates itself by ensuring that clients retain full ownership of their environments. Finkenbinder noted, "We're really trying to co-manage these environments with our customers and enable them, if they should want to develop the appropriate skill sets with the solutions we provide."  

For instance, under their cloud networking solution, Veritium helps clients directly acquire their own data circuits and hardware infrastructure rather than leasing them through the provider. This approach allows institutions the flexibility to swap out specific services or vendors without having to replace their entire technical setup. 

Zero Installation Fees and Outcome-Based Pricing

A primary element of Veritium’s business model is the complete elimination of upfront integration and installation fees. Instead of billing for hours spent on architecture and migration, the company charges a flat percentage based on the client's cloud spend. Finkenbinder stated, "We think you should pay for outcomes, not billable hours."  

This fee structure ties Veritium's revenue directly to the client's financial performance. When Veritium actively monitors and optimizes an environment to decrease cloud spend, the amount the client pays to Veritium decreases as well. Finkenbinder highlighted this risk-sharing philosophy by offering an example of a client who chose to turn off an AWS cloud solution after a leadership change. Because the cloud spend dropped to zero, Veritium received no payment for the upfront setup work. However, this transparency avoided locking the client into a restrictive contract, preserving a partnership that eventually led to other projects. 

Navigating AI and Compliance

Finkenbinder discussed how mid-tier and smaller credit unions frequently struggle to staff specialized technical roles for advanced projects like artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics. Veritium mitigates this by providing access to its own global workforce to act as an extension of the credit union's staff. 

When implementing AI internally or assisting clients with governance, Finkenbinder emphasized that human oversight remains critical. He stated, "Whoever is leveraging it is it needs to be the person responsible for the output."  

Furthermore, the podcast touched upon regulatory compliance. Veritium maintains SOC compliance, undergoing annual audits and utilizing continuous AI-driven testing to monitor its internal systems. Finkenbinder concluded with the prediction that the financial industry is only at the beginning of the AI journey, comparing its ultimate societal impact to the introduction of the Internet. 

In this episode of TechSolutions4CUs, the official Finopotamus podcast, host and publisher John San Filippo dives into the massive, yet often overlooked, opportunities within commercial lending for credit unions. Joining the conversation are two industry experts: Andy Ivankovich, CEO of Baker Hill, a commercial and small business lending technology provider with over 40 years of experience; and Trevor Haley, Vice President of Commercial Underwriting at Indiana Members Credit Union (IMCU), a $3.5 billion institution managing an approximate $750 million commercial portfolio.

Together, the panel explores how credit unions can successfully compete against major banking institutions, transition away from manual processes, and leverage next-generation technology to safeguard their portfolios.

Key Discussion Highlights

• The Credit Union Opportunity: While credit unions traditionally focus on consumer lending, the commercial space offers a prime avenue for driving yield and gathering deposits. Larger credit unions have excelled here for decades, and many are now efficiently scaling their operations—even acquiring community banks to absorb established commercial lending teams.
• Fierce Competition & Relationship Banking: Competing against massive national banks requires a strategic approach. While the heavy hitters dominate commercial and industrial (C&I) lending, credit unions can find immense success in commercial real estate (CRE). Credit unions hold a distinct advantage through true relationship banking—building deep, trust-based partnerships over a cup of coffee—that larger institutions struggle to replicate.
• The Danger of Excel and the Shift to Tech: For institutions managing just a few CRE deals, spreadsheets might suffice. However, as a portfolio scales past a couple hundred million dollars, technology becomes critical. The experts discuss why relying on manual spreadsheets is unsustainable and risky, as a single multi-million-dollar bad loan impacts an institution far differently than a standard auto loan default.
• Core Integration & Eliminating Human Error: A seamless two-way flow of data between a loan origination system (LOS) and the credit union's core platform is vital. The guests explain how mapping hundreds of data fields reduces hours of redundant manual data entry, cuts down on human error during loan booking, and gives underwriting committees a comprehensive view of a member's entire relationship.
• AI as an Enablement Tool: Looking toward the future, artificial intelligence is highlighted not as a replacement for relationship bankers, but as a powerful tool to eliminate administrative friction. From automating the spreading of tax documents in milliseconds to providing early warning indicators for portfolio monitoring, AI allows lean teams to cover more ground and proactively manage risk.

In this episode of TechSolutions4CUs, Finopotamus Publisher John San Filippo sits down with Elizabeth Osborne, the Senior Managing Director of Operations for Jack Henry’s Credit Union Solutions Group. Elizabeth shares her fascinating career trajectory, moving from an aspiring broadcast journalist to a powerhouse executive in the financial technology space.

The conversation explores Elizabeth’s diverse background, including her time at State Street, her role in scaling Belmont Savings Bank from $800 million to over $3 billion, and her eventually finding her "professional home" within the credit union movement. Elizabeth also discusses her landmark testimony before Congress regarding the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence in financial services.

Key Discussion Points

• A Non-Linear Path to Tech: Elizabeth reveals how she pivoted from journalism and accounting to find her passion in business leadership and technology implementation.
• The Shift to Credit Unions: Discover why Elizabeth initially thought credit unions might be "sleepy" and how her experience at Great Lakes Credit Union completely changed her perspective.
• AI and Advocacy: Elizabeth details her journey to the House Financial Services Committee, where she testified on the impact of AI and the need for balanced regulation that doesn't "handcuff" innovation.
• The "Amazon Effect" in Banking: A deep dive into the technological challenges facing credit unions today, including the need for seamless member journeys and competing with agile fintechs like Chime.
• Women in Fintech: Elizabeth makes a passionate plea for more women to take risks and pursue leadership roles in technology, emphasizing the importance of mentorship for the next generation.

About the Guest

Elizabeth Osborne is a seasoned financial services leader with extensive experience in technology, M&A, and strategic operations. After serving as the COO at Great Lakes Credit Union, she joined Jack Henry to oversee infrastructure, hosted services, and support for the credit union side of the business. She is a frequent speaker on digital transformation and a dedicated advocate for female empowerment in the tech industry.

Featured Quotes

• "Try something new, be a little uncomfortable, that's okay. Because I really believe that that will help open up a lot of doors."
• "I always say there's vendors and there's partners... Jack Henry was always a partner."

In this installment of the TechSolutions4CUs podcast, host John San Filippo explores the rapidly shifting landscape of artificial intelligence within the credit union movement. Breaking away from the show’s traditional format of interviewing credit union staff or or their technology partners, San Filippo welcomes Tom Church-Adams, the founder of CreditUnionAI News. Together, they dissect why AI is not just another tech trend, but a fundamental shift in how financial institutions must operate to survive and thrive.

Defining a New Resource: Credit Union AI News

Church-Adams discusses the genesis of his new platform, explaining that the pace of AI development is so extreme that traditional news cycles can't keep up. With major updates from entities like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic happening weekly—if not daily—credit union leaders need a "filter" to understand what these changes mean specifically for their members and their mission. The platform serves as this dedicated portal, offering everything from short, commute-ready audio snippets to deep-dive technical analysis.

AI Across the Entire Organization

A central theme of the conversation is that AI is no longer a "siloed" technology for the IT department. Church-Adams argues that every leader, from HR to Marketing to the Board of Directors, now essentially acts as their own Chief Technology Officer.

• Marketing Revolution: AI allows small teams to create high-quality content and personalized member communications at a speed previously reserved for big-budget banks.
• Lending Efficiency: By integrating AI into backend automation, lending teams can drastically increase approval rates and processing speeds.
• The Executive "Thought Partner": One of the most futuristic concepts discussed is using AI as a strategic collaborator. Church-Adams envisions a "Credit Union AI Employee Number One"—a persona that sits in virtual meetings, identifies risks, suggests process improvements, and builds on the human team's experience.

The Great Equalizer for Small Credit Unions

For smaller institutions, Church-Adams highlights AI as a massive competitive advantage. He points out that a small credit union with limited staff can "gain 10 to 15 new employees" worth of productivity simply by adopting AI tools. Instead of being intimidated by the technical barrier, small teams are encouraged to stand up dedicated "AI teams" of even just a few people to focus on organization-wide implementation and road-mapping.

Orchestration and Screenless Banking

As the industry matures, the focus shifts toward the "orchestration layer." Larger credit unions are encouraged to look at how different AI tools communicate with existing cores and payment processors. Church-Adams also offers a provocative look into the future of agentic AI. He predicts that within the next 15 months, we may see a shift toward screenless banking, where members interact with their accounts through voice-driven AI partners in their earpieces, asking for balances or making payments without ever touching a phone or web browser.

A Prediction Rooted in Mission

The episode concludes with a look at the cultural impact of AI. While big banks may use automation primarily to cut costs and serve shareholders, credit unions are uniquely positioned to use AI to further their mission of "people helping people." Church-Adams believes that if credit union leaders embrace this technology wholeheartedly, they will gain a much larger seat at the financial table, leveraging AI to empower their members in a future economy centered on "compute."

In this episode of TechSolutions4CUs, host John San Filippo sits down with Stephen Baker, CEO of Kinective, to pull back the curtain on one of the most aggressive and strategic growth stories in the credit union technology space today.

Following a massive year of acquisitions—including Epic River, Janusea, ESQ, and CompuFlex—Baker explains the master plan behind merging these disparate entities into a single, cohesive ecosystem. He breaks down how Kinective is moving beyond simple point-to-point connections to deliver a true enterprise middleware gateway, designed to give financial institutions a "single throat to choke" for all their third-party integrations.

Key topics covered in this conversation include:

• The KBOP Vision: A deep dive into the Kinective Banking Operations Platform, a central hub designed to give credit union staff a unified dashboard for managing everything from loan pipelines to e-signatures.
• The "Phygital" Branch: Why physical branches aren’t going anywhere and how Kinective is blending the digital and physical worlds—like using mobile signatures for in-person teller transactions and high-def devices that let members see exactly what they are signing.
• The Magic of Data Normalization: Why "clean data" is more than just a buzzword. Baker explains how their Datava platform handles the heavy lifting of normalizing data across different systems to create a genuine 360-degree view of the member.
• AI Beyond the Hype: How Kinective is using AI and natural language processing to let credit union employees ask simple questions of their data—like "Who has a CD expiring next month?"—and push those results directly into marketing campaigns.
• ATM & TCR Synergy: The strategic reasoning behind the ESQ and CompuFlex acquisitions, and how managing both ATMs and Teller Cash Recyclers (TCRs) under one roof provides unprecedented visibility into an institution’s total cash position.

Whether you are a credit union executive looking to simplify your tech stack or a fintech enthusiast interested in the future of "middleware," this episode provides a roadmap for how modern institutions can compete with the biggest banks by leveraging data intelligence and seamless connectivity.

In this episode of TechSolutions4CUs, host John San Filippo is joined by Angi Milano and Holly Glowaty, the co-hosts of the GTM Loop podcast. Together, they dive into the critical elements of go-to-market (GTM) strategies, exploring how fintechs can align with the credit union mission and how credit unions can position themselves as partners of choice.

Angi and Holly explain that the GTM Loop podcast was created to help fintechs navigate the tactical steps of strategy development, specifically teaching them how to speak the language of the credit union industry. The group discusses why GTM has evolved from a general business term into a vital discipline for launching products in new verticals.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Common Fintech Mistakes: The guests break down where fintechs often go wrong, such as taking a "scattershot" approach rather than finding the right fit, and relying too heavily on a single person’s connections (the Rolodex strategy) rather than building a sustainable process. Angi notes a critical error: using banking terms like "customer" instead of "member" and leading with ROI rather than mission alignment.
• The Power of Small Credit Unions: While many vendors chase the largest institutions, Angi and Holly argue that small credit unions are often more agile and eager to adopt fintech as a growth lever. They advise vendors to evaluate potential partners based on "active members" rather than just asset size.
• Credit Unions vs. Banks: The discussion clarifies the fundamental difference between these institutions. Banks often prioritize bottom-line returns, while credit unions are mission-driven cooperatives where a single member's experience can mobilize the entire team.
• AI and Data Hygiene: The trio tackles the buzz around AI. Holly stresses that institutions cannot successfully adopt AI without first cleaning up their data. They advise against using "AI for AI's sake," recommending instead that credit unions identify specific pain points and involve the staff feeling that pain in the solution design.
• Future Predictions: The episode wraps up with crystal ball predictions. Angi foresees stablecoins becoming the next dominant topic at conferences, while Holly predicts that upcoming changes to Visa and Mastercard interchange rules will fundamentally shift how institutions and retailers approach loyalty programs.

Join us for a conversation that bridges the gap between fintech innovators and the credit union mission.

In this episode of TechSolutions4CUs, host John San Filippo welcomes Kristen Castell, Managing Director of CAFÉ (Center for Accelerating Financial Equity), a nonprofit organization.

The conversation dives into the origin story of CAFÉ, which was launched two and a half years ago out of a new fintech innovation hub in Newark, Delaware. It began as a public-private partnership involving Discover Financial, the University of Delaware, and other organizations dedicated to building new fintech innovation that helps people's lives. CAFÉ's primary mission is to advance financial wellness for low to moderate-income people across the US.

Kristen explains how CAFÉ serves the credit union community:

• Connecting Fintechs and Credit Unions: CAFÉ runs competitive Accelerator programs to help early-stage fintech companies, which have been vetted for strong product-market fit, existing customers, and mission-driven culture, accelerate their growth. CAFÉ then introduces these solutions to credit unions looking for innovative ways to help their members.
• Vetting Process: The fintechs undergo a rigorous, competitive process to enter CAFÉ's programs, which includes looking at the business, the product, and requiring them to already have credit union or other financial institution customers. A top priority for CAFÉ is the company's culture, focusing on collaborative, mission-driven people.
• Solutions for Members: The fintechs supported by CAFÉ offer diverse products, including more efficient ways to provide loans to small businesses and individuals, digital banking products, microloan services (like Salus), SBA 7A loans (like Parlay), and tools to help members search for government benefits (like Starlight).

The discussion also covers:

• Technology Trends: The role of technology in helping credit unions digitize their offerings, improve backend processes, and gain better member insights, specifically mentioning AI. Kristen notes that almost every fintech they work with incorporates AI in some way.
• Challenges for Smaller Credit Unions: They discuss the potential for smaller credit unions to be overwhelmed by the number of tech relationships, suggesting collaboration through groups like CUSOs (Credit Union Service Organizations) or partnering with fintechs that come as a package to ease the onboarding process.
• Future Outlook: Kristen shares her prediction for the future, expressing a strong belief in blockchain technology to facilitate instant global payments, improve security through tokenization, and enhance identity management for financial accounts. She also stresses the shift from providing "products" to providing a full experience in members' financial lives.
• Getting Involved: Credit unions can engage with CAFÉ by offering industry expertise as a speaker, becoming a sponsor, or simply by being interested in learning about and potentially partnering with the vetted fintech innovations. CAFÉ also hosts the annual Fintechs and Fairways Conference in Delaware.

To learn more about CAFÉ, you can visit FTCafe.org.