In the opening session of NEXT Forum 2025, “Banking in 2025: A Declaration of Independence,” top bank leaders discuss how community banks are adapting to regulatory shifts, M&A opportunities, interest rate volatility, and emerging technologies like AI and fintech partnerships. The panel explores efficiency, liquidity, credit quality, and talent strategies shaping the future of independent banking.

Amber Buker, Chief Research Officer at Travillian, sits down with Alana Levine, Chief Revenue Officer at Fintel Connect, and Melissa Rawl, Director of Product Marketing at Live Oak Bank, to explore the findings from the 2025–2026 Financial Industry Affiliate Marketing Report.

The discussion covers how affiliate marketing drives growth for banks, shifts in consumer demand, he rise of lending products, AI’s role in shaping search, and practical advice for executives considering this channel.00:20 – 03:03 | Setting the Stage: What Is Affiliate Marketing?03:03 – 05:16 | Live Oak’s Expansion and Digital Advantage05:16 – 07:44 | Key Findings from Fintel Connect’s 2025 Report07:44 – 10:13 | Market Insights, Data, and AI’s Role10:13 – 13:14 | Navigating Economic Uncertainty & Product Strategy13:14 – 17:12 | Product Development and Consumer Expectations17:12 – 20:57 | Advice for Bank Leaders Entering Affiliate Marketing20:57 – 22:38 | Where to Find the Report

Host Amber Buker, Chief Research Officer at Travillian, sits down with Rick Geloff, EVP of Bank of North Dakota, to discuss how the only state-owned bank in the U.S. is tackling fintech disruption head-on.Geloff’s role was created to focus on strategic initiatives, including stablecoin, embedded finance, and deposit diversification, all while supporting North Dakota’s community banks. From building a culture of innovation to preparing boards for risk discussions, this conversation offers bankers practical takeaways on navigating emerging technologies without losing sight of mission and community.00:00 – 01:09 | Introduction01:09 – 03:36 | Why Innovation Matters03:36 – 05:01 | Stablecoins and New Payment Rails05:01 – 07:07 | How to Prioritize Innovations07:07 – 09:03 | Three Core Filters for Bank of North Dakota09:03 – 11:16 | Use Cases and Peer Collaboration11:16 – 13:44 | Partnerships and Board Concerns13:44 – 16:24 | Risk Mitigation and Education16:24 – 17:46 | AI and Back-Office Efficiencies17:46 – 20:18 | Leadership Journey

Host Keith Daly, Principal, Banking & Fintech Search at Travillian, sits down with Zach Boyda, Treasurer at CFG Bank, and Adam Mustafa, CEO and Co-Founder of Invictus Group. Together, they discuss the evolution of stress tests from a regulatory requirement into a proactive tool for capital planning, growth, and strategy. The conversation covers CFG Bank’s journey from $1 billion to $5.5 billion in assets, the role of tailored stress testing in managing healthcare and CRE concentrations, and how banks of all sizes can use capital planning to justify independence and optimize shareholder returns.

Travillian Next host Amber Buker, Chief Strategy Officer at Travillian, sits down with David Robinson, Director of Fintech and Embedded Banking at Academy Bank, to uncover how a family-owned community bank became one of the fastest movers in embedded banking.

From record-breaking onboarding with Treasury Prime to building a fintech partner profile that balances growth with risk, David shares practical lessons for banks and fintechs alike. Whether you’re exploring embedded partnerships or looking to scale responsibly, this conversation delivers real takeaways for fintech leaders.

00:21 | Academy Bank’s Fintech Story02:00 | Standing Up the Embedded Banking Practice03:20 | API Infrastructure & Agility03:53 | Decision-Making at a Family-Owned Bank05:17 | Building a Partner Profile07:01 | Close Collaboration with Fintech Partners07:56 | Deal Flow & Market Reality09:39 | Applying a Bank’s Risk Lens to Fintech11:41 | Advice for Other Banks Entering Embedded Banking12:59 | Vertical Opportunities & Future Focus14:02 | White-Label & Investment Potential15:32 | Lessons from Year One16:55 | Where to Connect with Academy Bank

Host Keith Daly, Principal, Banking & Fintech Search at Travillian, sits down with Lori Bettinger, President of BancAlliance, and Steve Lundgren, CEO of Denali State Bank, to explore how community banks are navigating growth, competition, and changing interest rate environments. Lori also shares what makes BancAlliance’s network valuable for members across the country.

Lori will be moderating “Jazz Up Your Balance Sheet Management” at the upcoming NEXT Forum, October 8-9 at The Union League of Philadelphia, adding even more context to today’s discussion.

What if your savings account was so secure that even your account number couldn’t be used to steal from you? That’s the kind of question Austin Capital Bank is answering; Not by thinking like a traditional bank, but by operating more like a tech company.

In her debut interview on Travillian Next, Amber Buker, Chief of Research at Travillian, sits down with Erik Beguin, Founder and CEO of Austin Capital Bank, to dig into the launch of their latest innovation: Fort Knox, a high-security savings account engineered to be fraud-resistant by design. Instead of competing in the high-yield arms race, Erik and his team are creating a whole new category, one that prioritizes safety over speed and uses product design to outsmart fraudsters. Backed by a 50-person engineering team and built to withstand quantum-era threats, this conversation rewrites what a “community bank” even means.

All of the banks we talk to, for the most part, live and die by their spread. And I will tell you right now – same bank, same management, same yield curve, same products – 20 years ago kicks its butt on a spread perspective. It’s not even close. The business has been commoditized.”Scott Hildenbrand, Head of Piper Sandler Depository Fixed Income and Chief Balance Sheet Strategist, joins Travillian co-hosts Brian Love, Head of Banking & Fintech Search, and Michael Perito, Head of Bank Strategy, to talk about why traditional playbooks aren’t working anymore and what kind of leadership banks need going forward.He shares what he's hearing in boardrooms across the country: M&A is stalled, balance sheets are still upside down, and CFOs are under growing pressure to move faster and think more strategically. He also breaks down where AI fits into all of this and why too many board meetings still feel like “dentist appointments”.

Community banks can’t afford to wait.In this Travillian Next episode, Keith Daly, Principal, Banking & Fintech Search, sits down with Allan Rayson, Founder of Finov8r and former Encore Bank CTO, to talk about what’s actually holding banks back from adopting AI.Allan brings a clear, on-the-ground perspective of what’s happening inside bank C-suites right now and what’s missing. From core tech limitations to cultural resistance, this episode lays out the real stuff that determines whether a bank is just surviving or truly evolving.

(00:00) Intro – Less Than 100 Banks Are Truly Engaged with AI

(00:36) Meet Allan Rayson – Career Background + Finov8r Origin

(01:58) Consulting Focus – Why Banks Are Calling Him Now

(03:34) What Banks Are Asking: Use Cases + Monetizing Tech

(06:06) The Elephant in the Room: AI’s Impact on Employment

(09:06) Why Mass Layoffs in Banking Are Unlikely

(10:30) How AI Will Reshape Bank Organizational Structure

(13:03) AI Call Center Use Case: Credit Unions vs. Banks

(15:08) Where Banks Are Starting with AI – Jog, Not Sprint

(17:19) Use Case Deep Dive – SBA Policy Interpretation

(19:20) Inside vs. Outside the Bank: AI Vendor Strategy

(21:02) Will Banks Hire Chief AI Officers?

(22:05) Why Community Bank C-Suites Need Modernizing

(23:22) Tech Mentality vs. Traditional Banking – Product Mindset

(24:45) Building Tech Muscle Memory in Banks

(26:05) AI Today Is Like the Internet in 1995

(27:09) Treasury Onboarding: Another AI Agent Opportunity

(28:34) What Makes a Bank Future-Proof (and What Doesn’t)

(30:15) Final Thoughts – Core Systems Will Make or Break You

(32:02) Call to Action – Start Somewhere

Travillian’s Brian Love, Head of Banking & Fintech, and Michael Perito, Head of Bank Strategy, reunite in this informative Talent Talk episode to unpack what’s really going on in banking leadership this year. From the “Trump bump” aftermath to why CFOs and CEOs are the hottest seats in town. They share fresh updates from across the country, including new leadership placements in Sacramento and Scranton, and break down what’s happening in banking talent right now. Relocation’s tougher, candidates are sharper, and the race for top execs is anything but business as usual.

Tying it all together is a nod to The Breakfast Club, as the hosts compare today’s innovation-hungry banks to teens in Saturday detention. Learning, evolving, and preparing to graduate to a better, bolder future.