In this episode of Unblocked, Figure CEO Michael Tannenbaum sits down with Kristin Ankeny Bickenbach, EVP of Secondary Marketing at New American Funding, to break down the evolving landscape of mortgage lending and capital markets.

Drawing from her entry into the industry during the 2008 financial crisis to leading secondary marketing at one of the nation's top lenders, Kristin shares candid insights on modernizing core technology, leveraging blockchain, and the irreplaceable value of human connection in high-stakes financial decisions.

In this episode, we cover:

• Industry roots: Lessons learned from starting at in mortgage during the Great Financial Crisis, shifting to a member-centric credit union mindset, and building NAF's privately held, branch-backed model.

• Female leadership in lending: Navigating the male-dominated capital markets industry and using her uniqueness as an advantage.

• Mortgage tech and AI: Overhauling legacy tech infrastructure instead of adding surface-level UI wrappers, and empowering loan officers with hybrid AI tools.

• What on-chain loans unlock: Utilizing blockchain technology to eliminate secondary market friction, increase bond certainty, and optimize warehouse line velocity.

• Why the GFC can't happen again: Personal reflections on surviving the 2008 Great Financial Crisis and why modern credit underwriting standards prevent a repeat meltdown.

• Figure x NAF partnership: Unlocking 80% call center volume growth via Figure's HELOC and Figure Connect.

Chapters:

01:39 - Industry roots

05:17 - Female leadership in lending

08:51 - Mortgage tech and AI

18:06 - What on-chain loans unlock

22:54 - Why the GFC can't happen again

28:23 - Figure x NAF partnership

See how leading lenders partner with Figure to unlock growth in today's market: https://www.figure.com/partner-heloc/mortgage-lenders-brokers-and-servicers/?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=Unblocked

Can AI agents shift from mere cost-cutting tools into high-octane revenue drivers?

In this episode, Figure CEO Michael Tannenbaum sits down with Aakash Thumaty, founder of Takeoff, fresh off a red-eye flight and an acquisition by Bret Taylor’s Sierra. Thumaty breaks down how long-horizon voice AI is driving real bottom-line outcomes with the power to transform loan origination and redefine human-AI collaboration in financial services.

In this episode, we cover:

• Driving revenue outcomes: Why long-horizon agents focus on top-line growth across complex loan application steps rather than basic support.

• The Sierra acquisition: Scaling a three-person team to near eight-figure run rate and joining forces with Bret Taylor to launch the Horizon platform.

• Testing ground for B2B rollout: How Takeoff achieved a 28% conversion lift and higher funded loan volume by pairing voice AI with live loan officers, which Figure tested with direct customers before deploying to enterprise B2B partners.

• Live voice AI interaction: A real audio sample of a borrower interacting with "Sam," Figure's voice AI virtual assistant powered by Takeoff.

• Human-AI collaboration: Unlocking cost-prohibitive touchpoints to expand market capacity and empower loan officers.

• The enterprise AI frontier: Aakash’s perspective on open-source vs. proprietary models, plummeting inference costs, and autonomous agents.

Chapters:
02:00 – Driving revenue outcomes
04:56 – Takeoff's acquisition by Sierra
11:46 – Testing ground to B2B rollout
15:22 – Live conversational AI interaction demo
17:13 – Human-AI collaboration and unlocking capacity
34:49 – The enterprise AI frontier: Open-source models and costs

Learn how Figure helps banks and credit unions modernize HELOC lending: https://www.figure.com/partner-heloc/mortgage-lenders-brokers-and-servicers/?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=Unblocked

How do you scale a powerhouse mortgage enterprise to $27 billion in originations while navigating one of the most volatile rate environments in history?

In this episode of Unblocked, Figure CEO Michael Tannenbaum and Figure's VP of Lending Partnerships, Anthony Stratis, sit down with Eric Hines, co-founder of West Capital Lending to learn exactly that. Eric breaks down how his team built a winning model during a highly volatile market, shifted away from traditional consumer-direct constraints, and leveraged innovative partnerships that has allowed West Cap to fund nearly 100,000 loans in just five years.

In this episode, we cover:

• Building a hybrid mortgage model: Leaving traditional consumer-direct shops to gain equity, schedule flexibility, and centralized support with high-split incentives.

• Navigating rate volatility: How West Cap survived the fast rate increases following the refi boom by rapidly pivoting into Non-QM, DSCR, and niche lending options.

• Fintech-driven liquidity: Reaching $27B in originations by accessing institutional-grade liquidity and fast HELOC tech without taking on debt.

• AI on the sales floor: Testing voice agents, OCR, and ChatGPT while preserving high-trust human relationships in mortgage deals.

• What makes a 10x LO: Why discipline beats sales talent, and how operational efficiency via AI could scale top producers to 20x.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

05:56 - Building a hybrid mortgage model

09:08 - Navigating rate volatility

13:49 - Fintech-driven liquidity

23:34 - AI on the sales floor

36:42 - What makes a 10x LO

See how leading lenders leverage Figure to unlock institutional liquidity and eliminate origination friction: https://www.figure.com/partner-heloc/mortgage-lenders-brokers-and-servicers/?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=Unblocked

How can credit unions break away from traditional, risk-averse playbooks to accelerate growth, embrace modern technology, and better serve their members?

In this episode, Nick Ambrosini, President and CEO of Valley Strong Credit Union, breaks down the bold bets and strategic decisions that transformed Valley Strong into one of the most innovative credit unions in the industry.

In this episode, we cover:

- Blockchain in banking: How Valley Strong worked with regulators and its board to adopt blockchain technology while reducing risks like double-pledging.

- Modernizing lending with Figure: Why Valley Strong white-labeled Figure's HELOC platform to replace a 46-day origination process with a fast, friction-free member experience while unlocking capital markets liquidity.

- Evaluating fintech partnerships: A framework for building a "test and learn fast" culture, making decisions with incomplete information, and maintaining transparency with your board.

- Strategic growth: How to stay ahead of industry consolidation, identify high-growth opportunities, and compete in an evolving financial landscape.

- Leadership: Nick's advice on becoming a CEO at 36, building self-awareness, and leading with authenticity.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

05:53 - Blockchain, Regulators & Figure

10:48 - The Figure White-Label HELOC

17:18 - Building a "Test & Learn Fast" Culture

27:02 - Growth Through Strategic Partnerships

35:08 - CEO at 36: Leadership Lessons

Learn how Figure helps banks and credit unions modernize HELOC lending: https://www.figure.com/partner-heloc/banks-and-credit-unions/?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=Unblocked

In this premiere episode of Unblocked, Figure CEO Michael Tannenbaum sits down with Linda Du, president and co-founder of Valon, to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to disrupt legacy financial infrastructure.

From navigating the highly regulated, low-trust world of mortgage servicing to ignoring conventional Silicon Valley wisdom, Linda shares her journey of building a powerhouse tech business by running toward the problems everyone else was fleeing.

They dive deep into the future of automated operations, why AI is functionally useless in finance without a source of validated "truth," and how Figure’s blockchain infrastructure and Valon’s AI-powered servicing engine are rewriting the rules of modern lending.

Welcome to Unblocked a Podcast by Figure. In every episode we talk to the innovators, builders and leaders who are refusing to accept the status quo.

We are diving into how forward thinking firms are tearing down the barriers to growth, empowering their teams and driving efficiency at scale.

Welcome to the Unblocked Podcast.