The CUInsight Network

CUInsight | Credit Union
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Welcome to The CUInsight Network. In each episode we have wide-ranging conversations with thought leaders who support the credit union community. We identify issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices. The goal of The CUInsight Network is to take a deeper dive with people and find the gems we can all learn and grow our credit unions from. Thank you for tuning in. Enjoy!

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    Cover Your Assets - ClaimStinger

    “You make the best of what you've got, and you document it and you protect people. It can make a humongous difference in families that might be struggling right now.” - James Bishop Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together. My guest on today’s show is James Bishop, founder of ClaimStinger. ​​His story doesn’t start out in a boardroom but rather in Southern Colorado playing cowboy on a dude ranch, then repairing hail-damaged cars, then running a shop, and finally asking a critical question: Why is the insurance process so confusing, so slow, and so stacked against everyday people? From that question, ClaimStinger was born, and what James is building now has serious implications for credit unions, their members, and the way vehicle assets are protected. In our conversation, James and I discuss the quiet documentation gaps that cost members thousands of dollars. James explains why insurance companies are increasingly denying claims due to missing photo evidence, how that drains equity from vehicles, and why credit unions feel the ripple effects in their loan portfolios. James walks us through the concept of “the birthdate of a loan,” and we also dig into what happens when members are left alone to deal with adjusters, estimates, and confusing checks that never quite cover the damage. James shares some actual stories from his repair shop—people driving devalued cars for over a year because they’re scared, stuck, or unsure what to do next. His proposed solution to this problem is to pair simple, plug-and-play technology with education that empowers credit union teams and members alike! As we wrap up the episode, James talks about the grandmother who mentored him, the grandsons he’s investing his time in, his love of museums and sci-fi, and why “playing in the dirt” is his version of balance. This conversation is about a lot more than just software; it’s about protecting what people work hard for and making sure that no one feels stranded when life throws a curveball. Enjoy my conversation with James Bishop! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com. Connect with James: James Bishop, founder of ClaimStinger claimstinger.com James: LinkedIn ClaimStinger: LinkedIn | YouTube Want to hear more from James? Click here.

    21 min

  2. 18 MAR

    Strategic Problem Solving - SRM

    “I love what credit unions stand for. I think we continue to provide relevancy and value to communities and our members.” - Cisco Malpartida Smith Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together. My guest on today's show is Cisco Malpartida Smith, Managing Director of Strategic Advisory at SRM. We discuss the future of credit unions and the strategic thinking that is needed to keep the movement strong, and Cisco shares the story of how his career began in a remarkable way, starting a student-run credit union while serving as student body president in college. He touches upon how that experience set him on a path that would eventually lead to CEO roles, strategic leadership positions, and advising institutions across the country! In our conversation, Cisco walks us through the work that he does today helping credit unions solve complex strategic problems, especially when it comes to growth. One of the biggest challenges that he covers is the rising average age of credit union members. Cisco explains why this causes financial pressure, with older members typically saving more and borrowing less. He also explains a strategy that he has spent decades refining—connecting credit unions with colleges and universities to reach the next generation of members. As we wrap up the episode, Cisco reveals a huge leadership influence on him, what he thinks about maintaining balance between career, family, and community service, and so much more! Perhaps most importantly, he shares an incredibly powerful strategy that has shaped his thinking: the idea of creating meaningful differentiation so that credit unions aren’t simply competing in the same crowded marketplace as everyone else. I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Cisco Malpartida Smith! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com. Connect with Cisco: Cisco Malpartida Smith, Managing Director of Strategic Advisory at SRM srmcorp.com Cisco: LinkedIn SRM: LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | X Book mentioned: Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne

    31 min

  3. 6 MAR

    CU Unplugged - DCUC & KFCU

    “We engage … and encourage more thinking, more ideas, more innovation.” - Tony Hernandez Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together. My guests on today's show are Anthony “Tony” Hernandez, President and CEO of the Defense Credit Union Council and a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, along with Maggie Sayer, President and CEO of Keys Federal Credit Union and DCUC Board Chair. They join me for this episode of the podcast to discuss CU Unplugged! CU Unplugged is not your standard conference with a ballroom, a rigid agenda, and politely timed applause. CU Unplugged is intentionally unstructured without keynote headliners or prepackaged talking points. As Tony puts it, the attendees are the agenda. In our conversation, we cover why collaboration is the credit union movement’s superpower and why traditional formats don’t always give that superpower room to work. Maggie shares why the open-to-all approach matters so much to her, especially coming from an IT background before becoming a CEO. With facilitators guiding so many outcomes and, of course, AI capturing key discussions, CU Unplugged isn’t just talk; it’s truly a launchpad in that insights from this event will directly shape breakout sessions at DCUC’s annual conference! As we wrap up the episode, we also get into timely issues such as, again, AI, crypto, governance, and what “AI” even means in practice. The smaller, intentionally designed setting of CU Unplugged creates space for honest questions and renewed curiosity! By the end of our conversation, one theme absolutely stands out: energy - energy, confidence, and the motivation to not just absorb ideas but to also carry them back, share them, and lead with them! Enjoy my conversation with Tony and Maggie! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com. Connect with Anthony: Anthony R. Hernandez, President & C.E.O. of Defense Credit Union Council; Ret. USAF Colonel dcuc.org Anthony: LinkedIn DCUC: LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube Connect with Maggie: Maggie Sayer, President & C.E.O. of Keys Federal Credit Union; DCUC Board Chair; Navy / Coast Guard Representative keysfcu.org Maggie: LinkedIn KFCU: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube

    13 min

  4. 25 FEB

    Agentic AI - Scienaptic AI

    “We know that trust is non-negotiable.” - Vinay Bhaskar Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together. My guests on today’s show are Patrick McElhenie, Chief Growth Officer and Vinay Bhaskar, Chief Operating Officer of Scienaptic AI. We discuss where lending is headed and why the next leap in AI could fundamentally change how credit unions operate. In our conversation, Patrick and Vinay explain how Scienaptic helps credit unions approve more loans while reducing risk and improving members’ experiences. We learn how Scienaptic’s platform considers the full life cycle of the member so that decisions are not isolated. We then dig into the main topic of the episode: agentic AI, with Patrick breaking it down into simple terms for us. While traditional AI helps answer “Should we approve this loan?” agentic AI asks, “What should we do next?” Agentic AI can coordinate workflows across systems while keeping humans firmly in control. As we wrap up the episode, Vinay also shares where credit unions will first feel the impact, especially within the first 60-90 days. He projects fewer false declines, more targeted engagement, and teams spending less time chasing data and more time working directly with members. We talk about explainability, audit trails, compliance guardrails, and what “governed autonomy” really looks like in practice. Finally, in closing, Patrick shares what he sees for Scienaptic’s future on the road ahead. Enjoy my conversation with Patrick McElhenie and Vinay Bhaskar! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com. Connect with Patrick: Patrick McElhenie, Chief Growth Officer at Scienaptic AI scienaptic.ai Patrick: LinkedIn Scienaptic AI: LinkedIn | YouTube Connect with Vinay: Vinay Bhaskar, Chief Operating Officer at Scienaptic AI scienaptic.ai Vinay: LinkedIn Scienaptic AI: LinkedIn | YouTube In this episode: [1:11] - Patrick explains how Scienaptic enables fair, inclusive lending that boosts growth without increasing operational burden. [4:14] - Vinay reveals that their platform delivers consistent, context-driven decisions across the entire member journey. [6:52] - Hear how agentic AI moves lending from recommendation to coordinated, human-guided action. [10:08] - Early gains include faster approvals, fewer false declines, and real-time portfolio action. [13:17] - Vinay adds that built-in governance ensures explainability, auditability, and human oversight in every AI decision. [15:56] - With governed autonomy, credit unions control automation while strengthening member relationships [17:02] - Patrick discusses some of Scienaptic’s plans for the future.

    19 min

  5. 20 FEB

    The Messy Middle - Coviance

    “Whoever provides the ultimate user experience wins at the end of the day.” - Omar Jordan Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together. My guest on today’s show is Omar Jordan, founder and CEO of Coviance. He shares how an unconventional path, fueled by curiosity, problem-solving, and what he openly calls “extreme ADHD,” led him from subprime lending in the early 2000s to founding what’s now Coviance! His story that he shares in this episode is truly a reminder that the credit union movement has always attracted people who see friction and feel compelled to fix it. In our conversation, Omar and I talk about his early days and what he learned when the economy collapsed—the culture shock that he experienced when he first stepped into credit unions and saw how many processes were still held together by spreadsheets, sticky notes, and fax machines. Omar realized that members weren’t frustrated by rates or products nearly as much as they were confused by silence, delays, and a lack of transparency once they clicked “submit.” We also discuss what he calls the “messy middle” of lending, spending time on why modernizing home equity isn’t about swapping out a LOS but is about questioning old assumptions that no longer serve members or staff. We also get into a topic that can make people uncomfortable: pricing, with Omar making a strong case that members aren’t chasing cheap but are chasing clarity, speed, and service! As we wrap up the episode, Omar shares lessons learned from building a company, raising kids, and realizing that success looks different at 25 than it does at 45. He even reveals what was on his Spotify Wrapped this past year! Enjoy my conversation with Omar Jordan! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com. Connect with Omar: Omar Jordan, founder and C.E.O. of Coviance coviance.com Omar: LinkedIn Coviance: LinkedIn | Facebook | X

    23 min

  6. 6 FEB

    Effective Cybersecurity - Synergent

    “Cybersecurity really is just another risk. I think where we complicate it sometimes is in the language we use to talk about it.” - Steve Torino Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together. My guest on today’s show is Steve Torino, Chief Information Security Officer at Synergent. Steve’s path to cybersecurity was not a straight line, and he didn’t grow up dreaming about credit unions or information security. What stayed constant, though, was a deep curiosity about technology and how systems work, which eventually carried him from community banking to national payment processing and ultimately to Synergent. In our conversation, we spend a lot of time talking about what effective cybersecurity governance actually looks like for credit unions and why it is so important. Steve breaks down how governance starts at the board level, how expectations flow through management, and why cybersecurity should be treated like any other form of enterprise risk. We also dig into collaboration and information sharing—one of the credit union movement’s biggest strengths, and Steve points to leagues and professional groups as ways that credit unions can learn from one another. As we wrap up the episode, Steve talks about the mentor that influenced his life, how he loves traveling to Dallas, recommends a cybersecurity book that every can use, and more! Enjoy my conversation with Steve Torino! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com. Connect with Steve: Steve Torino, Chief Information Security Officer of Synergent synergentcorp.com Steve: LinkedIn Synergent: LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube Book mentioned: Cybersecurity for Everyone by Cathy Olieslaeger

    19 min

  7. 23 JAN

    Secure Tomorrows - Securian Financial

    “Securian holds a steadfast commitment to its customers, partners, and the broader community by honoring its promises and insuring dependable protection.” – Cynthia Billingsley-Smart Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together. My guest on today’s show is Cynthia Billingsley-Smart, Customer Benefit Payments Manager at Securian Financial, whose journey is as inspiring as it is insightful. She has built a career that truly makes an impact, moving from examiner to senior specialist, trainer, auditor, supervisor, and now manager. She discusses what it really means to support credit unions and their members, and Cynthia reflects on Securian's purpose statement to build secure tomorrows. In our conversation, we talk about how Securian guides the way that they deliver protection products that make a measurable difference when members face unexpected challenges, and Cynthia highlights the fact that partnerships and product innovations aren’t just about offerings; the claims experience is where trust is won or lost. Cynthia also discusses leadership, highlighting the mentors who shaped her path and the principles that she carries forward in her own role. As we wrap up the episode, Cynthia talks about her love of designer handbags, New Orleans, and the professional book that she recommends—The Digital Mindset, a book which she calls essential reading for anyone navigating today’s rapidly evolving work environment. If you’re curious about how thoughtful leadership, innovative solutions, and member-first approaches intersect in the credit union world, then you will enjoy my conversation with Cynthia Billingsley-Smart! Securian Financial is the marketing name for Securian Financial Group, Inc., and its subsidiaries. Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com. Connect with Cynthia: Cynthia Billingsley-Smart, Customer Benefit Payments Manager at Securian Financial securian.com Cynthia: LinkedIn Securian Financial: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

    16 min

  8. 9 JAN

    Empathy - Strum

    “To connect with people emotionally is really the key to good work.” – Josh Streufert Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together. My guest on today’s show is Josh Streufert, Principal / Creative Director at Strum. Josh starts off by tracing his own path, which includes childhood dreams of archaeology, a strong Indiana Jones phase, film school, history studies, and eventually saying “yes” to a lot of opportunities that led him into creative leadership. It’s a reminder that most meaningful careers aren’t straight lines but are rather collections of curiosity, timing, and a willingness to try things before you fully know where they’ll lead! In our conversation, Josh and I discuss what Strum does for credit unions and why branding is so much more than just logos and taglines. Josh shares a simple but powerful idea: when products are largely the same, people choose the organization they like best. From there, we get into how storytelling, creativity, and culture shape trust, loyalty, and the overall member experience. A big part of our discussion is also centered around change and burnout, with Josh introducing a mindset shift: moving from being a “gatekeeper” who protects the status quo to a “curator” who actively searches for better answers. He also talks about the concept of an “optimal rate of failure” and why failing occasionally isn’t a weakness but evidence that you’re still growing. As we wrap up the conversation, Josh shares how he manages a work-life balance, what book he would recommend reading, and why he idolizes a former high school teacher! Enjoy my conversation with Josh Streufert! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com. Connect with Josh: Josh Streufert, Principal / Creative Director at Strum strumagency.com Josh: LinkedIn Strum: LinkedIn Book mentioned: Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne Song mentioned: “Take Five” by Dave Brubeck TV series mentioned: The Office

    30 min
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About

Welcome to The CUInsight Network. In each episode we have wide-ranging conversations with thought leaders who support the credit union community. We identify issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices. The goal of The CUInsight Network is to take a deeper dive with people and find the gems we can all learn and grow our credit unions from. Thank you for tuning in. Enjoy!

Information

  • Creator
    CUInsight | Credit Union
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    135
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The CUInsight Network
  • Show Website
    The CUInsight Network

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