Finovate Podcast

Finovate Podcast
  • 5.0 (18)
  • Management
  • Updated Biweekly

Finovate showcases cutting-edge banking and financial technology through a global conference series featuring short-form demos and insightful expert takeaways. The Finovate Podcast, hosted by Greg Palmer, carries those conversations and ideas forward, with a concise, interview-based format based on Finovate’s signature 7-minute demos. Guests include leading fintech innovators, bankers, analysts, and more sharing their thoughts and predictions on the future of financial technology.

  1. 4d ago

    Finovate’s own Heather Stowell talks about IMPACT Funders and Founders Forum – a new initiative coming from Finovate this fall in New York.

    In this episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg Palmer sits down with Finovate colleague Heather Stowell to discuss an exciting new initiative launching in New York this year. Heather, who has been instrumental in selecting and preparing demoing companies for the Finovate stage for over a decade, shares details about IMPACT Funders and Founders — a dedicated forum running alongside FinovateFall on September 11th. This new program represents an evolution of successful investor-startup initiatives that Finovate has been testing over the past few years, now expanding into its own standalone event designed to connect early-stage fintech companies with investors including VCs, angels, and private equity firms. The IMPACT forum will feature pre-arranged one-on-one meetings between startups and investors, carefully customized to align with investor portfolio focuses and startup funding needs. Beyond capital raising, the program emphasizes building long-term relationships and facilitating knowledge exchange, with investors sharing insights on pitch decks, scaling strategies, and hiring practices, while startups gain valuable feedback and industry connections. The day will also include curated startup pitch sessions featuring eight hand-selected companies, dedicated content stages with speakers from both the investor and entrepreneur communities, and opportunities for participants to network, creating synergy between the Impact audience and traditional Finovate attendees. Looking ahead, Heather envisions IMPACT filling a critical gap in the market as a fintech-specific investor-startup event, leveraging Finovate's extensive network of past demoing companies and interested investors. The program has already attracted participation from notable organizations including Experian Ventures, Fidelity Investments, and Summit Partners, with success stories ranging from brand-new startups to Finovate alumni returning to raise their next funding rounds. Future plans include expanding mentorship opportunities, enhancing one-on-one experiences, and continuing to serve as a vital resource for the fintech startup ecosystem — all while maintaining the personal relationship-building that has become a hallmark of successful venture capital partnerships. More info: IMPACT Funders and Founders: https://informaconnect.com/impact-funders-founders-forum/ Heather Stowell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherstowell/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/  #Finovate #FinovateFall #IMPACT #Banking #banks #creditunions #VC #founders #startup #investment #innovation #startup #capital #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization

    14 min

  2. Jun 17

    FinovateSpring Best of Show Winner Zengines on shining a light into the black box that is data lineage

    In this episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg Palmer sits down with Caitlyn Truong, CEO and co-founder of Zengines, one of the Best of Show winners from FinovateSpring 2026. Caitlyn shares her journey from software and hardware engineering in the telecom space to consulting in financial services, where she and her co-founders identified a critical gap in data management for legacy systems. The conversation explores how Zengines addresses the challenge of understanding and managing legacy core banking applications written in older programming languages like COBOL, RPG, and PL1. With 92 of the top 100 banks running COBOL mainframe cores and over 50% of credit unions and regional banks using RPG cores, the need for comprehensive data lineage and code intelligence has never been more pressing. The discussion delves into Zengines' unique approach to solving the "black box" problem of legacy applications through contextual code intelligence. Unlike traditional data lineage tools that simply track data pathways, Zengines provides deep context and explainability by ingesting entire code bases and revealing not just what happens to data, but why and how it happens. This capability enables business analysts, data analysts, compliance teams, and technical staff to get answers in seconds rather than waiting days, weeks, or months for subject matter experts. The solution addresses three critical use cases: meeting regulatory compliance requirements, de-risking modernization and transformation initiatives, and ensuring data is AI-ready with the necessary trust and traceability. Caitlyn reflects on the positive reception at Finovate, noting how the Sherlock Holmes-themed presentation effectively communicated the concept of "shining a light into the black box." She emphasizes the immediate impact on end users, who experience dramatically faster response times and comprehensive self-service access to application information. For first-time Finovate participants, Caitlyn recommends maximizing the seven-minute demo by focusing on capturing interest and planting hooks that drive meaningful booth conversations with targeted prospects who share the same pain points. The episode concludes with insights into how Zengines' solution creates ripple effects that ultimately improve the customer experience at financial institutions. More info: Zengines: https://www.zengines.ai/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/zengines/ Caitlyn Truong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlyntruong/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ FinovateSpring: https://informaconnect.com/finovatespring/  #Finovate #FinovateSpring #Banking #banks #creditunions #data #datalineage #corebanking #communitybanks #legacybanking #datamanagement #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization

    18 min

  3. Jun 10

    FinovateSpring Best of Show Winner Clockout on the benefits of earned-wage-access for community FI’s.

    In this episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg Palmer sits down with Juan Jurado-Blanco, Founder and CEO, and Armando Quintana, Chief Revenue Officer of Clockout, a Best of Show winner at FinovateSpring 2026 in San Diego. The conversation explores Clockout's innovative white-labeled earned wage access (EWA) solution designed specifically for community banks and credit unions. With seven in ten Americans living paycheck to paycheck, Clockout addresses a critical financial wellness need by enabling customers to access their earned wages the same day they work, rather than waiting for traditional bi-weekly pay cycles. The platform embeds seamlessly within existing digital banking experiences, integrating with major core providers like Q2, Jack Henry's Banno, and Alchemy, ensuring institutions can offer this service without requiring customers to use standalone apps or third-party accounts. Juan and Armando discuss what sets Clockout apart from competitors in the EWA space, emphasizing their compliance-by-design approach that uses real-time income data rather than AI predictions or analytics to compute available wages. Unlike other solutions that route funds through secured charge cards or intermediary accounts, Clockout advances money directly into customers' existing checking or savings accounts at their primary financial institution. The guests share valuable insights about their journey building partnerships with core banking providers, emphasizing the importance of persistence, relationship-building, and focusing on adding value to the ecosystem rather than pursuing purely transactional arrangements. They explain why community banks and credit unions are the ideal partners for this solution—these institutions have the trust, brand equity, and community focus needed to deliver meaningful financial wellness tools while competing effectively against neobanks like Chime and Dave. Looking toward the future, Juan and Armando paint an ambitious vision where no one banking in the United States has to wait for a paycheck again within the next 18 to 24 months. Beyond simply providing access to earned wages, they envision building infrastructure that allows these funds to work on autopilot for customers' maximum benefit—whether avoiding overdrafts, saving for retirement, investing, or paying off debts to eliminate fees. The ultimate goal is to help families living paycheck to paycheck avoid payday lenders, late fees, and overdraft charges through better cash flow management tools that reduce financial stress. For financial institutions, Clockout aims to provide community banks and credit unions with the technology they need to retain customers and compete head-to-head with fintechs, transforming complaints about losing customers into proactive solutions that strengthen primary banking relationships. More info: Clockout: https://www.joinclockout.com/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinclockout/ Juan Jurado-Blanco: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juan-jurado-blanco-012b58121/ Armando Quintana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armando-quintana-606bb210/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ FinovateSpring: https://informaconnect.com/finovatespring/ #Finovate #FinovateSpring #Banking #banks #creditunions #earnedwageaccess #EWA #payday #communitybanks #paycheck #financialwellness #corebanking #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization

    19 min

  4. Jun 3

    Don’t break while you build: FinovateSpring Best of Show winner Cobalt on the complex world of FI system dependencies

    In this episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg speaks with Oren Buskila, CEO and co-founder of Cobalt, a FinovateSpring 2026 Best of Show winner. Cobalt has developed enterprise architectural intelligence specifically designed for financial institutions, addressing a critical challenge in modern banking: the lack of understanding of complex system dependencies. Banks operate on enormously intricate systems comprising their own code and dozens of third-party vendor applications, yet most institutions don't fully comprehend how these systems interconnect and depend on one another. This knowledge gap leads to significant problems, including development slowness—with banks spending 70% of their IT budgets on maintenance rather than innovation—and costly production failures that can result in millions of dollars in direct and indirect costs when changes are deployed without full visibility into system dependencies. Cobalt's solution automatically maps both IT systems and business processes in real-time by scanning existing data sources including event logs, API logs, code, and database tables. The platform creates a comprehensive topology map that aligns business processes with their underlying technical infrastructure, allowing banks to see exactly which systems support which business functions and understand the full impact of any proposed changes. This "bank on a page" architecture view enables technical teams to anticipate the consequences of modifications before implementation, preventing failures and ensuring safer deployments. The platform maintains a live, continuously updated view of the system architecture by taking frequent snapshots that can be compared to detect changes and investigate issues, a capability that was previously impossible with manual architecture mapping methods. The demo at FinovateSpring resonated strongly with attendees, particularly technical leaders like CIOs and CTOs from medium and large banks who recognized the transformative potential of having complete visibility into their systems. The presentation also attracted significant interest from venture capitalists and leaders from smaller banks and credit unions, the latter group seeing opportunities to introduce agentic AI into their operations by first mapping existing business processes. Looking ahead, Cobalt positions itself as the essential architectural layer for AI-driven development in banking, as the industry moves toward having AI agents generate, maintain, and modify code at unprecedented velocities—a shift that will require the contextual understanding and change management capabilities that Cobalt provides. More info: Cobalt AI: https://www.getcobalt.ai/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/getcobalt/ Oren Buskila: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oren-buskila/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ FinovateSpring: https://informaconnect.com/finovatespring/ #Finovate #FinovateSpring #Banking #banks #creditunions #personalization #data #communitybanks #AI #backoffice #corebanking #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization

    16 min

  5. May 27

    FinovateSpring Best of Show winner Finalytics.AI on data and personalization in community FI’s and beyond.

    In this episode of the Finovate Podcast, host Greg Palmer sits down with Craig McLaughlin (CEO) and Baron Conway (Chief Strategy Officer) of Finalytics.AI to discuss their impressive achievement of winning Best of Show at FinovateSpring for two consecutive years (2025 and 2026). The conversation explores how Finalytics.AI is revolutionizing digital banking by solving a critical challenge faced by community financial institutions: delivering personalized, high-touch experiences through digital channels while leveraging the wealth of customer data these institutions possess. Craig shares the company's origin story, explaining how they recognized that existing third-party platforms weren't adequately addressing the unique needs of financial institutions, leading them to build a specialized solution from the ground up. The discussion delves into Finalytics.AI's recent innovations over the past 12 months, including advanced personalization through learner algorithms, dynamic rates engines, intelligent calculators that indicate high customer intent, and comprehensive full-funnel reporting capabilities. Baron emphasizes how their platform transforms digital and marketing teams from cost centers into profit drivers by providing insights that extend beyond application submissions to actual funding amounts and outcomes. The intelligence layer that Finnalytics.AI provides sits between various point solutions, integrating data from disparate systems to deliver truly personalized experiences across the customer journey—from initial search ad engagement through to product recommendations and conversions. Both executives share valuable insights for fintech founders on approaching different types of financial institutions, emphasizing the importance of patience, relationship-building, and understanding that each organization has unique needs regardless of whether they're credit unions, community banks, or larger institutions. They stress that success in this space requires playing the long game, responding quickly to customer needs, and truly understanding each institution's specific market challenges and business objectives. Looking ahead, Finalytics.AI is focusing on exposing their intelligence layer via APIs to enhance CRM, contact center, and marketing automation tools, while also exploring opportunities in agentic banking to automate processes and enable financial institutions to focus on what they do best: human engagement powered by intelligent data insights. More info: Finalytics: https://finalytics.ai/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finalyticsai/ Craig McLoughlin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mclaughlincraig/ Baron Conway: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baronconway/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ FinovateSpring: https://informaconnect.com/finovatespring/ #Finovate #FinovateSpring #Banking #banks #creditunions #personalization #data #communitybanks #CX #marketing #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization

    19 min

  6. May 22

    FinovateSpring Best of Show winner Crebit on stablecoins, international remittance, and a strong UX

    In this episode of the Finovate Podcast, host Greg Palmer sits down with Jensen Coonradt (CEO) and Simmi Sen (Chief Product Officer), the co-founders of Crebit, fresh off their Best of Show win at FinovateSpring 2026 in San Diego. Jensen and Simmi share their remarkable journey from high school friends meeting at a Bank of America scholarship program to leaving college to pursue Crebit full-time. Jensen brings his impressive background as a top 50 hacker globally and FX trading competition winner, while Simmi contributes her expertise in design and mobile app development, including an Apple WWDC award-winning app. Their complementary skills and shared passion for solving real-world financial problems have positioned Crebit as an innovative force in the cross-border payments space. Crebit is revolutionizing international money transfers by leveraging stablecoin technology to make sending money across borders as simple as sending a text message. The platform operates on a "stablecoin sandwich" method, allowing users to on-ramp funds using local payment methods (like PIX in Brazil, ACH in the US, or BRIBI in Colombia) to USDC stablecoin, which then settles to virtually any currency worldwide within 15 minutes. What sets Crebit apart is their behind-the-scenes approach—users experience seamless fiat-in, fiat-out transactions without needing to be crypto-native, while benefiting from up to 90% cost savings and dramatically faster settlement times compared to traditional cross-border payments. Additionally, Crebit offers innovative rate-locking features through forwards and options for emerging market currencies in LATAM, Africa, and Southeast Asia, where traditional banks struggle to provide such services due to illiquidity. The co-founders discuss their strategic focus on credit unions, a partnership opportunity that emerged from their attendance at FinovateFall 2025, where they connected with institutions like the University of Michigan Credit Union. They recognized that credit unions' member-focused philosophy aligns perfectly with Crebit's mission to serve international students and immigrants who need to convert currency for tuition payments and other expenses. With the recent passage of the Genius Act—the first federal law recognizing stablecoins as regulated money—Crebit is well-positioned to help credit unions and other financial institutions develop their stablecoin strategies. The company is currently piloting solutions with multiple credit unions and expanding their currency coverage while also maintaining their direct-to-consumer platform that originally helped international students with tuition and rent payments. More info: Crebit: https://www.crebitpay.com/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/crebit-pay/ Jensen Coonradt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcoonradt/ Simmi Sen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simmi-sen/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ FinovateSpring: https://informaconnect.com/finovatespring/  #Finovate #FinovateSpring #Banking #banks #creditunions #FX #remittance #stablecoins #payments #cx #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization

    17 min

  7. Apr 29

    ROI and AI – thoughts on making sure you’re getting the most out of your AI strategy.

    In this episode, Greg sits down with Melissa Solis, CEO of Inbenta, to discuss the evolving role of artificial intelligence in the banking industry. Melissa shares her impressive personal journey leading to her current role at Inbenta, a company focused on leveraging AI to transform financial services. She highlights the massive investments banks are making in AI, projected to reach $45.6 billion in 2024, and the challenges they face in achieving meaningful ROI due to issues like inconsistent data and the lack of explainable AI models. Melissa delves into the critical importance of addressing the "data problem" in AI implementation, emphasizing that banks do not need to overhaul their systems but instead adopt a "knowledge-first architecture." She explains Inbenta’s four-stage approach—intelligent ingestion, knowledge engineering, advanced AI orchestration, and governed responses—that enables banks to build on existing systems while ensuring transparency and compliance. By focusing on structured data and explainable AI, banks can reduce costs, improve customer satisfaction, and meet regulatory requirements, avoiding the risks of "black box" decision-making and compliance penalties. The conversation also explores the customer-facing side of AI, where Melissa outlines best practices for deploying virtual assistants, live agent support, and enterprise search tools to enhance customer experience. She stresses the importance of personalization, real-time problem-solving, and integrating AI with existing systems to deliver consistent, human-like interactions. Melissa concludes by urging banks to act quickly but wisely, as the cost of inaction or poor implementation can lead to lost customers and competitive disadvantages. This episode offers valuable insights for financial institutions navigating the complexities of AI adoption in a rapidly evolving landscape. More info: Inbenta: https://www.inbenta.com/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/inbenta/ Melissa Solis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-solis-3532302a/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ FinovateSpring: https://informaconnect.com/finovatespring/  #Finovate #FinovateSpring #Banking #banks #ai #aistrategy #payments #cx #credit #lending #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization

    20 min

  8. Apr 23

    Cannabis banking – balancing risk and opportunity

    In this episode, host Greg Palmer dives into the complexities and opportunities of cannabis banking with guests Stacy Litke, VP of Banking Services at Green Check, and Megan Bennett, Manager of Marijuana Related Business at Wright-Patt Credit Union. The discussion begins with an overview of the challenges financial institutions face when engaging with cannabis-related businesses, particularly the disconnect between federal and state laws. While cannabis is legal in many states, it remains federally illegal, creating significant compliance and operational hurdles for financial institutions. Both guests highlight the importance of understanding the industry, managing risk tolerance, and navigating regulatory requirements, such as enhanced due diligence and ongoing reporting obligations. The conversation then shifts to the immense growth and potential of the cannabis industry, which generated $30 billion in sales last year and continues to expand as more states legalize cannabis. Stacy and Megan discuss the opportunities for financial institutions to support both direct cannabis businesses, such as dispensaries and cultivators, and indirect businesses, like service providers and payroll companies. They emphasize the importance of partnerships between financial institutions and fintech companies, such as the collaboration between Green Check and WPCU, which has enabled efficient program management and compliance monitoring. Green Check’s technology plays a pivotal role in ensuring that deposits align with state-legal sales and regulatory requirements, providing financial institutions with the tools to manage risk effectively. The episode concludes with advice for financial institutions considering partnerships with fintech companies. Megan stresses the importance of thorough research, asking tough questions, and understanding the long-term dynamics of the partnership. She highlights the value of working with fintechs like Green Check, which prioritize collaboration, customer service, and continuous improvement. Both guests underscore the broader implications of cannabis banking, noting that financial institutions already working with high-risk industries may find the transition to cannabis banking less daunting. The episode provides valuable insights for financial institutions and fintechs looking to navigate this emerging and lucrative market. More info: WPCU: https://www.wpcu.coop/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/wright-patt-credit-union/ Green Check: https://greencheckverified.com/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-check-inc/ Megan Bennett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-bennett-cams-acbp-/ Stacy Litke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacy-litke-2247195/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ FinovateSpring: https://informaconnect.com/finovatespring/ #Finovate #FinovateSpring #Banking #banks #cannabis #cannabisbanking #payments #compliance #credit #lending #digitaladoption #cx #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization

    20 min
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5
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

Finovate showcases cutting-edge banking and financial technology through a global conference series featuring short-form demos and insightful expert takeaways. The Finovate Podcast, hosted by Greg Palmer, carries those conversations and ideas forward, with a concise, interview-based format based on Finovate’s signature 7-minute demos. Guests include leading fintech innovators, bankers, analysts, and more sharing their thoughts and predictions on the future of financial technology.

Information

  • Creator
    Finovate Podcast
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    299
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Finovate Podcast
  • Show Website
    Finovate Podcast

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