Bankadelic: The colorful side of finance Bankadelic: The colorful side of finance

Given how fast things move in our high-tech world, it’s a puzzler why employee paychecks and even direct deposit don’t reach the speed of digital. Nico Simko, Founder & CEO at Clair, explains how his company is establishing itself in a growing niche of fintechs that get workers paid as soon as they clock out—and in the process offer a much-needed alternative to the predatory practices of payday lenders.

Banking too often reinforces an exclusionary narrative where small businesses are underserved, entrepreneurs overlooked and diversity relegated to a checklist. Rodrigo Suarez, the Chief Banking & Innovation Officer at Piermont Bank, explains how his institution is successfully addressing those issues — and making history as the first multiracial Minority Depository Institution in the United States.

Even after several rounds of revolution in technology, call centers still conjure up nightmares of voice mail hell and endless wait times for consumers. Nor is fixing these problems as simple as moving to the cloud or plugging in some AI. Dan Michaeli, the CEO and Co-Founder of Glia, walks us through how to redefine customer interaction and bring support to higher (and previously unattainable) levels.

It’s sobering to think that just one in ten consumers want anything to do with a bank branch anymore. On top of that, loyalty gets spread among many financial institutions and their various products. Sarah Martin, CEO of Pulsate, discusses how she’s putting technology in place that helps community banks and credit unions get a leg up in an ultra-competitive space — all by bringing order and sharp focus to product offerings under one digital roof.

Coming off our interview with Scott Mills of the William Mills Agency, this episode features three contributors to the WMA Bankers as Buyers Report 2024. Monarch President Lee Farabaugh, Aditya Khandekar of Corridor Platforms and Sam Kilmer of Cornerstone Advisors talk about the views and observations they brought to the document, touching on subjects from the ascendancy of digital financial upstarts to what it will take to make AI work for banks.

Certainty used to be a watchword in finance—until the arrival of crypto, VC madness, regulatory stumbles and the fall of Silicon Valley Bank. Jeff Nowicki, the VP of Banking at Treasury Prime, explains how his company is working to create an environment where banks and fintechs can operate with greater confidence and focus.