BIGcast

Best Innovation Group's John Best & 154 Advisors' Glen Sarvady

The fintech industry is evolving rapidly, and the BIGcast is here to delve into its impact on the credit union industry. Our esteemed guests from across the financial, technology and security sectors will provide thrilling perspectives on the latest fintech innovations that are poised to revolutionize the way we handle our finances. Each week join thought-leader, John Best and subject matter expert, Glen Sarvady as they take a quick dive into the financial industry's current breakthroughs and latest hot topics.

  1. 3h ago

    Solving for X: From Tweets to Transactions

    Industry veteran Lou Grilli joins Glen to follow the (X) money and his quest to claim some very enticing rewards. Also- the stunning yet too familiar story of a high-flying bank's demise, and bidding farewell to the CU Town Hall.   Links related to this episode:   The ongoing story of Ueno Bank's failure and how it brought down Paraguay's president: https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/how-digital-banks-collapse-toppled-paraguays-president-2026-11-08/    "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York" (97% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes): https://www.tiff.net/films/the-only-living-pickpocket-in-new-york    Last week's episode, featuring interviews with LexisNexis Risk solutions on their True Cost of Fraud study, and with the leaders of Paze and Early Warning Services: https://www.big-fintech.com/the-true-cost-of-fraud-and-the-race-to-stop-it/   Be sure to say hi to Glen if you're headed to VentureTech, November 16-18 in Fort Worth, Texas: https://myventuretech.com/      Please make plans to join us for our 150th and final CU Town Hall on Wednesday December 2 at 3pm ET/Noon PT. These lively, interactive sessions began in the early days of pandemic lockdowns to help credit union leaders navigate an unprecedented set of challenges. The hour-long meetings have since morphed to address a variety of challenges in our ever-changing landscape. Good things come to an end, but we're planning something special for the sign-off. It's free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/    Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/  https://www.linkedin.com/n/glensarvady/

    Solving for X: From Tweets to Transactions
  2. Nov 5

    The True Cost of Fraud, and the Race to Stop It

    Our second batch of interviews from Money 20/20 features LexisNexis Risk Solutions' Global Head of Fraud/Identity Kimberly Sutherland on its True Cost of Fraud study, and Serge Elkiner and Eric Hoffman (of Paze/Early Warning Services) on Paze's holiday sprint. Also- a (partial) rethink on the value of prediction markets, and the return of the Fintech Film Club.      Links related to this episode:   LexisNexis' True Cost of Fraud study: https://risk.lexisnexis.com/insights-resources/research/us-ca-true-cost-of-fraud-study  Paze: https://www.paze.com/ Early Warning Services: https://www.earlywarning.com/ Money 20/20 USA's first look at the 2027 experience at its new home: https://us.money2020.com/money2020-new-home    Glen's blog on the return of trust to center stage: https://www.big-fintech.com/agentic-concerns-return-trust-to-the-forefront-money-20-20-reflections-pt-1/    Our next stop on the conference circuit- VentureTech, November 16-18 in Fort Worth, Texas: https://myventuretech.com/      Please make plans to join us for our 150th and final CU Town Hall on Wednesday December 2 at 3pm ET/Noon PT. These lively, interactive sessions began in the early days of pandemic lockdowns to help credit union leaders collaborate to navigate an unprecedented set of challenges. We've since morphed to address a variety of other challenges in our ever-changing landscape. Good things come to an end, but we plan to sign off with something special. It's free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/  Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/  https://www.linkedin.com/n/glensarvady/

    The True Cost of Fraud, and the Race to Stop It
  3. Oct 28

    A Farewell to Venice…

    Back from Las Vegas, Glen shares interviews with Money 20/20 President Tracey Davies and World Gold Council CEO David Tait (about the trade organization's Digital Gold initiative), both recorded onsite at the conference's Venetian swansong. Also- FIS doubles down on trust, and back to the drawing board on debit interchange.      Links related to this episode:   The World Gold Council's Digital Gold page: https://www.gold.org/gold-as-a-service  (plus check out the home page for an Elton John film! https://www.gold.org/ )   Money 20/20's 2026 Show Highlights page: https://us.money2020.com/experience/highlights    Glen's blog on trust's return to center stage: https://www.big-fintech.com/agentic-concerns-return-trust-to-the-forefront-money-20-20-reflections-pt-1/    FIS CEO Stephanie Ferris discusses her take on AI and trust (20 minute video): https://evidentinsights.com/events/evident-ai-symposium-new-york-2026?tab=sessions    America's Credit Unions on the debit fee cap court ruling: https://www.americascreditunions.org/news-media/news/court-rules-fed-must-re-write-debit-interchange-fee-cap    Glen's 2023 blog defining Money 20/20's eras through promo t-shirts: https://www.big-fintech.com/the-history-of-money-20-20-in-three-t-shirts/    Our next stop on the conference circuit- VentureTech, November 16-18 in Fort Worth, Texas: https://myventuretech.com/      We recently held a very productive semi-annual in-person meeting of the Innovation Club- a curated group of credit union tech, data and strategy leaders. We also meet virtually each month to extend R&D budgets by collaborating on tangible solutions to real world challenges. Sound like your kind of thing? See if you're a fit and if so, request a guest pass to an upcoming session: https://www.big-fintech.com/innovation-club/  Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/  https://www.linkedin.com/n/glensarvady/

    A Farewell to Venice…
  4. Oct 22

    Adapting to Agents, Plugging into Problem Solving

    Glen speaks with Tony Hernandez about the power of CU Unplugged's "un-conference" model, why he couldn't wait a full year to rev up its collaborative engine again, and how a BOGGSAT can deliver impressive results. Fresh from the Innovation Club, Velir's Cory Caplette and Josh Hover share insights on retooling websites for agentic traffic, the risk of "AI invisibility," and the offsetting opportunity to gain mindshare. Also- X Money expands (but leans on the fine print).       Links related to this episode:   CU Unplugged, November 18-20 in Fort Worth, Texas: https://www.cu-unplugged.com/     VentureTech, November 16-18 at the same site: https://myventuretech.com/ (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE for those attending both events)   Velir x Brooklyn Data: https://www.velir.com/   Our recent interviews with Finovate standouts Go.AI https://www.big-fintech.com/a-fintech-by-any-other-name-2/ and Tweezr https://www.big-fintech.com/putting-an-accent-on-identity-code-modernization-and-fraud/ as discussed at BIG's recent Innovation Club.    Also, both startups' 7-minute demo videos: https://finovate.com/videos/finovatefall-2026-go-ai/ https://finovate.com/videos/finovatefall-2026-tweezr/      We recently held a very productive semi-annual in-person meeting of the Innovation Club- a curated group of credit union tech, data and strategy leaders. We also meet virtually each month to extend R&D budgets by collaborating on tangible solutions to real world challenges. Sound like your kind of thing? See if you're a fit and if so, request a guest pass to an upcoming session: https://www.big-fintech.com/innovation-club/

    Adapting to Agents, Plugging into Problem Solving
  5. Oct 15

    Venturing West to Lasso the Latest Tech

    Glen does his best to corral VentureTech co-founders Jenny Jackson and Nick Evens, who offer a preview of this year's credit union/fintech throwdown, its move (slightly) west, its mission to introduce the latest wave of solutions to CU leaders, and an alliance with another outside the box industry event. Also- Jamie puts Muse in a corner, the CFTC tries Dodd-Frank as a path to crypto clarity, and news of an unexpected SEC/Big Ten merger.       Links related to this episode:   VentureTech, November 16-18 in Fort Worth, Texas: https://myventuretech.com/    CU Unplugged, November 18-20 at the same site: https://www.cu-unplugged.com/  (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE for those attending both events)   Jamie Dimon on Chase's approach to internal/external AI agents:  https://www.pymnts.com/cryptocurrency/2026/cftc-build-federal-rulebook-crypto-exchanges-after-clarity-act-fails/    American Express' agentic commerce framework: https://www.digitaltransactions.net/amexs-next-step-for-agentic-commerce-is-a-framework-forters-agentic-verification-move/    Our recent interview with Allon Advisors' Dan Murphy on the intersection between Agentic AI and Open Banking:  https://www.big-fintech.com/agentic-ai-everywhere-all-the-time/    The CFTC's proposed regulatory framework for crypto exchanges: https://www.pymnts.com/cryptocurrency/2026/cftc-build-federal-rulebook-crypto-exchanges-after-clarity-act-fails/    The OCC's report on "debanking activities" at the nine largest US national banks: https://www.occ.gov/news-issuances/news-releases/2026/nr-occ-2026-90.html    CU Daily on the MSUFCU/University Federal Credit Union merger: https://thecudaily.com/two-well-known-cus-serving-universities-announce-plans-to-merge-to-create-13b-credit-union/    Fiserv's crypto platform rollout: https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/fiserv-north-dakota-stablecoin-system-digital-asset/831901/         We just completed a very productive semi-annual in-person meeting of the Innovation Club- a curated group of credit union tech, data and strategy leaders. We also meet virtually each month to extend R&D budgets and collaborate on tangible solutions to real world challenges. See if you're a fit and if so, request a guest pass to an upcoming session: https://www.big-fintech.com/innovation-club/    Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/  https://www.linkedin.com/n/glensarvady/

    Venturing West to Lasso the Latest Tech
  6. Oct 7

    Agentic AI Everywhere All At Once

    Glen interviews Fintech Sandbox co-founder Sarah Biller about agentic AI's "leapfrog moment," and Allon Advisors' Dan Murphy offers a perspective on how agentic AI could reset the entire Open Banking debate. Also- dispatches from the Atlanta and Boston Fintech Weeks, and a preview of industry events still on the fall docket.   Links related to this episode:   Allon Advisors: https://www.allonadvisors.com/    Fintech Sandbox: https://www.fintechsandbox.org/    Atlanta Fintech Week: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atlanta-fintech-week/posts/    DC Fintech Week October 13-16: https://dcfintechweek.org/    VentureTech, November 16-18 in Fort Worth, Texas: https://myventuretech.com/     FinovateFall's 72 demo videos are now available: https://finovate.com//videos/    Part 2 of our FinovateFall coverage, including Glen's Best of Show ballot and an interview with Go.AI, which recently completed an $85 million Series A funding round: https://www.big-fintech.com/a-fintech-by-any-other-name-2/    Go.AI's press release regarding its Series A funding: https://go.ai/company/press/series-a-funding  VentureTech, November 16-18 in Fort Worth, Texas: https://myventuretech.com/  followed immediately by CU Unplugged at the same venue: https://www.cu-unplugged.com/     Check out the Innovation Club- a curated group of credit union tech, data and strategy leaders that meets virtually each month- and twice a year in person- to extend R&D budgets and collaborate on tangible solutions to real world challenges. See if you're a fit and if so, request a guest pass to an upcoming meeting: https://www.big-fintech.com/innovation-club/    Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/  https://www.linkedin.com/n/glensarvady/

    Agentic AI Everywhere All At Once
  7. Sep 22

    A Fintech by Any Other Name…

    Our second wave of Finovate coverage includes interviews with two more standout first-time presenters: Go.AI and Young Early Starters. Also- Glen's Best of Show ballot, the emergence of the fourth channel, an appeal to protect the seed corn, and pondering the Maya Conundrum.   Links related to this episode:   Young Early Starters: https://www.youngearlystarters.com/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-marpole-bird/    Go AI: https://go.ai/     https://www.linkedin.com/company/hello-go-ai/   Last week's episode, including interviews with Goodbuy, Finzee AI and Doshi: https://www.big-fintech.com/drinking-from-the-finovate-firehose/    Our interview with Best of Show winner Tweezr from Finovate Europe:  https://www.big-fintech.com/putting-an-accent-on-identity-code-modernization-and-fraud/  Our recent CU Town Hall featuring Anthony Volpe, Co-Founder of CUltivate: https://www.big-fintech.com/cu-town-hall-episode-149-anthony-volpe-co-founder-of-cultivate-al/   Finovate's announcement of Fall Best of Show winners: https://finovate.com/finovatefall-2026-best-of-show-winners-announced/      Check out the Innovation Club- a curated group of credit union tech, data and strategy leaders that meets virtually each month- and twice a year in person- to extend R&D budgets and collaborate on tangible solutions to real world challenges. See if you're a fit and if so, request a guest pass to an upcoming meeting: https://www.big-fintech.com/innovation-club/    Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/  https://www.linkedin.com/n/glensarvady/

    A Fintech by Any Other Name…
  8. Sep 15

    Drinking from the Finovate Firehose

    Just back from Finovate, Glen shares interviews with the founders of three standout first-timers: Goodbuy, FinZee AI and Doshi. Also- Best of Show winners, explainable friction, Chime banks up, and more AI than you can shake an agent at.    Links related to this episode:   Goodbuy: https://www.trygoodbuy.com/    FinZee AI: https://finzeeai.com/    Doshi: https://www.doshi.app/    Doshi's study of AI model error rates on financial queries (the top model was wrong 19% of the time!):  https://www.conductbenchmark.com/    Tweezr episode: https://www.big-fintech.com/putting-an-accent-on-identity-code-modernization-and-fraud/    Finovate's announcement of Fall Best of Show winners: https://finovate.com/finovatefall-2026-best-of-show-winners-announced/    Banking Dive's take on Chime's acquisition of a bank: https://www.bankingdive.com/news/chime-buys-stride-bank-590m-acquisition-fintech/829857/     OpenAI's new financial services specific ChatGPT offering:  https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-financial-services/      Mark your calendar to join us Wednesday September 16 at 3pm ET/Noon PT for our next CU Town Hall- a live, lively and interactive discussion of the big issues confronting CU leaders. This month's session features CUltivate AI co-founder Anthony Volpe, making the case for CU owned and curated AI, and sharing learnings from CUltivate's in-flight beta.  The Town Hall is free to attend, but advance registration is required. Come prepared for an engaging discussion!  https://www.cutownhall.com/    Check out the Innovation Club- a curated group of credit union tech, data and strategy leaders that meets virtually each month- and twice a year in person- to extend R&D budgets and collaborate on tangible solutions to real world challenges. See if you're a fit and if so, request a guest pass to an upcoming meeting: https://www.big-fintech.com/innovation-club/    Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/  https://www.linkedin.com/n/glensarvady/

    Drinking from the Finovate Firehose
4.8
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

The fintech industry is evolving rapidly, and the BIGcast is here to delve into its impact on the credit union industry. Our esteemed guests from across the financial, technology and security sectors will provide thrilling perspectives on the latest fintech innovations that are poised to revolutionize the way we handle our finances. Each week join thought-leader, John Best and subject matter expert, Glen Sarvady as they take a quick dive into the financial industry's current breakthroughs and latest hot topics.

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