Main Street AI

Multimodal
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"Main Street AI" is an immersive content series probing the intricate intersection of humanity and artificial intelligence in the world of business and high-stakes industries. Journey with us into stories of challenge and triumph of innovators navigating their unique industry mazes, and of the transformative power of AI seamlessly merging into these narratives. Think of it as "Masters of Scale" but customized for visionaries, pioneers, and enthusiasts in the ever-evolving AI-for-business space.

  1. 4d ago

    Why the 2nd Biggest Credit Union Is Conservative on AI

    Ankur Patel interviews Phil Caputo, Executive Vice President & Director of the Enterprise Project Management Office at State Employees' Credit Union. 📩 Subscribe to the Main Street AI Newsletter: https://multimodal.beehiiv.com/subscribe?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=podcast Phil runs the EPMO at SECU — the second-largest credit union in the US, nearly 3 million members, $60 billion in assets, on a core system older than many of its members. He makes the operator's case for being deliberately conservative on AI: why a late mover with a loyal, member-service-first base can afford to learn from others' pitfalls, how he separates real strategy from a wall of projects, and where AI does and doesn't earn a seat — governance and member service in, autonomous decisions out. Guest: Phil Caputo, Director of the Enterprise Project Management Office, State Employees' Credit Union Host: Ankur Patel, CEO & Founder, Multimodal 0:00 Introduction: Meet Phil 0:43 What Phil walked into: a $60B credit union with no project governance 2:12 Building structure and who pushes back hardest 3:28 The missing middle: strategy between goals and projects 5:31 Going from big idea to real outcome: the digital overhaul 8:00 How governance and execution actually work at SECU 9:00 Post-implementation reviews and the rewards-card example 10:03 KPIs that measure outcomes, not activity 11:51 Buy versus build 15:02 AI as the next level of integration 15:59 When is a conservative AI policy grounded versus behind 18:34 Lessons from being conservative on prior technologies 23:58 What actually motivates SECU to move 25:13 Discovery: member requests, advisory boards, and tech debt 27:00 Recurring themes for improving member satisfaction 28:47 Which parts of the digital experience needed the most work 31:06 Unifying channels into one member experience 32:35 The members SECU has been missing 33:19 Where AI could materially improve member experience in three years 35:09 Closing

    36 min

  2. Jun 23

    How CUSOs Let Credit Unions Compete on AI

    Ankur Patel interviews Randy Salser, President & CEO of NACUSO. 📩 Subscribe to the Main Street AI Newsletter: https://multimodal.beehiiv.com/subscribe?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=podcast Randy explains how the CUSO model empowers credit unions to compete on AI and stablecoin — how shared service organizations give a $500M institution a seat at the table next to JPMorgan, why the arbitrary 1% investment capital cap is the fight on Capitol Hill, and why AI adoption is a culture project led from the executive suite, not an IT project. Guest: Randy Salser, President & CEO, NACUSO Host: Ankur Patel, CEO & Founder, Multimodal 0:00 Introduction: Meet Randy 0:44 How Randy ended up running NACUSO 2:10 Mapping the credit union, CUSO, and NACUSO model 5:09 How CUSOs work and the seat at the table they buy 10:34 Legacy tech stacks and the integration problem 12:51 The friction NACUSO is trying to solve: the 1% cap 13:51 Stablecoin, the Genius Act, and the capital cap fight 16:35 Why advocacy matters for small credit unions 18:38 What's actually blocking credit unions on AI 26:24 Why stablecoin has to flow through CUSOs 29:22 The cultural move before AI works technically 33:17 The fintech threat: credit unions reduced to back-end 37:46 What success looks like for NACUSO in 5-10 years 38:51 Closing

    40 min

  3. Jun 16

    What Lawyers See Before Credit Union AI Deals Go Wrong

    Ankur Patel interviews Michael Heller, Associate Attorney at Messick Lauer & Smith.📩 Subscribe to the Main Street AI Newsletter: https://multimodal.beehiiv.com/subscribe?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=podcastMichael Heller is an Associate Attorney at Messick Lauer & Smith, where he focuses on vendor management, technology contracts, due diligence, and fintech partnerships for credit unions and CUSOs.Guest: Michael Heller, Associate Attorney, Messick Lauer & SmithHost: Ankur Patel, CEO & Founder, Multimodal0:00 Introduction0:42 How Michael started in vendor management for CUs2:56 Credit unions, CUSOs, and where fintechs fit in4:14 The nature of the deals: vendor, M&A, and CUSO formation5:32 Where credit union and tech vendor deals actually go wrong7:39 Regulated stability vs. move-fast disruption9:26 Honeymooning and the seeds of discontent12:16 Why agentic AI deals are harder than traditional software14:53 Clear exit pathways and a robust change management process16:32 Indemnification, liability caps, audit rights17:58 Building a risk framework20:00 Tricks of the trade24:13 Setting up a long-term partnership and allocating risk25:00 AI in credit decisioning: who holds the liability?26:13 You can't outsource risk27:44 AI as a tool: the human in the loop stays on the hook29:44 State vs. federal AI regulation31:16 Right-sizing AI adoption for smaller credit unions34:17 How AI is reshaping the legal profession37:08 Why lawyers are a shield and the cost of getting it wrong38:14 What a credit union that gets this right looks like in 2-3 years40:08 Closing

    41 min

  4. Jun 9

    Why This CU Rebuilt Its Entire Digital Front Door

    Ankur Patel interviews Courtney Rowan, SVP and Chief Digital and Transformation Officer at Citadel Credit Union. Courtney has spent 27 years watching digital go from a side project to the only front door, and she brings the rare full-arc operator perspective on what it takes to make that shift work. She breaks down the non-documentary onboarding rebuild that lifted funnel conversion 212%, the CDP/CXP stack overhaul behind true member individualization, and the three-pillar AI steering committee setting Citadel's strategy.📩 Subscribe to the Main Street AI Newsletter: https://multimodal.beehiiv.com/subscribe?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=podcastGuest: Courtney Rowan, SVP and Chief Digital and Transformation Officer, Citadel Credit UnionHost: Ankur Patel, CEO & Founder, Multimodal0:00 Introduction: Meet Courtney0:55 What Courtney owns at Citadel1:54 Digital evolution: from side project to the front door5:00 Rewiring piecemeal digital channels so AI can be excellent7:51 One continuous experience across every channel10:04 What a charter expansion actually involves13:07 Onboarding with no branch: human-led, digitally enabled18:07 The fintech onboarding playbook19:46 The results: 212% funnel conversion and more21:35 Gen Z, values, and why credit unions get stuck25:15 Lots of data, no unified brain: building a CDP and CXP28:00 Don't drive a Porsche like a Ford31:13 Standing up an AI innovation steering committee32:52 Governance, education, enablement36:18 Adopting AI individual by individual37:57 AI as copilot, not a layoff plan39:02 Separating AI marketing hype from reality41:03 How Citadel employees use AI today44:15 Working with incumbent and new AI vendors46:58 The 3-5 year vision: banking that feels effortless48:55 Closing

    50 min

  5. Jun 2

    How LMCU Cut a 150-Step Process to 15 with AI

    Ankur Patel interviews Chris Ortega, who leads technology transformation at Lake Michigan Credit Union, a $17B asset institution and the 13th largest credit union in the US. What's distinct about Chris's approach is that he restructures how the organization operates before deploying the tools — agile teams, a Center of Excellence, and a single Emerging Technology Governance Board that owns AI, RPA, and stablecoin. The episode covers how that structure was built, where RPA vs. agentic AI is the right call, and the cost discipline that keeps emerging tech from running away from the institution.📩 Subscribe to the Main Street AI Newsletter: https://multimodal.beehiiv.com/subscribe?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=podcastGuest: Chris Ortega, CIO, Lake Michigan Credit UnionHost: Ankur Patel, CEO & Founder, Multimodal0:00 Introduction: Meet Chris Ortega0:32 Stabilizing the IT landscape at LMCU1:40 Inside a top credit union3:23 Building conviction for transformation5:20 The Center of Excellence and the three C's7:43 What surprised him about emerging tech9:31 Where traditional project management falls short11:25 Why agile fits today's pace14:06 One committee for AI, stablecoin, and whatever comes next15:53 From planning to execution to ROI18:33 Closing the gap between business and engineering22:09 Building trust through real back-and-forth24:35 Why remote teams are an asset, done right26:44 What smaller credit unions can take away29:20 Pick your tech, then match your partners to it33:25 Where agentic AI is showing up35:45 The HUMDA win: 150 steps cut to 1536:56 Mortgage, the call center, fraud, and audit38:51 The token-bill trap40:46 RPA vs. agentic AI44:13 AI bootcamps, lunch and learns, and Co-Pilot48:42 Star Trek, not Terminator

    50 min

  6. May 28

    UKFCU's Change Agenda: New Mortgage Dept, Zest AI, First Merger

    Ankur Patel interviews Lisa Highley, Chief Lending Officer at University of Kentucky Federal Credit Union (UKFCU). They chat about the credit union's new mortgage department, a rebuilt commercial lending operation, Zest AI live in consumer lending, GLIA live in the call center, and the institution's first merger.📩 Subscribe to the Main Street AI Newsletter: https://multimodal.beehiiv.com/subscribe?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=podcastGuest: Lisa Highley, Chief Lending Officer, University of Kentucky FCUHost: Ankur Patel, CEO & Founder, Multimodal0:00 Introduction: Meet Lisa Highley1:03 UKFCU at $1.75B and the full lending portfolio2:30 Why the change agenda4:01 Diversifying out of indirect auto and home equity dependence5:46 Branch referrals driving the new mortgage department7:05 Build vs. buy9:04 What Empower automates in mortgage origination13:02 Document review pain still left for AI to solve17:13 How many hours a mortgage file still takes today18:27 Staying competitive in indirect auto22:00 Where software actually helps24:52 Why same-day funding matters to dealers25:57 Zest AI rollout, year-one goals, six-month review29:04 How UKFCU decides what Zest can auto-approve32:11 GLIA on day two33:30 Reducing after-hours call support by 70%34:30 Voluntary staff repurposing, not layoffs35:43 The case for AI close to the member37:03 Lessons from UKFCU's first merger40:17 Two-to-three-year vision

    42 min

  7. May 22

    How Capital Credit Union Uses AI in Marketing: From Strategy to Adoption

    Ankur talks with Steve Zich, Chief Marketing Officer at Capital Credit Union in Green Bay, Wisconsin, about an operator's playbook on deploying AI in the marketing department. The conversation goes deep on personalization done right (vs. creepy), competing with big banks and fintechs on community rather than spend, and the team-level mindset shift that makes AI adoption stick.📩 Subscribe to the Main Street AI Newsletter: https://multimodal.beehiiv.com/subscribe?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=podcastGuest: Steve Zich, Chief Marketing Officer, Capital Credit UnionHost: Ankur Patel, CEO & Founder, Multimodal00:00 Intro00:38 What a credit union marketing operation actually owns01:34 Filtering AI signal from marketing theater — Steve's three filters05:06 Differentiating brand voice in a world driven by AI07:56 Rolling out Jasper12:56 Measuring ROI14:29 Content cannibalization16:45 What good personalization actually feels like21:49 Personal vs. creepy — drawing the line in member outreach24:34 Competing with big banks and fintechs on community + data33:17 The fear narrative around AI38:57 Why generations are shrinking40:23 Closing

    41 min

  8. May 19

    How Wescom Lifted First Contact Resolution by 34% with Copilot

    Ankur Patel interviews Hashim Forrester, SVP of Remote Service Delivery at Wescom Financial — one of the largest credit unions in Southern California. Hashim brings three decades of operations and service delivery experience, and his team has become the trailblazers for AI adoption at Wescom — running Copilot in production, deploying intelligent virtual assistants on the phone system, and building out AI-driven quality assurance.📩 Subscribe to the Main Street AI Newsletter: https://multimodal.beehiiv.com/subscribe?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=podcastGuest: Hashim Forrester, SVP of Remote Service Delivery, Wescom FinancialHost: Ankur Patel, CEO & Founder, Multimodal0:00 Introduction: Meet Hashim Forrester1:02 Inside Wescom's remote service delivery1:54 From single-channel to omnichannel banking3:52 Volume across channels: 1M+ inbound calls5:01 The Anywhere Branch7:46 Omnichannel's knowledge problem10:56 Rolling out Copilot14:54 Why the first Copilot launch failed17:25 Where Copilot ends and member data begins20:46 Three years of intelligent virtual assistants24:46 Moving QA from random sampling to 100% coverage27:48 Prioritizing AI use cases: member-first, not tech-first30:06 Build vs. buy35:27 Driving real ROI39:04 Closing the AI adoption gap44:06 The future: agentic AI, but with humans in the driver's seat

    28 min
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About

"Main Street AI" is an immersive content series probing the intricate intersection of humanity and artificial intelligence in the world of business and high-stakes industries. Journey with us into stories of challenge and triumph of innovators navigating their unique industry mazes, and of the transformative power of AI seamlessly merging into these narratives. Think of it as "Masters of Scale" but customized for visionaries, pioneers, and enthusiasts in the ever-evolving AI-for-business space.

Information

  • Creator
    Multimodal
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    91
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Multimodal
  • Show Website
    Main Street AI