Episodes

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    This week on Breaking Banks, we feature an episode from sister podcast EMERGE Everywhere.



    Is artificial intelligence the key to providing personalized financial advice for all? While companies like Credit Karma are tapping into AI’s vast potential to help customers manage their money, the technology also raises weighty questions about how to use it responsibly. In this episode, Jennifer Tescher, host of EMERGE Everywhere speaks with Credit Karma CEO Ken Lin about how the company has embedded AI into its solutions, the biggest opportunities and challenges right now, and what an AI-enabled future might look like.

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    This week, Jason Henrich connects with Mary Wisniewski to talk about her new podcast, Money Isn't Everything, which will explore unconventional ideas and strategies within the financial services sector.  In her biweekly podcast Mary will tap into her passion for uncovering counterintuitive concepts, sharing stories and looking at complexities, gaps and opportunities in our market with focus on the role banks and credit unions play in driving and improving outcomes,



    The first episode of Money Isn't Everything airs 4/18, catch it on Apple, Spotify or the Cornerstone Advisors website.




    https://youtu.be/3PsqPUDBmO8

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    Giving credit when credit is due is always appreciated and a good thing to do. In this case, it is also a solid base for a fintech, one that is socially responsible and financially inclusive. Meet Kashable's Co-Founder and CEO, Einat Steklov, as she speaks with host Brett King about Kashable making its mark in financial services with low cost loans for employees, those with low or no credit scores. With its data models and ability to create new risk profiles and open up access to credit, Kashable underwrites consumers for unsecured loans based to a large extent on employment information. With Kashable's ability to offer access to low cost credit, economic mobility, as an employee benefit with easy repayment -- embedded financing -- everyone benefits.



    Then, Breaking Banks is delighted to introduce Social Currency, Provoke.fm's latest podcast powered by Sunrise Banks that will introduce you to some of the most innovative changemakers in finance, tech and ESG, and how they are dismantling barriers and reshaping their industries for a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable future. Spotlighting those at the forefront of positive change through social entrepreneurship, Social Currency unveils the stories behind the revolution that is propelling us toward a world where everyone has equitable access to opportunities. In the first episode, Ahead of the Curve, Strategic Foresight, Tyler Seydel, Chief FinTech Officer at Sunrise Banks and co-host Eric Schurr, Chief Strategy Officer, Sunrise Banks and certified practitioner in strategic foresight, get into just that, Strategic Foresight, how organization can solve market opportunity challenges using provocative questions to look at future challenges in new ways, reimaging opportunities. A planning oriented discipline related to futures studies, you'll be surprised as new tools and this new way of future thinking begins to infiltrate projects and everyday work.




    https://youtu.be/B0iLiO6Sy54

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    SXSW is a safari to the future according to Todder Moning, Lead Futurist at U.S. Bank. But, as Mike Bechtell, Chief Futurist at Deloitte, pointed out in his Fintech House fireside last year: futurists are always wrong.



    Why attempt to predict the future if you are likely to be wrong?



    This year Todder and Eric Schurr, Chief Strategy Officer at Sunrise Banks and host of the Social Currency podcast at Provoke.fm, have a fireside chat with Dara Tarkowski, Founder of Actuate Law and host of the Tech on Reg podcast, about which rules to break and which to keep when thinking about the future. From large bank to small, both use the tools of Foresight to gain a competitive advantage when thinking about a future, even when it is likely wrong. Listen in to learn how to break out of your current mindset and preconceptions, including Todder's favorite: Future Safaris.




    https://youtu.be/VJ5OvH-f-00

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    What happens when two financial futurists get together? They chat about money of the future and related topics worthy of debate.



    This week, host Brett King connects with Chris Skinner, author, influencer, The Finanser blogger, and advisor to leading organizations, governments and firms across the world to talk about Chris' new book, Intelligent Money, due out this summer. Lots of great banter and thought provoking discussion as they look at cross border payments, smart wallets / super wallets that act as an agent on your behalf, embedded intelligent financial services and payments, and of course AI, to name just a few of the topics they get into. What's your vision for Main Street 2034? Is the need for growth at the heart of some of our problems? Enjoy the debate!




    https://youtu.be/DC03x1pySWg

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    What's your legacy? Host Brett King connects with the 695th Lord Mayor of London, Michael Mainelli, who is the first American born Lord Mayor of London. A scientist, economist and accountant, as well as a self-proclaimed space junkie who studied aerospace at Harvard (fun fact his father was at one time involved with the Apollo capsule for Boeing), the Lord Mayor shares some of the key initiatives that will keep him busy during his mayoralty -- climate change, space debris removal, a smart economy networks project, and most importantly that London is a partner when it comes to solving global problems, it is a solutions center for technology, science, engineering and finance.



    Then, a new podcast Beyond Banking by CBD Talks! from the Commercial Bank of Dubai. Beyond Banking by CBD Talks! delves into trends that drive the UAE, middle east, and global economies. In the first episodes host Brett King has welcomed phenomenal guests, and covered topics from climate and sustainability to unicorns and the future of money and banking, while spotlighting leaders shaping financial services and the UAE, Frank Bisignano, CEO, Fiserv and Her Excellency Raja Al Mazrouei. Learn about the UAE and other regions by downloading Beyond Banking by CBD Talks! via Amazon, Apple, or Spotify. From digitization to decarbonization, through the evolution of AI, and the advent of smart economies, listen as we foster conversations Beyond Banking, with an eye towards the future. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-banking-by-cbd-talks/id1711240163




    https://youtu.be/G_jql0YSqE4

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    In this next episode of our special series, Killing It!, hosts Jason Henrichs and Alex Johnson sit down with Matt Harris, current coach, consultant, advisor and Bloom Credit (credit data solutions) co-founder. Starting a company is hard, at any age, Matt was 22 when he began his journey. It's not just having an idea for your startup, financial backing, energy and good people around you, as most know, it's all the hurdles and discoveries of everything you need to fix and do, that affects your idea, along the way. The journey, and roller coaster, comes with lots of stressors and takes its toll. It can be difficult to step away or step aside. How do you process? How do you separate your identity from the company after investing so much of yourself in it.



    The founding journey is hard but doesn't have to be.  Accept what is. 'Failure' (whatever that may mean, and it's different for everyone) is not the end of the story. This candid discussion is a master class for startup founders; coaching founders, rather than just investing in their businesses, has become an impactful and authentic way for Matt to make even more change in the world.




    https://youtu.be/4_FzT8ff0Ms

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    This week host Jason Henrichs hears about all that he unfortunately missed at Bank Director's annual AOBA (Acquire Or Be Acquired) conference for bank senior leadership from Bank Director rock stars and conference session and track leaders, Emily McCormick, VP of Editorial & Research and Kiah Haslett, Banking & Fintech Editor. They cover it all from banking sector challenges, innovations, and market outlook to enthusiasm for balance sheets (yes!), deposits, and necessity of tech adoption for growth and the future.




    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBBVrehJ3Yg

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    You heard it here last week, a new series from Breaking Banks, 'Killing It' with co hosts Jason Henrichs and Alex Johnson, Fintech Takes. In this first episode we feature a candid discussion with Shamir Karkal, Alliance for Innovation Regulation, Co-founder and CEO of Sila, formerly Co-founder of Simple (BankSimple), America's first neobank which operated 2009 - 2021. A FinTech pioneer, he shares learnings, successes, failures and some of the tough decisions made along his 'simple' journey while reflecting on what it means for him today.



    Then, Brett King connects with DIVINE, Victor D. Lombard, CEO & Founder, Solvent with tag line, The Future is Freedom. You may remember DIVINE from 2022 when we interviewed him about a venture with AWS' Impact Accelerator. Today he is joined by Brent Chandler, CEO and Eric Lapin, President of FormFree to talk about their new partnership aligned around their missions to empower underserved demographics. The focus is lending, specifically the mortgage space, with new products to help underserved individuals get access to credit and a new two-sided marketplace, FormFree Exchange, connecting lenders and borrowers -- helping credit invisibles get loans and institutions to lend without bias. Tech for good, who doesn't love that!




    https://youtu.be/xhY6_rHjU4g

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    Drumroll...it's a new series from Breaking Banks, Killing It, candid discussions with entrepreneurs sharing lessons, failures, successes and some of the tough decisions they had to make. From VCs to unicorns, it's a high stakes game with high rates of failure. Not everything goes up and to the right, and success looks different for everyone -- you can grind away and do all you are supposed to do, and get to the point that you have to deliver terrible news to your cofounder and employees who believed in you. There are lots of stories from awesome people who have been knocked to the mat multiple times and gotten back up. It's not uncommon, but how do you bounce back and what does it take to walk away from it. Listen as hosts Jason Henrichs and Alex Johnson bring these stories to life.



    Then, investing in the next frontier, we turn to Greg Palmer, host of sister podcast Finovate as he speaks with Tamara Steffens, Managing Director, Thomson Reuters Ventures, about her perspectives on what’s on tap for fintech and the funding ecosystem this year. Enjoy the show!




    https://youtu.be/2mcKIL3PNnE

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    Does BaaS go boom, and other predictions and projections for the year. Listen as host Jason Henrichs connects with hot takers Alex Johnson, Fintech Expert & Workweek Creator and Jason Mikula, Managing Director, Fintech Business Weekly about what they've been seeing and what they hope to see in our industry. For those that like analysis they jump into the current state of BaaS, theories on implications for the rest of the year not to mention any projections they think they might need a mulligan for and which are proving true!




    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoYKt1b0Zo0

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    This week on Breaking Banks, Money in the 21st Century, a special episode from sister podcast Breaking Banks Asia Pacific. Listen as Breaking Banks Asia Pacific host Charis Palmer sits down with economist and professor of economics Richard Holden to chat about his new book: Money in the 21st Century and why he believes that the US Fed needs to get going with a 'Fedcoin'. They also cover the global economics of #crypto #cbdcs #mobilemoney and #cheapmoney, and how we’ll all transact in our future cashless world. Enjoy the episode!




    https://youtu.be/q0uNPddxiDo

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    Excitement over new technologies, new capabilities, new business models, and new companies often turns to hype, but what goes up, must come down. We seem to be working through hype cycles faster and faster, but what’s on the other side is rarely a return to the status quo. In this episode, Simon Taylor,  Fintech Brainfood, Jim Marous, The Financial Brand and Theo Lau, Unconventional Ventures join hosts Brett King and JP Nicols to share insights and debate what upward and downward forces will most impact fintech and banking in the next 12 months, and what that new reality looks like.




    https://youtu.be/V-7Mo6x9rpE

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    2023 was the hottest year on record in terms of temperature. ESG, sustainability, clean tech / green tech and corporate responsibility have been hot topics. Are we at war with climate? This week we feature Brett King's recent sit down in Bangkok, Thailand with former banker, fintech investor and now venture capitalist, Paul Ark, with The Radical Fund, an early-stage VC fund investing in founders who are delivering climate resilience for Southeast Asia. Where are investment dollars going? Climate mitigation (how to prevent the world from getting warmer) and climate adaptation (dealing with a warmer world) and what it means for infrastructure resilience and food insecurity, to name some areas of concern, are top of mind. Climate is a complex systemic issue and requires a buffet of technologies to address, improve and help us reclaim our environment. It's an enlightening conversation with The Futurists!




    https://youtu.be/o2C0X1E8oEw

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    Should you increase your social media savviness to sell products? With digital acquisition reshaping financial services it's certainly something to think about for your organization's benefit. In this episode, host Brett King speaks with Dr. Robin Kiera, Founder and CEO, Digitalscouting about his book, Attention Hacking: The Power of Social Media Selling in Insurance and Finance. Listen as Dr. Kiera delves into the topic and shares industry examples, opportunities and his belief that you need to position yourself and your organization as influencers among your target market.



    The premise is simple, you need to be where your customer is.




    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uGvauRU2s4

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    Identity, and the future of it, continues to be a hot topic as digital adoption increases in all aspects of our lives. When you are verifying your identity, you want to do it with as little friction as possible and expect it to be fast, secure and compliant. In this episode, host JP Nicols speaks with Incode Technologies' Domingo Guerra, EVP of Trust, and industry veteran with a strong background in cybersecurity and data privacy, about the latest innovations in verifying identity. User expectations are bigger than ever. Positive user experiences and biometric acceptance can make what once seemed scary less so, but are all biometrics created equal?




    https://youtu.be/pDr66sLB8Jw

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    Iceland is a small country doing big things in fintech, but also in healthtech, renewable energy, gaming, and the ocean-based blue economy. Few countries fared worse during the 2008 global economic crisis, which had a profound impact on the country’s financial system, currency, and overall economy. The economy gradually recovered, and by the 2010s, Iceland experienced steady economic growth. Today Iceland has a high standard of living. Its citizens enjoy access to quality healthcare and education with a relatively low level of income inequality, and it is the global leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion. JP Nicols visited Reykjavik to meet with some of the people innovating to drive these outcomes, including the country’s First Lady who is proud of her country’s achievements, yet declares that “good enough, is not good enough”.




    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atOEvLoB8dQ

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    Does financial services ever have an off-season? Is now the time to update your playbook? . Today, host JP Nicols tackles a few of these questions and then speaks with James Anderson, Paze's Managing Director, about a new launch on track for early next year. Paze is a new digital bank wallet from Early Warning Services, the fintech company that brought us Zelle several years ago and is owned by some of the largest banks in the US. A completely separate venture focused on e-commerce payments, Paze no doubt benefits from learnings in creating Zelle.



    The US payments world is complicated, Paze aims to be ubiquitous on both consumer and merchant sides, the piece in the middle connecting financial institutions, providing better outcomes, and making purchases more convenient and secure. Launching with more than 1,000 banks, Paze is 100% online payments focused, offered by participating banks and credit unions, built to simplify and secure checkout by tokenizing credit and debit card numbers so users never have to enter card data, usernames or remember passwords. A new product, a new year and the next era of banking just around the corner.












    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJYx8wG_5fs

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    This week we begin our episode with the third in our special series on fintech visionaries reimagining the future of finance. Brett King is joined by Jayesh Patel, CEO of Wio Bank, and Thomas Kuncheria, EEMEA Senior Vice President for Advisors Client Services at Mastercard. Wio, the UAE's first platform bank with a mission to transform banking in its region, is focusing on three core capabilities -- digital banking applications, embedded finance and BaaS. Through partnership with Mastercard, Wio is helping customers thrive in this digital world, offering personalized features and seamlessly integrated services with a goal to make banking simple, transparent and secure, offering customers access to tools to manage their finances effortlessly and at lower cost than other alternatives. It's another interesting piece in the series spotlighting the benefits of partnership and empowering partners to disrupt and revolutionize.



    Then, are non-traditional loan underwriting criteria -- i.e. market, environmental, community data -- important when painting a picture of a SMB loan applicant? JP Nicols speaks with serial entrepreneur Ron Benegbi, Founder & CEO of Uplinq Financial Technologies who believes so, and whose latest venture, a global credit assessment platform for SMB lenders, has built, in part taking a page from his own personal story. a platform to empower lenders to distill different kinds of data and information for credit decisioning that might enable SMB lenders to approve and manage risk on loans that they might have otherwise declined based on traditional loan underwriting criteria.




    https://youtu.be/ikalSI19V6A

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    Opening Minds and changing legacy behaviors can be challenging. This week JP Nicols connects with Jim Perry, Senior Strategist, Market Insights about new perspectives young cohorts bring to money in the digital age, not just in practice but in ways the industry can better align its leadership with today's general demographics. Rechanneling, retooling and meeting customers where they are today, to better represent our ecosystem, across the entire spectrum, can make for a more engaged workforce and help financial institutions stay relevant. By setting the bar where it needs to be, bringing value through DEI and sharing different perspectives, financial institutions can also increase stickiness in customer relationships.



    Then, JP continues the thread of new perspectives and ways of doing things in his recent conversation with Brandon Spear, CEO, TreviPay. When it comes to trade credit for business customers, and the associated complexity that is inherent in the B2B space with multiple stakeholders, applying some B2C principles to B2B can make for a better payment experience, easing and expediting business across geographies, systems and risk profiles.




    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2lxAgRFtVU