Episodes
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Kris Kovacs welcomes Frank Mazza, Director of Blockchain for Credit Unions and CUSOs at Metallicus, for an in-depth discussion on how blockchain, digital wallets, and stablecoins are reshaping financial services. They explore why credit unions are preparing for digital assets, how stablecoins can improve payments, reduce costs, enhance member experiences, and why education is still the biggest hurdle before widespread adoption. Whether you're curious about blockchain, digital wallets, or the future of payments, this conversation offers practical insights into what's coming next for community financial institutions.
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Kris Kovacs sits down with Mark Majeske, Senior Vice President of Faster Payments at Alacriti, to explore how instant payment technologies like RTP, FedNow, and emerging payment rails are transforming the future of credit unions. Powered by Curql, this episode dives into member expectations, fraud prevention, cross-border payments, payment orchestration, and why offering faster payments has become a strategic advantage for institutions looking to grow deposits and improve member experiences.
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Kris Kovacs sits down with Alec Crawford, Founder and CEO of Verapath, to discuss how credit unions and community financial institutions can safely adopt AI while staying compliant and secure. From AI governance and regulatory requirements to AI agents, workflows, cybersecurity, and risk management, Alec shares practical insights from decades in banking, technology, and artificial intelligence. If your institution is exploring AI, this conversation provides a roadmap for doing it responsibly while unlocking real business value.
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Kris Kovacs sits down with Deep Varma, CTO of Alkami, for a deep conversation on the future of AI-powered digital banking. Deep shares lessons from decades in Silicon Valley, including his work at IBM, Yahoo, startups, and Varo Bank, and explains how Alkami is helping credit unions and community financial institutions innovate faster through open architecture, AI-driven experiences, digital identity, and extensible banking platforms. From hackathons and developer culture to AI agents and the future of consumer banking, this episode explores what financial institutions must do now to prepare for the next era of fintech transformation.
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Kris Kovac sits down with Austin Carroll, founder and CEO of Warrant, to discuss how AI is transforming marketing compliance for banks, credit unions, and fintechs. Austin shares her journey from leading marketing at companies like Brex, Mercury, and Capital One to building Warrant â a platform designed to help financial institutions streamline approvals, reduce regulatory risk, and move at startup speed without sacrificing compliance.
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
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In this episode of the Fintech Combine, Kris Kovacs sits down with the team behind Sway Stack to unpack one of the biggest hidden challenges in banking today: what happens after a new account is opened. With acquisition costs rising and engagement lagging, they explore why so many new members go inactive in the first 30 daysâand how credit unions can fix it. From smarter onboarding to driving real activation and long-term relationships, this conversation breaks down how financial institutions can turn new accounts into truly engaged members.
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In this episode of The Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovacs sits down with Wade Arnold, founder and CEO of Moov, to discuss how modern payments infrastructure is reshaping what credit unions and fintechs can deliver to their members. Wade explains why legacy payment rails create friction, how Moov connects to every major payment network, and what it means to build always-on, real-time payment experiences. They also explore developer-driven innovation, personalized member experiences, and how partnerships with Curql are helping progressive credit unions bring new payment capabilities to market faster.
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
Follow Anson Beckler-Jones
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In this episode of The Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovacs sits down with David Metz, founder and CEO of Prizeout, to discuss how credit unions can finally bring meaningful rewards to everyday debit card spending. David shares the story of pivoting from a trivia gaming company to fintech, and how Prizeout helps credit unions deliver cash back through digital gift cards, merchant-funded offers, and personalized member incentives. They also explore onboarding engagement, debit card loyalty, and why modern rewards programs need to move beyond points to create real financial value for members.
Follow the Pod:
https://twitter.com/fintechcombine
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
Follow Anson Beckler-Jones
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In this episode of The Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovacs sits down with Shawn Malamed, co-founder and CEO of Spiral, to discuss how credit unions and community banks can build more heart-centered digital banking experiences. Shawn shares his journey from building fintech companies and leading innovation at Morgan Stanley to launching Spiral, a platform designed to help members save money, reach personal goals, and give back to their communities through everyday banking activity. They explore why personalization, financial wellness, and community impact are becoming essential for deposit growth and retentionâand how credit unions can use modern fintech tools to compete while staying true to their mission.Subscribe for more fintech insights! đFollow the Pod:https://twitter.com/fintechcombineFollow Kris Kovacs:https://twitter.com/ManagementByteshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kriskovacs/https://www.instagram.com/kriskovacs/The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-JonesFollow Anson Beckler-JonesInstagram - @ansonandcoYoutube - @ansonandco______________________________________________________00:00 â Welcome to The Fintech Combine with Kris Kovacs00:17 â Introducing the Powered by Curql Series00:45 â Meet Shawn Malamed, Co-Founder & CEO of Spiral01:22 â From Entrepreneur to Morgan Stanley Innovation Leader03:20 â Why Shawn Left Wall Street to Start Spiral04:32 â The Mission: Building Heart-Centered Financial Services05:23 â How Spiral Transforms Checking & Savings Accounts06:20 â Roundups, Saving Goals & Giving Back to the Community07:25 â How Spiral Integrates Into Mobile Banking Platforms08:19 â How Fast Credit Unions Can Launch Spiral08:52 â Member Adoption: Who Uses Spiral the Most?09:43 â Using Charitable Giving to Strengthen Local Communities11:53 â The Inspiration Behind the âUpward Spiralâ Concept13:03 â Why Credit Unions Are a Perfect Fit for Spiral16:16 â Banks vs Credit Unions: Spiralâs Customer Base17:53 â How the Curql Accelerator Helped Spiral Grow20:12 â Lessons From Building a Neobank22:20 â Why Most Neobank Models Struggle Long-Term25:00 â Why Fintech Innovation Still Needs Credit Unions27:14 â Advice for Chief Innovation Officers at Credit Unions29:00 â Personalization: The Future of Member Engagement31:27 â Generational Differences in Saving Money33:07 â Building Fintech for Credit Unions vs Big Banks36:23 â Lessons From Starting Three Fintech Companies38:38 â How to Connect With Spiral39:05 â Closing Thoughts from Kris Kovacs
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Kris Kovacs sits down with Colin Phillips, CTO of Lodestar, to talk about how credit unions can stop relying on spreadsheets and start treating data like a strategic asset. Colin breaks down what a modern data journey really looks likeâpulling information out of core and other systems into a single source of truth, building a practical data strategy with quick wins, and putting smart governance (like a clear data dictionary) in place so teams can trust what theyâre seeing. They also dig into near real-time reporting, what success looks like for small vs. large credit unions, and how AI will change analytics nextâwithout replacing the need for clean, well-defined data.
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
Follow Anson Beckler-Jones
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On this episode of The Fintech Combine, Kris kicks off the new Powered by Curql series with the founder and CEO of Uptiq.ai to explore how their AI platform creates an âintelligent operating layerâ on top of a credit unionâs existing systems of record. They discuss why so much real work still happens outside the core and LOS, how AI agents can cut across multiple systems to automate manual tasks, and what it looks like when staff shift from doing the work to reviewing it. The conversation also covers faster time-to-value, adaptable policy-driven agents, and why this approach could help credit unions free up time to focus more on member experience and personalization.
Follow the Pod:
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Follow Kris Kovacs:
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
Follow Anson Beckler-Jones
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In this episode of The Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovacs sits down with Dr. Lamont Black of Wide Open Ventures to break down whatâs next for credit unions as AI and stablecoins move from hype to real strategy. They unpack the impact of the Genius Act, why stablecoins are becoming a mainstream payments rail, and what credit unions should do now to prepareâwithout jumping into tech for techâs sake. Dr. Black also shares how leaders can approach AI adoption as organizational change, what âagentic AIâ means for the future of member relationships, and why being a âfast followerâ can quietly turn into doing nothing.
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
Follow Anson Beckler-Jones
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In this episode, Kris Kovacs hosts Troy Wyatt, CEO of DataOps, and Shawn Gilfedder, CEO of Kitsap Credit Union, to discuss the transformative impact of agentic technology on credit unions. The conversation begins with an introduction to the participants and a brief overview of their organizations. Shawn shares insights into Kitsap's journey towards leveraging data and AI to enhance member experiences, emphasizing the importance of internal culture and collaboration in adopting new technologies. Troy elaborates on how DataOps supports credit unions in managing their data effectively, enabling them to create personalized services for their members. The discussion also touches on the recent changes in Washington state law that allow credit unions to make direct equity investments in tech companies, highlighting Kitsap's pioneering role in this area.As the conversation progresses, the speakers delve into the challenges and opportunities presented by agentic technology, including the need for a cultural shift within organizations to embrace innovation. They discuss the importance of understanding business processes and data governance, as well as the potential for AI to enhance operational efficiency. The episode concludes with reflections on the future of credit unions in a rapidly evolving technological landscape, emphasizing the need for continuous learning and adaptation to meet member needs effectively.
Follow the Pod:
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
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As we wrap up the year, this special holiday episode of The Fintech Combine brings together industry leaders to reflect on where credit unions are headed and how innovation continues to shape the future of community-based financial institutions. From collaboration and technology to growth strategies and evolving member expectations, this conversation looks back on the lessons of the past year while offering thoughtful perspective on what lies ahead. Itâs a timely, end-of-year discussion focused on progress, possibility, and the people driving meaningful change across the credit union ecosystem.
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
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In this episode of The Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovacs sits down with Kalyani Ramadurgam, co-founder and CEO of Kobalt Labs, to explore how AI is transforming third-party risk management and compliance for financial institutions. Kalyani shares how her background in AI research and fintech led to building an auditable, secure, and highly explainable platform that automates the most manual parts of risk review. Together, they discuss why spreadsheets are no longer enough, how credit unions of all sizes can benefit, and what the future of AI-driven compliance looks like.
Follow the Pod:
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
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In this episode of the Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovacs sits down with Mitch Rutledg, co-founder and CEO of Vertice AI, to explore how community financial institutions can finally unlock the power of their data without massive teams or endless projects. Mitch shares his journey from leading advanced analytics at global giant SAS to building Vertice AI specifically for credit unions and community banks, and explains how smarter use of first-party data, AI-driven targeting, and intelligent agents can transform member engagement, lending and deposit growth, and indirect conversions. If youâve ever felt âtoo smallâ to be truly data-driven, this conversation will change your mind.
Follow the Pod:
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
Follow Anson Beckler-Jones
Instagram - @ansonandco
Youtube - @ansonandco
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In this episode of The Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovac sits down with Omar Jordan, founder & CEO of Coviance, to unpack how credit unions can deliver a true fintech experience in home equity and HELOC lending. Omar shares the origin story (from fax-era frustrations to 72-hour clear-to-close), why broken process and policyânot the LOSâslow lenders down, and whatâs changed at Coviance over the last 18 months, from scaling the team to helping 450+ institutions modernize member lending.
Follow the Pod:
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
Follow Anson Beckler-Jones
Instagram - @ansonandco
Youtube - @ansonandco
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In this episode of The Fintech Combine, host Kris Kovac sits down with Jonty Hirsowitz, founder and CEO of Deferit, to explore how his latest innovation â Pebble â is helping consumers build credit simply by paying their everyday bills on time. Jonty shares his journey from corporate law to fintech entrepreneurship, the problem Pebble solves for thin-file consumers, and how credit unions can use embedded credit tools to engage younger members and drive financial inclusion.
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
Follow Anson Beckler-Jones
Instagram - @ansonandco
Youtube - @ansonandco
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Want to Start a Podcast? Hear This First.Before you hit record, listen in on what works, what doesnât, and what every fintech leader needs to know about launching a show.
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In this episode of the Fintech Combine, Kris Kovac talks with Cale Johnson, founder of Onsetto and former ClickSwitch CEO. Cale shares hard-won lessons from building and selling his first fintech, why business account switching is the industryâs hidden bottleneck, and how Onsetto is helping banks and credit unions finally achieve true commercial primacy.
Follow the Pod:
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Follow Kris Kovacs:
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/kriskovacs/
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The Fintech Combine is Produced and Edited by Anson Beckler-Jones
Follow Anson Beckler-Jones
Instagram - @ansonandco
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