Finovate Podcast

Finovate showcases cutting-edge banking and financial technology through a global conference series featuring short-form demos and insightful expert takeaways. The Finovate Podcast, hosted by Greg Palmer, carries those conversations and ideas forward, with a concise, interview-based format based on Finovate’s signature 7-minute demos. Guests include leading fintech innovators, bankers, analysts, and more sharing their thoughts and predictions on the future of financial technology.

Finovate Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 303 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Finovate Podcast, a business show with 303 episodes published.

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  Finovate Podcast

  Strategies for effective AI implementation – a conversation with Inbenta’s CEO, Melissa Solis

  Sep 23, 202622 min

  In this episode, Greg Palmer sits down with Melissa Solis, CEO of Inbenta, a global AI orchestration platform that enables financial institutions to deploy trusted, self-service AI solutions in days rather than months. Melissa brings her extensive experience from the fraud and risk industry to discuss the evolving landscape of AI adoption in financial services. The conversation explores how the industry has shifted from exploring what's possible with AI to demanding what's actually real and effective, as many organizations have experienced failed deployments and unmet vendor promises over the past year. The discussion delves into the critical difference between being sold AI versus actively buying it, emphasizing the importance of asking hard questions and conducting thorough due diligence before implementation. Melissa shares insights from Inbenta's partnership with Scious, whose founder Josh Sens spent two years searching for an enterprise AI solution that could meet their requirements for governance, transparency, and conversational voice capabilities. This real-world example illustrates the challenges organizations face when vendors overpromise on capabilities like agentic AI without delivering practical, governed solutions that can prove the source of every answer—a requirement that regulators are increasingly enforcing. Throughout the episode, Melissa emphasizes the shared responsibility between vendors and buyers in successful AI deployment. While vendors must be transparent about their technology's capabilities and limitations, financial institution leaders cannot outsource their judgment to vendors alone. She stresses the importance of defining clear success metrics, understanding business requirements, conducting real-world pilots beyond controlled POCs, and maintaining governance standards that ensure AI solutions resolve issues rather than simply deflecting them. Looking ahead to 2027, Melissa expresses hope that the industry will move beyond validation conversations to celebrating genuine success stories where the right combination of AI technology and human expertise delivers exceptional customer service.More info: Inbenta: https://www.inbenta.com ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/inbenta/ Melissa Solis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-solis-3532302a/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/ #Finovate #FinovateFall #fintech #financialinstitutions #AI #banking #implementation #aiimplementation #modernization #technology #strategy #fintechstrategy #personalization #data #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #finserv

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  Finovate Podcast

  Finovate Awards Finalist Luca Terragni on his journey from lender to tech provider in the SMB space

  Sep 2, 202616 min

  In this episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg sits down with Luca Terragni, Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder of Prestatech, a finalist in the Risk Management category for the 2026 Finovate Awards. Luca shares his fascinating journey from traditional investment management in New York and London to launching PrestaCap, an alternative lending platform in Europe in 2016. What started as a direct lending business using their own balance sheet evolved into a powerful technology solution when Luca and his team discovered that traditional financial data points weren't sufficient for accurately assessing SMB creditworthiness. Their breakthrough came from analyzing real-time bank account transaction data, which provided a much clearer picture of a business's current financial health compared to backward-looking financial statements and credit bureau reports. The conversation delves into how Prestatech transformed from being a lender competing with banks to becoming their technology partner. After successfully exiting PrestaCap to a private equity fund in 2020, Luca and his co-founder realized their bank account data analytics technology could serve a much larger purpose. Rather than lending to a few hundred businesses annually with their own capital, they could empower banks to make better lending decisions for millions of businesses. The technology focuses on monitoring loan book health by processing SMB bank account transactions on a regular basis, identifying distress signals much earlier than they would appear in traditional credit bureau reports—a capability that's particularly valuable for regional and community banks sitting on vast, underutilized bank account data lakes. Now expanding into the U.S. market, Prestatech is bringing its battle-tested European technology to address the acute challenges American financial institutions face in the current tightening credit cycle. Luca explains that their cash flow analytics layer helps banks identify creditworthy businesses that might otherwise be filtered out by traditional underwriting methods, especially newer or "thinner-filed" companies that lack extensive credit histories but demonstrate strong real-time financial performance. With their technology already regulated and audited by the European Central Bank, Prestatech is positioning itself as a trusted partner for U.S. banks looking to enhance their risk management capabilities through smarter use of bank account transaction data. More info: Prestatech: https://www.prestatech.com ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/goprestatech/ Luca Terragni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terragni/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ Finovate Awards: https://informaconnect.com/finovate-industry-awards/ #Finovate #FinovateAwards #fintech #financialinstitutions #finalist #smb #risk #riskmanagement #modernization #technology #strategy #fintechstrategy #personalization #data #transactiondata #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv

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  Finovate Podcast

  Finovate veteran Derek Corcoran on his experiences at Finovate, his advice for demoing companies, and his new book, which is launching at FinovateFall

  Aug 21, 202622 min

  In this engaging episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg sits down with Derek Corcoran, VP of Strategy at Accutive and author of "Designing for Need: The New Rules of Customer Experience in Banking." Derek shares his remarkable journey from software developer to fintech evangelist, reflecting on his tenure at Avoca, where he helped build the company from employee number eight or nine to its eventual acquisition by Temenos in 2018. He credits four key factors for Avoca's success: an incredible team, unwavering support from his wife during their relocation from Australia to Colorado, early clients who took a chance on the startup, and the transformative impact of Finovate itself, which helped them refine their messaging and presentation skills that translated into every subsequent sales meeting. Derek offers invaluable advice for this year's FinovateFall demoers, emphasizing the importance of getting into the software quickly, avoiding buzzwords, and engaging the audience first before educating them. He advocates for a two-person demo approach with one person narrating and another driving the demonstration, and stresses the need to put the audience in the driver's seat through day-in-the-life scenarios. His book introduces a unique perspective on customer experience, arguing that it should be treated as two distinct disciplines: experiences for things people want to do (like vacations and fine dining) versus things they need to do (like banking and paying taxes). For need-based experiences, Derek contends that customers prioritize speed and efficiency over delight, wanting to complete necessary tasks quickly to free up time for more enjoyable activities. Looking at the current state of fintech, Derek expresses both surprise and optimism about several trends. He's amazed that checks are still in use in the United States and sees tremendous potential in AI, particularly in accelerating product development, though he remains cautiously skeptical about certain applications like agentic banking for investment decisions. Most encouragingly, he's witnessing a resurgence among community banks and credit unions, which are increasingly investing in technology to compete with digital-first challengers like Chime. While acknowledging that the US has a disproportionate number of financial institutions (9,500 out of 44,000 worldwide), Derek emphasizes the critical importance of maintaining community-based institutions that support local businesses and communities, provided they can achieve a better balance between branch and digital technology investments. More info: Derek Corcoran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekcorcoran/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/ #Finovate #FinovateFall #fintech #financialinstitutions #creditunions #AI #modernization #technology #strategy #fintechstrategy #CU #design #author #book #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv

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  Finovate Podcast

  FinovateFall panelist Ning Duong shares her priorities and insights as a fintech-forward CU leader

  Aug 12, 202616 min

  In this episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg welcomes back listeners after a summer break and introduces Ning Duong, President and CEO of Financial Center First Credit Union in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ning shares her impressive 25-year journey in financial services, which began unexpectedly when she took a job at a mega bank to pay for nursing school tuition. What started as a temporary position evolved into a passionate career dedicated to helping people with their financial needs. Now leading Financial Center's 60,000 members, Ning brings her people-process-technology leadership philosophy to guide the credit union's strategic direction. Six months into her tenure, Ning discusses her priorities and approach to technology implementation at Financial Center. She emphasizes the importance of enhancing member experience through strategic use of existing technology, particularly focusing on consumer and mortgage lending journeys. The credit union has made significant strides in improving loan turnaround times and communication processes, recognizing that members compare their banking experiences to world-class services like Amazon. Ning highlights the successful implementation of "Ella," an internal chatbot that leverages AI to help team members quickly access policies and procedures, ultimately enabling them to serve members more efficiently. However, she maintains a balanced perspective on AI adoption, advocating for human judgment in critical areas like recruiting, where she personally reviews applications for key positions like the CIO role. The conversation concludes with valuable insights for fintech companies looking to partner with credit unions. Ning stresses the importance of understanding each credit union's unique strategy and member base before approaching executives with sales pitches. She emphasizes that credit unions need strategic partners, not just vendors, and warns against generic presentations that don't align with the institution's specific goals. Following a recent robust board planning session, Financial Center has established clear strategic pillars, identified their target member profile, and defined key performance indicators for the next three years, with technology recognized as an essential enabler rather than a standalone priority. More info: Financial Center First Credit Union: https://www.fcfcu.com/ ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/financial-center/ Ning Duong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ning-duong-cude-icude-cce-0a19449b/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/ #Finovate #FinovateFall #fintech #financialinstitutions #creditunions #AI #modernization #technology #strategy #fintechstrategy #CU #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv

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  Finovate Podcast

  Finovate’s own Heather Stowell talks about IMPACT Funders and Founders Forum – a new initiative coming from Finovate this fall in New York.

  Jul 2, 202614 min

  In this episode of the Finovate podcast, host Greg Palmer sits down with Finovate colleague Heather Stowell to discuss an exciting new initiative launching in New York this year. Heather, who has been instrumental in selecting and preparing demoing companies for the Finovate stage for over a decade, shares details about IMPACT Funders and Founders — a dedicated forum running alongside FinovateFall on September 11th. This new program represents an evolution of successful investor-startup initiatives that Finovate has been testing over the past few years, now expanding into its own standalone event designed to connect early-stage fintech companies with investors including VCs, angels, and private equity firms. The IMPACT forum will feature pre-arranged one-on-one meetings between startups and investors, carefully customized to align with investor portfolio focuses and startup funding needs. Beyond capital raising, the program emphasizes building long-term relationships and facilitating knowledge exchange, with investors sharing insights on pitch decks, scaling strategies, and hiring practices, while startups gain valuable feedback and industry connections. The day will also include curated startup pitch sessions featuring eight hand-selected companies, dedicated content stages with speakers from both the investor and entrepreneur communities, and opportunities for participants to network, creating synergy between the Impact audience and traditional Finovate attendees. Looking ahead, Heather envisions IMPACT filling a critical gap in the market as a fintech-specific investor-startup event, leveraging Finovate's extensive network of past demoing companies and interested investors. The program has already attracted participation from notable organizations including Experian Ventures, Fidelity Investments, and Summit Partners, with success stories ranging from brand-new startups to Finovate alumni returning to raise their next funding rounds. Future plans include expanding mentorship opportunities, enhancing one-on-one experiences, and continuing to serve as a vital resource for the fintech startup ecosystem — all while maintaining the personal relationship-building that has become a hallmark of successful venture capital partnerships. More info: IMPACT Funders and Founders: https://informaconnect.com/impact-funders-founders-forum/ Heather Stowell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherstowell/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ FinovateFall: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/ #Finovate #FinovateFall #IMPACT #Banking #banks #creditunions #VC #founders #startup #investment #innovation #startup #capital #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization

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