Bankadelic: The colorful side of finance

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode taped at the Venetian's Truth and Tonic, Lou casts with Dana Kalfas Bodine, Vice President of Marketing at Trustpilot. Dana shares findings from the just-completed Write a Review Week, where all U.S. businesses received unlimited review invitations, and discusses the role AI plays in how businesses and consumers can make better choices.

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode, Lou chats with a true leader in the biometrics field, Ajay Amlani, CEO of Aware. As the creator of aviation's CLEAR technology, Amlani launches into a discussion of why biomentrics are more robust than ever, and bound to eventually replace passwords and standard multi-factor identification based on passwords and those often-baffling CAPCHA puzzles.

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode, we learn all about what it takes to create successful loyalty programs that drive customer engagement and help businesses to get a leg up on their competitors. Joining us are Beth McCoy, President of CORA Loyalty and Becky Hill, President of Points at Points At Work under CORA Loyalty.

Once again, Lou Carlozo rises from the pumpkin patch to bring you yet another Bankadelic Halloween Spooktacular. This year, we visit many different kinds of ghosts: Why is AI haunting so many financial institutions? Will the loan climate finally break through all the thunder and lightning? And if there are friendly ghosts on the horizon, what might they be? It's a fabulous cast of FI wizards … and a quartet of goblins (not so welcome, perhaps) from the Bankadelic Voice Character Crypt. Our special guests: Sarah Koulogeorge, Director of Business Development, Casca Richard Guillot, President, BAFS Samy Kogan, Vice President of Product Management, Swivel Caleb Stevens, Vice President - Marketing Manager of Capital Markets & Correspondent Banking, SouthState Bank

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode, Lou talks with Sai Rangachari, Chief Product Officer at Temenos, to learn more about how the Swiss banking software company is embracing the American market. Say also shares his views on how AI is having the most influence on banking, along with trends he thinks will shape the industry in the years ahead.

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode, Lou chats with John Blizzard, Founder of CD Valet, to learn more about an online destination that offers customers close to 40,000 choices, likely making it the largest such marketplace in the world. Blizzard, who's also President and CEO of Seattle Bank, makes a compelling case for why CDs will only grow in popularity as factors from a potential AI bubble to unreleased economic data loom over Wall Street.

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode, Lou chats with one of his favorite return guests, Steven J. Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc. The FI veteran shares his views on big opportunities in AI and finance, including the creation of compliance documents that meet the opposing demands for speed and rigor, and the return of blockchain as a hot topic.

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode, ASA Founder/CEO Landon Glenn explains how collaborative banking and embedded finance create exciting opportunities across the board. When financial institutions can offer new digital tools, customers have access to broader services, while fintechs have increased options to connect with FIs.

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode, Lou meets an enlightened founder who's making waves as a payments -merchants innovator, Houman Motaharian (left), CEO of ClarityPay. He's joined by Tom Carter, Chief Commercial Officer, and together they reflect on topics from removing the friction for merchants eager to serve customers better to what it's like to build an organization dedicated to three bedrock commitments: team play, making a difference and practicing the art and science of saying “yes.”

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode, Lou's introduced to the revolutionary concept of “cognitive banking” by Udi Ziv, CEO of Personetics. In a cognitive banking world, agentic processes stand in to represent the best interests of the customer: It may be digital, but it's a definite throwback to the days when local bankers guided and even mentored customers.

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. Conference speaker Sophia Bantanidis, Head of Future of Finance at the Citi institute, walks us through two laser-sharp reports, "Real Time 24/7 Finance in an Always-On World" and "Agentic AI: Finance and the Do it for Me Economy." Sophia's observations add context and depth to two of the most discussed topics at Money 20/20.

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode Lou chats with Frank Frantz, Founding Growth Executive at Chargeflow, to learn how the company is tackling an online theft merchants hate: chargebacks. Typically these fraudsters request refunds on a purchase but still keep the item they "bought." Here's how Chargeflow uses data analysis to stop the deception dead in its tracks.

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode, Anthony Vassallo, Senior Vice President of Crypto at Silicon Valley Bank, walks us through the state of crypto in 2025, the ascendancy of stable coins--and why the bank chose not to rebrand following its well publicized collapse in 2023.

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode, Lou talks with Alkali Technology founder Stephen Bohanon, who shares the story of how his company has grown since 2009 from a feisty startup to an industry leader. He also discusses the unique approach Alkami takes to create its collaborative, energized work environment that borrows from backstory of medieval alchemy.

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode, Lou chats with David Ness, Candescent's Head of Fintech Partnerships, who shares his boots-on-the-ground perspective of the convention, including the intense conversations surrounding AI's tentative but necessary leap into an era of customer-first hypersonalization.

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025's Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. One conference speaker making waves is John Patton, Founder and Executive Director of Street Charity in Atlanta. Patton shares the story of how his desire to help the homeless turned into an initiative, backed by Discover, to create prepaid $5 food cards. It's a generous alternative that sidesteps cash, which is often used to purchase drugs and alcohol--and a brilliant use of fintech to support the greater good.

It only takes one unexpected big bill or the prologued drip-drip-drip of leaky finances to create debt of a different kind—manifested in physical stress, lack of sleep and mental health challenges. In this episode, Matt Tomko, Chief Revenue Officer at Happy Money, shares the results of a survey that sheds light on the consumer debt epidemic and the spiral of helplessness it creates. Tomko also explains how Happy Money has worked to better serve consumers in the personal loan space.

On this special episode of Bankadelic, Apiture Chief Product Officer Daniel Haisley (left) and DefenseStorm CEO Steve Soukup (right) talk about how thier businesses joined forces to elevate Apiture's mobile banking service to a new level of cyber-threat preparedness. That's all the more relevant given how AI is being accessed by fraudsters through "Deep Fakes as a Service" (DFaaS) on the Dark Web--a subject Soukup and Haisley address here.

Perhaps the most talked-about aspect of artificial intelligence in 2025 has been agentic AI—the technology that computers will use to make decisions without the need for human intervention. But are financial institutions jumping the gun to embrace fintech that's not yet ready for prime time? On this episode, two of the founders of Tyfone — Siva Narendra (left) and Prabhakar Tadepalli — explain what it really takes to recognize opportunities to employ agentic AI, and how to understand the technology once the hype is stripped away.

New statistics show that only a minuscule percentage of people know deep fake when they see one. That creates a huge peril for financial institutions, businesses and consumers who aren't ready to face the full frontal assault of cybercriminals armed with AI. Andrew Bud, Founder and CEO of iProov, draws on decades of tech experience to explain how deep fakes can be spotted, and shares how his company has developed a defense that builds on biometrics to create bulletproof fake-spotting.

As smaller institutions often learn the hard way, you can't just throw a switch on new tech and expect all will go well--especially when marketing teams, for example, are overlooked. What should the value propositions be for community banks and credit unions at a time when everyone's trying to win on rates? And how best to apply key pieces of the high-tech puzzle? Samantha Paxson, Founder and Lead Investor of the Power and Light Collaborative, shares from her decades of experience on how to get everyone across the finish line successfully.

Long regarded as frumpy financial vehicles, certificates of deposit are playing a huge role in a volatile marketplace. But how do local and regional banks compete with the big dogs and win? John Blizzard, President and CEO of Seattle Bank and Founder of CD Valet, explains why consumer demand for certificates continues to be strong—and how the right platform can put banks of all sizes in the hunt for that business, even if they're mostly unknown outside of their geographical market.

Is it time to put the white clothes away? Find out what our panel of four distinguished fintech experts has to say about this and much more pressing subjects -- such as, which end of financial services deserves an extra day off -- on this special holiday show. One more barbecue, one more beach day but at Bankadelic it's always summer fun... or at least fun and food for thought no matter the season and definitely on this episode. Our guests: Lee Farabaugh, CEO of Monarch Professional Services Group Ricky Guillot, President at BAFS Todd Michaud, CEO of HuLoop Automation Preetha Pulisani, CEO of Deep Target

In light of all the unknowns surrounding AI and its ascendancy, questions of human talent have taken on more currency and urgency than ever before. In this episode, Susan LaMonica, Chief Human Resources Officer at Citizens Bank, talks about how financial institutions can recognize the deeper needs of their team members and create a winning formula based on workplace culture, commitments to learning and addressing the human needs of all those who make success possible.

While it made sense that savings accounts weren't that popular in the era of near-zero percent interest, the environment is ripe for America's consumers to wield this important financial tool their to their advantage. Cetin Duransoy, CEO of Raisin US, examines the current environment and explains how his platform helps consumers connect with banks in search of the best interest rates. To read Raisin's latest post “How Gen Z is re-shaping savings culture, for the better,” visit: raisin.com/en-us/education-center/gen-z-finances-and-savings-culture/

Given that digital technology and data go hand in hand, there hasn't been much precision in measuring how banks rise to the challenge of becoming tech-savvy leaders. Allison Cerra, Chief Marketing Officer at Alkami, shares the results of her company's 2025 Digital Maturity Model + Report, which breaks financial institutions into four distinct cohorts—each reflecting an increased level of digitally maturity. Cerra also discusses Alkali's latest Generational Trends Report.

Starting with 2020 and the pandemic, fintech has run at blazing speed. Today it's adopted large language models; tomorrow the explosive power of quantum computing. On this episode Gareth Gatson, Chief Product Officer of Candescent, takes us on tour through the near — some would say very near — future of banking in the digital age that makes the most of AI while expanding service and product platforms like never before.

The discussion around open banking first heated up before ChatGPT and LLMs became a fact of digital life. Now, the power of that technology — and the impending arrival of agentic AI — promise to multiply open banking's power exponentially. Ray Denis, the CEO and founder of Sandbox Wealth, walks us through how open banking works and the incredible potential artificial intelligence brings to it.

Though the work of the Federal Reserve's Faster Payments Task Force took up a good portion of the last decade, its efforts to speed the rails of payments in the U.S. are just starting to bear some exciting fruit. Keith Riddle, General Manager of Payfinia and its CUSO structure, explains the fine points of payment efficiency, how consumers will benefit on so many levels--and why credit unions will want to capitalize on the latest payments technology as a way to deliver on their positive promise.

What better way to spice up the backyad BBQ and ignite those fireworks than to spend it with your friends at Bankadelic, and our three specoial CEO guests? They're all at the top of the fintech game and here to tell you about what makes for banking freedom in 2025 -- while also looking at those last pockets of dependence in the finserv landscape and celebrating achievements worthy of lighting a sparkler. Our guests: David Eads, CEO of Vine Financia Shanthi Shanmugam, CEO of Casap Edward Vincent, CEO of SRA Watchtower

As part of our ongoing series on the biggest tech breakthrough in history, Bankadelic's "AI 5" experts tackle the subject of banks and data. The truth is, banks aren't doing nearly enough with customer data--and while the numbers often seem abstract to consumers, the freedom to move their money more freely isn't. From agentic AI to the question of banks getting their high-tech act together, our distinguished panel assesses the present and looks ahead to a future in data that promises to be like no other.

As artificial intelligence ascends to heights never before seen in banking, Bankadelic brings back a panel of experts to discuss the fine points and the future: "The AI 5." On this episode, our five fintech experts give us a glimpse into the perils and promise of cybersecurity. It's a time when hackers brandish more powerful tools than ever--but banks and consumers can fight back, even to the point of using an app that sounds like a confused granny who endlessly ties up the bad guys on the phone. Our guests: Emiliano Giacchetti, CEO, Parascript Mitch Rutledge, CEO, Vertice AI Mac Thompson, CEO, White Clay Jon Tvrdik, CEO, WaveCX Matthew Wood, Sr. Director of Banking, Tavant

It's all too common to find stale slogans like "Your hometown bank" among financial institutions that compete on the same tired turf for better rates and the like. But as Martha Bartlett Piland explains, banks really need to determine what they stand for before they can stand out. She's the author of a brand new book, "Don't Just Brand There, Do Something," and on this episode she discusses how businesses with purpose can brand themselves around it, and win over customers, prospective employees and community members alike.

Bankadelic is the only financial services podcast that features multiple music tracks written and performed by its host. Here Lou Carlozo introduces the theme for the new “AI 5” series of Bankadelic roundtable shows. “Highland Main Line: Edinburgh to Inverness” is a co-write between host Lou Carlozo and Kathryn Swezy, who plays tin whistle on this recording. Special thanks to Jim Quinn (percussion) and Mark Swezy (didgeridoo). Guitars, bass, keyboards, additional percussion, engineering and mixing by Lou; mastering by Mike Hagler.

With the tariff news out of Washington changing almost daily, even a brief reprieve isn't of much comfort. Whether you're a banker, a borrower or a consumer looking to buy a big-screen TV with your credit card, stability and peace of mind have given way to uncertainty and anxiety. In this special episode of Bankadelic, host Lou Carlozo chats with Will Tumulty of Rapid Finance and Dr. Daniel Ahn of Delfi to get their read on how tariffs could impact the financial services industry — including the small businesses that depend on it — in the months ahead.

What bank doesn't think it's great? The real question, though, is this: How many banks actually are great--or are they simply mediocre? In the second of two episodes, Joe Sullivan of Market Insights and Steve Ramirez of Behind the Arc cover a wide range of topics from how financial institutions can attract young employment prospects to the realities of neobank competitors doing a better job of serving customer needs.

Though the economy is going through a rough patch the climate still looks good for mergers and acquisitions, as financial institutions seek to build on competitive advantage, broaden customer base and embrace a future guided by AI. On this episode, the first of two parts, Stevemn Ramirez of Beyond the Arc (left) and Joe Sullivan of Market Insights (right) and break down the ins and outs of the M&A climate and delineate what drives success in this marketplace niche.

While the challenges of creating management and training programs for bank staff have meant long lead times -- often marked by frustrating roadblocks -- AI has changed the game in one noteworthy instance. John Findlay, CEO and Co-Founder of LemonadeLXP, shares how he developed InsightAI as a tool to revolutionize knowledge management and training for banks, credit unions, and other financial services. John also dives into the dilemmas financial institutions face as they try to solve myriad puzzles that come with AI implementation.

It's common sense that financial institutions that look out for their customers -- especially when it comes to improving their financial health -- would come on top where loyalty is concerned. But with a heavy bottom line focus and a "so what" attitude, many miss the mark by a mile. Rochelle Nawrocki Gorey, Co-Founder & CEO SpringFour, guides us through how her company is trying to close the gap and shares findings from the SpringFour Q4 2024 Impact Report.

Having already shaken up financial services — and the world at large — artificial intelligence will ascend to heights in 2025 never before seen in the history of banking . But will the view look like from up there? And how will it affect the way customers transact business, and financial institutions move into a future that would've seemed stranger than science fiction just a generation ago? In the first of two parts, Bankadelic convenes a panel of five industry leaders in financial technology who deal with AI day in and day out. Join them as they give us a glimpse into the future that's already on the way. Our guests: Mac Thompson, CEO, White Clay Mitch Rutledge, CEO, Vertice AI Emiliano Giacchetti, CEO, Parascript Jon Tvrdik, CEO, WaveCX Matthew Wood, Sr. Director, Fintech, U.S. East, Tavant

Agentic AI. Quantum computing. New terms and tech are redefining the banking sector's use of artificial intelligence in 2025. Yet financial institutions can still get sucked into chasing a tricked-out gadget as opposed to a smart business solution. The bottom line is that applied right, AI promises a future where banks anticipate and fill customer needs like never before. In the second of two parts, Bankadelic explores the promising, sometimes confusing and always exciting road ahead for AI in banking. Our guests: Emiliano Giacchetti, CEO, Parascript Mitch Rutledge, CEO, Vertice AI Mac Thompson, CEO, White Clay Jon Tvrdik, CEO, WaveCX Matthew Wood, Sr. Director, Fintech, U.S. East, Tavant

Bankadelic is devoting two episodes to a crucial topic for 2025: where small businesses sit (and fit) in a challenging economic landscape. The U.S. Bank Small Business Perspective survey sheds light on the forces and concerns that matter — as reported by the business leaders themselves. In Port One we discuss the findings and what they reveal with Shruti Patel, U.S. Bank, Executive Vice President, Chief Product Officer for Business Banking.

In Part Two of a special Bankadelic presentation, we delve further into the latest U.S. Bank Small Business Perspective survey. Shruti Patel, U.S. Bank, Executive Vice President, Chief Product Officer for Business Banking, shares survey finding the gauge what truly makes workers happy and how SMBs are facing a future full of optimism and significant growth tasks. In an age where opinions pose as facts, ther report offers a clear-eyed view of the SMB landscape.

It's true: Bankadelic host Lou Carlozo writes, edits, engineers and performs most (and often all) the instruments on his podcast themes. Inspired by a visit to London a few decades ago, "Impossibly Sunny Day" started brewing as Lou strolled Carnaby Street and tried to imagine the scene when every cool Bristish band and celeb hung out there. Carnaby is kinda touristy today, but this instrumental longingly looks back at Swingin' London through psychedlic glasses. Enjoy!

Just when you think the bankers of the world couldn't be more in love -- with AI, that is -- along come four fintech experts to lay it all out for us in 2025. It promises to be the year of "agentic AI," among other things. And if that cute chatbot leaves roses on your desk, so much the better. Thanks to our special podcast guests: Joseph Ahn, CSO and Co-Founder, Delfi Amy Orosco, Director of Customer Success & Implementations, SWIVEL Mitch Rutledge, CEO and Co-Founder, Vertice AI Ed Vincent, CEO, SRA Watchtower

There's a lot of attention being paid to how banks can simultaneously team up with fintechs and best serve SMBs and entrepreneurs on the product side. Trouble is, there hasn't been a whole lot of action. Allan Rayson, Founder and CEO of Finov8r, talks us through the opportunities within “adaptive fintech ecosystems.” The idea is to create modular, flexible solutions that allow banks to remain agile in the face of regulatory and operational challenges — and embed banks into the product development before they sell.

While there's so much stress these days placed on chips and artificial intelligence, all the digital firepower in the world isn't going to create new products that people want. In this episode, Neil Stanley, Founder and CEO of The CorePoint, talks about how banks need to move beyond the rate sheets of old and start developing products for consumers living in an age of apps and e-commerce. He also touches on how banks, in responding to interest rate changes, can go beyond knee-jerk mentality and respond thoughtfully.

Whadda you lookin' at? It's Johnny Da Big, Bankadelic's official Wise Guy of Debatable Talent, lending his nit-so-dulcet tones and storytelling to the holiday classic "Do You Hear What I Hear?" Or "What I Hoid," as he likes to say in his South Philly patois. Listen if you dare, maybe even share, it's better than being a grinch and far more satisfying. Ya got a problem wit day?

You want presents? You bet your ask we've got presents, thanks to the presence of The Five Wise Finance Stars, who in our book outclass any number of elves you can cram around the dining room table. Join us as we tick off our gift list for the industry, banking's bad holiday reruns and what the happy new year ahead looks like in professional and personal ways. Plus, all hail Johnny Da Big as he returns — by invitation, if you can believe it — to sing a shattering rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear?” The guests who keep on giving: Stephen Curry, CEO, Endurance Advisory Partners Scott Earwood,  Head of Community Banking, White Clay Shelly Nischbach, SVP, Verification Services, Equifax Workforce Solutions Preetha Pulusani, CEO, Deep Target Cindy Snow, VP of Customer Success, Core10

With all the stress on engineers needing to make smart tech for consumers, it's just as important to remember that engineers work with consumable tech that's easy to implement, stack and tweak. Joshua Luke, Chief Technology Officer at Swivel, outlines the symbiotic relationship between customers, financial institutions and engineers who appreciate the same tech traits: Simplicity, seamlessness and elegance.

Though overall interest rates have softened, credit card APRs rates continue their stratospheric run, averaging 23% APR or more. Matt Potere, the new CEO of Happy Money, explains how his company is working to make debt consolidation loans available through its online platform -- and fulfilling its mission to develop and deliver affordable, accessible financial tools.