Just back from Finovate, Glen shares interviews with the founders of three standout first-timers: Goodbuy, FinZee AI and Doshi. Also- Best of Show winners, explainable friction, Chime banks up, and more AI than you can shake an agent at.
September 15, 2026
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Glen speaks with Prismm Founder/CEO Martha Underwood about a new metric- the Deposit Mortality Index- gauging an FI’s risk of deposit loss from the Great Wealth Transfer. Also- PayPal’s acquisition drama draws to a close (for now) and Walmart opens its wallet for Apple Pay.
Recapping last week’s Fintech South conference, Glen interviews founders of the three startups selected as Innovation Challenge finalists- Hussain Punjani of Agentix, Nyah Chapman of LUXE AI and John Patton of Street Charity- then asks you to guess which the judges chose for the grand prize. Also- Rich & Regular hosts Julien and Kiersten Saunders get real about everyday finances, and Spirit Airlines’ data is worth how much to AI developers?!
For this Town Hall, we’re joined by serial entrepreneur Brian Ley, founder and former CEO of Alpharank. Brian will introduce his latest venture, VerifyDial, an innovative scam prevention service that uses a nationwide 411-style phone line to help consumers verify suspicious calls and protect themselves from fraud. During the session, he’ll share how the model works, why it was created, and how VerifyDial plans to provide the service at no cost to community financial institutions. The initiative has already gained early support from several credit union leagues and is generating interest across the industry.
Glen connects with Fintech Sandbox Executive Director Lucas Timberlake to discuss the state of fintech investing- with and without AI- and to learn about his nonprofit’s mission to bring critical financial data access to early stage fintechs. Also- friends say that PayPal and Stripe are… “talking,” and JD Power’s credit card rankings have a K-shaped tilt- and an asterisk for Navy Federal.
Glen catches up with Finovate’s Greg Palmer to preview September’s NYC Demo Parade and the evolution in the startup ecosystem he’s noted. Also- the Fiserv Follies extends its run, and how CLARITY and credit cards suddenly became tied at the hip.
Glen speaks with Rapid Finance’s Patrick Lord about Zombie Business Fraud and other threat vectors given a bump by AI. Also, Stripe ponders a big play in AI routing, and SMBs send mixed messages to their multiple (banking) partners.
Glen speaks with author and Finavator CEO Michelle Beyo about her forthcoming book, her takes on the power of data and “trust as the new currency,” and her open banking sessions at August’s Fintech South Conference. Also, US instant payment volumes spike (relatively speaking) and Samsung/Barclays aim to take a bite of the Apple.
Glen checks in with CUltivate co-founder Anthony Volpe for an update on his CUSO’s progress in bringing practical AI to the back offices of a broad base of credit unions. Plus, ruminations on lesser covered aspects of the Stripe/PayPal intrigue.
By now you’ve probably heard about Stripe’s recent $53 billion offer- alongside private equity firm Advent International as an essentially equal partner- to acquire PayPal. You’ve probably also heard that PayPal’s board has rejected the offer as insufficient. Odds are good this saga is far from over, however. Let’s explore a few of the angles that are poised to keep things interesting.
John and Glen discuss the latest maneuvers in the stablecoin world- particularly the newly announced Open USD initiative spearheaded by Bridge, bringing its parent company Stripe into the game. Is it a game changer or a press release destined for Libra-land? Also, new Fed data finds credit cards in overdrive.
The Federal Reserve has a quirky pattern of sharing results of its flagship payments research over major holidays. Usually that holiday is the Christmas/New Years window, with initial findings from the Fed’s triennial Payments Study shooting down the chimney. For whatever reason this cycle’s initial results were delayed until the eve of America’s 250th birthday.
Meet The BIGcast Network
The fintech industry is evolving rapidly, and the BIGcast is here to delve into its impact on the credit union industry. Our esteemed guests from across the financial, technology and security sectors will provide thrilling perspectives on the latest fintech innovations that are poised to revolutionize the way we handle our finances. Each week join thought-leader, John Best and subject matter expert, Glen Sarvady as they take a quick dive into the financial industry’s current breakthroughs and latest hot topics.
John Best
CEO, Best Innovation Group
Glen Sarvady
Managing Principal, 154 Advisors