Episode 10: What’s Ahead for ThinkTECH? — with Jack Hartings and Wayne Miller
Release Date: 11/16/2022
Episode 28: Looking Back at 2024 Advocacy Efforts—and Toward 2025 — with Rebeca Romero Rainey
Independent Banker
We’ve seen a lot of shifts and change this year—the continued uptick in check fraud, the election, credit union acquisitions, etc.—but we community bankers are as steadfast, scrappy and resilient as ever. In fact, we show no signs of slowing down. According to Rebeca Romero Rainey, ICBA president and CEO, we’ve had a very successful year for ICBA’s advocacy and grassroots efforts. Take the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Section 1033, for example, where ICBA helped secure an exemption for community banks under $850 million. “What this this exemption tells me is that...
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Episode 27: Why Fraudsters Love the Holidays — with Kausar Kenning
Independent Banker
As the holidays approach, it’s time to stay even more vigilant against fraud. That’s because fraudsters are more likely to seek out vulnerable, lonely or busy people at the end of the year. How can community bankers get ahead of year-end fraud and raise awareness among consumers? “I think that's the responsibility of community banks,” says Kausar Kenning, global head of payment systems intelligence for VISA. “Make sure that you're taking all those safety precautions, make sure that you're being proactive in your effort, and you're helping to prevent it from before it even...
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Episode 26: Get Schooled on Banking — with Alexander Price and Stephanie Gambill
Independent Banker
If you’re looking to advance your career, you may be thinking, “Where do I start?” But options abound—you just have to know where to look. Alexander Price, CEO of Citizens State Bank in Ouray, Colo., pursued further education and career development at the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado, which is just one of the options available to bankers. “[School is] one of those things where you just have time, you have space, to think about things and to talk about things. It's worth its weight in gold,” Price says. “I would also say the Graduate School of Banking, its...
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Episode 25: Why is Check Fraud Such a Problem Right Now? — with Scott Anchin and David Long
Independent Banker
Check fraud isn’t new, but it has re-emerged as an appealing way for fraudsters to target community banks and their customers. That’s why ICBA has brought check fraud to the forefront of its conversation with its members, to discuss the ways they can band together to solve this issue. “The one advantage that we have—which is a really, really strong advantage—is that we have an incredibly dedicated and engaged membership of folks who are working on the frontlines of check fraud, and who understand the problem, and who are ready to really roll up their sleeves and dive in and...
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Episode 24: How Fintechs Can Elevate Community Banks — with Saroop Bharwani and Allan Rayson
Independent Banker
As technology and customer expectations change, fintechs must adapt and pivot to meet the needs of the community banks they work with. Whatever community banks are looking for—streamlining data collection, cutting down operation costs, etc.—there should be a fintech stepping up to provide a solution. But that means they must know exactly what the community bank customer desires. “The majority of the conversations that I am having on this topic is a function of helping that fintech founder connect the products, which are usually amazing, to real, tangible, deep balance sheet...
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Episode 23: ICBA LIVE: Where Community is Built — with Lindsay LaNore and Brad Bolton
Independent Banker
Whenever you hear stories from people who have been to ICBA LIVE for the first time, they're just blown away from the atmosphere, from the camaraderie, from that one mission focus … It just makes such an impression that you will never be the same once you come to this event,” says Brad Bolton, former ICBA chairman and president and CEO of Community Spirit Bank in Red Bay, Ala. In March 2024, Orlando plays host to thousands of community bankers looking forward to connecting, learning and pushing the industry forward. Bolton and Lindsay LaNore, ICBA’s senior executive vice...
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Episode 22: Fintech Trends For 2024 — with Dharmesh Mistry
Independent Banker
Technology is ever advancing, and it’s critical for community bankers to stay ahead of it. According to Dharmesh Mistry of FinTech Futures, a media platform dedicated to global banking and the fintech industry, three of those trends are generative AI, faster payments and the cloud. “2024 can continue to be a transformative year for community banks. Cloud is a way to pursue that to drive down some of the costs, create some more efficiencies,” Mistry says. “It’s not just about pure expense reduction and revenue growth but creating more efficient operations, and I think that's a...
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Episode 21: Connect With Your Fellow Community Bankers — with Leah Brink
Independent Banker
Connection is at the heart of what community bankers do. That’s one of the reasons that the social networking platform ICBA Community was created. And it’s not only creating online connections, it’s helping bankers build relationships with each other outside of the forum. “It's been helpful right now just to have others that you can go to and really connect with,” says Leah Brink, marketing and training director of BankStar Financial and co-lead of ICBA Community’s marketing group. “I've seen examples to where people are reaching out to each other through the through the...
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Episode 20: Why Cybercrime is on the Rise — with James Anderson and Robert Johnston
Independent Banker
With hundreds of millions of cyberattacks happening each year, it’s critical for community banks to fortify their cybersecurity operations. While it may be tempting to go after the hottest new cyber protections, it’s important not to forget the basics, says Adlumin Inc.’s CEO, Robert Johnston. “If you get the blocking and tackling done correctly, 85% of threats you can take off the table,” he says. “Get that right and you will save yourself a lot of pain from just brilliance in the basics.” It can be daunting to figure out how to best keep your cybersecurity...
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Episode 19: How to Use AI at Your Community Bank — with Jackie Verkuyl and Slaven Bilac
Independent Banker
AI technology is growing exponentially. While it can bring many advantages to community banks, some bankers may have concerns about possible security issues. So, why take the risk if your bank is performing well? BAC Community Bank in Stockton, Calif., which worked AI-specialist fintech Agent IQ, was able to develop a thorough understanding of the technology and create better systems that benefited both staff and customers. “We weren't really trying to solve a problem,” says Jackie Verkuyl, EVP/CFO of BAC Community Bank. “But it gave us this opportunity—that we could have better...
info_outlineBanking solutions that have already been through vendor due diligence and other
compliance assessments? Sign us up. That’s what the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator has
aimed to do for the past four years: collaborate with fintechs to develop plug-and-play
solutions tailor-made for community banks.
In late 2022, ICBA announced it was bringing the Accelerator and all innovation activities
in house. In this episode, our guests reveal the reasons behind this move and give a glimpse
of how the association will develop initiatives that help community banks flourish.
Our guests today are:
- Wayne Miller, ICBA’s new senior vice president and director of innovation
activities, who is the former executive director of The Venture Center in Little Rock,
Ark., where the Accelerator got its start.
- Jack Hartings, chairman of the Peoples Bank in Coldwater, Ohio, who has been
involved with the Accelerator since the beginning and now sits on the cohort
selection committee.
Independent Banker: A Community Banking Podcast from ICBA is hosted by Charles Potts,
ICBA’s executive vice president and chief innovation officer.
Head to icba.org/thinktech to learn more about ICBA’s innovation activities or, if you’re a
fintech company looking to better understand the needs of community bankers, apply for
the 2023 Accelerator.