Reshaping embedded finance with KeyBank’s Jon Briggs and Qolo’s CEO Patricia Montesi

Gaurav Mittal, Executive Vice President of Ethoca, a Mastercard company, shows that the post-purchase space represents an opportunity for our industry. It's where customers want convenience, autonomy, and trust but many of the players today have not been able to meet their demands. Mittal brings a unique insight into how tools like digital receipts and subscription management delivered within the banking app can improve customer experience. What’s more, this mission to ease post-purchase tasks like cancellations brings with it cost reductions and operational efficiencies for merchants and banks as well — and our guest today tells us how to build for the hard to achieve but ideal solution: a partnership landscape where everybody wins.  To learn more about how merchants and banks can leverage subscription management tools and digital receipts to better serve customers as well as positively impact their bottoms lines download this whitepaper: https://www.library.tearsheet.co/ethocawp

Welcome to the second episode of our de novo community banking series. I’m Sara Khairi, your host and reporter at Teasheet. If you tuned in a couple of weeks ago, you know we kicked things off with a deep dive into Craft Bank's journey in Atlanta, from CEO Ross Mynatt's debut leadership role to its choice of core tech partner and the strategies it used to grow $250 million in assets. This episode builds on that theme, exploring the origin, growth, and technology paths of two other community banks: RockPoint Bank in Tennessee and Moultrie Bank in Georgia. Both banks are relatively young, having been founded during the pandemic, and while they share some commonalities like limited budgets and staffing, they each have unique markets and growth strategies. The variety of perspectives on the same challenges is what makes their story interesting. Joining us are Hamp Johnston, President and CEO of RockPoint Bank, and Donna Lott, President and CEO of Moultrie Bank & Trust. We discuss the origins and development of their banks, the hurdles they’ve overcome, and why they decided on Jack Henry as the right tech partner for them.

Strategic partnerships – those relationships between traditional financial institutions and fintechs – have become really integral as banks seek to modernize their offerings and fintechs aim to scale their operations and get distribution. KeyBank and Qolo have teamed up on an embedded finance offering. On today’s episode, we sit with Jon Briggs, Head of Product and Innovation at KeyBank, and Patricia Montesi, Co-founder and CEO of Qolo. Their collaboration story begins two years ago when a single slide in Qolo's pitch deck caught KeyBank's attention. "We still talk about it today," Montesi recalls. "It was the ‘Series A: Winter Slide’, which was all about how fintech had created this spiderweb ecosystem of suppliers. And sort of put the burden back on banks and corporates to bring it all together." Their shared goal of simplifying fintech sparked a partnership that’s addressing how treasurer think about and use banking. As Briggs explains, "We enter partnerships because they need a lot of mind share, a lot of sweat equity." What set Qolo apart was their deep understanding of banking-grade compliance and operational risk. This makes the integration process less painful. The result of their collaboration? KeyVAM, a virtual account management system that simplifies money movement by consolidating balances and transactions in a virtual platform, reducing the need for organizations to manage multiple accounts or complex account structures. KeyBank’s Jon Briggs and Qolo’s Patricia Montesi are my guests today on the Tearsheet Podcast.

Today's episode of the Tearsheet podcast features Dan Kang, VP of Finance at Mercury. He shares his insights on how the fintech company is reshaping corporate finance for tech founders. Kang has experience in private equity, Square, and Mercury. This background gives him a unique view of financial services for startups and positions the neobank nicely as the IPO window opens wider for more of its clients. His insights are especially valuable in today’s changing financial landscape. "We're excited about the service area that this opens up for Mercury," Kang explains. He discusses the company's recent expansion into personal banking. This move, based on customer demand, shows Mercury's commitment to complete financial solutions for founders.  Kang emphasizes the importance of understanding customer pain points. He states, "It starts with really understanding what are the customer pain points and what are they looking for." This customer-centric approach has led Mercury to develop innovative products. These include free wire transfers and streamlined SAFE agreements.I think this approach sets them apart in the competitive fintech landscape.

Welcome to Compound Influence, the podcast that dissects the power players shaping the financial services industry. I'm your host, Tearsheet's Zack Miller, joined by my insightful co-host, Josh Liggett. In today's episode, we're diving deep into the world of financial analysis and influence, focusing on a figure who's been making waves in a unique way: Ron Shevlin. Known for his data-driven approach and sharp insights, Ron has carved out a niche as the "analyst's analyst" in our industry. We'll explore how Ron's methodical, sometimes contrarian views are reshaping conversations in banking and fintech. We'll also draw some interesting comparisons to Jim Cramer, whom we discussed in our previous episode, highlighting the diverse ways influence manifests in our field. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a rising star in financial services, this episode promises to offer valuable insights into the mechanics of influence and the power of nuanced, data-backed perspectives in our rapidly evolving industry. The big ideas Data-Driven Contrarianism: Ron Shevlin's approach combines deep industry knowledge with a willingness to challenge accepted practices, using data to poke holes in common assumptions about banking and fintech. The Power of "Boring" Finance: In contrast to flashy influencers, Shevlin's "boring" but substantive content resonates strongly with industry professionals, highlighting the value of in-depth, nuanced analysis in financial services. Independence as Influence: Shevlin's perceived independence and resistance to being "influenced" himself lends significant credibility to his opinions and analyses. Niche Expertise in a Massive Market: The financial services industry is so large that influencers like Shevlin can focus on specific niches (like credit unions) and still have substantial impact and reach. B2B Storytelling Through Social Media: The podcast discusses how leaders in fintech and banking are increasingly using platforms like LinkedIn to share behind-the-scenes insights, building trust and connections with potential clients and partners. So, grab your coffee, settle in, and let's unpack the

Hey, I'm Tearsheet's Sara Khairi. For my very first episode, I decided to step outside the frenetic pace of the Big Apple and dive into the lesser-known banking scene in other states. Community banks have weathered a storm of challenges in recent years, including macroeconomic pressures and the uncertainty following three regional bank failures in 2023. In particular, young community banks launched during the peak of Covid-19 have had to contend with additional complexities due to their timing. These community banks may operate on a smaller scale, but their ambitions rival those of Wall Street giants. As the digital wave sweeps across the globe, these banks are not just staying in the game — they’re hustling to keep pace and stay relevant by adopting emerging technologies. One example is Atlanta's Craft Bank, which opened its doors in 2020, right when the world was facing a pandemic. Primarily a commercial bank with a business-centric focus, Craft Bank currently operates with a team of 19 employees and manages total assets of $250 million. Ross Mynatt, CEO of Craft Bank, joins us to discuss his journey as a first-time CEO, the choice of Jack Henry as their core tech partner, and the strategies behind Craft Bank’s $250 million asset growth at a time when most smaller institutions were struggling just to stay afloat.

Welcome to the Tearsheet Podcast, where we explore financial services together with an eye on technology, innovation, emerging models, and changing expectations. I’m Tearsheet’s editor in chief, Zack Miller. In today's episode, we explore what it takes to build world-class data governance in financial services. Our guests are Jay Como, the global head of data governance at T. Rowe Price, and Glenn Kurban, partner at Capco. We talk about how generative AI and new data strategies are transforming finance, sharing insights on the transformation of the Chief Data Officer role. The discussion also focuses on the challenges of large-scale data migrations. Jay Como reflects on the convergence of data and digital roles. He states, "What we've seen is there used to be kind of two shapes of CDOs. There was a chief data officer and there was a chief digital officer. And what I think in the last five years is what we've seen is those roles have really come together." Glenn Kurban adds depth to this perspective, emphasizing the shift towards more proactive data strategies. Glenn says, "You're seeing much more being asked of CDOs in terms of, how are we moving now to an offensive posture around data? That is, how am I going to monetize this data? How can I use it to drive better decisions, reduce costs, and actually outpace our competitors?" As our discussion unfolds, it becomes clear that the financial services industry is at a pivotal moment. AI tools and cloud technologies are reshaping traditional approaches to data governance and migration. The insights shared by Como and Kurban offer a glimpse into the future of data management in finance. AI-driven solutions and strategic data governance converge to create new opportunities and challenges. Here’s my conversation with Jay and Glenn.

This conversation with Suzy’s Matt Britton really rose above the noise and allowed me to look at the financial services industry as an interconnected whole, as a mechanism that is alive and complex. It's the kind of perspective you can lose when you report on niche developments day in and out. In this podcast, Britton takes us on a step by step inspection of a lot of the things we have come to take for granted: the rise of BNPL, Gen Z’s complicated relationship with money, and also how AI is going to impact sectors like wealth management and restructure how we recruit, train and strategize around talent. Britton is an example of a man that not only has his finger on the pulse but is also able to condense the many and sometimes conflicting signals the market and the industry gives, into a cogent outlook. It's a conversation that will urge you to stop and take stock, and one that also spotlights how FIs can make the most of an industry and consumers that are in flux right now.

Today’s a first for the podcast. We have an entire management team joining us on the podcast.  For today’s show, we have the new leadership team of Malka Media. Malka is a subsidiary of MoneyLion and the firm’s content studio. It’s in integral part of the entire firm’s strategy and we definitely dive into their groundbreaking approach to financial content marketing.  Bill Davaris, co-CEO of Malka Media, emphasizes the importance of quality content and storytelling for the firm. He states, "We're trying to bring in what modern brands want, right? By bringing in top talent, where can we serve them with the latest technologies and strategies."  Paige McCrenskey, Chief Brand Officer, highlights the challenges of the "attention deficit economy". She focuses on the need for brands to connect through compelling stories. Chris Apostle, co-CEO, discusses the critical role of technology and data in powering marketing efforts and customer engagement.  Together, they explore how Malka Media is creating a dynamic content ecosystem within MoneyLion and beyond with the firm’s clients.  Malka Media’s new management suite is my guest today on the Tearsheet Podcast.

Tearsheet’s roots were in investment and wealth tech. As that world became more focused on plain vanilla robo-advisors about a decade ago, I expanded our focus to include banking, payments, and lending. That’s because with ETFs and low-cost providers, it felt like most of the focus of innovation was coming from removing costs. Things have changed since then. On today’s episode, we explore the changing world of wealth management with two industry leaders: Nader Souri, Head of Corporate Banking at BNY, and Caesar Sengupta, CEO of Arta Finance. You don’t have to listen closely to really feel their connection and the relationship they’ve personally forged through working together. I first spoke with Ceasar a few years ago when he was VP and General Manager of Payments and Next Billion Users at Google. Our conversation reveals how these two organizations are leading how wealth management solutions are evolving for professionals. It also sheds light on the role of fintech partnerships in this transformation. Caesar Sengupta opens the discussion by explaining Arta Finance’s mission. “We are a digital family office or a digital private bank for professionals, not the ultra-rich,” he says. The goal is to democratize wealth management and make sophisticated financial tools accessible to those who have worked hard in their careers. Nader Souri adds, “At BNY, we provide the platform upon which folks like Arta Finance can build their businesses.” He highlights the role of clearing and custody infrastructure. This helps in supporting innovative fintech solutions.