GAC 2026: Voices of the Technology Vanguard

By John San Filippo

While structural shifts in back-end system strategy often dominate the headlines, the success of any modernization effort is ultimately measured by the specialized tools that drive member engagement. To conclude our coverage of GAC 2026, Finopotamus spoke with five operational leaders – the “Technology Vanguard” – who are executing the solutions that bridge the gap between back-office systems and the member. From data sharing and embedded lending to automated verification and instant payments, these experts are turning strategic goals into operational reality.

CUDX: Treating Data as a Cooperative Asset

The Tampa, Fla.-based Credit Union Data Exchange (CUDX, pronounced “Q-Dex”) was established as a cooperative CUSO to help institutions leverage their most valuable hidden asset: information. Adam Wright, managing director of operations for CUDX, explained that the organization is majority-owned by Trellance but includes investments from numerous credit unions, other CUSOs, and the Filene Research Institute. The exchange allows credit unions to contribute anonymized data into a collective pool, enabling them to compete with the analytical power of the nation’s largest banks.

Adam Wright

Wright argued that credit unions must fundamentally shift their perspective on the data they generate. He pointed out that every transaction and interaction is an asset that should be yielding a return for the institution and its members. Wright stated, “All financial companies are data companies, whether they admit it or not, and credit unions are no exception.” He also noted that by participating in the exchange, credit unions can identify trends and advocate for their members more effectively than they could in isolation.

Furthermore, CUDX provides a pathway for credit unions to generate non-interest income through the safe and regulated monetization of these anonymized insights. Wright emphasized that this model was built by and for the movement to ensure that the benefits of the data economy remain within the credit union ecosystem. He asserted, “This is a way to not only have access to data that enables their partners and the folks that advocate for them, but it also creates a non-interest income stream for them from their data and does so safely.”

FI Connect: The Mobile Device as the New Primary Financial Institution

Greenwood Village, Colo.-based FI Connect, a division of Origence, has redefined embedded lending through high-profile partnerships, most notably with Tesla, explained Brian Hamilton, head of embedded lending for FI Connect. He shared that the platform has funded approximately $1.5 billion in Tesla loans since its launch in late 2023. The company is now expanding into digital retailer preapprovals and unsecured home improvement loans, a market traditionally bogged down by heavy documentation and long lead times.

Brian Hamilton

Hamilton noted a significant shift in how consumers view their relationship with a primary financial institution (PFI). He maintained that the traditional differentiator of a friendly face in a physical branch is no longer enough to win the modern consumer. Instead, the point of decision has moved to the device in the member’s pocket. Said Hamilton, “Your phone, my friend, is your PFI.”

This reality requires credit unions to be present at the point of sale, often within just a few clicks. Hamilton pointed out that the average consumer now has seven different financial apps on their phone, creating a highly commoditized landscape. He suggested that to stay relevant, credit unions must mirror the “Amazon expectation” of instant gratification. He remarked, “That service differentiator that we had in the past is no longer our competitive advantage.”

Happy Money: Modernizing Debt Consolidation for Wellness

Torrance, Calif.-based Happy Money focuses on helping consumers repair their personal balance sheets by moving high-interest revolving credit card debt into responsible, fixed-term loans. Matt Tomko, CRO at Happy Money, explained that while credit unions were originally the sole funding vehicles for these loans, the company has recently diversified to include institutional capital partners like Fortress and Edge Focus. This ensures that Happy Money can continue to deliver loans to members even during periods of tight liquidity within the credit union system.

Matt Tomko

Tomko emphasized that the company’s primary goal is to help people achieve their financial goals through a transparent and responsible lending process. He noted that with credit card interest rates reaching historic highs, the need for term-loan consolidation has become a critical component of a member’s financial health. Tomko stated, “We make consumer loans and we distribute them to our capital partners, but our goal is to help people to achieve their financial goals through responsible lending.”

A key priority for Happy Money is ensuring that existing credit union relationships are prioritized. Tomko said that the company is building the capability to instantly recognize if an applicant is already a member of a partner credit union so that institution can fund the loan directly. He explained, “One of our goals as we develop this is to recognize those existing relationships right away and have that partner fund you since you already had that relationship.”

Informed.IQ: The AI Agent for Automated Verification

San Francisco-based Informed.IQ utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the cumbersome documentation and verification steps that typically slow down the lending process. Kartheek Veeravalli, head of partnerships for Informed.IQ, explained that the platform verifies income, residency, and dealer contract details on behalf of the lender. This allows credit unions to move “clean” loans through the pipeline instantly, while human underwriters focus only on the exceptions. He remarked, “Informed.IQ helps credit unions automate their loan documents.”

Kartheek Veeravalli

The system also serves as a critical defense against sophisticated fraud. Veeravalli shared a recent example where the platform identified an applicant who had submitted nine different contracts to various lenders in a single week—a pattern known as “credit stacking” or “bust-out fraud.” By catching these anomalies before funding, the technology protects the institution’s assets in real time. He said, “Those are the things we bring to the lenders to help them understand that they probably do not want to fund a particular packet.”

By acting as a digital agent, Informed.IQ helps credit unions match the speed of large national banks and fintechs. Veeravalli noted that automation is no longer just about efficiency; it is about meeting the consumer’s demand for an instant decision. He asserted, “We become like an AI agent for the funders so that they can focus only on what is good and what is bad in that loan packet.”

Payfinia: Building the Workflow for Instant Payments

Portland, Ore.-based Payfinia, which was incubated out of the digital banking provider Tyfone, focuses on enabling seamless support for instant payment rails like FedNow and RTP. Keith Riddle, general manager of Payfinia, discussed the importance of designing intuitive workflows for account-to-account transfers. Working closely with Star One Credit Union, for example, Payfinia developed a system that allows members to move money instantly to external accounts while maintaining a unified experience.

Keith Riddle

Riddle said that a major advantage of the platform is that the data generated by these transactions remains the property of the credit union. This allows institutions to gain deep insights into member behavior, such as identifying frequent transfers to external fintech platforms or investment apps. Riddle shared, “We provide the credit union all that data because it is their data associated with their member activity.”

This data transparency allows credit unions to better understand where they are losing “wallet share” and helps them craft more personalized digital services. Riddle warned that if a credit union’s credentials aren’t ready for the next wave of e-commerce, they risk becoming invisible to their own members. He asserted, "You will absolutely miss out on 100% of the transactions where your card's not available."