In this Wake360 live episode, we unpack what it really means to build a career in digital banking today. With insights from Wells Fargo’s Danny Sanford, Wake Forest’s AI Academic Director Carm Taglienti, and student voice Felicia Atkinson, host Mohamed Desoky explores how AI, automation, and data analytics are reshaping the industry’s DNA.

Perfect for anyone navigating the intersection of finance, technology, and innovation.

Topics include:

• How AI accelerates innovation and decision-making
• Why data and trust define the new banking experience
• The skills that make fintech professionals stand out
• Real stories of innovation inside large financial institutions

#DigitalBanking #FintechAsAService #AIinFinance

In this episode, we explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the day-to-day operations of banks, fintehcs, credit unions, and wealth managers - from predictive analytics to responsible AI practices. Hosted by Mohamed Desoky and co-hosted by Felicia Atkinson and Jake Langlois, we’re joined by Dr. Zahra Cataltepe (CEO, Tazi.ai) and Gordana Vuckovic (Chief Commercial Officer, Tazi.ai) for a wide-ranging conversation on deploying real-time, explainable AI at scale.

We dive into:

• How machine learning and GenAI are changing front and middle office functions.
• What responsible AI really means beyond fairness audits.
• Why financial institutions are not replacing people- they’re empowering them.
• How startups can lead with adaptive AI tools and platforms.
• How Tazi consults with clients to co-design AI strategies tailored to their goals

If you’re curious about where AI meets real financial strategy—this one’s for you.

In this episode of the FaaS podcast, we dive into the world of embedded finance with Eoghan Nolan, a seasoned fintech leader with experience at Google, eBay, and LinkedIn. Joined by co-hosts Carter Pettus and Francisco Mones Pena, the conversation explores how financial services are being seamlessly integrated into everyday experiences - from retail to ride-sharing - driven by consumer expectations and new tech.

Topics include generational shifts, monetization models, the evolving role of banks, and the challenges of fraud and regulation. Whether you're new to fintech or deep in the space, this episode unpacks what’s ahead in the embedded finance revolution.

A must-listen episode for anyone navigating the tech industry, where Nigel Hammett, technology leader at Google Cloud, shares invaluable insights on:

• Breaking into tech sales and AI - from software development to prompt engineering, learn the essential skills that actually matter in today's market.
• The art of specialization - discover how focusing your expertise and building practical projects can set you apart in the competitive tech landscape.
• Bridging experience gaps - master strategies for translating your past experience into tech industry success, whether you're a seasoned professional or newcomer.

Join hosts Mohamed Desoky, Chad Thomas, and Chehannah Hayden as they explore the evolving tech landscape with practical advice you can implement today.

In this episode, Nakeita shared her experience and insights on overcoming self-doubt and navigating career pivots in the finance industry.

The conversation emphasized the importance of self-awareness, resilience, and a growth mindset, and discussed the challenges and opportunities of pivoting into finance and FinTech.

Nakeita envisioned herself three years in the future and described her ideal scenario to a coach, which helped her embody the success and overcome self-doubt. All professionals could benefit from this valuable advice.

Nakeita and Mohamed also shared insights on navigating professional journeys and leadership, with a focus on purpose and helping others. Throughout the discussion, they highlighted the value of networking, personal and professional development, and faith in achieving success.

Nathan Stevenson and Mohamed Desoky discussed the potential of reinforcement learning and AI in finance, particularly in asset management and personalized wealth management. Nathan also shared his inspirational and impactful journey to ForwardLane.

They emphasized the importance of human feedback in the reinforcement learning process to improve accuracy and highlighted the need for human interaction in financial decision-making. They also discussed the future of financial technology with AI, including the potential for AI to revolutionize the industry.

In this episode we were joined by Paul Davis, from Greensboro, NC and founder at Bank Slate, a banking and fintech consulting and advisory practice with a robust media platform. We discussed how fintechs can work better with banks.

Principle themes:

• Prioritizing compliance at fintechs, and taking proactive steps to demonstrate compliance;
• Building dedicated teams and leaders at banks to manage fintech partnerships;
• Monitoring and managing third party relationships through action plans;
• The importance of measuring potential risks with fintechs - eg. liquidity, credit, reputational, etc.
• Regulatory scopes, ie. the difference between the CFPB's scope and that of the OCC/FDIC/Fed;
• Becoming well-rounded in technology and compliance, and networking as keys to success in the field.

https://thebankslate.substack.com/ #FaaS

Thank you to James Barney, Director of Cloud Platform Engineering at Ally Bank in Charlotte, NC, for a stimulating conversation covering the tenets of the fintech infrastructure.

Principal topics:

+ Acceleration of existing systems through cloud migration.

+ Cloud integration of regulatory standards to help speed up the process of product development.

+ Pioneering the IT gateway between legacy vendor systems (ie, Fiserv) with new cloud infrastructure.

+ The democratization of financial data through the cloud migration of exchanges.

+ Application Programs Interface (API) advantages of constant maintenance and product agility.

+ Self-healing systems to prevent outages.

+ Hyper-scalers allowing entrepreneurs and product developers to focus on customer needs/experience.

+ Future fintech survival dependent on the protection the intellectual property.

+ Becoming a thought-leader by reading and becoming resourceful.

www.ally.com

#cloudmigration #API