Pioneering the Future: The Confluence of Technology and Banking

It’s been a while since our last additions, but we are thrilled to introduce three new visionary banks to the Travillian Tech-Forward Bank Index by hosting an engaging group discussion with a C-level executive from each bank. These institutions epitomize the spirit of innovation and stand poised to be meaningful participants in an era of banking that is reshaping existing paradigms.

Chris Black, President & CEO of Thread Bank, Wade Peery, Chief Innovations Officer of FirstBank in TN, and Jimmy Stallings, President of Payments of Stride Bank shared their distinctive innovation journeys and vision for their banks, elaborated on talent strategies within an innovative and digital culture, described how they foresee success in bank-fintech collaborations, and even filled us in on their favorite movies of all time.

Travillian Hosts: Brian Love, Head of Banking & Fintech, and Indra Elangovan, Head of Strategic Advisory.

Also, on the Index page, click each bank’s drop down to see a video from these gentleman providing a brief summary of their bank.

Video Index

00:15 | Travillian Tech-Forward Bank Index Shines Light on Innovative Minds

01:58 | New Additions of Innovative Banks to the Index

15:18 | Digital Transformation and Unique Digital Vision

23:17 | Talent and Digital Innovation

30:34 | Lightning Round on Talent

35:49 | Navigating Success in Bank/Fintech Integration and Partnerships

41:07 | Fintech Bubble and Impact on Banks

46:39 | Advice for Integrating Technology to Embrace Future of Banking

51:28 | Favorite Movie!

51:59 | Conclusion

About the Banks

Thread Bank (HQ: Rogersville, TN, Recapitalized in May 2021, Assets: $493.1 Million, Private) – Thread Bank started on the distinctive innovative journey as a BaaS provider when a group of investors recapitalized a small bank Civis in May 2021. With a focus on digital banking and BaaS model offering deposit, payment solutions and loans to small businesses and enterprises, Thread Bank then challenges all the paradigms on how products and services are delivered to today’s banking customers. The bank partners with innovative disruptors to provide embedded deposits, embedded lending, and soon to come embedded payments to bank customers.

FirstBank (HQ: Nashville, TN, Founded: 1906, Assets: $13.1 Billion, Public) – FirstBank offers digital banking for community focused affordable home ownership solutions. Through partnership with Zippy MH, FirstBank provides lending solutions to a niche Manufactured Housing community operator. With credit and risk management expertise, FirstBank combines with Zippy’s tech solutions to provide loans to increase homeownership. FirstBank’s innovation journey started with strategic planning and the bank views embedded banking as a distribution channel. Additionally, FirstBank participates in a VC fund that seeded companies that align with the bank’s strategy.

Stride Bank (HQ: Enid, OK, Founded: 1913, Assets: $3.35 Billion, Private) – Stride Bank is a BaaS/Payments provider offering robust next generation innovative payments solutions through secure API integration and a faster loan disbursement process. The bank has always had a tech-forward presence running its own ATM in the 60s and for others in the community and was a pioneer in ACH payment program in the 70s. With the evolution of prepaids in the 2000s Stride continued to shift away from the traditional banking model to diversify the customer base. The bank changed name in 2019 from Central National Bank & Trust Company to Stride Bank and further expanded into digital banking and partner banking through successful fintech companies. Stride Bank found success during the pandemic to grow and scale the payment business rapidly that consist of prepaid cards, debit cards and real time payments.