Travillian Next host Amber Buker, Chief Research Officer at Travillian, sits down with David Robinson, Director of Fintech and Embedded Banking at Academy Bank, to uncover how a family-owned community bank became one of the fastest movers in embedded banking.
From record-breaking onboarding with Treasury Prime to building a fintech partner profile that balances growth with risk, David shares practical lessons for banks and fintechs alike. Whether you’re exploring embedded partnerships or looking to scale responsibly, this conversation delivers real takeaways for fintech leaders.
Available now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or read the full summary with timestamps below.
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00:21 | Academy Bank’s Fintech Story
Amber introduces David Robinson and Academy Bank’s achievements: recognition by Fortune and Forbes, 25% growth, and record-setting onboarding with Treasury Prime. The stage is set for how a community bank leaned into fintech partnerships.
02:00 | Standing Up the Embedded Banking Practice
David explains joining Academy Bank to launch fintech partnerships. The leadership team was fully aligned, the API infrastructure was already in place, and a tech-savvy team allowed the bank to move at startup speed.
03:20 | API Infrastructure & Agility
Academy processes over a million daily API calls internally, giving them fluency in integrations. This technical foundation made external fintech connections seamless and sped up onboarding.
03:53 | Decision-Making at a Family-Owned Bank
David shares how Academy’s family ownership streamlines decisions. Opportunities are vetted directly with the CEO and CFO, focusing on leadership quality, revenue models, and long-term viability before moving forward.
05:17 | Building a Partner Profile
Selectivity is key: Academy developed a partner profile assessing culture, compliance commitment, financial maturity, and leadership strength. This ensures fintech collaborations are sustainable and mutually beneficial.
07:01 | Close Collaboration with Fintech Partners
From day one, Academy takes an active role in shaping fintech products. The goal is to launch MVPs that align with both parties’ long-term strategies rather than quick fixes.
07:56 | Deal Flow & Market Reality
David describes the flow of fintech pitches – many don’t fit, but every conversation builds market understanding. The bank has pulled out of deals when maturity wasn’t sufficient, reinforcing its disciplined approach.
09:39 | Applying a Bank’s Risk Lens to Fintech
Partnership vetting mirrors underwriting: assessing financials, risk, and product fit. David emphasizes selling Academy’s brand externally while also selling the fintech vision internally to compliance and risk teams.
11:41 | Advice for Other Banks Entering Embedded Banking
David warns: this isn’t a quick win. Success requires stamina, endurance, and leadership buy-in. Academy treats fintech as a core business, not a side experiment.
12:59 | Vertical Opportunities & Future Focus
Academy is especially interested in wealth management and RIAs, seeing a chance to expand beyond current offerings. Consumer and commercial fintechs remain on the table if the partnership fits strategically.
14:02 | White-Label & Investment Potential
The bank envisions not only sponsoring fintechs but potentially investing in and white-labeling solutions for its own customers – a “super home run” scenario that creates mutual growth.
15:32 | Lessons from Year One
After a year with their first fintech partner, Academy learned that small, simple partnerships require the same effort as mature ones – so focusing on stronger, more experienced fintechs is the smarter play.
16:55 | Where to Connect with Academy Bank
David closes with where fintechs can reach him at Academy Bank’s website, LinkedIn, and industry conferences like Alloy Labs and JAM FINTOP, signaling the bank’s openness to thoughtful partnerships.
Amber Buker is the Chief Research Officer at Travillian. Email abuker@travilliangroup.com for more information.
