Host Sam Kilmer looks back at the year’s most quoted hallway moments—packed with real-world takes on AI (purposeful, not buzzwordy), stablecoins (watch the fiat on/off-ramps), data activation (from “we have it” to “we use it”), and go-to-market alignment. Highlights include an AI reality check from a startup CEO, pragmatic stablecoin guidance from an investing leader, compliance and fraud implications for the AI era, organizing sales + marketing around bookings, and why community FIs must aim for personalization beyond product silos. Plus a few road-warrior stories (Grace Potter sighting, sun-safe merch) to cap a big year.

Links

• Sam Kilmer (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/samkilmer/
  
  
• Fintech Hustle (Cornerstone site): https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/podcasts/fintech-hustle/
  
  

00:04 Flashback setup: a “greatest-hits-ish” reel—AI, stablecoin, data, GTM
01:23 AI culture shift: a CEO’s take on leaders who hoped to “retire before it hits”
03:06 Stablecoin sanity check (rooftop chat): focus on fiat ↔ stablecoin conversions now
05:07 AI’s compounding edge: “It’s the dumbest it will ever be today”—early adopters win on efficiency, profitability, M&A leverage
07:18 Purposeful AI: define the outcome first (ops efficiency, intimacy, personalization), then pick the tech
08:25 GTM org design: marketing + sales co-own accounts and bookings; content ≠ handoff forms
10:48 Data to action: banks have data—now align strategy, frontline, and offers to actually use it
12:03 Sign-off: community, road notes, and gearing up for 2026’s guest slate

Host Sam Kilmer gathers Reva Rao (Head of Digital Transformation, Blend), David Ladic (SVP, Zafin), Adam Aspes (Partner, FINTOP), and co-host Kelli Schultz for a candid hallway conversation. They trade “day-in-the-life” views (and nonstop event planning), argue for purposeful AI over buzzwords, and unpack regulator-ready AI governance (from “know your agent” to vendor disclosures). The group debates blockchain/tokenization in mortgages, smart-contract enforcement, fraud realities, and whether consumers even care about the rails—so long as pricing and trust improve. It closes with a challenge to community FIs: get entrepreneurial, use your data, personalize beyond product silos, and solve for outcomes—not tech for tech’s sake.

Key Moments

00:11 Guest lineup and setup from the halls of fintech to real operator stories
08:45 Events as strategy why orchestration and education matter as much as product
13:22 Purposeful AI prioritize problems, outcomes, and ROI rather than buzzwords
20:36 Governance and exams “know your agent,” vendor AI disclosures, anonymization, and risk
28:32 Tokenization debate on chain home equity, cost dynamics, smart contract enforcement, and whether consumers care
42:10 What’s broken and what wins data driven personalization and a call for FI entrepreneurship
47:03 Wrap and takeaways solve outcomes first and let tech follow

Recording “in the hall” at FinovateFall, host Sam Kilmer is joined by Wayne Miller ( SVP Innovation at ICBA & GP at BankTech Ventures), Tiffani Montez (Principal Analyst, EMARKETER), and Har Rai Khalsa (CEO & Co-Founder, Swaystack). They discuss what a fintech leader’s day really looks like, the urgency of AI adoption, the shaky logic of bank-issued stablecoins, and why personalization and life-stage experiences must replace product silos.

• 00:04 Live from FinovateFall, NYC — Sam introduces Wayne, Tiffani, and Har Rhai.
• 01:10 Day-in-the-life: matchmaking fintech + banks, research for clients, go-to-market hustle.
• 04:24 Hallway buzz: AI and stablecoin — time to focus on how, not why.
• 07:25 Industry pain points: inactive accounts, lack of engagement, and missing 360° customer views.
• 12:16 Positive outlook: AI as augmentation, personalization at scale, and shifting from products to customer life-stage journeys.