From May 3 to 6, credit union industry professionals gathered in Coronado, Calif., to discuss innovation, culture, growth and more at THiNK 16, hosted by CO-OP Financial Services.
In addition to featuring collaborative activities and presentations with industry thought leaders, CO-OP took the opportunity to unveil a new white label payments platform that will compete with Apple Pay and a four-year partnership with the Filene Research Institute.
Check out a few of the event's highlights here.
Caroline Willard, EVP, markets and strategy for CO-OP, noted, “People don't wake up in the morning thinking, ‘I can't wait to make payments.’”
Ted Gonder, co-founder/CEO for MoneyThink, emphasized the need to move from transactional and informational to transformational.
CO-OP Chief Marketing Officer Samantha Paxson asked attendees to consider: How many lives would be better off if they knew about credit unions?
Sara Critchfield, founding editorial director for Upworthy and a THiNK co-host, discussed purpose-driven marketing on the first day of the conference.
Panel speakers Sara Critchfield of Upworthy, Fast Company Magazine's Polly LaBarre, Michael Sullivan of McGraw Hill Employees FCU and Scott Bales, global futurist/digital strategist, discussed credit unions’ purpose, fintech startups and more on stage.
In a rethinking “People Helping People” session, attendees wrote down information they learned about consumers on sticky notes, then brainstormed ways their credit union can meet consumers’ individual needs.
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
