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Zest AI, a Los Angeles-based provider of artificial intelligence-based lending software, is expanding its reach to credit unions in the West thanks to new partnerships with the region's state associations.
The company announced Thursday that it had teamed up with the Northwest Credit Union Association, which represents credit unions in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, as well as the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues. The two multi-state associations will work with CUNA Strategic Services, a company majority-owned by CUNA and state leagues that is focused on developing strategic alliances within the credit union industry, to bring Zest's decisioning software to more of their member credit unions, Zest said.
"It's been our top priority to deliver an industry-leading solution that is fully compliant with fair lending laws, mitigates risk to credit unions, and opens up borrowing capabilities to members who may not have been approved if not for the non-traditional credit scoring models offered by Zest," Barb Lowman, president of CUNA Strategic Services, said of the NWCUA partnership. "This relationship is truly a game-changer for credit unions in Idaho, Oregon and Washington, and we're proud to collaborate with NWCUA and Zest to drive positive change."
Zest's loan decisioning software utilizes thousands of data points and draws from deep insights from credit reports and loan histories in potential borrowers' markets, resulting in a more inclusive lending process for credit unions that employ the software, according to the company.
"Northwest credit unions are always looking for ways to say 'Yes' to more members," Cameron Smith, vice president of strategic partnerships and resources at the NWCUA, stated. "Zest has earned the trust of dozens of credit unions by delivering significant value in the form of faster approvals and more inclusive decisions."
Larry Palochik, SVP of member solutions for the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues, added, "For nearly 90 years, The Leagues have played an important role in ensuring the sustained health of our member credit unions. Zest has earned the trust of dozens of credit unions by delivering significant value in the form of faster and more consistent approvals and more inclusive decisions."
The California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues represent more than 300 credit unions in the two states and their more than 12.8 million members, while the NWCUA represents more than 175 cooperatives in its three states and more than 8.1 million members.
The partnerships represented Zest's latest move to increase its presence in the credit union industry. Earlier this week, Zest announced it had teamed up with CuneXus – a fintech that serves credit unions and was acquired by CUNA Mutual Group in 2020 – integrating its AI technology into CuneXus' digital lending platform.
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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.
