Converge

BankSocial CEO, John Wingate sits down with David Chen, entrepreneur, advisor, and leader specializing in scaling businesses, building brands, and driving growth through strategic innovation and collaboration.With expertise across diverse industries—sports, esports, fashion, entertainment, tech, real estate, and finance—David partners with companies to unlock their full potential and achieve measurable results.$5B+ in IPOs ICOs, M&A Advisor in business, sports, esports, tech & finance, partner w/Miami pro league , FaZe Clan, BKFC and more.

CEO of BankSocial, John Wingate sits down with R. Brad Oates, Chairman of Stone Advisors abd former NFL Player.Brad Oates is Chairman of Stone Advisors, a corporate governance advisory firm. He is a widely-respected presenter, speaker, and author on board/management corporate governance, business ethics, stakeholder capitalism, enterprise risk management, organizational leadership, corporate strategy, and cyber governance. Former senior Governance Leader experience includes: Chairman, Texas Savings and Community Bankers; Chairman, NFC Global; Chairman, Universal Hardwood Flooring; Chairman, eBureau; Chairman, RiskWise International; President, LexisNexis Risk Solutions; Executive Vice President, Stone Capital; President/COO, Bluebonnet Savings Bank. Brad is Director Certified by NACD; and is an Executive Masters Professional Director with the American College of Corporate Directors. He is on the Advisory Board at the Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance at the University of Texas at Dallas. He has served as an Independent Director on multiple private and public company boards; and is a recognized Cyber Governance Expert.

BankSocial COO, Becky Reed sits down with Blake Kuhre, Co-Founder and CEO of LAPS (https://laps-inc.com/.)Blake Barrett Kuhre is an accomplished tech startup and entertainment executive with a proven track record in monetization, strategic growth, and emerging technologies. Based in Los Angeles but a proud Texan born in San Antonio and raised in Dallas, Blake has led high-growth ventures with multiple exits, achieving Top 10 highest-grossing rankings on Google Play and the App Store. His expertise spans entertainment and e-commerce live streaming, web3, and talent incubation and development strategy across new media and entertainment industries.Blake has held leadership roles at The Meet Group (acquired by ProSieben & General Atlantic), LiveMe (predecessor to TikTok), Hulu, Underknown, Newzulu (predecessor to Citizen), and The Walt Disney Company. He has also co-founded ventures in web3, live streaming, e-commerce, and immersive DOOH (Digital Out of Home) helping shape the creator economy, with LAPS being his latest venture focusing on virtual influencers and digital doubles. His ability to scale businesses from 0-1 and build strategic partnerships has made him a sought-after leader in the digital space.Beyond his work in tech and media, Blake is a dedicated advocate for animal welfare and documentary filmmaker. He founded Furry Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on animal rescue in South Los Angeles, and has spearheaded public-private partnerships to support animals in need.With a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, Blake brings a unique blend of storytelling, analytical thinking, and business acumen to everything he does. He’s passionate about innovation, social impact, and the future of digital engagement.

John Wingate, CEO of BankSocial sits down with Dr. Lamont Black to talk Empowering Disruption, Wide Open Ventures, AI and the Future of Credit Unions. Dr. Lamont Black is a finance professor at DePaul University in Chicago and a recognized expert on emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, blockchain, and the metaverse. He recently joined Filene Research Institute as a Fellow and is now doing research on “The Credit Union of the Future.” Dr. Black is a regularly invited speaker for conferences, strategy sessions, and the media to discuss the impact of emerging tech on business strategy. His award-winning teaching has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and includes courses on business technology, data analytics, and cryptocurrency. Prior to joining DePaul, Dr. Black was an economist at the Federal Reserve in Washington D.C. during the financial crisis. He received a Ph.D. in finance and economics from Indiana University and a B.A. from Stanford University. His personal website lamontblack.com has additional information about his speaking, teaching, and research. And you can now watch Dr. Black on AmazonPrime and AppleTV in the new crypto documentary “The Highest of Stakes”!

CEO of BankSocial Becky Reed sits down with Harvey Castro, MD, MBA to talk about healthcare, AI, innovation and the future.Harvey Castro is a physician, health care consultant, and serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in the health care industry. He can be reached on his website, harveycastromd.info, Twitter @HarveycastroMD, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. He is the author of Bing Copilot and Other LLM: Revolutionizing Healthcare With AI, Solving Infamous Cases with Artificial Intelligence, The AI-Driven Entrepreneur: Unlocking Entrepreneurial Success with Artificial Intelligence Strategies and Insights, ChatGPT and Healthcare: The Key To The New Future of Medicine, ChatGPT and Healthcare: Unlocking The Potential Of Patient Empowerment, Revolutionize Your Health and Fitness with ChatGPT's Modern Weight Loss Hacks, Success Reinvention, and Apple Vision Healthcare Pioneers: A Community for Professionals & Patients.Dr. Castro aims to increase awareness of digital health and implement positive changes in the field. He has held various positions throughout his professional career, including CEO, physician, and medical correspondent. He has a strong track record of success and is known for his innovative thinking, having developed multiple health care apps and served as a medical correspondent for major media outlets.

John Wingate, CEO of BankSocial sits down with Tommy Shull to discuss Empowering Disruption in the creative production industry, Beyonce, AI and honoring the creative craft while enhancing it with AI.TOMMY SHULL, Creative, Principal of Stuck in MotionCreative first, budget-cruncher second, Tommy leads each project with the brand in mind at every step. He rose through the ranks mastering mixed-media editing—combining archival assets with animation, kinetic and graphic text, and original video footage shot on location to tell a powerful narrative. He spent his early freelance days editing for artists such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, U2 and agencies such as McCann, Dentsu and 360i. Tommy later moved on to line producing agency campaigns for print, digital, on-air, and experiential with budgets between $10K and $1M. His deep understanding of production, post and technical workflow lead him to start STUCK IN MOTION in 2017.

BankSocial's CEO, John Wingate sits with Chad Smith, Marketing Director at ShareGain. Chad Smith is the Director of Marketing at Sharegain, bringing over 16 years of expertise in global marketing strategy, brand awareness, and customer engagement. Chad has a proven track record of helping financial professionals master the art of marketing products and services. His impressive career includes pivotal roles at industry giants like Blackrock and Fitch Ratings. Chad's marketing prowess spans digital, content, social, and web marketing, with a sharp focus on CRM integrations and automations that supercharge business development teams' reach and impact.

BankSocial COO, Becky Reed sits with Caroline Willard, President and CEO of Cornerstone League. Cornerstone is a trade association that supports over 600 credit unions in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. She is also the Vice Chair of the National Advisory Board for Credit Unions for Kids.

John Wingate, CEO of BankSocial sits down with Michael Gorton, author of "Calamistunity"- 15x serial entrepreneur, Founder of Teladoc, Recuro Health, Internet Global, Palo Duro Records, Phantom Space, Back To Space, and Principal Solar.

Elizabeth Osborne sits down with Becky Reed, COO of BankSocial to speak about Empowering Disruption.Elizabeth is an experienced operations and information technology leader based in the greater Chicago area, with a solid background in the Credit Union and banking industries. With a track record of success, she has held prominent roles such as Chief Information Officer (CIO) in Community Banking and Business Integration for Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) for a regional bank. She was recently recognized by American Banker as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions”.Currently serving as the Chief Operations Officer at Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU), Elizabeth holds oversight over critical areas including Technology, Digital, Deposit Operations, Product Management, and the Project Management Office (PMO). Her strategic insights, data-driven decision-making, and expertise in process improvement play a pivotal role in executing GLCU’s strategy and enhancing operational efficiency. Elizabeth's proficiency spans across various domains including Management, Project Management, Risk Management, Data Analysis, Strategic Planning, Third-party Oversight, Budgeting, and Business Process Improvement. She has been instrumental in driving operational excellence and fostering technological innovation through strategic partnerships with FinTechs and other key collaborators. With her comprehensive skill set and dedication to excellence, Elizabeth continues to drive forward progress and success in the financial sector.Elizabeth has an MBA in Finance from Endicott College in Beverly, MA, a BS in Leadership from Northeastern University in Boston, MA, and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University.

Becky Reed, COO of BankSocial sits down with Anne Legg, Founder and CEO of THRIVE Strategic Services.Anne Legg is a recognized, award-winning industry expert, author, educator, and member-centric data strategist who holds an MBA thesis on the credit union business model. She is the author of Big Data/Big Climb: A credit union playbook for leveraging data and talent to achieve revolutionary member relationships.Recently added to America's Credit Union Museum's Ensweiler Research Library.She is the founder and CEO of THRIVE Strategic Services. She has guided over 600 credit union leaders on a mission to simplify their data transformation, identify new revenue sources, lessen member friction, and increase talent productivity to truly change member lives. Anne has received numerous awards, including; CUNA MBDC Professional of the YearCredit Union Executive Society Rising 100CO-OP ThinkPrize semi-finalistShe has also been named “A Woman To Watch” By the Credit Union Times.Anne is currently the Southwest CUNA Management School lead faculty for Data & Analytics. And she has served as a lead instructor at the CUNA Marketing School and acted as the subject matter expert for CUNA’s Credit Union marketing curriculum. Anne has also been an author for CUNA’s Environmental Scan, The Credit Union industry’s leading strategic planning guide.Her work has been published and presented at both the 2012 and 2014 International Cooperative Summits,Making her the only Credit Union professional in the United States to do so.In 2019, she climbed the tallest freestanding mountain on the planet, Mt Kilimanjaro.Becky Reed ( Credit Union & CUSO Consultant. Crypto/ DLT Enthusiast, Educator and Author) is a seasoned executive and respected thought leader in the financial industry. She boasts over two decades of exceptional leadership experience in credit unions and CUSOs. Her unique insights stem from her distinct perspective as both a credit union executive and CUSO leader, making her a highly sought-after expert. Becky’s belief in leveraging cutting-edge solutions underscores her commitment to creating frictionless experiences for both employees and members alike.Notable positions held by Becky include her tenure as the CEO of LoneStar Credit Union, her role as Board Chairman of the National Association of Credit Union Service Organizations (NACUSO), and her contribution as the Co-Founder and Board Chairman of PureIT Credit Union Services (CUSO).

Ken Hersh sits down in our Dallas studio with Lee Bratcher, President of Texas Blockchain Council and John Wingate, CEO of BankSocial. 'Ken Hersh is President and Chief Executive Officer of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, a non-partisan institution which houses the George W. Bush Library and Museum and the George W. Bush Institute. He is also Co-Founder and Advisory Partner of NGP Energy Capital Management, a Dallas-based private equity franchise in the natural resources industry. NGP has managed over $17.0 billion of cumulative committed capital since inception in 1988. Additionally, Ken currently serves as a Senior Advisor for The Carlyle Group's natural resources division. He is on the Hoover Institute's Board of Overseers, the Harvard Kennedy School Dean's Council and sits on the Board of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club. Additionally, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Council of the American Enterprise Institute and the World Economic Forum. Ken received a B.A. in politics from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.

Becky Reed, COO of BankSocial sits down with Greg Gallant, President/CEO of WeStreet Credit Union.Greg Gallant is the President/CEO of WeStreet Credit Union ($1 billion, 57,000 members) since 2011.His passion for the Credit Union movement is the result of a 40-year career where he has been employed within trade associations, corporate credit unions, and credit unions.  These experiences have helped shape Greg's progressive view of what a credit union can be while being committed to the principles that are deeply rooted in our movement.   Gallant holds a BS Finance, BS Management, and an MBA. Currently, he serves on the Cornerstone Resources Board (Cornerstone League). He previously was a CUNA Board Director and Chair of CUNA’s Credit Union Powers Sub Committee. 

This week Ronaldo Hardy of Nacuso along with Becky Reed and John Wingate of BankSocial, sit down with John Dearing of Capstone, Strategic, Inc. (Capstone). John has played a key role in the success of Capstone, Strategic, Inc. (Capstone) since 1996. The firm focuses on helping organizations grow successfully through proactive strategic growth programs. Capstone has particular expertise in assisting in acquisitions of closely-held not-for-sale businesses and has completed over US$1 billion in transactions. John leads Capstone’s client engagement teams and operations while advising clients on strategic external growth (acquisitions, investments, and partnerships).

This week John Wingate, CEO of BankSocial, sits down with the legendary Jeff Pulver - Internet Pioneer of VoIP, Co-founder of Vonage and responsible for “The Pulver Order” issued by The FCC in 2004.Jeff Pulver is an American Internet entrepreneur and futurist known for his work as an innovator in the field of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Pulver's early work in VoIP with his company Free World Dialup led to a significant regulatory decision by the Federal Communications Commission in 2004 which classified VoIP as an internet application, rather than as a telephony service which would be subject to government tariffs and regulations, a decision which paved the way for the development of video and voice internet communications.

Lee Bratcher of The Texas Blockchain Council and John Wingate of BankSocial sit down with Mance Harmon, CEO and Co-Founder of Hedera Hashgraph and Swirlds Inc.Mance Harmon is the co-CEO of Swirlds Labs which develops and supports the Hedera network, creating community and enterprise solutions. He is the Co-Founder and former CEO of Hedera Hashgraph, a platform that offers a distributed public ledger that enables anyone to easily develop secure, fair, lightning-fast decentralized applications.Mance is an experienced technology executive and entrepreneur with over 20 years of strategic leadership experience in multi-national corporations, government agencies, and high-tech startups. His prior experience includes serving as the Head of Architecture and Labs at Ping Identity, Founder/ CEO of two tech startups, the senior executive for product security at a $1.7B revenue organization, Program Manager for a very-large scale software program for the Missile Defense Agency, the Course Director for Cybersecurity at US Air Force Academy, and research scientist in Machine Learning at Wright Laboratory.Mance received an MS in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a BS in Computer Science from Mississippi State University.

In this episode, we sit down with Jack Antonini, Financial Leader, Innovator and former CEO of USAA Federal Savings Bank and President and CEO of NACUSO.

In this episode, we sit down with Keith Gray, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships of The Clearing House.

How it all started. In this episode, the founding members of Converge Institute come together to introduce themselves, discuss the intersection of AI, FinTech and Blockchain plus how we empower disruption. This is how it all started, this is the genesis story. Featuring:John Wingate - CEO, BankSocialA thought leader on transformational technology, financial innovation, regulation and laws, entrepreneurship and business, Wingate argues that society’s centrally managed gatekeepers – governments, journalists, and corporations – are incapable of imposing order on the chaos of our decentralized, online existence. His talks present an alternative in which software and algorithms, rather than being a threat to our way of life, can supplement and improve these outdated institutions.Lee Bratcher - President and Founder of the Texas Blockchain CouncilLee Bratcher is an influential figure in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors, best known for his role as the President and Founder of the Texas Blockchain Council (TBC), a pivotal organization in advocating for blockchain technology and legislation in Texas.Becky Reed - COO, BankSocialA credit union industry veteran and thought leader with more than two decades of leadership in credit unions and CUSOs. In addition to her credit union expertise, Becky is a management coach, mentor, consultant, and published author.Ronaldo Hardy - President/CEO, NacusoRonaldo is a powerhouse speaker and executive with the personal mission, "To change the world by building the people who will change the world." He currently serves as the President and CEO of NACUSO, an organization focused on inspiring innovation and cultivating collaboration in the credit union industry.Prof Dr Simon Mak, PhD, MBA, BSME/BTech - Founding Vice ChancellorUniversal AI UniversityDr. Simon Mak is an award-winning PhD entrepreneurship professor with extensive experience in Silicon Valley startups and IPOs. After a successful career in entrepreneurship, he transitioned to academia in 2004, joining the SMU Cox Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship.Steve KinardExperienced finance, energy and policy professional. Focused on making Texas and the United States the leading jurisdiction in the world for high performance computing and artificial intelligence innovation.Go to https://letsconverge.org/ for more info

This is where brilliant minds come together to empower disruption.Each week, we explore topics that delve into Fintech, Blockchain and AI through the lens of guests who are building the future.Brought to you by the Converge Institute - a collective of thought leaders, future thinkers and fintech enthusiasts that are at the top of their industries.