Innovations Financial Bets Big On Small Business Lending
CDFI grant funding helps the Florida cooperative offer microloans for small businesses after many banks pulled out of its market.
CDFI grant funding helps the Florida cooperative offer microloans for small businesses after many banks pulled out of its market.
This year’s Innovation Series returns with bigger impact and broader horizons. Since 2018, this annual showcase has spotlighted forward-thinking solutions by giving innovators a stage to share ideas, demonstrate solutions, and spark meaningful change.
This year’s finalists are reimagining how credit unions can use AI to combine cutting-edge technology with old-school member service.
This year’s finalists are uncovering new ways to harness the power of technology to improve and expand lending across the industry.
Consumers are adjusting their financing habits to the new economy, and as economic realities shift, members are rethinking how — and where — they access credit.
Ignoring the financial needs of small and medium-sized businesses could mean ignoring the needs of your communities
Check out 2025’s top innovators in lending
Lake Trust Credit Union is driving statewide entrepreneurial spirit with a loan program that has provided more than $22 million in funding.
Learn how innovative document-sharing solutions can streamline compliance and foster member trust.
A program at Abound Credit Union has helped hundreds of would-be small business owners since its launch eight years ago.

The Indiana cooperative blends internal development with selective partnerships to meet members’ needs today now while positioning for what’s next.

The San Diego cooperative leans on its CUSO and the CURQL network to make fintech investments, but member needs still guide which solutions ultimately make it into the credit union’s operations.

Hands-on work with artificial intelligence tools is future-proofing staff members, giving them the confidence to adopt new technology and embrace efficiencies.

Wages briefly caught up with inflation, but rising costs have pushed them back into negative territory. Here’s what that shift means for member finances and credit union performance.

Suncoast Credit Union balances near-term needs with longer-term bets, applying discipline to timing, valuation, and fit to decide when to invest and when to walk away.

Looking for quarterly data coverage, expert analysis, lessons from leading credit unions, and more? Callahan has it covered. Comparing top-level performance and digging into the details has never been easier.
First quarter data shows how rising costs are pushing consumers toward flexibility and reshaping borrowing and saving habits.

A dedicated CUSO holding company allows WSECU to move beyond building and back fintech partners it helps shape and scale.

Advancial FCU links internal service standards, employee feedback, and peer recognition to create a more consistent experience for both staff and members.

MSUFCU takes a hands-on approach to fintech, piloting solutions through its in-house lab before scaling and backing them through a wholly owned CUSO.