Benjamin Conant, Chief Product Officer at Alkami (Co-founder/CTO at MANTL), joined us in the Studio Lounge to discuss the big Digital Sales and Service Platform (DSSP) announcement and what this platform means to financial institutions.

Specifically, Ben talked about how this integrated solution merges MANTL's origination capabilities with Alkami's digital banking, revolutionizing the customer journey beyond account opening. He added how DSSP enhances onboarding, drives engagement, and empowers financial institutions to operate with fintech agility, fostering loyalty and top-of-wallet status.

​According to Ben, early results from live deployments show significant improvements in engagement. For example, mobile banking activation rates reportedly increased from about 50% to around 80% due to features like auto-registration, auto-login, and personalized onboarding flows. The system also uses KYC and underwriting data to tailor experiences, such as offering premium customers faster access to higher limits or more seamless onboarding, while adjusting treatment for higher-risk users. This unified data approach allows financial institutions to create more frictionless, personalized experiences that improve retention and customer satisfaction.

The broader vision extends into analytics and marketing through Alkami's Engage, Ben stated -- which enables financial institutions to analyze user behavior, create guided in-app journeys, and optimize engagement strategies.

He highlighted examples like using behavioral data to increase Gen Z engagement by prompting users to check their credit scores within the app -- also combining onboarding, digital banking, and marketing into one ecosystem that creates a “growth engine” similar to what major fintechs like Chime and SoFi already use.

Overall, Ben frames Alkami’s platform as a way for credit unions and community banks to compete with large financial institutions through deeper integration and more intelligent customer engagement.

And be sure to watch more of our episode from 2026 Alkami Co:lab here -- as well as support our Studio Lounge, digital banking host/sponsor: Alkami.

Tiffani Montez, Principal Analyst leading the Banking vertical at EMARKETER, joined us in the Studio Lounge to delve into customer-centric banking journeys and the growing influence of AI. Tiffani also shared how financial institutions are leveraging data to meet evolving consumer needs and the tremendous impact AI has, already, on financial decision-making.

And be sure to watch more of our episode from 2026 Alkami Co:lab here -- as well as support our Studio Lounge, digital banking host/sponsor: Alkami.

Natalie Bartholomew, Host/Founder of The Girl Banker podcast, joined us in the Studio Lounge for a lively conversation on how The Girl Banker came about and how it's grown since the show's inception five years ago.

Specifically, Natalie talked about:

• What she thinks women are uniquely bringing to leadership today at financial institutions
• What community means to her — and how she sees it evolving for financial institutions and individuals alike, especially with technology
• What her engaged online community's purpose/intent is -- and it's measurable impact
• How she balances her day job as a community banker with the work she does to support women in banking
• And what lessons she has learned throughout this experience

And be sure to watch more of our episode from 2026 Alkami Co:lab here -- as well as support our Studio Lounge, digital banking host/sponsor: Alkami.

Kelly Jackson, Assistant Treasurer– Digital Banking at Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union, stopped by the Studio Lounge to discuss why Jeanne D'Arc select MANTL's Onboarding & Account Opening Solution to streamline the member experience across all banking channels.

Kelly also talked about, with the addition of MANTL, Jeanne D'Arc now has all three components of the Alkami Digital Sales & Service Platform (DSSP), advancing the credit union's digital transformation efforts for retail and business clients. She shared how the DSSP is actually changing the account holder journey for the credit union's members.

Kelly provided how their implementation of MANTL is going, as well as plans to implement MANTL's business account opening solution first -- in addition to sharing what part of the new streamlined business account opening experience is most exciting.

And be sure to watch more of our episode from 2026 Alkami Co:lab here -- as well as support our Studio Lounge, digital banking host/sponsor: Alkami.

Rachel Stratton, Director of Product Partnerships and Alliances at Glia, and her green, sparkly shoes, joined us on the show to discuss how member expectations for digital engagement are evolving in financial services -- and what trends are shaping that shift.
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Rachel also talked about what role AI is playing today in customer service, and where she sees the biggest opportunities (or risks) in the near future.

In addition, she commented on whether financial institutions moving toward fully digital service models or is there still a strong need for human-assisted interactions.

Lastly, Rachel shared how tools like co-browsing and unified channels are changing the way institutions build trust with customers and members.

And be sure to watch more of our episode from 2026 Alkami Co:lab here -- as well as support our Studio Lounge, digital banking host/sponsor: Alkami.