Propagate Fintech Podcast
Propagate Fintech is a podcast exploring how financial services actually evolve.
Hosted by Roland Howard, the show features in-depth conversations with fintech founders, bank and credit union leaders, operators, and industry voices shaping lending, deposits, payments, account origination, and go-to-market strategy.
Each episode cuts through hype to focus on real-world execution: how products get adopted, why institutions struggle to modernize, where growth stalls, and what works when fintechs and regulated financial institutions intersect.
The podcast is produced by Propagate Fintech, an end-to-end marketing and PR agency serving the banking and fintech industry. Propagate partners with fintechs, banks, and credit unions to clarify positioning, build credibility, and drive growth through brand strategy, content, PR, and go-to-market execution.
Episodes
15 episodes
Fintech PR Demystified: Costs, Relationships, and the AI Trap
PR is one of the most misunderstood and most expensive lines on a fintech marketing budget. In this episode of the Propagate Fintech Podcast, host Roland Howard pulls back the curtain on why PR costs what it costs, why AI alone can't carry a ca...
Elizabeth Warren Is Watching MrBeast's Step Acquisition | Cornerstone's Elizabeth Gujral
MrBeast just acquired Step. Cash App is going after 6-year-olds. The creator economy is colliding with regulated banking — and Senator Elizabeth Warren is putting the whole space on notice.In this episode, Roland sits down with Elizabeth Gu...
How Community Banks Can Beat Big Banks Right Now
Christian Ruppe joins the show to break down his transition from community banking into his new role as Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at ImpactFi Advisors.We cover where banks are actually winning, what fintech founders get wrong, ...
The Marketing Play That Got Millions to Finally Write a Will
Why Humor Is the Secret Weapon in Fintech Marketing...What if the most effective way to get people to do the thing they have been avoiding is to make them laugh first?In this episode, Roland sits down with Trust & Will CEO C...
Cringe Valley to Growth Engine: The Power of Video Content
Why Fintech Leaders Need to Start Creating Video Content NOWIn a world dominated by short-form video, fintech leaders can’t afford to sit on the sidelines. This video breaks down why video content is no longer optional and how it can dr...
What If a Digital Bank Actually Felt Like Your Local Bank?
Episode OverviewIn this episode, Roland Howard sits down with John Kingma of Old Glory Bank to explore what it takes to build a digital-first bank in a rapidly consolidating financial industry. As traditional institutions move upm...
40% of Americans Can’t Cover a $400 Emergency. Here’s a Better Solution
Nearly 40% of Americans can’t cover a $400 emergency expense. That statistic alone explains why financial stress has become one of the biggest hidden issues in the workforce today.In this episode of the Propagate Fintech Podcast, Roland...
Why Most Digital Transformation in Banking Fails | ICBA’s Justin Dunmyer
What actually drives digital transformation in banking?In this episode of the Propagate Fintech Podcast, Roland Howard sits down with Justin Dunmyer of ICBA to unpack what community banks, fintech founders, and banki...
How TruStage’s Discovery Fund Backs Underrepresented Founders in Fintech
In this episode of the Propagate Fintech Podcast, Roland Howard sits down with Elizabeth McCluskey to unpack her journey from investment banking and wealth management to impact investing and now venture capital at TruStage, where she helps back...
Mr. Beast kicks in the door of banking world with Fintech purchase of STEP
MrBeast is putting on a clinic that should be studied in graduate school by entering the fintech world with the purchase of Gen Z platform, STEP. In this episode of the Propagate Fintech Podcast, Roland Howard sits down with America...
AI Isn’t the Strategy. Actionable Data Is with Vertice AI's Tyler Brantley
00:00 Integration Challenges in Financial Services01:02 Understanding AI in the Financial Sector03:55 Generative AI and Its Impact on Banking10:44 Navigating the Fintech Landscape12:16 The Role of AI in Banking15:13 Leveragi...
What Happens When Credit Scores Meet Cashflow? American Banker’s Melinda Huspen Breaks It Down
Episode SummaryIn this conversation, Melinda Huspen discusses her journey into journalism, her insights on Experian's new credit scoring model, and the implications of open banking on credit scoring. She highlights the potential of cash...
Why Lending Still Feels So Clunky W/Glenn Bolstad of Vikar
In this episode, I sit down with Glenn Bolstad, President of Vikar Technologies, to unpack what modern bank lending should look like—and why so many digital transformation efforts fall short.Glenn shares how Vikar approaches lending ori...
Banks Keep Losing Customers They Just Acquired w/Har Rai Khalsa
In this episode, Roland Howard sits down with Har Rai Khalsa, Co-Founder of SwayStack, to unpack one of the most expensive and overlooked problems in banking today: inactive and unfunded accounts.Har Rai shares how SwayStack identified ...
Are You Ready For a Core Replacement? w/Zack Forbes
In this episode of the Propagate Fintech Podcast, Roland Howard sits down with Zack Forbes, Founder of ImpactFi Advisors, to unpack what really happens behind the scenes of bank technology decisions and why so many institutions struggle with gr...
