At Momentum 2025, one message cut through the noise: survival in lending now depends on reinvention. Not once—but always.
If 2024 was the year of AI hype, Momentum 2025 was the year of reckoning. Canada’s leading gathering for credit unions, fintechs, and cooperative lenders put one truth front and center—adaptation isn’t optional anymore. The future belongs to the reinventionists.
This year’s sessions didn’t feel like a conference; they felt like a wake-up call. From keynotes by Joe Jackman to candid panels with leaders from Vancity, Beam, and Cooperators, the tone was clear: standing still is no longer a risk—it’s a decision.
Reinvention as a Survival Imperative
“You’re not chasing the banks anymore—you’re going to leapfrog over them.”
That single line from Joe Jackman captured the spirit of Momentum 2025. Reinvention wasn’t pitched as a corporate initiative—it was defined as an existential discipline. The credit union system isn’t trying to catch up anymore; it’s poised to jump ahead.
The case for reinvention is both existential and opportunistic. It is existential because doing nothing means disappearing, and it is opportunistic because new enablers (AI, open banking, fintech partnerships) create a once-in-a-generation chance to redefine what financial service means.
Reinvention here isn’t just about adopting technology. It’s about governance that evolves, leaders who unlearn, and cultures that prize curiosity over comfort.
So what: The credit unions that treat reinvention as an operating rhythm—not a one-off project—will set the pace for the next decade.
Fintech Partnerships as Catalysts, Not Competitors
Momentum 2025 made one thing very clear: the future of cooperative finance is collaborative, not competitive.
Across multiple sessions, the message was consistent: credit unions can’t and shouldn’t do everything alone. Their strength has always been trust, community, and agility. Fintechs, meanwhile, excel in specialization: payments, onboarding, data, and automation.
When structured thoughtfully, partnerships amplify both sides. The best examples came from credit unions, which created digital journeys with fintech partners rather than outsourcing them.
The strategic shift is from “build or buy” to “build with.”
That means:
- Doubling down on core strengths like local trust and member intimacy.
- Partnering where deep tech expertise is required.
- Building due diligence frameworks that balance innovation risk with compliance.
So what: The next competitive advantage isn’t scale—it’s the ability to orchestrate partnerships that move faster and serve smarter.
Technology as an Enabler, Not the Goal
There was no tech worship at Momentum 2025. In fact, several speakers warned against confusing adoption with transformation.
As one panelist said, “We don’t need more technology. We need better strategy and execution.”
AI, automation, and data analytics are essential, but are not the goal. The goal is better human outcomes: faster approvals, clearer communication, and more personalized financial advice.
The standout insight? The most successful lenders align technology decisions with member outcomes, not vendor features. The winners of 2025 will be the ones who translate technology into trust, speed, and simplicity.
So what: Measure innovation by removing friction, not by releasing features. Transformation is about results, not roadmaps.
Member Trust, Purpose, and Community as Competitive Advantage
Jeff Adamson of Neo Financial delivered a line that echoed throughout the conference:
“People choose the logos that represent who they are. This is your leapfrog moment.”
Consumers today aren’t just buying products—they’re aligning with purpose. For credit unions, that’s familiar territory. But the next challenge is pairing that purpose with digital ease and tangible value.
Sessions returned again and again to the three pillars of consumer choice:
- Value — the tangible benefit of membership.
- Values — the ethical and community alignment that credit unions already embody.
- Ease — the frictionless digital experience members expect.
Credit unions already dominate “values.” Their leapfrog opportunity is to elevate “ease” through modern platforms and “value” through data-driven personalization.
So what: Competing on rate is over. The real contest is for relevance—how authentically and efficiently you deliver purposefully.
Open Banking, Regulation, and the Data Opportunity
This year, open banking was more than a regulatory talking point; it was framed as a return to cooperative roots. Giving members control over their data is a natural extension of the credit union ethos.
But this opportunity comes with a warning: trust can’t be assumed. Governance must evolve as fast as innovation. Boards and executives will need fluency in data ethics, cybersecurity, and consent—skills that belong in the boardroom, not just the back office.
The most forward-thinking institutions see open banking as a new trust dividend. Transparency builds loyalty, and loyalty drives growth.
So what: Data isn’t an IT issue, it’s a leadership issue. Organizations operationalizing trust will be the first to unlock new data-driven services.
A Call to Courage and Cultural Change
If one emotion defined Momentum 2025, it was courage. The industry doesn’t lack technology, it lacks boldness.
From Beam to Cooperators, leaders called for a mindset shift: move from protectionism to experimentation. The consensus was that credit unions have every asset they need to thrive—capital, trust, talent—but they must shed the inertia that slows decision-making.
“We’ve got everything we need to be successful. The only thing in the way is ourselves.”
That sentiment became a rallying cry for an industry at an inflection point. The future will reward those who lead with curiosity, courage, and humility.
So what: Courage is the new KPI. The willingness to pilot, partner, and reinvent faster than the competition will define the next era of financial leadership.
FundMore’s POV: Reinvention, Built In
As Kevin Clark, Chief Revenue Officer at FundMore, put it on stage at Momentum 2025: “It’s not just about implementation and getting them up and running. It’s about a continuum of support for the lender… because essentially the lender has outsourced a piece of their strategy.”
That idea captures the essence of FundMore’s approach to partnerships. Technology deployment is just the beginning. The real value comes from what happens after—how fintechs stay embedded, accountable, and responsive to their partners’ evolving needs.
Clark emphasized that true partnership is a living relationship, not a transactional engagement.
“A lender has a right to understand how fast and how aggressive that fintech is growing—who else they’re doing business with—because maintaining the relationship is just as important as the technology behind it.”
He described partnership as having a natural rhythm:
“Partnership isn’t linear—it has speed attached to it and then it’s slow and then it’s fast again. The key is close communication flow to maintain the relationship and the products associated with it.”
And perhaps most importantly, he underscored the human side of collaboration:
“Early introduction and getting to know the character of the leadership team and what drives the fintech’s purpose is a really added value component before entering something more formal.”
For Clark and FundMore, this isn’t theory it’s practice.
Reinvention in lending isn’t about replacing people with machines; it’s about empowering relationships with intelligence. FundMore’s AI platform helps lenders automate underwriting, streamline documentation, and gain real-time insight into their portfolios—while keeping human judgment at the center.
Every innovation FundMore builds is designed to make reinvention repeatable, measurable, and human-first. Because the future of lending won’t wait for regulators—or for those still debating change.
TL;DR — Momentum 2025 in a Minute
- Reinvention is now a mindset, not a milestone. Standing still means falling behind.
- Fintechs are partners, not rivals. The strongest lenders co-create.
- Technology must serve strategy. Tools are only as powerful as the clarity behind them.
- Trust and purpose are the ultimate differentiators. Compete on values and ease, not price.
- Courage is the new KPI. The future belongs to leaders who move first and learn fast.
Want to see how FundMore helps lenders reinvent faster?
Explore our AI-powered lending platform and discover how reinvention can be integrated into your business model rather than bolted on.