The IPA Innovative Payments Conference is an inclusive opportunity for all current and future IPA members in the payments industry to engage in exceptional formal and informal learning experiences that help to advance career and professional development, individual productivity, and organizational effectiveness. The 2025 Innovative Payments Conference offers the payments community a chance to gather and reflect on the collective associations’ potential influence on society to shape a better future for the payments industry.
Stay tuned as we build out the agenda and speaking faculty. In the meantime, have a look at some confirmed agenda items and speakers to get an idea of what to expect in 2025. We’re looking forward to putting on another great event for you.
Stay tuned as we build out the agenda and speaking faculty. In the meantime, have a look at some confirmed agenda items and speakers to get an idea of what to expect in 2025. We’re looking forward to putting on another great event for you.
New for the 2025 IPC: Exclusive Pre-Conference CLE Sessions
Enhance your professional credentials with our first-ever Pre-Conference CLE Sessions on April 29, 2025. Earn valuable continuing legal education credits while gaining deep insights into payments technology law. These specialized workshops require a separate registration and offer attorneys and compliance professionals a targeted learning experience before the main conference kicks off.
To register for both of these sessions: click over to the IPC registration page and select the Pre-Conference CLE Sessions add-on as you register for the IPC. You must be registered for the IPC to attend the Pre-Conference CLE sessions.
To register for both of these sessions: click over to the IPC registration page and select the Pre-Conference CLE Sessions add-on as you register for the IPC. You must be registered for the IPC to attend the Pre-Conference CLE sessions.
Meet Our Speakers
Our 2025 Agenda
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
12pm - IPA Board Meeting
1pm - Registration Desk Opens
2pm - Fraud – How to Stay Ahead of the Game When the Cards Are Stacked Against You*
Speaker: Linda Odom
Description: Fraud prevention must always be top of mind for FIs and fintechs. Every good tool is going to be immediately examined for workarounds and bypasses. Human behavior is largely outside of our control but is routinely leveraged against us. What steps does a company need to take to have best practices and policies to fight fraud in today’s environment? This session will detail specific steps to take in assessing risk, developing action plans and policies and selecting and implementing technologies appropriate to particular services and needs.
3:00pm - Break
3:15pm – Bank-Fintech Partnerships: What You Need to Know to Be Successful*
Speaker: Eli Rosenberg
Description: As financial institutions work more with fintech companies, regulatory compliance is more important than ever. This guide offers a detailed look at the critical legal and regulatory issues that banks and fintechs must address. It's an essential resource for any organization looking to innovate in the financial sector while meeting strict regulatory requirements. This presentation covers vital topics, including:
· The roles and responsibilities of banks and fintechs in maintaining compliance.
· An overview of relevant regulations such as Regulation E, Regulation Z, the Bank Secrecy Act, and others.
· Practical considerations for developing a robust compliance plan.
· Guidance on third-party risk management, drawn from recent statements and guidance from federal banking agencies.
This presentation will offer a framework to help companies develop comprehensive compliance programs, which protect both their interests and those of their partners and customers.
* Requires separate registration
2pm - Fraud – How to Stay Ahead of the Game When the Cards Are Stacked Against You*
Speaker: Linda Odom
Description: Fraud prevention must always be top of mind for FIs and fintechs. Every good tool is going to be immediately examined for workarounds and bypasses. Human behavior is largely outside of our control but is routinely leveraged against us. What steps does a company need to take to have best practices and policies to fight fraud in today’s environment? This session will detail specific steps to take in assessing risk, developing action plans and policies and selecting and implementing technologies appropriate to particular services and needs.
3:00pm - Break
3:15pm – Bank-Fintech Partnerships: What You Need to Know to Be Successful*
Speaker: Eli Rosenberg
Description: As financial institutions work more with fintech companies, regulatory compliance is more important than ever. This guide offers a detailed look at the critical legal and regulatory issues that banks and fintechs must address. It's an essential resource for any organization looking to innovate in the financial sector while meeting strict regulatory requirements. This presentation covers vital topics, including:
· The roles and responsibilities of banks and fintechs in maintaining compliance.
· An overview of relevant regulations such as Regulation E, Regulation Z, the Bank Secrecy Act, and others.
· Practical considerations for developing a robust compliance plan.
· Guidance on third-party risk management, drawn from recent statements and guidance from federal banking agencies.
This presentation will offer a framework to help companies develop comprehensive compliance programs, which protect both their interests and those of their partners and customers.
* Requires separate registration
4:00 - 4:45pm - Financial grooming scams result in high-dollar losses: Hear findings from BBB’s new report
Speakers: Melissa "Mel" Lanning
Description: To better understand which scam types pose the highest risk, BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust assesses risk based on the BBB Risk Index: Exposure x Susceptibility (or likelihood of loss) x Monetary Loss. These three factors help us understand the impact of scams and who is most vulnerable. Each year, BBB Institute publishes its annual findings in the BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report. The report also includes survey research conducted with those who reported scams to BBB Scam Tracker. This presentation will share findings from our report and explore the differences in risk borne by specific subsets of the population.
Speakers: Melissa "Mel" Lanning
Description: To better understand which scam types pose the highest risk, BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust assesses risk based on the BBB Risk Index: Exposure x Susceptibility (or likelihood of loss) x Monetary Loss. These three factors help us understand the impact of scams and who is most vulnerable. Each year, BBB Institute publishes its annual findings in the BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report. The report also includes survey research conducted with those who reported scams to BBB Scam Tracker. This presentation will share findings from our report and explore the differences in risk borne by specific subsets of the population.
5:00pm - 6:30pm - IPC Attendee Reception Sponsored by Bancorp
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
7:30am - Breakfast
9am - IPC Welcome
9:15am - Protecting the Gift Card Ecosystem from Fraud
10:00am - Networking Coffee Break
10:15am - A Fireside Chat with Jelena McWilliams
Speakers: Brian Tate, Jelena McWilliams
Description: A Fireside Chat with Jelena McWilliams will feature insights from her tenure as Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and her experience as Trustee of the Synapse Bankruptcy. McWilliams will share perspectives on banking regulation, deposit insurance, and the complexities of managing financial institution failures in this intimate and informative conversation.
Speakers: Brian Tate, Jelena McWilliams
Description: A Fireside Chat with Jelena McWilliams will feature insights from her tenure as Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and her experience as Trustee of the Synapse Bankruptcy. McWilliams will share perspectives on banking regulation, deposit insurance, and the complexities of managing financial institution failures in this intimate and informative conversation.
10:45am - The Future of the Payments Value Chain
Speakers: John Piazza, Peggy O’Leary, Ben Jackson
Description: Delivering financial products requires a long value chain of partners that can include banks, processors, acquirers, and other service providers. What will the future of the fintech value look like as technology continues to evolve and new players come onto the scene. Will companies seek to vertically integrate their value chains? Will value chains grow longer to incorporate new technology like faster payments and AI agents? What can we learn from the experience of companies outside of the U.S.? Join us and find out how to forge the value chain for your next innovation!
Speakers: John Piazza, Peggy O’Leary, Ben Jackson
Description: Delivering financial products requires a long value chain of partners that can include banks, processors, acquirers, and other service providers. What will the future of the fintech value look like as technology continues to evolve and new players come onto the scene. Will companies seek to vertically integrate their value chains? Will value chains grow longer to incorporate new technology like faster payments and AI agents? What can we learn from the experience of companies outside of the U.S.? Join us and find out how to forge the value chain for your next innovation!
11:15am - The Future of Federal Payments
Speaker: Stephen T. Middlebrook
The White House has recently issued two Executive Orders related to federal payments. The first intends to modernize government by eliminating paper checks. The second intends to reduce fraud by modifying the processes for certifying and disbursing federal payments. This session will address the requirements of the EOs and place them in the context of existing government efforts to implement fully electronic payments and to prevent improper or fraudulent disbursements. We will address the practical impact of the EOs and discuss what they may mean for the future of both government payments and the payments industry.
Speaker: Stephen T. Middlebrook
The White House has recently issued two Executive Orders related to federal payments. The first intends to modernize government by eliminating paper checks. The second intends to reduce fraud by modifying the processes for certifying and disbursing federal payments. This session will address the requirements of the EOs and place them in the context of existing government efforts to implement fully electronic payments and to prevent improper or fraudulent disbursements. We will address the practical impact of the EOs and discuss what they may mean for the future of both government payments and the payments industry.
12pm - Networking Lunch
1pm - Special Presentation Announcement – A New Partnership
Speakers: Roy Sosa, Kate Lybarger
Description: Join Kate Lybarger and Roy Sosa as they explore Roy’s 26-year path that began with $750 and an idea and transformed into a global vertically integrated financial services and technology company. It truly is an innovation journey at its finest! Together they will walk through the products that built Netspend and Rev Worldwide, introduce their newest multi-currency debit product launch of Cambio, and share their relentless pursuit of financial security through helping people build credit and serve the underbanked communities to enrich financial health.
Speakers: Roy Sosa, Kate Lybarger
Description: Join Kate Lybarger and Roy Sosa as they explore Roy’s 26-year path that began with $750 and an idea and transformed into a global vertically integrated financial services and technology company. It truly is an innovation journey at its finest! Together they will walk through the products that built Netspend and Rev Worldwide, introduce their newest multi-currency debit product launch of Cambio, and share their relentless pursuit of financial security through helping people build credit and serve the underbanked communities to enrich financial health.
2pm - Bank Fintech Partnerships
Speakers: Rebecca “Becca” Kronlund, Anna Fron, Alexandra Steinberg Barrage, John Hagy
Description: Relationships between banks and fintechs have been shaken up over the past couple of years. Banks have been hit with multiple consent orders relating to their third-party relationships. The collapse of Synapse has everyone looking at their partners more carefully. New rules have come out governing these kinds of arrangements. So what do these relationships look like going forward? When comes to doing business with a third party, what will banks and fintechs need to include in their contracts going forward?
Speakers: Rebecca “Becca” Kronlund, Anna Fron, Alexandra Steinberg Barrage, John Hagy
Description: Relationships between banks and fintechs have been shaken up over the past couple of years. Banks have been hit with multiple consent orders relating to their third-party relationships. The collapse of Synapse has everyone looking at their partners more carefully. New rules have come out governing these kinds of arrangements. So what do these relationships look like going forward? When comes to doing business with a third party, what will banks and fintechs need to include in their contracts going forward?
3pm - Networking Coffee Break
3:15pm - The Future of EWA
Speakers: Kevin Lefton, Molly Swartz, Heather Heebner, Claudia Flores , David Durant
Description: EWA is increasingly becoming one of America’s most popular fintech products. EWA products allow people to access to their hard-earned wages when they need them. Companies of all sizes are offering EWA to their employees, and employees are using it to stem income volatility. However, questions remain regarding how to regulate the wide variety of EWA products on the market. This session will discuss the future of EWA regulation on the federal and state level and what the future may hold for this popular product.
Speakers: Kevin Lefton, Molly Swartz, Heather Heebner, Claudia Flores , David Durant
Description: EWA is increasingly becoming one of America’s most popular fintech products. EWA products allow people to access to their hard-earned wages when they need them. Companies of all sizes are offering EWA to their employees, and employees are using it to stem income volatility. However, questions remain regarding how to regulate the wide variety of EWA products on the market. This session will discuss the future of EWA regulation on the federal and state level and what the future may hold for this popular product.
4pm - Partnering with Local, State, and Federal Authorities to Fight Fraud
Speakers: Craig Saperstein, Stephanie O’Brien, Johnna Purcell
Description: This panel explores the fast-evolving landscape of gift card fraud and its deepening ties to organized retail crime with a focus of the inception and implementation of legislative solutions to combat this criminal activity at the state level. From card tampering to cyber-enabled schemes, panelists will highlight how state and federal lawmakers—alongside law enforcement and industry leaders—are advancing model laws, enforcement strategies, and industry best practices to combat gift card fraud and protect both the industry and consumers in the process.
Speakers: Craig Saperstein, Stephanie O’Brien, Johnna Purcell
Description: This panel explores the fast-evolving landscape of gift card fraud and its deepening ties to organized retail crime with a focus of the inception and implementation of legislative solutions to combat this criminal activity at the state level. From card tampering to cyber-enabled schemes, panelists will highlight how state and federal lawmakers—alongside law enforcement and industry leaders—are advancing model laws, enforcement strategies, and industry best practices to combat gift card fraud and protect both the industry and consumers in the process.
4:30pm - Understanding the Payments Threat Landscape
Speakers: Dan Munson
Description: In an ever-evolving landscape of fraud and cybercrime targeting payments, staying ahead of threats is crucial. Join us for an enlightening session led by Visa's Payment Ecosystem Risk and Control (PERC) team, dedicated to fortifying Visa payments against cybercrime and fraud. This session will delve into the latest updates in the payments threat landscape, as identified by the PERC team, including scams targeting cardholders, exploitation of payment misconfigurations, and emerging fraud and cybercrime activities. Attendees will gain valuable insights into best practices and recommendations to mitigate and prevent these threats, as well as gain insights into Visa's proactive measures to harden the payment ecosystem against such activities. Join us and be part of the conversation on safeguarding the payment ecosystem.
Speakers: Dan Munson
Description: In an ever-evolving landscape of fraud and cybercrime targeting payments, staying ahead of threats is crucial. Join us for an enlightening session led by Visa's Payment Ecosystem Risk and Control (PERC) team, dedicated to fortifying Visa payments against cybercrime and fraud. This session will delve into the latest updates in the payments threat landscape, as identified by the PERC team, including scams targeting cardholders, exploitation of payment misconfigurations, and emerging fraud and cybercrime activities. Attendees will gain valuable insights into best practices and recommendations to mitigate and prevent these threats, as well as gain insights into Visa's proactive measures to harden the payment ecosystem against such activities. Join us and be part of the conversation on safeguarding the payment ecosystem.
5:30pm - Opening Night Reception Sponsored by Visa
9pm - Late Night Reception
Thursday, May 1, 2025
7:30am - Breakfast
8:40am - Welcome
8:45am - Bank-Fintech Relationships, Oversight and Enforcement
Speakers: Ramy Serageldin, Natasha Vernier, Ana Liza Grandner, Joyce Mehlman
Description: Life after the BaaS breakdown. How to ensure banks and fintechs are working together, and not against each other, to meet regulatory requirements (and what happens if they don’t).
Speakers: Ramy Serageldin, Natasha Vernier, Ana Liza Grandner, Joyce Mehlman
Description: Life after the BaaS breakdown. How to ensure banks and fintechs are working together, and not against each other, to meet regulatory requirements (and what happens if they don’t).
9:30am - A Fireside Chat with Acting Comptroller Rodney Hood
Speakers: Acting Comptroller Rodney Hood
Description: Join Rodney E. Hood, Acting Comptroller of the Currency, for an exclusive keynote that offers a deep dive into the current landscape of federal banking regulation and emerging financial technologies. As the administrator of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Mr. Hood brings unique insights into how regulatory frameworks are adapting to support innovation while ensuring the safety, fairness, and stability of the U.S. financial system.
Drawing from his extensive experience across public service and private sector finance, including leadership roles at the National Credit Union Administration and pioneering work in community development, Mr. Hood will explore: the OCC's strategic approach to supervising over 1,000 national banks and federal financial institutions, balancing technological innovation with robust consumer protection, emerging trends in financial services that are reshaping banking accessibility and efficiency, regulatory perspectives on emerging payment technologies and digital financial ecosystems.
Speakers: Acting Comptroller Rodney Hood
Description: Join Rodney E. Hood, Acting Comptroller of the Currency, for an exclusive keynote that offers a deep dive into the current landscape of federal banking regulation and emerging financial technologies. As the administrator of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Mr. Hood brings unique insights into how regulatory frameworks are adapting to support innovation while ensuring the safety, fairness, and stability of the U.S. financial system.
Drawing from his extensive experience across public service and private sector finance, including leadership roles at the National Credit Union Administration and pioneering work in community development, Mr. Hood will explore: the OCC's strategic approach to supervising over 1,000 national banks and federal financial institutions, balancing technological innovation with robust consumer protection, emerging trends in financial services that are reshaping banking accessibility and efficiency, regulatory perspectives on emerging payment technologies and digital financial ecosystems.
10am - Networking Coffee Break
10:15am - Fireside Chat with Mark Calabria
11:00am - Navigating Turbulent Times: Lessons from the Past
Speaker: Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Jonathan Eig
Description: We like to think that our current era is the wildest in history, but if we look back at some of the strange times in the not-too-distant past, we might be able to pull some lessons with the past.
Pulitzer-prize winning author Jonathan Eig has written about how Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, and Jackie Robinson moved through eras of great of change to become American heroes. He will share some of the things he has learned from his research and discuss what their experiences might teach us as we try to make sense of our own age.
Speaker: Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Jonathan Eig
Description: We like to think that our current era is the wildest in history, but if we look back at some of the strange times in the not-too-distant past, we might be able to pull some lessons with the past.
Pulitzer-prize winning author Jonathan Eig has written about how Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, and Jackie Robinson moved through eras of great of change to become American heroes. He will share some of the things he has learned from his research and discuss what their experiences might teach us as we try to make sense of our own age.
11:45am - A Fireside Chat with Avy Mallik
12:15pm - Networking Lunch
1:20pm - Suing the FDIC: What CBW v. FDIC Might Mean for Banking Regulation
Speaker: Suresh Ramamurthi
Description: On Nov. 19, 2024, the FDIC issued a notice of assessment to CBW Bank for $20 million. This would be a huge hit for the $92 million-asset institution, which is headquartered in Weir, Kansas. The FDIC alleged that CBW was out of compliance with their BSA and AML obligations. CBW responded by filing a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the FDIC's Office of Financial Institution Adjudication's authority to adjudicate the bank's objection to the notice of assessment.
Why should the payments community care about a small-town bank in Kansas? In a post-Chevron deference world, the outcome of this case could have profound implications for the banking industry.
Come to the IPA’s 2025 Innovative Payments Conference and hear directly from Suresh Ramamurthi, Chairman of CBW Bank to learn why this case could have a profound impact on how regulators enforce rules.
Speaker: Suresh Ramamurthi
Description: On Nov. 19, 2024, the FDIC issued a notice of assessment to CBW Bank for $20 million. This would be a huge hit for the $92 million-asset institution, which is headquartered in Weir, Kansas. The FDIC alleged that CBW was out of compliance with their BSA and AML obligations. CBW responded by filing a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the FDIC's Office of Financial Institution Adjudication's authority to adjudicate the bank's objection to the notice of assessment.
Why should the payments community care about a small-town bank in Kansas? In a post-Chevron deference world, the outcome of this case could have profound implications for the banking industry.
Come to the IPA’s 2025 Innovative Payments Conference and hear directly from Suresh Ramamurthi, Chairman of CBW Bank to learn why this case could have a profound impact on how regulators enforce rules.
1:50pm - Closing Remarks
2:00pm - Closing Reception