AGENDA

LAUNCH Returns in 2026!

Charting the Future: The Next Decade Starts Here

Thank you to all who joined us for LAUNCH 2025!  We’re excited to announce that the next conference will be held February 10-11, 2026, in Concord, NC. Until then, explore the details from our 2025 event below and check back soon for updates on what’s ahead for 2026.

2026 Schedule at a Glace

Tuesday, February 10

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM:

CCUL Networking Groups Concurrent Sessions (CDFI, Financial Wellness, HR/OD, Internal Audit, Lending, MemberXP)

10:30 AM – 2:30 PM:

Credit Union Roundtable & Emerging Leaders Workshop Concurrent Sessions

2:30 PM – 5:30 PM:

Visit with Exhibitors & Opening Reception

3:00 PM – 3:20 PM:

Sprint Session in the Exhibit Hall

4:00 PM – 4:20 PM:

Sprint Session in the Exhibit Hall

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM:

Cocktail Reception with the Exhibitors

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM:

Protégé Competition

Wednesday, February 11

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM:

Continental Breakfast

9:00 AM – 9:45 AM:

Concurrent Educational Sessions

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM:

Concurrent Educational Sessions

10:45 AM – 1:30 PM:

Visit with Exhibitors

11:15 AM – 11:35 AM:

Sprint Session in the Exhibit Hall

12:00 PM – 12:20 PM:

Sprint Session in the Exhibit Hall

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM:

Lunch & Visit with Exhibitors

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM:

Concurrent Educational Sessions

2:30 PM – 3:15 PM:

Concurrent Educational Sessions

3:20 PM – 3:40 PM:

CUxEL Protégé Winners Announcement & Launch Prize Give-aways

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM:

Carolinas Credit Union Foundation Awards Gala Reception

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM:

Carolinas Credit Union Foundation Awards Gala Dinner

2026 Educational Sessions

Check back for sessions being added each week.

 

 

 

Layered Defense: The Smarter Way to Stop the Next Fraud Wave 

With fraud migrating across channels, no single solution is enough. Discover how AFS helps credit unions layer their defenses to reduce risk, reassure leadership, and protect their reputation. 

Robbie Dickerson, Relationship Manager, Advanced Fraud Solutions

Gen AI is the Dreamer, Agentic AI is the Doer

Generative AI has been doing great things for a while now.  It helps us perform daily tasks with less effort and complexity.  But what if the AI did the work for us?  Agentic AI is the future.  This form of AI can help with workflow automation, loan decisions and more.  In an age where time is precious, Agentic AI can perform daily tasks for us.  With this new power, we can give our staff the ability to provide member service instead of pushing paper and arbitrary buttons in a system.  The age of Agentic AI is now!

Jesse Fruge, Vice President of Product Management, Algebrik AI

The ROI of Hiring for Heart: How Values-Based Recruitment Drives Performance

In a talent market defined by competition and change, the most successful credit unions are those hiring not just for skill, but for heart. This session explores the measurable impact of values-based recruitment on engagement, retention, and organizational performance. Attendees will gain practical insights into how hiring for cultural and mission alignment can strengthen teams, elevate service, and drive long-term success.

Through interactive discussion, we’ll connect the dots between purpose-driven hiring and bottom-line results – proving that when you lead with values, you don’t just build a better culture, you build a better business. 

Taylor Eblen, Carrick Professionals

The Board’s Role in Strategic Visioning & Strategic Planning: Eight Steps to Highly Effective Boards

In the evolving landscape of credit unions, board members are called upon to lead with foresight, adaptability, and purpose. This session is designed to empower board members by providing them with the tools and mindset necessary to effectively step into their fiduciary responsibility in deciding and steering their organizations through strategic challenges and opportunities.

Session Highlights:

  • Interactive Discussions: Engage in conversations that challenge conventional thinking and encourage proactive strategic planning.
  • Real-World Examples: Examine case studies of credit unions that have successfully navigated strategic transitions, highlighting lessons learned and best practices.
  • Actionable Takeaways: Walk away with a set of practical tools and strategies that can be immediately applied to enhance board effectiveness and organizational success.

Questions Answered in the Session Include: 

  • What is the board’s role in setting the vision for the organization?
  • What is the board’s role in providing insight into the vision and strategic scenarios to consider?
  • What is a board’s role in a merger conversation?
  • What process does the board use to decide measurable outcomes of strategic scenarios?

Deedee Myers, CEO, DDJ Myers

Planning for Performance: Unlocking Financial & Operational Impact in Credit Unions

In today’s fast-changing financial landscape, budgeting and planning aren’t just back-office tasks—they’re strategic tools that drive smarter decisions and measurable impact. This session will explore how forward-thinking credit unions can modernize their planning processes to improve agility, empower leadership, and deliver stronger outcomes for their organization, members, and communities. We’ll connect the dots between better budgeting, performance management, vision and growth—so you leave with practical insights you can act on immediately.

Brad Brockman, Senior Sales Engineer, Empyrean Solutions

Securing More: How ESI Helps Credit Unions Protect High-Balance Members

Join Mike Baswell, Sales Manager at Excess Share Insurance (ESI), for an engaging session that reveals how credit unions can go beyond traditional limits with true excess share insurance—not a sweep program. Learn how ESI’s additional coverage of up to $10 million per member strengthens member confidence, attracts high-value deposits, and gives your credit union a powerful competitive edge.

Mike Baswell, Sales Manager, Excess Share Insurance (ESI)

AI in Small Business Lending

See how AI can be used in cash-flow based small business underwriting.  Learn how the small business lending process can be transformed from a manual rules-based process centered around financial statements to an automated scoring process underpinned by predictive models using real-time cash flow data. Join Gord Baizley to discover the future of smarter business underwriting.

Gord Baizley, CEO, JUDI.AI

Securing Your Credit Union in the Age of AI

AI has brought increased automation and efficiency to businesses the world over in the last few years, including credit unions. But with great efficiency comes increased risk. While AI may be helping your credit union to complete tasks more quickly, it may also be putting you at risk – bad actors may even be using AI to create advanced cyber threats that target your credit union. As AI becomes more prevalent, it is vital for credit unions to create and enforce an AI security policy that addresses internal and external AI adoption risks. 

This session will: 

  • Review best practices for securing AI systems, including governance, data protection and model risk management. 
  • Uncover the hidden risks of “shadow AI” within your organization, including how employees using generative AI tools may inadvertently expose sensitive member data and institutional information. 
  • Provide insight into how leadership teams can align AI initiatives with enterprise risk and compliance strategies. 
  • Allow attendees to walk away with actionable steps to strengthen their credit union’s AI security posture. 

Shane Butcher, COO, Optiri

Barry Lewis, Senior Director, Security, and Technology Consulting, Optiri

Left Brain/Right Brain – Balancing The Art and Science for Success

In this session, we will explore the critical benefits that a balanced approach, incorporating both right-brain and left-brain thinkers, brings to the overall design-build and branch transformation process. Understanding the complementary roles of analytical and creative thinking is essential for achieving overall success in projects that impact member satisfaction, operational efficiency, and the branch experience. 

Glenn Grau, Executive Vice President, PWCampbell

Marshall Jett, Vice President, PWCampbell