Mike Bender

Chief Revenue Officer, DeepTarget

Mike is Chief Revenue Officer at DeepTarget and has more than 35 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is the founder and former CEO of Velocity Solutions and now helps banks and credit unions use data, personalization and automation to turn digital engagement into measurable growth. Mike works with financial institution leaders on strategies to acquire new relationships, deepen member engagement and grow deposits and loans.

Lenwood Brooks

Managing Director, Financial Institutions Group, Performance Trust

Lenwood is a Managing Director in the Financial Institutions Group at Performance Trust. Prior to joining Performance Trust, Brooks served as Director and Vice President of Government and Industry Relations at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, where he cultivated deep relationships with industry stakeholders across the financial services ecosystem. Before that, he was a senior executive at the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), serving as Chief of Staff under Chairman Rodney E. Hood. In 2025, Brooks was a member of the NCUA transition team for President Donald J. Trump, giving him firsthand experience navigating the regulatory, legislative, and political dynamics shaping financial services at the highest levels.

Earlier in his career, Brooks served as Vice President at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), Washington’s leading trade association for the capital markets industry. He began his career on Capitol Hill, serving under U.S. Congressman Roger F. Wicker, and continued in that role as Wicker rose to the Senate, where he played a key part during Senator Wicker’s tenure on the Senate Banking Committee.

A Jackson, Mississippi, native, Brooks is a graduate of Ole Miss. He currently resides in Fort Worth, Texas. His insights have been featured on CNBC, Fox Business, and other national media outlets.

John Findlay

CEO and co-Founder, LemonadeLXP

John is the CEO and co-founder of LemonadeLXP, the award-winning learning and knowledge platform for financial institutions. With decades of experience in digital engagement and training, John leads the charge in helping banks and credit unions turn training, enablement, and support into a competitive advantage.

Andres Klaric

Andres Klaric, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Fuse

Andres is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Fuse, an AI-native loan origination and account opening platform for credit unions and community and regional banks. Before founding Fuse in 2020, he worked in private equity and venture capital at Crescent Capital. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Aaron Silva

Aaron is a 30+ year industry veteran and founder of Paladin fs. A candid, outspoken advocate for community financial institutions, Aaron brings unvarnished, data-driven intelligence to core vendor contract strategy and negotiation. He specializes in helping bank executives spot hidden contract traps, evaluate technology stacks, and execute high-impact negotiation strategies.

Speakers

LAUNCH Returns in 2027!

February 9-10, 2027, in Concord, NC.