Kris Kovacs leads Constellation Digital Partners as its Founder and CEO, bringing over 30 years of rich experience in the credit union industry. His background is marked by a robust combination of technology and operational expertise, which has been instrumental in his deep understanding of the evolving financial sector.  Before establishing Constellation Digital Partners, Kris dedicated 25 years to serving in credit unions. His tenure was divided between Navy Federal Credit Union in Vienna, VA, and Coastal Credit Union in Raleigh, NC. At Coastal Credit Union, he held the pivotal role of Chief Information Officer, where he was responsible for driving technological innovation and strategic operations.
 
As a respected voice in the industry, Kris is a frequent speaker on topics relating to technology and innovation. He combines his extensive industry experience with thought leadership in his role as the host of the Fintech Combine Podcast. Further highlighting his commitment to innovation, Kris is a CUES Certified Innovation Executive (CIE), a testament to his expertise and dedication to the field of credit union technology and innovation.

Wayne Strickland is a former executive, author, and executive coach with over 40 years of leadership at Hallmark Cards. He holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Arkansas and has served in multiple senior roles, including VP of Marketing, VP of Customer Strategy. President of Team Wal-Mart North America, and VP of Global Distribution Strategy.

In his final role at Hallmark, Wayne led the development of a successful multi-platform strategy to bring Hallmark products to Amazon, expanding the company’s digital footprint. Over the course of his career, he led teams of up to 10,000 people and managed a $1 billion P&L. 

His contributions were recognized with the prestigious J.C. Hall Lifetime Achievement Award—an honor bestowed on only a select few in Hallmark’s storied history. Wayne’s leadership journey inspired him to author 16 books.

In his own words, “I’ve dedicated this chapter of my life to sharing what I’ve learned so others can get to where they want to go—faster and with fewer head slaps and speed bumps.”

Byron Gangnes is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Senior Research Fellow at UHERO. He is an expert on macroeconomic modeling, international trade, regional economics, and related policy issues.

Byron earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Puget Sound and doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. He has held visiting appointments at prestigious foreign universities and has been an affiliated researcher with the United Nations forecasting program.

He has written extensively on economic policy issues affecting the U.S. and Asian economies. Recent articles study the impact of aging on global patterns of trade and finance, the effect of COVID-19 on trade, and the implications of global value chain production arrangements. He has been named a LinkedIn Top Voice for his popular economic commentary, and he is a WPC Recommended Speaker.

Byron was awarded the Hung Wo and Elizabeth Lau Ching Award for Faculty Service to the Community. He is the recipient of a College of Social Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award, and he is an alumni member of Phi Beta Kappa. He has served in volunteer leadership roles with academic, religious, and community organizations.

Byron and his wife, Hilary, live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They have two adult daughters.

Mark turns big research questions into relevant key findings and big ideas into products for a changing world as one of North America’s top cooperative finance thinkers. His critical thinking shows through in his approaches to innovation and research on consumer behavior.

As CEO of Filene, he leads a team of brilliant thinkers, who deliver research and innovation to inspire people to understand the opportunities for cooperative finance to transform communities and lives.
An internationally recognized consumer finance expert published in dozens of publications, Mark has lectured to audiences up to 4,000 in locations across Asia, Australia, Europe, North Africa, and North America. He has advised the US Department of the Treasury and lectured in a variety of academic settings, including Harvard Business School.

Mark is an attorney licensed to practice law in Colorado and Arizona, formerly of the firm of Montgomery, Little & McGrew. He also held executive posts with Arizona State Credit Union and CUNA Mutual Group. He served on the board of 

Harrison Hochman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sparrow, the valedictorian of Stanford’s Graduate Engineering Class of 2021, and a member of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.

At 13, Harrison raised over $42,000 to purchase and personally deliver 280 wheelchairs to disabled individuals across South Africa. At 19, he was recognized as one of 11 young global leaders in STEM by the Straubel Foundation. At 21, Harrison founded Sparrow in his parents’ backyard during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within 16 months, the company raised $7 million in venture capital.

Today, Sparrow helps credit unions build meaningful, data-driven relationships with their members—enabling engagement that extends far beyond the branch. By connecting outreach directly to real financial outcomes, Sparrow empowers institutions to understand not just who they reach, but the measurable impact on growth and member depth. The platform is trusted by over 200 credit unions nationwide, spanning institutions from $6 million to over $38 billion in assets.

At 26, Harrison joined the Board of Directors of 7 17 Credit Union, a $2 billion institution based in Warren, Ohio.

He has been recognized by Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, the New York Stock Exchange, Business Wire, and Yahoo Finance as a leading entrepreneur at the forefront of fintech innovation. Of all his accomplishments, Harrison is most proud of serving on the Board of Directors of 7 17 Credit Union in Warren, Ohio—staying closely connected to the institutions Sparrow is built to serve.

John DeLoach is the Managing Shareholder of the Corporate Compliance Practice Area of the Williams Gautier law firm in Tallahassee, Florida (http://www.williamsgautier.com).  Williams Gautier attorneys have represented more than 100 credit unions in Florida, Georgia and throughout the United States over the last 40+ years. John has focused his practice for 30 years on helping credit unions find solutions for compliance, contract, transaction and corporate matters. He also conducts numerous seminars and training workshops throughout the country on credit union laws and operations and, in particular, the various compliance issues facing credit unions.

Frank J. Diekmann is the credit union industry's most experienced veteran reporter, having founded multiple publications within the industry and having covered credit union news from Sydney to Ukraine, and in all 50 states.

Before covering credit unions, Mr. Diekmann covered the nation’s banking industry. He began his editorial career working as a sports reporter with the Cincinnati Post, before making the natural segue into credit unions.  Mr. Diekmann is a frequent speaker, having addressed CU meetings around the world and all of the U.S., and also regularly serves as a judge in various organizations’ marketing and awards competitions. He is the only journalist to ever graduate from the National Credit Union Foundation’s Development Education program, and is now certified as an International Credit Union Development Educator.

A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Diekmann is also the author of five books: Cathode Ray’s, The Bawl Game, The Flip Flop, The Last Lyric and 501 Name Tags: How Everything You Need to Know About Business Can be Learned at a Conference & Forgotten in the Trade Show.

Byron Gangnes is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Senior Research Fellow at UHERO. He is an expert on macroeconomic modeling, international trade, regional economics, and related policy issues.

Byron earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Puget Sound and doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. He has held visiting appointments at prestigious foreign universities and has been an affiliated researcher with the United Nations forecasting program.

He has written extensively on economic policy issues affecting the U.S. and Asian economies. Recent articles study the impact of aging on global patterns of trade and finance, the effect of COVID-19 on trade, and the implications of global value chain production arrangements. He has been named a LinkedIn Top Voice for his popular economic commentary, and he is a WPC Recommended Speaker.

Byron was awarded the Hung Wo and Elizabeth Lau Ching Award for Faculty Service to the Community. He is the recipient of a College of Social Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award, and he is an alumni member of Phi Beta Kappa. He has served in volunteer leadership roles with academic, religious, and community organizations.

Byron and his wife, Hilary, live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They have two adult daughters.

Harrison Hochman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sparrow, the valedictorian of Stanford’s Graduate Engineering Class of 2021, and a member of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.

At 13, Harrison raised over $42,000 to purchase and personally deliver 280 wheelchairs to disabled individuals across South Africa. At 19, he was recognized as one of 11 young global leaders in STEM by the Straubel Foundation. At 21, Harrison founded Sparrow in his parents’ backyard during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within 16 months, the company raised $7 million in venture capital.

Today, Sparrow helps credit unions build meaningful, data-driven relationships with their members—enabling engagement that extends far beyond the branch. By connecting outreach directly to real financial outcomes, Sparrow empowers institutions to understand not just who they reach, but the measurable impact on growth and member depth. The platform is trusted by over 200 credit unions nationwide, spanning institutions from $6 million to over $38 billion in assets.

At 26, Harrison joined the Board of Directors of 7 17 Credit Union, a $2 billion institution based in Warren, Ohio.

He has been recognized by Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, the New York Stock Exchange, Business Wire, and Yahoo Finance as a leading entrepreneur at the forefront of fintech innovation. Of all his accomplishments, Harrison is most proud of serving on the Board of Directors of 7 17 Credit Union in Warren, Ohio—staying closely connected to the institutions Sparrow is built to serve.