Schedule

Pre-Conference Experiences

8:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Rooted in Community: Strengthening Food Access in Atlanta
Sponsored by U.S. Bank
Step beyond the conference and into Atlanta. Join us for a hands-on volunteer experience supporting food access across the region in partnership with the Latin American Association. Through food assembly and distribution preparation, you’ll help strengthen household stability and expand access to essential resources. Connect with fellow attendees, engage in meaningful service, and leave knowing you helped make a tangible local impact.

Sign up during registration — space is limited. Includes light breakfast, T-shirt, and transportation.

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Observe. Reflect. Connect. 
Join us for a visit to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, a powerful museum where the story of the U.S. civil rights movement converges with global human rights struggles. Through immersive exhibits, you’ll explore the past, sit with the present, and leave with fresh perspectives on advancing inclusion, equity, and systemic change.

Additional fee: $25
Sign up during registration—space is limited. Includes light breakfast, museum ticket, and transportation.

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Member-Exclusive Lunch | The Future of Financial Health, Part 1: 2027 in Focus
What will your customers and employees expect from you in 2027 that you can’t deliver today? In this networking lunch, we’ll think “future-back” to identify the breakthroughs just ahead. You’ll share perspectives on emerging consumer expectations in financial health and collectively brainstorm bold features or shifts needed to meet them, and explore what must change internally to launch those ideas. We’ll close by sharing headlines to usher in the next era of financial health innovation, and consider how your partnership with the Financial Health Network can help accelerate what’s next.

1:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Networking Break
Move, connect, and refuel for what’s next.

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Main Stage Sessions

Keynote Address: Trust as a Strategy
Trust isn’t just a feeling. It’s the outcome of systems that work. As affordability pressures reshape people’s daily lives, trust is built—or broken—through rules, incentives, and lived experience. When systems fail, people lose faith not only in financial services but in the social contract itself. In our opening keynote, Financial Health Network CEO Jennifer Tescher illustrates how financial health is foundational to a functioning democracy—and why rebuilding systems that work for the people is both an economic and civic imperative.
Jennifer Tescher, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Health Network

Innovation & Community Spotlight: What Works, What Travels
In this fast-paced spotlight, hear from three influential leaders who are turning urgent community needs into working solutions. Each speaker will highlight a specific product feature, program, or practice; its measurable impact on households or small businesses; and whether the model can scale. Our focus is practical inspiration, grounded in evidence—setting the tone for a conference that produces meaningful outcomes, not pilots.
Brandon Horne, Senior Vice President, Commercial Partnerships, Greenlight
Lara O’Connor Hodgson, Chief Executive Officer, RoxWrite
Luis Andino, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ditch

No Margin for Error: Finding Housing in an Unforgiving Economy
Housing is often where trust in the financial system breaks first. In this session, Brian Goldstone, author of “There Is No Place for Us,” explores how rising housing costs, unstable income, and rigid systems displace working families—even when they’re doing everything “right.” Drawing on both his reporting and the lived experiences of households across America, this conversation highlights the human stakes of financial and policy decisions around affordability, credit, insurance, and access to resources, revealing where systems fall short and what it will take to design for stability.
Brian Goldstone, Journalist and Anthropologist
Moderator: Courtney Johnson, Vice President, Atlanta Life

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Networking Break and Book Signing
Enjoy a networking break, sponsored by KeyBank, alongside a special book signing of There Is No Place for Us with Brian Goldstone. Books will be available for purchase onsite.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Creating Community: Role-Based Breakout Sessions
Join peers in similar roles for focused, interactive discussions on shared challenges and opportunities to advance financial health. Exchange real-world insights, learn what’s working across organizations, and build relationships that help move your work forward.
Select the functional area that best aligns with your role and interests.

FinHealth Strategy
The Strategy Showdown: Proving Financial Health’s Business Case
When time, attention, and resources are limited, investing in financial health can’t just be the “right thing to do.” Financial health champions within organizations face growing pressure to demonstrate tangible business impact to internal stakeholders who demand results. Join this candid, strategy-level discussion with leaders sharing similar challenges for inspiration on strengthening the business case for financial health, silencing the skeptics, and turning impact into lasting momentum for your financial health initiatives.
Cherry Dale, Senior Vice President, Financial Education, Virginia Credit Union
Bjorn Larson, Director of Financial Education, Thrivent

Product, Digital, and Customer Experience 
From Outputs to Outcomes: Designing for Real Financial Health Impact
Many financial products launch features quickly, but far fewer are designed and measured based on the outcomes they aim to create for consumers. In this interactive conversation, product, digital, and customer experience leaders will explore how to move beyond usage metrics to define financial health outcomes, apply behaviorally informed design, and evaluate whether products are truly improving customer resilience. Expect candid discussion and shared learning as we wrestle with what it takes to design for real impact.
Alejandra Ruales, Lead Product Manager, Spruce by H&R Block
Opal E. Tomashevska, Director, Consumer Insights & Multicultural Engagement, TruStage

Community and Government Relations
Building Coalitions That Deliver: State and Local Leadership in a New Era of Financial Health
As the landscape of federal, state, and local policymaking changes , strong collaboration at the state and local level is critical. In this session, we’ll explore how leaders are building coalitions across government, community organizations, and institutions to navigate this new reality. Leave with new connections and practical strategies to push financial health solutions forward in a new era of governance.
Paola Garcia Abbo, Vice President Head of Impact, OneMain Financial
Bahari Harris, Director of Workplace Banking and Financial Empowerment Initiatives, Truist

Human Resources
Redefining the Employee Safety Net: Financial Health in a New World
For decades, HR professionals have linked the employee safety net to the blueprint of the traditional nuclear family, with benefits centered on healthcare and retirement. But that blueprint is changing. The definition of family is evolving as generational expectations shift and more people take on caregiving roles for older adults. Simultaneously, AI is upending the standard paths of career progression and reshaping how economic mobility is achieved. Don’t miss this candid dialogue on building durable financial health for a generation navigating new definitions of work, family, and opportunity.
Brooke Stovall, Senior Manager Culture & Experience, Jack Henry & Associates
Mike Xavier, SPHR, Senior Director Financial Health, Comcast NBCUniversal

Marketing and Communications
The AI Advantage: Rewiring Marketing Operations
Across organizations, marketing and communications teams are using AI to work smarter as they advance financial health. Learn how other marketing and communications leaders are relying on generative AI platforms like ChatGPT as emerging referral and discovery channels, experimenting with AI to streamline content creation and execution, and integrating tools to reduce operational friction. Through peer exchange and practical learning, this session will explore what’s working, what’s evolving, and how teams are adapting responsibly as AI becomes part of everyday workflows.
Lewis Goldman, Head of Marketing, Bloom Credit
Thomas Nitzsche, Vice President of Public Relations, Money Management International (MMI)

5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Networking Reception and Dinner (offsite)
Skyline Park at Ponce City Market
Join us for an energetic evening of connection and conversation at one of Atlanta’s most iconic rooftops. Enjoy bites inspired by Atlanta’s food culture, playful attractions, and sweeping views of the city as you gather to mingle and catch up with fellow attendees.

9:00 PM – 11:00 PM
After-Hours Networking
The Americano Bar, InterContinental Buckhead
Mix, mingle, and unwind alongside fellow attendees to further your EMERGE experience.

6:30 AM – 7:30 AM
Morning Wellness: Movement and Sound Bath
Sponsored by U.S. Bank
Ease into the morning with a gentle, guided movement and breathwork practice, followed by a restorative sound bath and meditation. This calming session offers space to breathe, reflect, and recharge before a full day of ideas and conversations. Comfortable clothes are encouraged.

8:00 AM – 8:15 AM
Grab Breakfast and Select Your Session
Explore finhealth insights and enjoy breakfast as we share fresh perspectives on today’s most pressing topics. Select a briefing below that most aligns with your interests. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

8:15 AM – 9:00 AM
Innovation Breakfast Briefings

FinHealth Face-off: Real Scenarios, Real Solutions 
Presented by Wells Fargo
What happens when financial health leaders respond in real time to the challenges households face every day? In this game show–style session, a live host will guide cross-sector experts through scenarios inspired by lived consumer and community experiences. As new twists unfold—income volatility, credit barriers, unexpected expenses—panelists will outline the tools, partnerships, and systems-level changes needed to move households from financial stress to lasting stability. Live audience polling will shape the conversation, grounding bold ideas in practical insight and highlighting what it will take to advance financial health at scale.

From Data to Debt Relief: Turning Insight into Action
Presented by VyStar Credit Union
What does it take to turn financial health data into real-world impact? In this session, Atlanta leaders across housing, rental assistance, and nonprofit sectors will share what they’re seeing on the ground and where needs are most urgent. From a large-scale debt payoff challenge to peer-led support networks, experts will also share innovations that are driving tangible outcomes. Together, we’ll identify gaps, highlight opportunities, and brainstorm how institutions can leverage data, partnerships, and community insights to improve financial health for all.

Implementing Essential Benefits: Lessons From Early Adopters 
What does it look like when employers put the Essential Benefits framework into practice? This session explores how organizations across sectors are translating the framework, which highlights the benefits most correlated with employee financial health, into benefit design choices that strengthen worker well-being. We’ll share early lessons, creative approaches, and practical examples—from large employers to small-business platforms—so you can apply what’s working in your own organization.
Christina Blunt, Executive Director, Rhino Foods Foundation
Luke DeBoer, Manager of Financial Wellness, Delta Air Lines 
Grant Mathis, Vice President, Client Engagement, Worker Solutions
Moderator: Charvi Gandotra, Senior Director, Commonwealth

9:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Main Stage Sessions

Measuring What Matters: Data, AI, and the Next Chapter of Financial Health
As the financial services data ecosystem evolves, so do the stakes for consumers. Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr examines how improved measurement and clearer definitions of financial health can drive responsible innovation, from alternative underwriting to AI-enabled tools that shape everyday financial decisions. Leave with fresh insights into the guardrails, metrics, and accountability needed to usher in this new chapter of measurement—one that strengthens consumer protection, builds trust, and advances financial health for all.
Michael S. Barr, Member, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

AI That Works for People: Guardrails for Financial Health
AI is reshaping how people get financial advice, avoid fees, detect fraud, and recover from mistakes. But without guardrails, AI can amplify misinformation, enable scams, and deepen inequities. In this panel discussion, we’ll explore the pillars of responsible innovation and deployment—spanning bias testing, transparency, regulation, and rapid human recourse—and how leaders can ensure AI genuinely improves financial outcomes without putting consumers at risk.
Jay Budzik, Senior Vice President, Director of AI/ML Model Development and Operations, Fifth Third
Moderator: Asad Ramzanali, Director of Artificial Intelligence and Technology Policy, Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator, Vanderbilt University

Atlanta Builds: When Innovation Meets Real Lives
Atlanta has long been a testing ground for how innovation shapes economic opportunity, from community-rooted institutions and HBCU-driven talent pipelines to modern approaches like guaranteed income and baby bonds. This session will explore how new ideas actually land in people’s lives and what communities need to drive innovation that expands opportunity rather than deepens inequities. Using Atlanta as a case study, we’ll discuss stability, access to capital, institutional trust, and pathways to ownership that can help ensure progress creates lasting impact.
Wande Okunoren-Meadows, Executive Director, Hand, Heart, + Soul Project
Hope Wollensack, Executive Director, Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund
Moderator: Dr. Tiffany Rogers Bussey, Executive Director, Morehouse Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center, Morehouse College

Empathy as a Leadership Discipline: Practice, Pressure, and Choice
Empathy is often treated as a personal trait, but its real influence depends on how leaders practice it under pressure. In this session, Stanford psychology professor Jamil Zaki reframes empathy as a leadership discipline—one that shapes day-to-day decisions, team dynamics, and organizational culture, especially amid skepticism and competing demands. Following a short opening talk, join us for a fireside conversation exploring how leaders can sustain empathy, counter cynicism without disengaging, and make choices that reflect their values, even when speed and scale complicate judgment.
Jamil Zaki, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Stanford University

11:10 AM -11:30 AM
Networking Break and Barista Station
Enjoy a networking break with a barista station, sponsored by Bank of America, alongside a special book signing of Hope for Cynics with Jamil Zaki. Books will be available for purchase onsite.

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Breakout Sessions
Build your ideal EMERGE experience by choosing the session that resonates most with you.

The Next Era of Financial Health Measurement
A new era of financial health measurement is here—blending transactional data, administrative records, and self-reported insights to capture real behaviors and impact. This interactive session brings together leaders who are pioneering these approaches. Through small-group discussions, you’ll explore today’s most pressing measurement questions—from linking data sources to designing meaningful indicators. Together, we’ll uncover examples from the field, guidance for applying hybrid models, and opportunities to contribute to a growing community shaping the next generation of financial health analytics.
Roy Elis, Director of Economic Insights and Impact, Chime
Dan Gorin, Lead Supervisory Policy Analyst, Federal Reserve Board
Moderator: Lisa Berdie, Director, Research, Financial Health Network

AI Under Pressure: The Financial Health Test Kitchen
Put AI in the hot seat and see what happens when faced with real-life financial health choices. This fast-paced “test kitchen” takes a hands-on approach to explore both the promise—and the limits—of using AI to advance consumer financial health. In small teams, you’ll stress-test AI against real financial health scenarios where there’s no perfect answer, using structured prompts and follow-up questions to probe for nuance, bias, and potential harm. Compare insights and patterns across groups and leave with practical ideas and guardrails for deploying AI responsibly across your products, programs, and services. Please bring a laptop or tablet to fully participate in this interactive session.
Tya Patterson-Powe, Head of Financial Coaching, Executive Director, Wells Fargo
Moderator: Carly Perera, Director, AI Strategy, Financial Health Network

In Their Shoes: A Hands-On Financial Experience
Inspired by the Financial Health Network’s FinX experience, this immersive workshop brings to life the realities customers face when navigating tough financial choices. Through hands-on exercises grounded in real human stories, experience the tradeoffs and constraints that shape everyday financial decisions—and explore how these insights can drive more inclusive product design, spark innovation, and build consumer trust. Leave with a sharper understanding of what customers truly need and actionable insights to create solutions that improve financial lives.
Megan Coffey, Senior Manager, Financial Services Solutions, Financial Health Network
Ashley Hannon, Director, Membership Operations, Financial Health Network

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
Grab Lunch and Select Your Session
Get a helping of finhealth insights with your lunch as we share fresh perspectives on today’s most pressing topics. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
Innovation Lunch Briefings

Ownership as a Pathway to Retirement Security
Presented by Prudential Financial
From buying a home to holding stocks, ownership is a foundation for stability, dignity, and generational opportunity. This session explores how diverse ownership pathways, including community-owned real estate, employee ownership, and financial asset ownership, can unlock lasting wealth and retirement security for more people. We’ll examine how these different approaches to ownership can help families build and protect generational wealth, democratize access to financial security, and create more pathways for people to protect their life’s work. 1090468-00001-00
Sarah Keh, Vice President, Inclusive Solutions, Prudential Financial 

Stopping Scams: A Whole-Of-Society Approach
Presented by JPMorganChase
Fraud and scams cost American households $158 billion each year—nearly $433 million per day—and losses continue to rise. Beyond financial harm, these threats erode trust and weaken long-term stability for people and families. As scams grow more sophisticated, organizations like JPMorganChase are investing in innovative solutions to protect consumers, especially those most vulnerable. In this panel, we’ll hear from leaders on the frontlines of scam prevention about what they are seeing and how they are innovating to better protect consumers and safeguard financial health.

1:45 PM – 2:15 PM
Networking Break and Barista Station
Sponsored by Bank of America

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
Breakout Sessions
Build your ideal EMERGE experience by choosing the session that resonates most with you.

Place-Based Insights That Drive Better Solutions
Financial health looks different from zipcode to zipcode. The most meaningful solutions start with a deep understanding of local realities. In this dynamic session, leaders will share how their communities shape their missions, research, and solutions. Together, we’ll explore how place-based insights reveal disparities, build trust, and spark collective action, highlighting innovations from communities across the country. Leave with clear examples of how local data and community partnerships can drive more effective, scalable financial health solutions.
Jennifer Axelrod, Associate Vice President for Learning and Impact, The Chicago Community Trust
Moderator: Taylor Nelms, Vice President of Research and Insights, Financial Health Network

Beyond Banking: Emerging Innovations Redefining Financial Health
Rapid innovation is reshaping what financial health looks like—and where it happens. Through fast-paced lightning talks, you’ll explore emerging digital trends, tools, and models that are changing how people earn, borrow, save, invest, and seek financial guidance—often beyond traditional banking channels. From new forms of work and credit to AI-driven advice and alternative financial ecosystems, you’ll gain insight into unmet consumer needs and evolving definitions of financial health. Sharpen your understanding of where innovation is headed and how institutions can respond with responsible, consumer-centered solutions.
Alex De Marco, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, MoneyStack
Ericka Young, Chief Executive Officer, Tailor-Made Budgets
Moderator: Thea Garon, Director, Financial Well-Being, Urban Institute

Putting the Standards to Work: A Collaborative Product Design Studio
Roll up your sleeves and see how the FinHealth Standards can transform financial products into tools to improve people’s financial lives. Through guided exercises and group discussion, you’ll experiment with design approaches, surface implementation challenges, and learn from industry peers pushing this work forward. Whether you’re new to the Standards or ready to take the next step, you’ll gain a stronger understanding of how to apply them—and a new vision for scaling your impact.
Tahan Menon, Senior Behavioral Designer, ideas42
Jennifer White, Senior Director, J.D. Power

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM
Networking Break and Barista Station
Sponsored by Bank of America

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Main Stage Sessions

Building for All: Access is a Design Choice
Too often, people are excluded from financial systems because of inaccessible design. In this session, we examine how everyday product and servicing decisions—from identity verification and language access to disability accommodations and thin-file credit—shape who can participate and who gets pushed out. Panelists will share practical examples of what works, what causes harm, and which practices institutions can adopt today to expand access and deliver more equitable outcomes. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of what inclusion actually requires and how to embed it from the start.
April Clobes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
Matt Gromada, Managing Director, Head of Emerging Growth Segments Consumer & Community Banking, JPMorgan Chase
Moderator: Jorge Fontanez, Independent Chief Executive Officer and Board Director

The New Playbook: Beyond Best Practices
What does it take to move from promising ideas to sustainable progress? In this candid conversation, leaders with very different vantage points compare notes on what to scale, what to stop, and what to build next to improve financial health outcomes. The discussion illustrates how various operating approaches, product decisions, and leadership habits hold up across size and context—calling out those that no longer serve people or institutions. Expect a grounded look at what’s actually working in today’s climate, and what the next playbook for financial health should prioritize.
Arijit Roy, Senior Executive Vice President, Consumer and Business Banking Products, U.S. Bank
Moderator: Jennifer Tescher, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Health Network

Innovation & Community Spotlight: AI in Action
AI is quickly moving from theory to practice, transforming how people manage daily finances. In this rapid-fire session, innovators will share how they’re tackling real financial health challenges with AI-enabled tools—outlining the problems they’re solving, how AI fits in, and what early results show. Leave with clear insights into practical applications, lessons learned so far, and ideas to advance your own organization’s AI strategy.
Laurel Taylor, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Candidly
Niles Xi’an Lichtenstein, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Nestment
Moderator: Shruti Prasad, Senior Director Strategy and Business Development, Experian Consumer Services 

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Networking Reception
Sponsored by U.S. Bank
Join fellow EMERGE attendees for an evening of meaningful conversation, connection, and community.

9:00 PM – 11:00 PM
After-Hours Networking
The Americano Bar, InterContinental Buckhead
Mix, mingle, and unwind alongside fellow attendees to further your EMERGE experience.