On the latest episode of The Bank Tellers, Zach Anderson Pettet, VP, Fintech Strategy at Money20/20, sits down with Erica Khalili, the Chief Legal & Risk Officer at Lead Bank.

This unfiltered and honest convo dives into the bank’s transformation from a traditional community bank to a fintech-forward institution.

Erica shares the unique journey that led her and her co-founders—who come from tech, data science, and fintech backgrounds—to acquire Lead Bank. She explains why they saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between fintech and banking and how they’re working to make bank-fintech partnerships more transparent, efficient, and scalable.

Key topics include:
- Why banks and fintechs often struggle to work together—and how to fix it
- The role of AI and automation in compliance, risk management, and fraud detection
- Whether fintechs should actually pursue bank charters or just partner with banks instead
- How regulatory uncertainty is shaping the future of embedded finance
- How fintech thinking is reshaping traditional banking

Plus, tune in for the real debate: Who has the best BBQ in Kansas City?!

Lead Bank
https://www.lead.bank/
Follow Erica
https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-khalili-48138570/

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