An event for bank C-Suite members to learn the latest information on use cases, roadblocks, and how banks take that first or next step within their risk profile as it relates to the ever-changing technology and innovation landscape.

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Summit Agenda*

Thursday, November 12, 2026

9:00-10:00 a.m. | Registration

10:00-10:10 a.m. | Welcome & Introductory Remarks

10:10 a.m.-12:05 p.m. | General Sessions

Opening Keynote
Jason Henrichs, Alloy Labs

Scaling AI with Confidence: A Framework for Repeatable Enterprise Value
Nelson Obano, Wolf & Company, P. C.

Organizations across all levels of AI maturity are working to convert experimentation into meaningful, scalable results. Whether an organization is launching its first AI initiative or managing a growing portfolio of use cases, many still face familiar challenges: uneven value realization, inconsistent governance, and rising risk as AI becomes embedded across tools and vendors. This session introduces the AI Value Framework, a practical, business-first approach that helps leaders create repeatable value. Instead of relying on large platform investments or rigid governance models, the framework shows how each AI use case can strengthen enterprise foundations by informing strategy, clarifying the right level of oversight, and creating reusable architectural and data components.

Attendees will learn how to build confidence, demonstrate early wins, and ensure that every new AI capability becomes faster, safer, and more cost-effective to deliver than the one before it. The session provides a clear, actionable path for scaling AI responsibly and sustainably—without reinventing the wheel at every step.

12:15-1:15 p.m. | Lunch

1:15-3:20 p.m. | General Sessions

Fact or Fiction: Cybersecurity Edition
Jill Czerwinski, Crowe LLP

Cybersecurity leaders are constantly navigating industry hype, evolving threats, regulatory pressure, and emerging technologies. Through candid discussion and peer perspectives, attendees will explore topics including AI, cyber resilience, fraud, third-party risk, identity security, and the future of cybersecurity in banking. Designed to be engaging and conversational, this session will help attendees separate meaningful trends from industry noise while gaining practical insights from fellow banking and technology leaders.

The 2030 Innovation Blueprint: Architecting the High-Performance Bank
Will Waycraft, HUB/Taylor Advisors

The era of “accidental liquidity” is over and so is the era of managing your balance sheet from a spreadsheet. Stop managing the quarter and start pricing the decade. This session is a tactical war room for officers who aren’t waiting for the Fed, or their core system, to save their Net Interest Margin. We will dissect the math of the Great Repricing, explore how AI-powered analytics and automation are separating the Architects from the Defenders. Identify the specific lending niches that will dominate the 2030 landscape, and map out a realistic, technology-informed path to high-performance banking in an AI-accelerated environment.

3:20-3:40 p.m. | Networking Break

3:40-5:00 p.m. | General Sessions

The New Architecture of Trust – Resilience, Cloud-Enabled Intrastructure, Real-Time Processing Enablement through Tokenization and Cybersecurity
Randy Hopper, IntraFi

This session offers a candid, practitioner-level examination of the challenges CIOs and CTOs face today — from building resilient frameworks and executing the business model on cloud-enabled infrastructure, to embracing tokenization and distributed ledger technology, all while hardening cybersecurity postures to protect the PII banks are entrusted to safeguard. Drawing on firsthand experience in enterprise technology leadership, this session moves beyond theory to share practical insights and hard-won lessons on the tradeoffs that keep technology executives up at night — and the approaches that are making a difference.

5:30-7:00 p.m. | Networking Reception

7:00 p.m. | Dinner on your own

Friday, November 13, 2026

7:30-8:30 a.m. | Continental Breakfast

8:30-10:35 a.m. | General Sessions

Who Actually Owns AI at Your Bank?
Wade Barnes, Hartman Executive Advisors

Most community banks have an AI strategy, but few can say who actually owns it. The board assumes IT has it handled, IT assumes it’s a business decision, and the C-suite assumes someone is watching the risk, while employees are already using these tools with or without a policy. This session takes an honest look at that ownership gap using real sentiment and governance data from a peer group of community bank CEOs. It covers why initiatives stall even when the budget and the will are there, and the questions every leadership team should be able to answer before an examiner, board member, or customer asks them first.

Piloting Operational Excellence: A Banker’s Guide to Identifying High-Impact Automation Opportunities
Matt Speare, Carter Bank & Dave Hunkele, FINBOA

As financial institutions face growing operational demands, compliance pressures, and staffing challenges, leaders are increasingly looking to automation as a strategic tool for improving performance. But where should institutions begin, and how can they identify processes that are best suited for automation?

Join Matt Speare, Chief Operating Officer of Carter Bank, as he shares his institution’s automation journey and the lessons learned from evaluating, selecting, and implementing workflow automation within the bank. Using payment dispute processing as a real-world example, Matt will discuss how Carter Bank identified a highly manual, compliance-sensitive process as a candidate for automation and the measurable outcomes achieved through modernization.

Attendees will gain practical insights into assessing operational workflows, building a business case for automation, measuring success, and leading organizational change. The session will conclude with a moderated discussion and audience Q&A focused on strategies that can be applied across a variety of banking operations.

10:35-10:55 a.m. | Networking Break

10:55-11:55 a.m. | General Session

Closing Keynote
Carey Ransom, BankTech Ventures

11:55 a.m. | Summit adjourns

*Agenda subject to change.

Speakers

Wade Barnes, Hartman Executive Advisors
Wade Barnes is an indispensable asset to his clients who benefit from his extensive experience working in the banking industry and expertise in using technology to solve issues ranging from operational inefficiencies and regulatory challenges, to cyberthreats. At Hartman, he works alongside financial and professional services executives to create and execute technology roadmaps and data strategies to drive growth and innovation. Wade is a highly effective, multi-disciplined leader who thrives on identifying opportunities and creating strategies for businesses to build market share and increase overall profitability.

Wade has spent most of his career in banking, starting as a teller and advancing through the ranks to the C-suite. Before Hartman, Wade was the Chief Marketing Officer at Howard Bank. In this role, he championed the importance of using technology to source new clients and expand relationships with existing clients by defining the customer journey and personalizing the banking experience. He also created and led a corporate discipline for product development, including a FinTech initiative, with a focus on processes for highly efficient internal operations and enhancements to the customer experience. Wade also held senior management roles in retail banking, marketing and e-commerce at 1st Mariner Bank, where he leveraged technology to automate business processes and used data analytics to drive strategy and execution.

Jill Czerwinski, Crowe LLP
Jill is a principal in the Crowe Cyber Consulting Practice and leads the firm’s Financial Services Cybersecurity Services practice. With more than 25 years of experience in cybersecurity, risk, and technology consulting, she advises financial institutions and other highly regulated organizations on cybersecurity strategy, governance, third-party risk, and emerging technology challenges.

Known for her dynamic speaking style and practical, forward-looking perspectives, Jill is a frequent speaker at national and regional industry events. She has presented for organizations including the Institute of Internal Auditors, American Bankers Association, and ISACA, and has also trained federal IT regulators on cybersecurity and third-party risk topics.

Randy Hopper, IntraFi
Randy Hopper is Chief Information Officer at IntraFi. Formerly, Mr. Hopper spent 13 years at Navy Federal Credit Union leading business operations responsible for mortgage origination, credit cards, private student loans, lending analytics, and various other disciplines. His experience includes several IT infrastructure transformations designed to enable growth and efficiency. Prior to Navy Federal, Mr. Hopper worked at Wachovia Securities as an analyst in the brokerage compliance division. He earned his MBA from Georgetown University and his BA in Economics from Virginia Tech. Mr. Hopper joined IntraFi in 2020.

Dave Hunkele, FINBOA
Dave Hunkele is a strategic advisor to Fintech founders and an innovative leader in the banking industry. Dave has deep expertise in new product launches, sales / business development, partner development and digital transformation. He previously served as Head of Banking as a Service at Live Oak Bank, where he oversaw Live Oak’s Fintech and ecosystem partner portfolio for digital innovations. He served on senior leadership teams at S1 Corporation (now ACI Worldwide), Bottomline Technologies and Sterling Commerce (an IBM company).

Nelson Obano, Wolf & Company, P.C.
Nelson is a Principal and Wolf’s AI Practice Leader, where he advises organizations on AI, data, and enterprise transformation. With nearly two decades of experience, he works with executive teams to design pragmatic AI and data strategies, establish strong governance and operating models, and translate emerging technologies into measurable business outcomes while managing risk. As a former management consultant, Nelson led large-scale analytics, data, and technology transformation initiatives across complex and regulated environments. He is known for helping leaders balance innovation with governance, making AI initiatives secure, compliant, and built for sustainable success.

Matt Speare, Carter Bank
Matt Speare is the Chief Operating Officer of Carter Bank and a licensed pilot. He successfully oversaw Carter Bank’s transition from manual dispute processing to intelligent automation using FINBOA Payment Disputes. Outside of his COO role, Matt enjoys flying and has piloted planes to deliver relief supplies following Hurricane Helene.

Will Waycraft, HUB/Taylor Advisors
Will Craycraft is a Senior Consultant with HUB | Taylor Advisors specializing in Balance Sheet Management. Will earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Accounting and a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Kentucky. Will is a Certified Public Accountant and he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Designation. Will has extensive experience working with Financial Institutions ranging in asset size from $100 Million to $10 Billion.

Registration

2026 Registration Fees

MBA or VBA Banker	Spouse/Guest
$695	$295

If you have any trouble registering for the conference, please contact Marie Basil.

Please Note: Registration for the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Banking Technology & Innovation Summit is limited to bankers and sponsors of the event only.  If you have any questions regarding registration, please contact Walt Lyons.  If you have questions regarding sponsorships, please contact Amy Binns.

Event Policies

CANCELLATION POLICY

All cancellations will be charged a $25.00 administrative fee. Cancellations received less than 72 business hours before the program will be charged a $75.00 administrative fee plus any additional fees associated with the training. Substitutions are allowed prior to the beginning of the summit.

SPECIAL NEEDS & AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES NOTICE

If you have special needs that may affect your participation in this event, please contact Walt Lyons to discuss accommodations.

Hotel Information

Lansdowne Resort
44050 Woodridge Parkway
Leesburg, VA

Attendees for the Mid-Atlantic Banking Technology & Innovation Summit are invited to take advantage of the nightly rate of $279/night plus a daily $39 resort fee plus applicable taxes.

• Click here to reserve your hotel room. The deadline to reserve your room is Monday, October 12, 2026.

Sponsorships 

Sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities available! Learn more here. Questions? Contact Amy Binns. 

Note: sponsorships are limited for this event. Event is open to bankers and sponsors ONLY.