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The CUInsight Network

The CUInsight Network Special Series: The data dividend, turning insight into action – TruStage & Arkatechure

Featuring Mike Kraus, Managing Director of TruStage Ventures and Jamie Jackson, CEO of Arkatechure

TruStage Special Series

“Better utilizing data can give a more-tailored member experience—which makes the member truly feel like their credit union knows them.” – Mike Kraus

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

Today's episode is the first part of a very special four-part series brought to you by TruStage! Today's discussion is with Mike Kraus (Managing Director of TruStage Ventures) and Jamie Jackson (CEO of Arkatechure), and we focus on how credit unions can make use of their data to drive better member experiences and business outcomes, with Jamie explaining that credit unions often struggle with data silos, lack of data ownership, and a culture of fear around data expertise and Mike noting that credit unions have an abundance of member data, but it is often locked away in legacy core systems. To unlock the value, it's so important for credit unions to pull all their data together into a unified platform!

In our conversation, both Mike and Jamie really emphasize the role that fintech partnerships can play, as they can provide the modern data infrastructure, analytics capabilities, and agility that credit unions often lack. However, they also caution that partnerships must be strategic, with clear alignment on goals and outcomes. We also cover why it's so important to start small and prove value via quick wins and then scaling the data strategy. Measuring outcomes, not just activities, is key, and the most successful credit unions will be those that empower all employees to make data-driven decisions!

As we wrap up the episode, we highlight how effectively leveraging data is crucial for credit unions to deliver personalized member experiences and drive sustainable growth in a rapidly evolving financial services landscape! I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Mike Kraus and Jamie Jackson!

Place mentioned: Madison, Wisconsin
Shout-out: Amazon
Shout-out: Apple
Shout-out: Uber
Shout-out: ChatGPT

[01:12] – Hear how Arkatechure gives credit unions Fortune-500-level data power without needing massive teams or budgets.
[02:00] – We learn how TruStage Ventures links fintechs and credit unions to unify siloed data.
[05:21] – Raw data lacks value until refined, and silos and unclear ownership tend to damage credit unions’ trust.
[07:23] – Jamie believes that assigning ownership and reframing data as member advocacy helps cultures shift from debate to action.
[09:18] – Jamie argues that data strategies succeed when aligned with mission.
[11:33] – Small, early use cases build momentum, especially as AI heightens the need for strong data.
[13:19] – Fintech partnerships now drive growth by pairing credit unions’ trust with fintechs’ speed and tech.
[15:50] – Mike asserts that building tech works only with long-term upkeep, whereas fintech collaborations lead to faster and smarter solutions.
[17:08] – Jamie points out how partner-first fintechs thrive by sharing a single data foundation that speeds up credit unions’ progress.
[20:19] – Jamie discusses how collaborative fintech partnerships speed innovation and lower costs for credit unions.
[22:13] – Mike argues that younger members tend to judge credit unions against big-tech experiences, so data-driven personalization is essential.
[24:52] – Jamie agrees, adding that data-driven advocacy builds trust by letting credit unions anticipate members’ needs rather than just react.
[27:04] – Credit unions ultimately win by treating data as a cultural shift and turning insights into real outcomes.
[30:14] – Ultimately, fintech partnerships and a data-centric culture drive credit unions’ growth and future success!