CO-OP brings back crashers program to THINK Conference

For the second year in a row, CO-OP Financial Services and Filene Research Institute are bringing The Cooperative Trust’s crasher program for young credit union professionals to the THINK conference. In addition to receiving free registration and lodging for THINK 19, THINK Crashers have the opportunity to meet and learn from leaders in the credit union movement. Applications are now available for credit union staffers ages 35 and younger at http://co-opthink.org/crashers19.

“The THINK Crashers program is a dynamic experience designed for young professional education, leadership development, mentorship and networking,” said Samantha Paxson, Chief Experience Officer, CO-OP Financial Services. “In addition to having full access to conference content, we will be providing specifically curated content for the high-potential, rising stars who will make up the THINK 19 crashers.”

Annie Tamblyn, Leadership Team Administrator at Filene Research Institute, helped host THINK Crashers onsite at THINK 18. “One of the things that made Crashing special was having specifically curated content for young professionals in addition to the conference sessions,” she said. “We did an innovation session about ideation and prototyping. It was cool to see how, after each session, the conversation was going and ideas were flowing.”

Among the unique opportunities that will be made available to the crashers are interacting with THINK 19 keynote speakers and being mentored by CO-OP leaders and credit union leaders who make up CO-OP’s Co-Creation Councils.   

“So many people came over to talk to us,” said Tamblyn of last year’s experience. “Some of them were speakers and presenters, and some were people from the industry who just wanted to reach out and learn more about the Crash program. Being highlighted as a group gave the Crashers a role in the conference and some agency to feel like they were there to help design the future of the movement.”

“A Brand New Perspective”

For Wyman Davis, Project Coordinator at CO-OP Financial Services, THINK 18 was inspiring: “It was beyond my expectations,” he said. “I found a brand new perspective. [THINK] gave us a great exposure to the inside world, to understand more about the credit union movement. There’s a lot of information that’s not really provided to us as part of our everyday work. At THINK we got to see the background, where people’s minds are. It’s an experience. A new voice equals a new idea equals change.”

“It was a really good experience being able to sit down with so many important businesspeople and network with people my age who are excited about the credit union movement,” added Marlie Russell, Card Services Representative at Dupaco Community Credit Union, and a THINK 18 Crasher. “Being at THINK took me outside of what I normally do, and it inspired me to think outside the box.”

Applications are now available for credit union professionals age 35 and younger at http://co-opthink.org/crashers19. The deadline for submitting applications for the program is March 15, with Crashers notified on March 25.

Through March 8, credit union personnel of all ages can take advantage of CO-OP’s winter registration pricing, available at $1,799, $200 off the full registration fee of $1,999. Online registration is available at www.co-opthink.org/register.

Now in its 12th year, THINK is a year-round platform for credit union collaboration, innovation and evolution. Visit www.co-opthink.org to access the wide variety of learning opportunities, including THINK Review magazine, THINK blog and videos from past THINK conferences.

For more information on THINK 19, visit www.co-opthink.org.