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Filene Seeks Credit Union Innovators: Applications Being Accepted For i3 Innovation Group
MADISON, WI – It has a lower acceptance rate than Cornell, 13 percent of participants end up becoming credit union CEOs, and the future of credit unions depends on its success. Filene Research Institute’s i3 program is recruiting the best and brightest minds in North American credit unions to create new products, services, business models and processes that transform the financial lives of consumers.
“To move credit unions forward and truly improve outcomes for members, communities and the cooperative finance movement, we have to build an environment fertile for creative collisions,” says Filene Innovation Director Matt Davis. “A key ingredient to making this happen is making sure bright, creative people with a ‘let’s roll up our sleeves and get this done’ attitude are able to meet, play and build with people like them.”
Ideas created in the i3 program have gone on to change state laws, improve the financial lives of millions of consumers, save countless millions of dollars for credit unions and drive new members to the credit union system. More than 20 former i3ers have been promoted to CEO of a credit union or system organization.
Candidates must be executives at credit unions or credit union service organizations (CUSOs) that have not quite reached the CEO level, but are considered to be a leader or future leader in our system. Only 10-15 candidates will be selected for a two-year term, which requires:
? Commitment and support of their credit union’s CEO or manager to be involved in the program
? Commitment to pilot at least two i3 ideas
? Commitment to attend two national meetings per year and cover all associated travel costs
? Regular group work and meetings beyond the national meetings
Applicants must be employees of credit unions that are Filene members, complete an application form, take an online 100-question behavioral/entrepreneurial assessment and take a short grit test. The application process opens May 1 and closes at midnight on June 1. Visit filene.org/community/i3 to learn more.
About Filene: The non-profit Filene Research Institute is a consumer finance think tank serving the North American credit union system of $1.5 trillion in assets and more than 106 million members. Filene publishes objective research and fosters consumer-focused financial innovation. The Institute collaborates with leading researchers and academic institutions worldwide.