The Financial Brand Forum features a unique series of unforgettable, high-level talks focused on helping banking executives prepare themselves and their organization for the future — like TEDx for financial institutions!
Entertain or Die
Mike Cessario
Founder & CEO of Liquid Death
Let’s face it: most ads suck. But Mike Cessario was able to transform an ordinary product into a billion-dollar brand phenomenon with marketing that doesn’t feel like marketing at all. He will show you how anyone can disrupt even the most boring category (like banking!) with bold branding, humor, and a completely different way of thinking about consumer engagement. Learn how to cut through the noise and create passionate fans in a marketplace where attention is the ultimate currency.
Gutsy Leadership
Vernice ‘FlyGirl’ Armour
America’s First Black Female Combat Pilot
In the heat of battle, average leaders freeze. Great ones take charge. From the cockpit of a Marine attack helicopter to the C-suite, no one knows the principles of fearless leadership better than Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour. As America’s first Black female combat pilot turned entrepreneur and bestselling author, she will show you what it takes to get gutsy, ditch excuses, and never look back, so you can inspire your team in moments of uncertainty and take bold action when the pressure is on.
Fans First
Jared Orton
President of Savannah Bananas
Why is everyone talking about Savannah Bananas? How did a struggling minor-league team become a nationwide cultural sensation? It all centers around a radical commitment to placing ‘Fans First’ — making them the star of the show. At the Forum 2026, Jared Orton will show you how to replicate that same magic through unforgettable experiences, creative storytelling, and a culture built on joy. Get ready to laugh, learn, and see how to turn your customers into your most enthusiastic marketers.
Unleashing Limitless Creativity & Innovation with AI
Taryn Southern
Futurist, Digital Strategist & Award-Winning Storyteller
What happens when machines become your creative partners? Taryn Southern, is an AI trailblazer and digital pioneer with over 26 million views on YouTube — featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and The Today Show for her groundbreaking work at the intersection of creativity and technology. At the Forum 2026, she’ll show attendees how to rethink innovation, embrace bold experimentation, and discover how human + AI collaboration unlocks entirely new possibilities for growth, engagement, and storytelling.
The Power of Impossible
Kyle Scheele
Innovation Leadership Expert & Champion of Crazy Ideas
Partnering with Fortune 500 brands like Nike and Red Bull, this master of radical creativity turns audacious ideas into unforgettable viral campaigns. With over three million followers on TikTok, his work has been featured in Fast Company, Wired, and the Washington Post. At the Forum 2026, Scheele will challenge you to think bigger and bolder, as he shows you how to be more creative and turn your organization into an innovation machine.
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