Next-Level Growth: Closing the Execution Gap in 2026

March

10

,

2026

/

1:00pm

—

2:00pm

EDT

Next-Level Growth: Closing the Execution Gap in 2026

Relax and relive the moment.

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What was covered

New member growth remains the #1 concern for Credit Union executives in 2026, yet 74% of planned digital projects fail to execute on schedule. The barrier to growth isn't a lack of ideas—it is an execution gap.

Join Blend, Cornerstone Advisors and special guest, Steven Mertz from People First FCU, as they operationalize the findings of the new Next-Level Growth: Credit Union Opportunities in a Changing Market report. In this session, we'll move beyond 'Innovation Theater' to diagnose the hidden friction points in your strategy, giving you the data-backed confidence to execute where your competitors stall.

Key Topics:

What agile event programs are and why they're essential

Strategies and tools for building agile event marketing

How to scale agile event programs without losing brand integrity or valuable data

Steps you can take right now to introduce agile event marketing into your business

Grab your favorite snack and tune in.

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New member growth remains the #1 concern for Credit Union executives in 2026, yet 74% of planned digital projects fail to execute on schedule. The barrier to growth isn't a lack of ideas—it is an execution gap.

Join Blend, Cornerstone Advisors and special guest, Steven Mertz from People First FCU, as they operationalize the findings of the new Next-Level Growth: Credit Union Opportunities in a Changing Market report. In this session, we'll move beyond 'Innovation Theater' to diagnose the hidden friction points in your strategy, giving you the data-backed confidence to execute where your competitors stall.

What you will learn:

Why 74% of digital projects fail to launch—and how to diagnose the specific bottlenecks slowing you down.

How People First FCU achieved 17% loan growth by replacing traditional branches with high-efficiency "micro-branches" and virtual lobbies.

Practical ways to turn your service culture into a proactive growth engine without losing member trust.

Moving from basic automation to predictive financial wellness that drives retention.

Reva Rao

Head of Digital Transformation

Blend

Ron Shevlin

Chief Research Officer

Cornerstone Advisors

Steven Mertz

EVP of Growth & Strategy

People First FCU

Your Hosts

Jake Hernandez

Chief Creative Officer

Openform

Jake Hernandez is senior director of product marketing at Openform, where his goal is to help people unlock the power of in-person events.

Leo Di Salvo

Sr. Technology Consultant

Openform

Leo Di Salvo is the Senior Technology Consultant at Openform, where his goal is to help people unlock the power of in-person events.

Run of show

12:00PM

Webinar Begins

Opening remarks from your hosts

12:15PM

5-Tips

5 Tips for Creating Virtual Events

12:45PM

Closing

Final remarks from your hosts

Grab your favorite snack and tune in.

Pro Tip:

First, watch the video to learn how to use this type of theme. Then, replace the iFrame embed code of the video below by clicking into it and clicking on the "Embed Options" tab on the right. Hide this element when you're finished.

Need more help? Here are some great Help Center articles regarding embed best-practices:

How do I resize an iFrame?

What's the difference between iFrame elements and Video elements?

How do I embed webinars or livestreams using an iFrame element?

What can I embed using an iframe into Splash?

Resource List

01

A Guide to Agile Event Programs that Can Survive Anything

Explore why the most dynamic leaders are building strategies for agile event marketing with a focus on scaling in-person and virtual events that are fast, flexible, and hyper-effective at driving meaningful connections.

Download

02

Crisis Mode: Ideas for Managing Events in Challenging Situations

Learn strategies, experiences and lessons learned from top event marketing leaders who have walked through the fire more than once and lived to talk about it.

Register

03

How to Build a Rock Solid Agile Events Program

The old way of doing event marketing—a large, inflexible investment in a small number of tentpole events—doesn't fit into a business world that demands adaptability and speed.

Watch now

About

Blend

Blend is the infrastructure powering the future of banking. Financial providers — from large banks, fintechs, and credit unions to community and independent mortgage banks — use Blend’s platform to transform banking experiences for their customers.

Cornerstone Advisors

For over 20 years, Cornerstone Advisors has delivered gritty insights, bold strategies, and data-driven solutions to help banks, credit unions, and fintechs thrive in today’s challenging environment. For more information, visit www.crnrstone.com, connect with us on LinkedIn and subscribe to GonzoBanker® for our opinionated take on all things banking.

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