Ostrich

Youngstown State University Athletics?and Ostrich announce a unique, student-forward initiative to help student-athletes better understand and manage their personal finances. Despite athletic scholarships,?student-athletes graduate with more student loan debt than their non-athlete peers. However, numerous research studies show that traditional financial literacy education only changes behavior 0.1%. The YSU Penguins -- known for being a leader in the Horizon League Conference when it comes to supporting student-athletes on and off the field -- recognized this issue. Tap the link to continue reading. #studentathletes #nil #nameimagelikeness #financialliteracy #youngstown #ncaa

Excited for Tuesday and the opportunity for Ostrich to sponsor the LSCU YPG Birmingham Chapter Advocacy night along with our other fintech friends Will Bryant and Quantalytix, Inc. Special thanks to Alex Lawley for getting us plugged into the chapter and supporting young professionals in Birmingham. See y’all at Avondale Brewing Co. ??

On Tuesday night we hosted a National Fintech Organization (NFO) networking event at Adios Cocktail Bar. Excellent turnout. Enjoyed seeing and meeting new people. Great to see Jeff Harper, Scott Mills, Laura Levie, Kimberly Clay, Laura Day, Stan Viner, Mary Beth Marchione, Michael McCay, and others. Anyone in Alabama or surrounding states who is involved or interested in #fintech, #banking, or #creditunions, let us know, we will add you to our growing NFO Alabama chapter. Thank you to our sponsors Wipfli, Ostrich and Valiify

I was recently published on CUInsight.com writing about how credit unions can successfully win the battle for Gen Z, and college students in particular. While my article focuses on credit unions, I’d be inclined to give the same advice to companies across all industries. The secret sauce? Be a part of their day-to-day lives. If you’re hoping to compete with ads on Snap Inc. or TikTok I wish you the best of luck! As soon as you make social media advertising your core channel, you’re suddenly competing with every single app on your target audience’s phones, and then the content within those apps that they’re more interested in to begin with. Find a way to reach Gen Z (and everyone else!) that doesn’t rely on the distraction engine in their pockets, and try to add value to their lives in some way that isn’t phone-focused. Gen Z might be digital native, but the way to really cut through the noise is to grab their attention IRL. You can find out more about how Ostrich helps credit unions do this on our website. Thanks to Robbie Young, CUDE, Alyssa Angurio, MBA and the whole CU Insights team for making this possible, and look out for more thought leadership pieces coming soon! https://lnkd.in/eaYZbykb

It's the 2nd half of the league finals, & we're losing 2-0. Earlier in the season, we crushed this team by 4 goals, but tonight, it's like we're a different squad. We've played 2 matches back-to-back, & fatigue is setting in. We're disjointed, our passes are off, & we can't find the rhythm that carried us through the season. It’s frustrating because we know we have the talent to win, but it’s just not clicking. ?? This feeling of frustration & untapped potential isn’t unique to my soccer team. It’s exactly where many credit unions find themselves today—facing tough competition from banks & fintechs in the race to win over Gen Z. Just as we were struggling on the pitch, credit unions are struggling in the financial marketplace. ???? Let me explain. ?? Credit unions have historically been community champions, offering lower interest rates on loans & better savings rates. In the 20th century, they emerged to serve communities that banks overlooked. Back then, credit unions were winning the game. ?? They had the right formula & their members thrived. But fast forward to today, & the landscape has changed. Gen Z isn’t connecting with credit unions the way previous generations did. Despite offering great products and being non-profit, mission-driven organizations—attributes that typically resonate with Gen Z—credit unions are down 2-0 in the second half of the league final, struggling to attract this vital demographic. ??? Like my soccer team, credit unions need to make a crucial pivot. The talent is there, but it’s about finding the right strategy & executing it with precision. Credit unions must put the right team on the field—one that understands what Gen Z wants & how to engage them. ???? This is where Ostrich comes in. Since 2019, we’ve worked closely with Gen Z, helping them improve their financial well-being. We understand what makes them tick. ???♂? Our programs lead to tangible results: 41% of students we engage with set up new financial accounts, from emergency funds & investment accounts to IRAs and credit-building services. Just as my team knew we had the skills to win, credit unions, with Ostrich’s guidance, can rally & turn the game around. ?? At halftime, we came together, recognized our strengths, & decided to change our approach. We adjusted our lineup, focused on the final 3rd, & executed our strategy. In the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half, we pulled back a goal. ? Down 2-1. 3 minutes later, we equalized—2-2. The momentum was shifting. ?? 5 minutes after that, we took the lead, 3-2. From there, our defense tightened up, & we held on to claim victory. We didn’t just win the match; we became champions. ???? Credit unions can experience this same transformation. With Ostrich on your side, you have the tools & the strategy to win over Gen Z. We’ll help you craft a game plan that resonates with this new generation, ensuring you’re not just in the game—you’re winning it. ???? #creditunions #genz #soccer

Anyone in Alabama and surrounding states who is involved or interested in fintech, banking, or the credit unions, please let me know and I would love to add you to our growing National Fintech Organization (NFO) chapter in Alabama. Great turnout the other night despite the rain and thanks to our sponsors Quantalytix, Inc. Wipfli Ostrich Valiify Christopher Aliotta Mary Beth Marchione, MBA, CPA, CISA, CISSP, 2xAWS Ted C. William Glass Scott Mills, APR

Thanks to Ashley, Dylan C., Zachary Majka and the other folks at Visions Federal Credit Union for putting on a great workshop for entrepreneurs last night! It was great to hear from Jean Carolus, Elizabeth "Ellie" Rivera, MS, MFA and Bandhana Katoch, Esq., MBA, MS, RTTP about some of the exciting things they’re doing for entrepreneurs in New York’s Southern Tier, and how Visions is helping to enable that. From an Ostrich standpoint, it was also great to hear that Visions is actively working on their young member acquisition and engagement strategy. I’m looking forward to seeing some of the exciting things they come up with to marry financial wellness with actions in the coming months and years!

We’ve worked with over 17,000 college students at schools like Pace University over the past 3 years helping them to take financial actions that will have a major benefit for them in the long run. Think building credit, opening a high yield savings account, starting to invest. The two most common reasons for not acting that we hear? 1. I don’t know what to do to start 2. I don’t have the money So what are we doing about it? We recommend one partner (Ostrich approved for student-suitability) for a given action, and we put money in students’ pockets to get them started. We’re making it as easy as possible for them to take the right actions while they’re still in school. Want to learn more? Head to getostrich.com

I had a great time meeting other business owners in Northern NJ at the NJFCU business mixer last night! Shout out to Dhana Miele, Alon Feder, Adrian Rodriguez and everyone else at North Jersey Federal Credit Union for putting in the work to bring a great collection of people together. It was exciting to hear about the work that NJFCU is already doing with college students at places like William Paterson University of New Jersey, Montclair State University and New Jersey Institute of Technology among others, along with everything else they’re doing in the Northern NJ community. Richard Garcia, John Coiro, Richard C. Williams, Mark Young, Britnee N. Timberlake, MPA, Phil Chiellini

Huge thank you to William Glass with Ostrich for coming to Miles College and hosting a Financial Wellness seminar for our students, it was delightful to have you for such an engaging and informative seminar!