How the premier annual digital banking and banking technology conference delivered on its promises yet again

Year-after-year Alkami Co:lab provides an environment ripe for discovery, collaboration, connection, and fun for the brightest, most innovative minds in the industry. The 2026 Alkami Co:lab conference, held in San Diego, California, featured a packed agenda that brought together forward-thinking financial institutions, analysts, consultants, industry experts, and fintechs in our partner ecosystem. Together we learn and share ideas about the most pressing topics impacting banking and the technologies that help sell to and serve today’s and tomorrow’s account holders.

From the mainstage: innovating with momentum

The energy at Alkami Co:lab 2026 was electric. Best practices floated down hallways in peer conversations. New ideas took shape in the Innovation Lab. And Alkami’s strategy, vision, and commitment to our customers and prospects was in the limelight as Alkami’s Executive Leadership Team took the stage to share their perspectives on the future of financial services.

On the main stage, Alkami CEO Alex Shootman set the tone with a powerful reminder that the best digital banking experiences start with people. He communicated the three product principles of the Digital Sales & Service Platform; journey-based, data-informed and open and extensible platform. Every journey should feel intuitive from the first interaction to the hundredth, guided by real behavior, and built on a foundation that’s open enough to evolve as expectations shift. This is the essence of Anticipatory Banking – showing up at the right moment, with the right next step already in motion before it’s ever expressed.

That vision came to life through a wave of strategic moves designed to help financial institutions act with precision and move faster. Alkami Chief Product Officer Benjamin Conant introduced Alkami Engage, a solution that empowers teams with a real-time view into how users navigate digital banking — where they thrive, where there’s friction, and how to guide them forward with in-the-moment prompts that feel supportive. Later, Chief Technology Officer Deep Varma demonstrated how Alkami Code Studio reimagines how innovation gets built, using artificial intelligence (AI) to turn simple prompts into deployable components — unlocking speed and flexibility for operational teams ready to bring new ideas to market without friction or a team of developers.

Across every keynote, one word kept rising to the surface: momentum. From Alkami Chief Strategy Officer & Founder Stephen Bohanon’s customer panel showcasing the impact of The Alkami Digital Sales & Service Platform with Grace Pace from Quontic Bank, Kim Schmidt from Educators Credit Union, and Greg Gray from Guardian Credit Union to Alkami Chief Customer Officer Wayne McCulloch unveiling the Alkami Success Center alongside beta user, Liam Petraska from NASA Federal Credit Union. The Alkami team left a lasting impression on banking leaders, communicating that retail and business users expect more from their financial institution, and the winners will be those who deliver experiences that feel effortless, connected, and one step ahead – informed by the user’s financial goals and needs.

What does that require from a TechFin partner? A culture and strategy that’s rooted in continuous improvement across technology, support, and product innovation. Where there’s true partnership between the Alkami team and the financial institutions we proudly serve. Where banking teams feel equipped, account holders feel understood, and the pace of progress finally matches the ambition and purpose behind it.

That idea came into sharp focus during the closing keynote from Ryan Leak, who challenged leaders to grow with intention, both personally and professionally. His message was about clarity of purpose. About doing the work today that shapes who you become tomorrow. It was a fitting close to an event grounded in forward motion, reminding every attendee that innovation only matters if it’s rooted in impact.

In the end, this is about the people behind every interaction — the families, business owners, and communities that financial institutions serve every day. The opportunity ahead is to build experiences that go beyond meeting expectations to genuinely support the lives behind them.

The top takeaways from each Alkami Co:lab 2026 breakout track

Alkami Co:lab brought the brightest minds in the industry to share experiences and winning strategies with our attendees. The year’s breakout agenda included 59 unique sessions spanning client panels, hands-on training sessions, product feedback sessions, roundtable discussions, and traditional lecture-style breakouts. With a focus on strategic and technical best practices from peers, as well as research, and product innovations, attendees gained new insights and sharpened skills they could take back and implement at their institution.

Over three days, we covered a lot of territory. See the highlights and top takeaways from each of our tracks this year:

• Account Opening & Onboarding

• Business & Commercial Banking

• Data & Marketing

• Digital Banking

• Fraud & Security

• Technology & Extensibility

Where innovation meets action: inside the Co:lab Innovation Lab

If the mainstage set the vision, the Innovation Lab showed exactly how it comes to life. A space where Alkami’s fintech partners brought the future into focus, where Alkamists demonstrated the power of the Alkami Digital Sales & Service Platform, and where customers could meet with our Customer Experience Group to talk about user experience (UX) best practices and administrative tools.

Every corner revealed new possibilities – from advanced fraud prevention to faster payment experiences and embedded finance capabilities. Account holder communication tools, financial wellness experiences, risk intelligence, AI-driven customer service solutions — all working together to create more connected, more responsive digital journeys.

What made the Innovation Lab stand out was how seamlessly it all fits together. These integrated capabilities expand what financial institutions can do within a unified Platform. This is what progress looks like when the right ecosystem comes together around a single goal: helping financial institutions deliver experiences that feel effortless, intelligent, and built for the people they serve.

Our 43 exhibiting partners kept the hospitality going by offering experiences and giveaways at their booths, many attendees were spotted leaving the Innovation Lab with their new tote bags filled with goodies. Attendees grabbed complimentary pins and stickers to customize their lanyards at our Flair Bar, shopped for t-shirts to benefit a local San Diego charity, and chatted with new and old friends in The Co:lounge.

Connect with the partners in Alkami’s partner ecosystem.

For additional insights, follow the links below to guest blogs written by some of our incredible exhibiting partners:

• Alacriti: Why Financial Institutions Need One Payment Strategy for Both Planned and Time-Sensitive Moments
• Alloy: Impactful AI Starts with a Better Fraud Infrastructure
• Glia: 24/7 Service is Now 100% Necessary–And Fully Within Reach
• Eltropy: How Agentic AI Closes the Execution Gap in the Digital Banking Platform
• Paymentus: From Payments to Primacy: The Role of a Modern Digital Banking Platform in User Retention
• SavvyMoney: Turning Financial Wellness Into a Measurable Growth Strategy

We honored visionary financial institutions and leaders with our annual FIsionariesTM Awards and inaugural “For the MANTL” Awards

Presented by Alkami and FIsionariesTM Podcast Host Jim Marous

Hosted by Jim Marous, owner of the Digital Banking Report, FIsionaries was created as a channel to showcase those visionaries who are pushing the financial services industry forward. These banks and credit unions redefine what’s possible by combining innovation with execution, focused on account holder journeys and experiences, building deeper relationships both internally and externally, all while providing greater value to their account holders.

The inaugural “For the MANTL” Awards recognize banks, credit unions, and individual leaders achieving outstanding success with the MANTL Origination & Onboarding Platform while advancing relationship banking. These awards celebrate institutions and individuals helping local communities thrive through transformative technology and meaningful customer and member engagement.

This year’s class of winners, both FIsionaries and “For the MANTL,” are being recognized for their remarkable innovation, bold thinking, and leadership in digital banking excellence.

The 2026 FIsionaries™ Award winners are:

• Transformational Culture Award – Mountain America Credit Union
• Data Strategy & Execution Award – Capital Credit Union
• User Experience Award – First Fidelity Bank
• Digital Transformation Award – NASA Federal Credit Union

You can hear their stories and more on the FIsionaries™ podcast.

The 2026 “For the MANTL” Award winners are:

• Omnichannel Excellence: ConnectOne Bank
• Branch Modernization: Dupaco Credit Union
• The Architect Award: The Atlantic Federal Credit Union
• The Change Maker Award: Financial Plus Credit Union
• Time-to-Value Award: EagleBank
• Partner of the Year: Ascend Bank
• Rookie of the Year: Great Plains Bank
• The Onboarding Leadership Award: Mary McBride, Bank of Utah
• Legacy of Excellence Award: Quontic Bank

You can hear their stories and more on the FIsionaries™ podcast.

Attendees gave back to the local community

An Alkami Co:lab tradition is to leave the city we visit a little better than how we found it. One of our conference’s guiding principles is to focus on environmental sustainability, and this year we partnered with Fill It Forward to offer each attendee a reusable water bottle with smart features that allow users to track their personal impact. Each time a user fills up and scans their bottle’s QR code, Fill It Forward makes a donation supporting global efforts for clean water, deforestation, and nutrition!

Learn more about Fill It Forward.

Being environmentally conscious by focusing on sustainability is one way, but this is often best represented by the ACTivities we host. This year, in partnership with our sponsor Greenlight and Legal Karma, attendees were able to help paint three surfboards, which were then donated to UrbanSurf4Kids whose mission is to “provide opportunities for healing and empowerment through surf therapy, mentorship, and life skills achievement programs for youth in foster and at-risk communities.”

Learn more about Urban Surf 4Kids work.

Celebrating the 4th Annual ‘Women in Banking’ Session with The Girl Banker

For each of the last four Alkami Co:lab conferences, we have created a space for our attendees to engage, network and grow. Where accomplished female leaders within the financial services gathered to share stories, knowledge, guidance, and connection.

This year’s session was headlined by ‘The Girl Banker’ Natalie Bartholomew. A third-generation community banker, current community bank president, and advocate for women in financial services, Natalie has built a vibrant, nationwide community of women. Her work to amplify women’s voices, champion inclusive leadership, and foster meaningful connection aligns closely with Alkami’s Women in Banking initiative.

After an engaging discussion, attendees left with actionable strategies for building inclusive cultures, advancing their careers, and building their personal brand. In true Women in Banking fashion, each attendee walked away with a commemorative t-shirt to sport on Wednesday, the final day of Alkami Co:lab. To order event shirts, head to the Alkami Shop here.

Check out our Women in Banking page for more inspiring stories, and speak with your Alkami team about upcoming Women in Banking events which may be coming to your area.

We had real fun together

It all started with our Sunday welcome experience where attendees were greeted by the beautiful Gaylord Pacific’s resort-like atmosphere, a dirty-soda bar, and a smiling Alkami Co:lab crew.

Monday’s Welcome Reception, hosted at the Growlers Sports Bar & Taproom (in partnership with Eltropy) was an evening inspired by the aviator stylings of Top Gun. Party goers enjoyed signature cocktails, a delicious dinner, entertainment like dueling pianos and a Tom Cruise impersonator while connecting with their fellow attendees.

On Tuesday evening, after a packed day of sessions, our attendees cut loose at Sunny’s Pool Side for the Co:chella Night of Entertainment. With the help of our partner SavvyMoney, this party featured scorching-hot desert style, a can’t-beat playlist, show-stopping decor, and so many photo ops. Inspired by the iconic California music festival, we spent an evening under the stars enjoying great company, delicious food and drinks, and entertainers.

Find more from Alkami and the Alkami Co:lab attendees on social media by searching #AlkamiColab

Save the date for Alkami Co:lab 2027!

We’ll see you next year, April 19th through the 21st, in Arlington Texas.