The Future of Payments: Credit Unions and Fintechs Come Together to Drive Competition

On May 6, 2025, leaders from across the financial services ecosystem gathered at Petros82 for The Future of Payments: Enabling Credit Union & Fintech Collaboration to Drive Competition. 

Co-presented by Fintechs Canada and Payments + Partnerships, the event brought together traditional institutions and fintech innovators. The objective was to explore how collaboration, not competition, drives change across Canada’s payment landscape. The evening opened with a panel featuring three sector leaders shaping the future of financial services: Barclay Hancock, Chief Payments Officer at Central 1; Rasha Katabi, Founder and CEO of Brim; and Keith Taylor, Executive Director of The DUCA Impact Lab.

Guest speakers highlighted the possibilities for collaboration: 

• Central 1 provides liquidity to credit unions and facilitates payments for platforms like Wealthsimple, in addition to a host of back end services like websites and apps, so credit unions can easily offer a modern user experience.
•  Brim is one of North America’s fastest-growing fintechs, powering banks, credit unions, and brands. Brim gives brands and institutions the ability to launch modern credit card programs and banking features, under their own name. Companies simply create a product and plug into Brim’s full engine, dashboard, and rewards system.
• DUCA Impact Lab experiments with financial products that work for people – reducing inequality and improving access. DUCA is a B-corp certified credit union. 

The event drew a full house! With delicious snacks and attendees across fintech and banking services, there was plenty of enthusiasm for collaboration. The evening went beyond ‘startups versus traditional institutions’, and encompassed all financial sectors looking to modernize. 

The evening also included networking opportunities and great company. The roster of speakers highlighted the change that fintech has had on Canada’s financial system. Whether it's credit unions, retailers, or fintech startups, they’re increasingly relying on flexible, accessible fintech platforms. 

Thank you again to co-presenters Fintechs Canada and Payments + Partnerships for a great evening. Fintechs Canada is the unified voice for Canada’s fintechs, opening markets for fintechs in Canada. The organization works to ensure Canadian consumers and businesses have access to the most modern financial tools. Payments + Partnerships is a boutique consulting firm in the fintech space, helping to introduce industry partners to new fintech solutions. Thank you as well to sponsors at apaylo, Central 1, Brim, and DUCA Impact Lab. Events like this bring together the next generation of fintech leaders, and provide everyone in the room with some necessary creativity, inspiration, and collaboration. We all left feeling refreshed!