Multicultural business strategy topics

It's all B.S.! Understanding cultural differences and behavioral science to improve your members’ financial well-being

We are all prone to biases, both in our professional and personal lives. Are you using legacy IT systems that only accept certain numbers or characters to serve consumers that may not fit a traditional approach? Are you offering the same product to members without taking into consideration their financial worries and concerns? Do financial incentives always drive desired outcomes, and are budgeting techniques created equal? This session will expose some flaws in our thinking as credit union professionals and will make you reconsider how to best serve your members and meet their financial needs. If you’re a CEO, marketing, branch operations, financial wellness or human resources professional, you won’t want to miss this session!

Key Takeaway: This session will challenge conventional thinking and biases in credit union operations, encouraging professionals to adopt more inclusive and effective strategies for diverse member financial wellness.

Understanding the Hispanic housing market and ITIN lending opportunity

By 2030, 56% of first-time homebuyers will be Hispanic. Regardless of where your credit union is located, it's likely that by 2030 at least a segment of your members will be Hispanic. Consumers from different races and ethnicities face different family dynamics, systemic biases and financial hurdles. Understanding those challenges — specifically those from the Hispanic market — will help your credit union to better empathize and connect with those consumers, ultimately earning their trust and referrals for your products and services. Come find the answer to questions such as: What is driving this demographic growth and which disparities are getting in the way? Which loan products will see the highest demand and opportunity? What does the affluent Hispanic segment look like?

Key Takeaway: Gain insights into the growing Hispanic market's unique housing needs and preferences and learn how tailored lending products can serve this demographic more effectively, enhancing trust and business growth.

Serving affluent multicultural consumers

With longstanding and stark wealth disparities across racial/ethnic groups in the U.S., it is easy to generalize this for all households within a particular group. However, data tells us that the fastest growing affluent households (those making over $100k) are not necessarily those traditional families you might think. Join this session where we will discuss: who is accumulating wealth, what are they looking for from financial service firms and advisors and what are their product preferences. And walk away with insights that will make you reconsider how multicultural consumers are changing the socio-economic landscape behind the scenes.

Key Takeaway: Explore the changing socio-economic landscape shaped by increasingly affluent multicultural households and understand their distinct financial needs and preferences for more effective service strategies.

What matters now: Insights from TruStage's Multicultural and Multigenerational Financial Needs and Behaviors study

Developing a successful multicultural business strategy (MCBS) can be challenging for credit union leaders. A deep understanding of your membership and communities through a multicultural and mutigenerational lens can help. Through an exploration of our What Matters Now research report, gain data, insights and action steps to help you understand the motivations, struggles, hopes and dreams of people across race, ethnicity and generation. The report was developed with a credit union focus and includes contributions from nearly 10,000 multicultural and multigenerational participants across the country, all with the goal of helping you advance your MCBS to better serve your members and surrounding communities.

Key Takeaway: Utilize data and insights from a comprehensive study to develop a successful multicultural business strategy, understanding the varied motivations and aspirations across different ethnic and generational groups.

The puzzle-solving approach that enables small credit unions to thrive

Small credit unions are often seen as disadvantaged by a lack of scale. But in fact, many are flourishing. These small credit unions defy stereotypes, leveraging their unique strengths as flexible, committed, member-focused institutions keyed into the needs of their particular markets and communities. Learn what makes for a small credit union that is not just surviving, but thriving.

Key Takeaway: Small credit unions thrive by leveraging their agility, strong community connections and focus on member needs, turning perceived disadvantages into competitive strengths for sustainable growth.

CEO benefits in a changing landscape

Small credit unions are often seen as disadvantaged by a lack of scale. But in fact, many are flourishing. These small credit unions defy stereotypes, leveraging their unique strengths as flexible, committed, member-focused institutions keyed into the needs of their particular markets and communities. Learn what makes for a small credit union that is not just surviving, but thriving.

Key Takeaway: Navigating the evolving landscape of executive benefits is crucial for retaining top leadership in credit unions. Addressing challenges like CEO turnover, economic uncertainty and work/life balance through competitive and motivating benefits packages can help safeguard against external poaching and support CEOs in their career progression.

How internal talent mobility creates long-term leadership excellence

Research shows that a culture of “internal mobility” can help employers develop and retain better leaders who drive growth. This session will help your credit union break out of a top-down pyramid-shaped succession plan and create a program that engages, retains and develops your best talent.

Key Takeaway: Fostering a culture of internal talent mobility not only cultivates leadership excellence but also ensures the retention and development of top talent within credit unions. By moving beyond traditional hierarchical succession planning to a more dynamic, engaging program, credit unions can unlock growth and innovation from within.

Elevating Native American Voices: Understanding their needs, wants and experiences

"Stories imbue places with the power to teach, heal and reflect." Storytelling is an important part of Native American/American Indian/Indigenous culture and how information is shared. However, this community's stories are oftentimes concealed — a result of discrimination, not being heard, seen or included. In our 2022 What Matters Now® research, we learned that Native American consumers are more likely than any other race to use a credit union. So, to better serve and build trust with Native American communities, we must listen and learn from their stories. Learn from Native American serving credit unions, and Native American members, on how to connect and grow with this population through products that fit their needs, encouraging inclusion through marketing and more.

Key Takeaway: This session helps credit unions better understand and serve Native American Communities by listening to consumers and Native American serving credit unions directly on topics such as trust, financial education, inclusion and people helping people.

What Matters Now® 2026: The American Reality vs. the American Dream

Consumers today are navigating growing financial pressures while redefining what success, security and the American dream mean to them. Drawing from insights from more than 8,800 multicultural and multigenerational consumers, this session explores how race, ethnicity, generation and lived experience are shaping financial behaviors, expectations and aspirations. Attendees will gain actionable insights into emerging consumer trends, evolving financial needs and opportunities to build deeper trust, relevance and connection in an increasingly diverse America.

Key Takeaway: This session will help credit unions understand how evolving consumer expectations and financial pressures are shifting definitions of success in 2026, and how they can use these insights to remain relevant, drive growth and offer products and services that strengthen member relationships and meet the needs of today's consumer.