Elevate 2026 in New Orleans: Unmasking the Future of Community Banking

New Orleans doesn't do anything halfway, and neither did Elevate 2026.

From September 23 to 25, more than 70 client attendees from 33 financial institutions joined our partners, sponsors, and the Bankjoy team at the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans for three days of big ideas, honest conversations, and a whole lot of NOLA spirit. This year's theme was "Unmasking": pulling back the mask on what's really shaping the future of community banking, and what's just noise.

If you were there, we hope this brings back some great memories. If you weren't, consider this your sneak peek at what you missed. Start with the recap video.

Night one: a proper New Orleans welcome

Elevate kicked off Wednesday evening in the Ritz-Carlton courtyard under twinkling lights, with an acoustic jazz trio setting the mood. Guests sipped custom cocktails, browsed a NOLA souvenir shop stocked with local snacks, beignet mix, and hot sauce, and caught up with familiar faces.

The highlight was the Mardi Gras mask-making station. Each guest designed their own mask, a small nod to the "Unmasking" theme that would carry through the rest of the week. Plenty of those masks showed up again at sessions the next morning.

Day one: unmasking what's real

Bankjoy CEO Mike Duncan opened the conference with "Unmasking the Future of Digital Banking," a look at how banking went from the teller window to the screen, and why the next chapter brings the human banker back into the picture.

Next, keynote speaker Ron Shevlin of Cornerstone Advisors took the stage with "Monetizing the Mission: The Business Case for Financial Performance." Witty and sharp as always, Ron challenged the room to rethink how financial institutions talk to members. His big idea: people don't buy features, they buy relief from their problems. Institutions that measurably improve members' financial lives can turn their mission into growth.

The rest of the day kept the momentum going:

• The Illusion of Financial Health, and What's Actually Real. Our team shared a year of JoyCompass results, real client case studies, and a look at what's coming next, including an exciting announcement from our friends at CU*Answers.
• Unmasking the Threat: What FraudSense Sees. A look behind the mask at the real fraud patterns caught across the Bankjoy network, and how we're building to catch them faster.
• Vendor Spotlights. Our platinum sponsors shared how they're helping community institutions compete.
• Business Banking Panel: Physical Branch or Illusion of One? Moderated by Ron Shevlin, with Hope Kay of Panacea Financial, Jenny Fialho of Taunton FCU, and Scott Shults of Riverways FCU, this panel dug into what business members really need from their financial institution in a digital-first world.

Between sessions, attendees explored the Demo Lab, collected stamps for the Passport game, and found a moment of calm in the JoyCompass Lounge.

Night two: ghost stories and JAMNOLA

Thursday night, we traded the ballroom for the streets. Guests boarded private trolleys for a tour of the French Quarter, complete with tales of the city's haunted history, on the way to JAMNOLA.

JAMNOLA (Joy, Art, Music, New Orleans) is an immersive experience of more than 30 exhibits created by over 100 local artists. Guests wandered through larger-than-life installations, danced to a live Zydeco band, posed in the roaming photobooth, and hunted for hidden Joy plushies for prizes. It was the kind of night people will be talking about for a long time.

Day two: AI, peers, and the people who make it all possible

Friday opened with "Meet What's Really Behind the AI Agent," a practical look at agentic AI and what it means for community institutions and their members.

Then attendees broke into Table Topics, peer roundtables led by client leaders. Consistently one of the most loved parts of Elevate, these sessions gave institutions a chance to compare notes on what's actually working.

Next came one of our favorite moments of the week: the Client Spotlight and Renewal Stage. We celebrated this year's honorees:

• Lafayette Federal Credit Union, for a strategic partnership built on trust and member experience
• Georgia Heritage FCU, one of our very first major partners, for nearly a decade of growing together
• Statewide FCU, for client advocacy and a renewed partnership
• SIU Credit Union, named Best Credit Union of 2026
• CommunityWide FCU, for product collaboration and community leadership

We also celebrated the partners who renewed with us this year: 11 partnerships across 10 states, representing $4.2B in combined assets and more than 220,000 members.

Bankjoy COO and Co-Founder Weiwei Duncan closed the sessions with "The Full Platform, Unmasked," bringing together the roadmap highlights teased throughout the conference. Passport winners were drawn on stage to wrap things up.

The send-off: a second line to Joy House NOLA

There's only one way to say goodbye in New Orleans. After the final session, a brass band led everyone out of the Ritz-Carlton in a traditional second line parade, with handkerchiefs waving, beads flying, and more than a few people dancing down the street.

The parade ended at Joy House NOLA, our farewell celebration at the historic Swoop-Duggins House. Guests enjoyed Southern food and cocktails, tarot card readings, and the Postcard Bar, where they could mail a little joy from NOLA to someone back home. It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable week.

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Thank you

Elevate wouldn't be Elevate without the people in the room.

Thank you to Ron Shevlin for an unforgettable keynote and panel, and to our panelists and client table leaders for sharing so openly. A huge thank-you to our sponsors: Finalytics.AI and Array (Platinum), Socure (Gold), SavvyMoney, Velera, and CU*Answers (Silver), and equipifi, InvestiFi, Urban FT, GOH, Aivantage (Bronze) and Runline (JAMNOLA). Your support made this week possible.

Most of all, thank you to our clients. You showed up, shared your ideas, and made New Orleans feel like home for three days. Those connections are why we do this.

We're already dreaming up what's next. Stay tuned for Elevate 2027, and in the meantime, share your favorite Elevate moments with us on LinkedIn using #BankjoyElevate2026.

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