Learn from industry experts and thought leaders. With sessions focused on AML/CFT and Fraud, Credit Risk + Lending, Portfolio Risk + CECL, and Asset/Liability Management, we have you covered. You may mix and match sessions to create the agenda that fits YOUR needs. More sessions will be added as they are confirmed.
Event Sessions
ThinkBIG 2026: Where Banking Meets BOLD Ideas
- Hear from panels of your peers who share their insights and experiences
- Interactive sessions with polling and open discussion
- Three days of education and networking
- Connect and collaborate with industry peers
- Earn continuing education credits (types and quantities announced upon approval)
- Enjoy the BOLD vibes of Austin
The topics covered are very relevant. I always leave with takeaways that I can immediately put into practice.
Valerie pimenta, EVP/CFO | Pawtucket Credit union
Sessions
More coming soon
Bold idea sharing
Filter Sessions
aml-cft
lending-and-credit-risk
portfolio-risk-cecl
Monday Keynote: Becoming an Idea Factory: How to Turn Yourself (and Your Organization) into an Innovation Machine
Featuring: Kyle Scheele, Motivational Speaker, Author, Artist
If there’s one belief that is holding you back from getting the most out of your team, it’s this one: some people are creative, and some people aren’t.
That belief is based on outdated ideas about what creativity means, where it comes from, and who gets to harness it.
The truth is, creativity is a skill like any other: it can be learned.
In the same way that we teach employees how to track expenses, process invoices, and jiggle the lock just right to get into the supply closet, we can teach them how to be more creative, how to have better ideas, and how to build a culture where innovation is a natural byproduct.
aml-cft
lending-and-credit-risk
portfolio-risk-cecl
Tuesday Keynote: The Change Doctor's Playbook for Adapting to AI
Featuring: Dr. Michelle Rozen, The Change Doctor, Behavioral Scientist, Researcher, Best-Selling Author
What if the biggest threat to your AI strategy isn’t the tech—but your team’s fear of it?
In this powerful, research-based keynote, bestselling author and behavioral scientist Dr. Michelle Rozen brings the insights from her groundbreaking research on AI Adoption, straight to the front lines of organizational leadership. After surveying 5,000 professionals across industries, Dr. Rozen uncovered a sobering reality: AI initiatives aren’t stalling because teams lack skill. They’re stalling because teams are overwhelmed, uncertain, and emotionally unprepared for change.
In her groundbreaking research, Dr. Michelle Rozen uncovered not only the emotional barriers holding teams back from AI adaptation—but also the science-based, easy-to-apply tools leaders can use right now to overcome them with clarity, speed, and confidence.
This keynote is your blueprint for cutting through AI Adoption Paralysis. With science-backed tools rooted in emotional intelligence and behavior change, Dr. Rozen equips leaders with the actionable tools and the confident motivation to master the tools to overcome resistance and earn buy-in, and align their people around real AI Adoption transformation. It’s a playbook for leaders who don’t just want to adapt to change, but to lead through it.
lending-and-credit-risk
portfolio-risk-cecl
Audit and Regulatory Expectations in 2026
Featuring: Panel moderated by Neekis Hammond, Vice President, Abrigo
An annual favorite this panel features auditors for a discussion of audit and regulatory expectations for the coming year. As financial regulations continue to evolve, banks must stay ahead of emerging audit and compliance requirements to mitigate risk and ensure regulatory readiness. In this expert-led panel, auditors will provide insights into the key audit and regulatory expectations for 2026, highlighting the latest developments in financial reporting, risk management, and internal controls.
The discussion will cover anticipated changes in regulatory scrutiny, the impact of new accounting standards, and best practices for maintaining compliance in an increasingly complex financial landscape. Attendees will gain valuable perspectives on how to prepare for upcoming audits, address common compliance pitfalls, and implement strategies to strengthen governance. Whether you’re in risk management, finance, or compliance, this session will provide the critical knowledge needed to navigate the evolving regulatory environment.
lending-and-credit-risk
Abrigo Super User Secrets: Maximizing Your System's Potential
Featuring: Bailey Barretto, Director, Abrigo; panelists TBA
Join our dynamic Abrigo Super User Panel, where power users from across the banking world share their strategies, tips, and creative hacks for getting the most out of their software solutions. Discover innovative approaches from these bankers.
lending-and-credit-risk
Abrigo Lending and Credit Year in Review and Upcoming Roadmap Preview
Featuring: Molly Patel, Director, Product Management, Abrigo; Brad Schaefer, Vice President, Products, Abrigo
Product leaders will review the cornerstone enhancements released in the last year, their impact, and upcoming roadmap priorities. This session is geared toward users of Abrigo's Sageworks Loan Origination System, which includes both the front end for lenders and the underwriting side for analysts.
lending-and-credit-risk
Bold Together: A Super User Panel on Innovation and Impact
Featuring: Bailey Barretto, Director, Abrigo; banker panelists TBA
The best product innovation often starts with ideas from the people using the tools every day. Join Abrigo’s Super User Panel to hear how top institutions are optimizing workflows, driving adoption, and preparing for the next generation of enhancements—like the upcoming Credit Presentation feature.
Our panelists will share practical strategies, creative use cases, and lessons learned from implementing and evolving with Abrigo’s solutions. You’ll walk away with new ideas to help your team work smarter, make faster credit decisions, and get even more value from your platform.
Be inspired by those leading the way—and see what’s possible when innovation meets experience.
lending-and-credit-risk
portfolio-risk-cecl
Optimizing loan pricing: From pricing to profitability - getting the most out of your loan pricing
Featuring: Susan Sharbel, Senior Consultant, Abrigo
In today’s competitive and margin-compressed environment, consistent and disciplined loan pricing is essential to achieving relationship profitability and balance sheet performance goals. This session explores how banks can use a loan pricing tool to align front-line decision making with strategic objectives – integrating funding costs, capital allocation, credit risk, and customer relationship value into every deal.
You will see how peer institutions are using pricing analytics to strengthen governance, improve transparency, and support ALCO profitability and reporting. We will share best practices for structuring assumptions, communicating funding and liquidity costs, and fostering lender adoption.
Whether your institution is just implementing the Sageworks loan pricing tool or looking to refine your existing tool, you will leave with actionable strategies to make your loan pricing tool a cornerstone of disciplined, data-driven lending decisions.
aml-cft
lending-and-credit-risk
portfolio-risk-cecl
Balancing AI Compliance, Security, and Responsible Oversight
Featuring: Eddie Callis, Vice President, Abrigo; Stacey Holder, Manager, Abrigo
AI is powering everything from critical infrastructure to financial services—but what oversight and guardrails are needed to ensure responsible use? Join us for “Balancing AI Compliance, Security, and Responsible Oversight,” where we'll tackle tough questions: how to scale AI responsibly, protect trust through compliance frameworks, and ensure human oversight in an AI-assisted world. You’ll walk away with actionable insights, policy guidance, and sample checklists and vendor questions to help you on your AI journey.
Part of this workshop will also provide a hands-on experience with AskAbrigo, where you’ll be taken behind the scenes on how it works, how you can manage risk, and how your institution can maintain compliance while enhancing productivity.
portfolio-risk-cecl
CECL: Where we are today and what's next
Featuring: Allen Bach, Director, Abrigo; Jared Mills, Senior Manager, Abrigo
This session will give an overview of the current state of CECL implementation across the industry, key lessons learned, and emerging trends shaping the next phase of credit loss management.
lending-and-credit-risk
portfolio-risk-cecl
Understanding the Limits of Your CECL Calculation Through Sensitivity Analysis
Featuring: Justin Crawley, Senior Consultant, Abrigo
Even the most robust CECL models are only as reliable as the assumptions and inputs that drive them. In this session, we’ll explore how sensitivity analysis can help you identify and understand the boundaries of your CECL estimates—revealing where your models are most and least resilient to change. Attendees will learn practical methods for testing the impact of key variables, interpreting results to strengthen governance and validation efforts, and communicating these insights effectively to management, auditors, and regulators. Join us to gain confidence in both the power—and the limits—of your CECL calculation.
aml-cft
fraud-prevention
UX Workshops for Fraud and FinCrime Products
Featuring: Misha Burgardt, Senior UX Analyst, Abrigo
Join us to collaborate with fellow attendees and Abrigo's product and UX (User Experience) teams. During this interactive session, attendees will not only be able to voice their ideas and engage in discussions with other bankers but also gain insight into how Abrigo designs products.
aml-cft
fraud-prevention
UX Workshops for Lending & Credit Products
Featuring: UX team TBA
Join us to collaborate with fellow attendees and Abrigo's product and UX (User Experience) teams. During this interactive session, attendees will not only be able to voice their ideas and engage in discussions with other bankers but also gain insight into how Abrigo designs products.
lending-and-credit-risk
User Group: LOS for System Administrators
Featuring: Client Education team TBA
Join other Sageworks System Admins to learn best practices for configuring and managing your LOS solutions. We'll dive into Dynamic Application, Workflow, and other essential LOS tools to help you optimize your setup.
Notes: 1While the System Admin role varies from institution to institution, these individuals are typically internal leads for Sageworks-related support, troubleshooting, and training at their institutions; have an in-depth knowledge of system settings, capabilities, and connections; and are often responsible for configuration, maintenance, and operations of Sageworks solutions.
2Participants will need to bring their own laptops or personal devices to fully participate in the hands-on components of this session.
lending-and-credit-risk
User Group: Automation Flows for System Administrators
Featuring: Client Education team TBA
Join other Sageworks System Admins to learn best practices for configuring and managing your automated products in Abrigo. We'll dive into Automation Flows, Decision Models, and other essential tools to help streamline your processes and optimize your setup.
Notes: 1While the System Admin role varies from institution to institution, these individuals are typically internal leads for Sageworks-related support, troubleshooting, and training at their institutions; have an in-depth knowledge of system settings, capabilities, and connections; and are often responsible for configuration, maintenance, and operations of Sageworks solutions.
2Participants will need to bring their own laptops or personal devices to fully participate in the hands-on components of this session.
lending-and-credit-risk
User Group: Underwriting Automation
Featuring: Client Education team TBA
Explore the tools Abrigo offers to streamline underwriting, from spreading tax returns in minutes to getting a head start on your presentation write-ups. Plus, connect with analysts from other institutions to see how they’re driving efficiency with Abrigo’s solutions.
lending-and-credit-risk
User Group: Presentation Configuration
Featuring: Client Education team TBA
Learn how to build credit presentations with Abrigo’s new Presentation solution. You'll gain hands-on practice with the setup of a new credit presentation template, so you can confidently customize and deploy templates for your institution.
Note: Participants will need to bring their own laptops or personal devices to fully participate in the hands-on components of this session.
lending-and-credit-risk
User Group: Form Configuration
Featuring: Client Education team TBA
We’ll dive into the configuration of Forms and integrating them into your Workflows. Using real-world examples and hands-on practice, we’ll walk you through each step of the process so you can confidently replicate, customize, and deploy Forms at your institution.
Note: Participants will need to bring their own laptops or personal devices to fully participate in the hands-on components of this session.
loan-review-and-due-diligence
portfolio-risk-cecl
User Group: Loan Review
Featuring: Steve Wert, Vice President, Abrigo; Jim Xander, Account Executive, Abrigo
Join us for interactive sessions tailored for loan review practitioners. More details on these collaborative user groups coming soon.
portfolio-risk-cecl
stress-testing
User Group: Stress Testing
Featuring: TBA
Collaborate with industry peers and experts in an interactive session dedicated to enhancing your institution's stress testing capabilities. Whether you're refining assumptions, analyzing results, or aligning with regulatory expectations, this session offers practical insights and tools to optimize your process. Discover innovative strategies, share best practices, and deepen your understanding of effective portfolio management through stress testing. Perfect for professionals at all experience levels looking to maximize the value of their stress testing programs.
portfolio-risk-cecl
User Group: Abrigo Allowance
Featuring: TBA
More details coming soon.
investement-accounting
portfolio-risk-cecl
User Group: TPG Investment Accounting
Featuring: Rick Schnitger, Vice President, Abrigo
More details coming soon on investment accounting User Group sessions.
aml-cft
fraud-prevention
User Group: Abrigo Fraud Detection
Featuring: Client Education team TBA
More details coming soon.
aml-cft
User Group: BAM+ Next Level Advanced
Featuring: Client Education team TBA
More advanced BAM+ users are invited to this collaborative session. Attendees will explore more complex use cases for the BAM+ software. More details coming soon.
aml-cft
User Group: BAM+ Back to the Basics
Featuring: Client Education team TBA
Any BAM+ user who would like a refresher is welcome to join to share their experiences and learn techniques for better leveraging BAM+. More session details coming soon.
aml-cft
fraud-prevention
User Group: BSA Scenarios - New and Enhanced
Featuring: Client Education team TBA
More details coming soon.
aml-cft
User Group: Due Diligence Manager
Featuring: Client Education team TBA
More details coming soon.