Credit Unions Better Serving All Members Through Mobile

I read about how mobile banking company Mahalo Banking (also a CUSO!) is revolutionizing mobile banking accessibility,  so I just had to sit down to speak with them, and we brought in Tanya Holland, director of digital operations at the $350 million Park View Federal Credit Union to tell us how it’s working IRL. Without further ado, welcome to the conversation I had with Mahalo CEO Jim Stickley, COO Denny Howell and Tanya.

1. What was lacking in mobile banking providers that you determined you should start another?
   

   Jim Stickley, CEO:  I knew that there were a large number of digital banking solutions already in the space, but for me, it seemed that everyone was doing more of the same. The big difference between each platform focused more on the way a certain screen looked or data was displayed. There is no doubt that is important, but no one was looking at the solution on behalf of each unique member. What works well for the majority of users can often be a deterrent to many others. I wanted to be part of something that could be truly inclusive to every single member. Then on top of that, I wanted to bring my security background and apply that knowledge to the entire design, giving credit unions and their members a solution they could feel confident using.

   Denny Howell, COO: Our background in the credit union industry means our team embraces the ‘people helping people’ mantra, and this drives the services we provide to our customers. Our intuitive understanding of our customers’ experiences often enables us to form trusted working relationships with our credit union partners. We have a built-in empathy for our customers, and we prioritize listening to their needs and expectations to create a foundation for stronger collaboration.

2. Park View certainly checked out a lot of mobile banking providers. What were the differentiators that made you decide to go with Mahalo?

   Tanya Holland: With Mahalo, we found a technology partner with a passion for the user experience, a culture of constant digital innovation, and a depth of product integration that was unparalleled in the industry.

3. Mahalo’s launch of neurodiverse features in mobile banking brings financial inclusion to life. Explain the impetus for that and the follow through, because obviously the problems you’re solving for have existed for some time.
   

   Jim: The catalyst for our neurodiversity features came from the realization that one of our own team members, Denny in fact, was experiencing issues viewing platform updates due to colorblindness.

   Denny: Yes, our developers were showing me something they were building for the platform, and we realized I could not distinguish the hues of the items. Our Chief Strategy Officer Ken Kondo was inspired by this insight and proposed we enhance our platform by developing platform color themes to support all forms of colorblindness. A common misconception is that every colorblind individual sees the same colors and using two contrasting colors is the solution. However, there are numerous variations of colorblindness, and depending on the type, each individual sees colors differently.

   Jim: Our team made that first enhancement to our platform, and we thought why stop there? We knew there had to be other credit union members out there experiencing similar difficulties while trying to access their banking platforms. Our team saw this as an opportunity to take a more thoughtful, human-centered approach to the digital experience we are creating. When we say we aim to be member-centric, we mean it wholeheartedly. That is why we wanted to ensure our solution can serve every single member regardless of their diverse needs.

   Denny: That prompted us to begin digging into neurodiversity research. We wanted to learn how we could transform our platform to address the needs of neurodivergent individuals that are often overlooked. Our team has spoken with several doctors in the neurodiversity field, including individuals from the University of Michigan and a specialist at Harvard Medical, to learn more about the needs of neurodiverse individuals and how we can incorporate features that will better accommodate them. We also conducted focus groups during our development phase with a few of our credit union customers to learn how the platform’s new features would affect the digital banking experiences of real members.

4. What are all the different aspects of neurodiversity that Mahalo can serve?
   
   Jim: Our platform offers functionality that caters to neurodiverse individuals and those with cognitive distinctions such as dyslexia, autism, ADD, ADHD, epilepsy, visual sensitivity, Autism spectrum disorder and more. As we mentioned, the platform includes view options for all forms of colorblindness, which changes the platform’s color themes based on the hues that each member is able to see. We have also enabled left- and right-hand use modes to shift the sides where platform buttons are located to improve ease of use for left-handed mobile users.
   
   Denny: The platform has special font options for those with dyslexia or visual impairments. There is also an anxiety-reducing functionality and the ability to disable animations for those who experience epilepsy. Every feature we have included within the platform is designed to guarantee every member can enjoy a consistent, pleasant digital banking experience.

5. What has been Park View FCU members’ response to the platform in general, and specifically to the features for the neurodiverse?
   

   Tanya: The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Our partnership with Mahalo has allowed members to manage their financial well-being in new and expanded ways, with self-service at their fingertips any time of the day or night.

   With our diverse membership base, the platform’s neurodiversity features bring a custom experience for those who are colorblind, epileptic, dyslexic and even those who are left-handed. These thoughtful touches truly set Mahalo apart and really drive home how much they value the user experience.

6. What’s next for Mahalo?
   
   Jim: Our team continues to research neurodiversity today and plans to adjust the functionality and add new features as needed to better accommodate members. There are always new findings and new science coming out on neurodiversity, and there is still so much for us to learn. We want to keep up as those understandings continue to change and adapt our technology to meet members where they are. Our goal is not just to innovate – we want to create greater accessibility that will benefit all credit union members.

7. What’s next for Park View FCU?
   

   Tanya: Our focus for this year is to inform our members through targeted marketing of the enhanced features and functionalities that directly benefit them. We desire to deepen and grow our member relationships. We expanded our branches this year and are celebrating with our members through appreciation events. Lastly, we look forward to our partnership with Mahalo and their feature-rich roadmap, which continues to deliver exciting new updates month after month.

8. Mahalo: Why credit unions and why a CUSO?
   
   Denny: We exclusively work with credit unions because of our strong ties and admiration of the industry. Every member of our team has worked within a credit union previously, which has given them great insights that help them better understand our customers and their members. Our experiences in the credit union space have also given us a shared appreciation of how dedicated credit unions are to creating member-centric experiences. Becoming a CUSO has allowed us to establish stronger cooperative alliances and provide credit unions with greater access to the digital financial solutions members expect today.