Big Ideas in the Big Apple
Join us at the 2025 ISO Conference

Join us on October 7 - 9, 2025 for an exciting event where we’ll exchange big ideas to make it easier for you to reach your business goals on the horizon. This year's event will be in Weehawken, NJ where you will experience grand views of the Manhattan skyline.

Agenda

Reserve Your Room Today
at the EnVue Autograph Collection Hotel!

Located in New Jersey, the EnVue Autograph Collection offers a breathtaking view of the Manhattan Skyline from the beautiful waterfront of the Hudson River. A limited number of rooms at a special rate have been arranged for guests of the Merrick Bank ISO Conference. You can book online or call the hotel at (201) 758-7920.

Make Reservations

Zack Kass
Keynote Speaker

Zack Kass is an advisor, researcher, keynote speaker, and the former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI.

At OpenAI, Zack led the teams responsible for sales, partnerships, and customer success, turning the company’s cutting-edge research into real-world business solutions. He has personally advised executives across dozens of industries on deploying AI at scale.

As an executive business advisor, Zack now works with Fortune 1,000 boardrooms and leadership teams—including Coca-Cola, Morgan Stanley, and Amgen—to help leaders navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Zack’s mission is to ensure individuals, businesses, and governments are active participants in the AI-powered future by making the technology both understandable and actionable. He is recognized as one of the foremost thinkers in applied AI, with his insights featured in Fortune, Newsweek, Entrepreneur, AdAge, and Business Insider.

Beyond his advisory work, Zack also supports AI education and research at the University of Virginia. He holds a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and currently resides in Santa Barbara, California.

Advisory Services

Zack and his team also help organizations navigate the complexities of AI adoption, providing leadership with the strategies and frameworks needed to drive real business impact. As AI strategists and business transformation experts, they work closely with executive teams to identify challenges, assess opportunities, and implement AI solutions that prepare companies for the future of work.

Through boardroom advisory, executive workshops, and strategy consulting, Zack provides the insight and practical guidance needed to integrate AI effectively. While the team is committed to delivering successful business outcomes, the broader mission is to contribute to an optimistic AI future by empowering organizations to innovate, operate more efficiently, and ultimately expand human potential.

Preliminary Agenda

Tuesday, October 7
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.	Registration Open Exhibitor Set-Up
5:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.	Opening Cocktail Reception Network with Exhibitors World Vue Ballroom Sponsored by Global Payments
7:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.	Opening Dinner Party Champagne and Strawberries Photo Booth Magician Whiskey Tasting Sponsored by Kount, an Equifax Company
8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.	Cigar Bar Havana On the Hudson Sponsored by Discover

Wednesday, October 8
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.	Breakfast and Networking with Exhibitors Sponsored by Mastercard
9:05 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.	Opening Remarks
9:15 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.	Real Time and Stablecoin Payments and Challenges Tim Ruhe, Head of Real Time Payments at Fiserv
9:50 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.	Break
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.	Keynote – Zack Kass THE NEXT RENAISSANCE: In the age of Artificial Intelligence, everything is changing, from how we work to how we create.
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.	Harnessing Data and AI in Payments – Transforming the Financial Landscape Tim Ruhe, Head of Real Time Payments at Fiserv
11:30 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.	Navigating High Risk Business Segments for Success Panel Discussion moderated by James Alberici, Head of Specialty Risk Segments at Merrick Bank Jim Bauer, COO at Aurora Payments Walt Granville, Global Head of Banking and Treasury at Paysafe David Vasser, Senior Credit Risk Executive at North Julie Vraja, Vice President of Risk at Kurv
12:05 p.m. – 1:35 p.m.	Lunch and Networking with Exhibitors Sponsored by Kompliant
1:35 p.m. – 2:10 p.m.	Navigating Regulatory and Compliance Panel Discussion Moderated by Andrew Bigart, Partner at Venable LLP Brian Jones, President Merrick Bank Scott Talbott, EVP at Electronic Transactions Association Sam Batkins, VP Government and Policy Mastercard U.S.
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Espresso Bar and Snacks Sponsored by JCB
2:10 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.	Mergers and Acquisition Landscape Panel Discussion Moderated by Jeff White, Senior Advisor at MAPP Advisors Jim Battista, Managing Partner MAPP Advisors OB Rawls, Executive Director and Partner at Wellesley Hills Financial Mike Peters, CEO Black Bear Fintech Advisors
2:45 p.m. – 3:05 p.m.	Break
3:05 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.	Modernizing the U.S. Dollar for the Future of Digital Payments Network David Kretz, Former Head of Strategy and Payments at Bank of America
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	Stablecoin Roundtable with Visa and Mastercard Panel Discussion Moderated by David Kretz Souhar Jumar, Senior Director of Visa Advisory Services Mastercard Panelist (TBD)
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.	Powering Growth with Embedded Finance A Fireside Chat with Juan Molero, Director Global Partnership at PayPal Moderated by Tom Boyer, SVP at Merrick Bank
5:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.	Closing Remarks
5:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.	Vendor Breakdown
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.	Closing Reception – Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres NOHO Rooftop Bar and Restaurant Sponsored by Fiserv
7:30 p.m.	Night in NYC Dine and Explore Gift Card Sponsored by MasterCard

Thursday, October 9
7:00am – 9:00am	Breakfast Buffet

Big Ideas in the Big Apple Join us at the 2025 ISO Conference

Reserve Your Room Today at the EnVue Autograph Collection Hotel!

Preliminary Agenda

Big Ideas in the Big Apple
Join us at the 2025 ISO Conference

Reserve Your Room Today
at the EnVue Autograph Collection Hotel!