PALM DESERT, Calif.–A $10,000 social impact prize has been awarded to one credit union employee as part of “The PITCH” here during the REACH Conference.
The funds were awarded to Latrice McGlothin, community executive director for Kinecta FCUin Manhattan Beach, Calif.
“Her bold concept focused on empowering underserved students at a local high school by having them lead the production of a podcast designed to share how credit unions drive community transformation,” the California and Nevada leagues said in a statement.
Sponsored by the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF), the “live yearly competition is described as ‘Shark Tank meets the credit union movement’,” the leagues said in the statement.
Three Presentations Made
Three people made presentations as part of the competition, which were given before a panel of four expert judges and a live audience.
McGlothin plans to use the funds to turn the vision into a reality for her credit union and the broader community.
She presented “Voices of Impact: A Community Podcast Powered by Student Producers,” program highlighted for its potential to amplify authentic stories and provide students with hands-on multimedia experience, preparing them for future careers, the leagues said.
McGlothin won two of four Champion votes, as well as the audience’s live-vote — giving her a three-vote majority. The runners-up each received one vote from the judging panel, the leagues added.
The Finalists
The other two finalists were:
- Karl Goin, vice president of marketing for Sacramento Credit Union, who took the stage with “Embarrassed? Don’t Be…” to address the stigma surrounding financial fraud. “Goin’s TED Talk-style presentation explored how shame prevents vulnerable members, especially seniors, from speaking up about scams,” the leagues stated. “His concept was a culture-shifting campaign aimed at normalizing conversations around fraud experiences, transforming embarrassment into empowerment and prevention on a broad, shareable scale.”
- Alberto Tapia Diosdado, director of administration for Universal City Studios Credit Union, who pitched “A New Standard of Worth: For the People We Left Behind.” “Diosdado’s concept was a transformational workshop and leadership training series designed to challenge the credit union industry’s internal mindset, which often measures member “worth” only in credit scores and account balances. The training invited professionals to confront biases and expand their understanding of value by focusing on marginalized and unseen communities to champion deeper financial inclusion with equity and dignity.”
