BOISE, Idaho–Goodbuy, which offers a small business marketplace and member engagement platform built for credit unions, has joined Velera’s Fintech Engagement Program and also announced a proof-of-concept pilot with Washington State Employees CU.
The company said the move to join the Velera program marks a major step forward in “expanding values-aligned innovation across the credit union ecosystem,” and added that inclusion in the Velera program affirms the growing demand for tools that connect members with mission-aligned small businesses while driving deeper engagement.
“Credit unions are already the most trusted financial institutions in the country—but they’ve lacked the tools to fully live their values in the digital space,” Cara Oppenheimer, co-founder and CEO of Goodbuy, said in a statement. “Velera’s partnership gives us a powerful opportunity to bridge that gap and scale a marketplace that benefits credit unions, their members and the small businesses that power our communities.”
What Platform Does
Goodbuy said its platform enables credit unions to offer exclusive discounts from independent businesses that align with their values—whether that’s sustainability, local impact or ethical sourcing.
“With Goodbuy, members experience a more meaningful perks program, and small business account holders receive real visibility and support,” the company added.
Proof of Concept Launched With WSECU
Separately, Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECU) and Goodbuy reported they have launched a strategic proof of concept (POC) to explore “how values-based member perks can deepen engagement and deliver real value to small businesses across Washington.”
“This partnership leverages Goodbuy’s digital marketplace to help members shop in alignment with their values—offering exclusive discounts from independent, mission-aligned retailers,” the organizations said in a statement. “But the impact doesn’t stop at the member experience: the POC also aims to demonstrate how credit unions can become a powerful new customer acquisition channel for the small businesses they serve.”
The Olympia-based POC involves 50 WSECU members and 5–10 local businesses. Participants will test early features of the Goodbuy platform, with learnings focused on member desirability and business impact, WSECU and GoodBuy stated.
The Early Indicators
“Early indicators from separate small business surveys suggest that access to a large, values-aligned member base could be a meaningful differentiator for small businesses—and a compelling reason to switch their banking to a CU,” the organizations added.
As the CU Daily reported earlier this year, Goodbuy was named the winner of NACUSO’s “Next Big Idea” competition.
