CLAREMONT, Calif. — Western Credit Union Management School (WCMS) is reporting it hosted a record 430 students to watch participants in its annual Innovators Challenge, a daylong competition focused on developing member-centered solutions for credit unions.
According to WCMS, the event, first launched in 2021, serves as the capstone of the school’s two-week credit union leadership curriculum and is designed to strengthen innovation, strategic thinking and leadership skills among credit union executives and managers from across the western United States.
“This year’s Innovators Challenge topic asked students to see their credit union from the eyes of their members, and to create a new product or service that would help their credit union deliver,” Dr. Michael Steinberger, president and dean of WCMS, said in a statement.
“Our WCMS leaders developed practical, member-centric solutions designed to protect credit union members and build lasting trust. Each year, we look forward to students creating unique solutions they can use to benefit their credit union’s members. This year’s challenge empowered leaders to pair strategy with our industry’s core mission of serving credit union members safely and effectively.”
Students are ‘Immersed’
According to WCMS, the Innovators Challenge reflects the school’s 66-year emphasis on leadership development by immersing students in industry best practices and encouraging them to apply innovative thinking to real-world challenges facing credit unions.
The competition brought together students from all three WCMS class cohorts for collaborative problem-solving and presentations. Organizers said the event is intended to equip participants with skills they can immediately apply at their own credit unions.
Students began the day with classroom instruction before moving into afternoon team sessions to develop solutions to this year’s challenge. During the first round, teams presented their ideas to panels of innovation coaches and fellow students, who selected the top proposals to advance, WCMS said in a statement.
The competition concluded with the “Frog Tank Finale,” in which finalist teams presented refined pitches before the school’s entire student body and a panel of 10 innovation coaches. After a final round of voting, the winning team was selected.
Largest Student Body in History
WCMS said this year’s enrollment of 430 students represented the largest student body in the school’s history.
The winning team received the Diana Dykstra Prize for Credit Union Innovation, named in honor of former WCMS President Diana Dykstra for her contributions to the school and the broader credit union movement. WCMS said the award also recognizes Dykstra’s emphasis on solving problems through innovation and her advice to “look for a problem, and don’t be afraid to fail fast.”
The Coaches
Innovation coaches for the 2026 challenge included senior leaders representing:
- Filene Research Institute
- TruStage
- Origence
- Velera
- California’s and Nevada’s Credit Unions
- Utah’s Credit Unions
According to WCMS, the coaches worked directly with student teams throughout the day, providing mentoring, feedback and guidance on refining ideas, improving presentations and preparing participants to implement innovations at their own institutions.
The Activities
WCMS said the day’s activities included:
- Instruction on innovation strategy frameworks taught by Filene Research Institute and WCMS faculty.
- Networking and ideation sessions involving first-, second- and third-year students.
- Dedicated team collaboration and pitch-development sessions.
- A dinner and reception designed to encourage additional networking and idea sharing.
- Three rounds of competition culminating in the Frog Tank Finale, while providing participants with feedback on pitching and implementing new ideas.
Steinberger said the challenge is designed to reinforce the school’s broader mission of preparing leaders to address emerging issues within the credit union movement.
“More than just a competition, the WCMS Innovators Challenge reminds every WCMS student of their potential and responsibility to help solve the most pressing issues facing credit unions today,” Steinberger said. “By fostering critical thinking, strategy, collaboration, and a willingness to embrace calculated risks, WCMS consistently strengthens the skills of our students to be transformative leaders for their credit unions. Ultimately, we define the school’s success by every student feeling more confident and ready to drive innovation within their own credit union upon their return.”
