Western Credit Union Management School (WCMS) proudly hosted its annual WCMS Innovators Challenge on July 21st during the school’s 65th annual session. This dynamic event is the latest iteration of the school’s decades-long dedication to fostering groundbreaking leadership within the credit union movement.
Since its inception in 2021, this immersive, full-day event has served as a pivotal capstone of the school’s rigorous two-week credit union leadership curriculum. It has become an indispensable cornerstone of professional development for credit union executives and managers across the Western United States, equipping them with the tools and mindset necessary to drive change in today’s evolving financial landscape.
“The Innovators Challenge is where our students synthesize everything they’ve learned, transforming it into tangible solutions for real-world credit union needs,” said Dr. Michael Steinberger, Dean and Chief Academic Officer for WCMS. “It is the ultimate proving ground, and incubator, bridging the gap between classroom insights and practical application. We’re seeing credit union leaders refine their capabilities to implement innovation and confront pressing issues head-on. Given the advances in AI and cyber threats, this year we specifically tasked students to focus on mitigating fraud within their credit unions.”
In alignment with school’s unwavering commitment to the continuous refinement of its curriculum and support of the credit union movement, the school’s WCMS Innovators Challenge embodies a 65-year-long philosophy of empowering leaders to ascend to new heights in their credit union careers. By immersing students in the breadth and depth of industry thought leadership and instilling transformative principles, WCMS consistently cultivates a robust network of alumni who lead their organizations to sustained success.
This year’s Innovators Challenge was no exception. The collaborative spirit and riveting experience shared across three distinct class cohorts of credit union leaders proved not just inspiring, but absolutely essential. The skills forged among students throughout the day’s challenge will undoubtedly fuel a multitude of new innovative endeavors, enabling them to translate their education into tangible results for their credit unions, their members, and the entire industry.
Students kicked off the day with insightful morning class sessions, then transitioned into intensive afternoon group work, developing innovative solutions to the year’s pressing challenge problem. In Round 1, all student groups presented their solutions to a panel of expert innovation coaches and their peers, who then voted on the top proposals. The excitement culminated in the final Frog Tank Finale, where the top teams pitched their refined ideas to the entire three-year WCMS student body — totaling over 420 individuals, WCMS’s largest student body in the history of the school — and the nine distinguished innovation coaches. Another round of voting ensued, and ultimately, this year’s champion was crowned.
Making the event even more special, this year WCMS renamed the top prize for the Innovators Challenge to the Diana Dykstra Prize for Credit Union Innovation. The new prize name recognizes WCMS President Diana Dykstra’s profound impact on the school and the entire credit union movement. One day, perhaps a winner of this prize will follow in Dykstra’s footsteps and earn a patent for their innovation, and all participants of the challenge will hopefully follow Dykstra’s advice to “look for a problem, and don’t be afraid to fail fast” in seeking a solution.