Stessa Cohen
@stessacohen.bsky.social
Strategic banking industry advisor, analyst, strategy consultant. I support #fintechs #finserv & #FIs everywhere. democracy fan. former: Gartner & banker. now: PivotAssets Newsletter: http://pivotassets.substack.com / pivotassets.co / thirdeyeadvisory.com
Pinned
Financial Services Marketing is Broken
In conversation with Jay Mandel, I learned that improving marketing has more to do with technology, product development and listening to customers than you might think.
open.substack.com
financial services marketing is broken. Find out why and how financial institutions can fix it 👉🏽 open.substack.com/pub/pivotass...
Reposted by Stessa Cohen
Entered lawfully 50 years ago. Served 8 years in U.S. military. Removed without a hearing before rushed to Jamaica.
How will his 6 citizen kids & grandkids vote now?
If DHS won’t follow the law or basic civility, maybe they will respond to naked political interests? Disgusting.
How will his 6 citizen kids & grandkids vote now?
If DHS won’t follow the law or basic civility, maybe they will respond to naked political interests? Disgusting.
Godfrey Wade had been in the US for 50 years.
Served for 8 of them.
Had a pending appeal and a last minute plea from a congressmen and the regime deported him anyways:
www.11alive.com/article/news...
Served for 8 of them.
Had a pending appeal and a last minute plea from a congressmen and the regime deported him anyways:
www.11alive.com/article/news...
Georgia Army veteran deported while appeal pending, fiancée confirms
Despite a pending appeal and a last-minute plea from Congressman David Scott, Godfrey Wade’s fiancée says the Army veteran was removed from the U.S. on Thursday.
www.11alive.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:34 PM
Entered lawfully 50 years ago. Served 8 years in U.S. military. Removed without a hearing before rushed to Jamaica.
How will his 6 citizen kids & grandkids vote now?
If DHS won’t follow the law or basic civility, maybe they will respond to naked political interests? Disgusting.
How will his 6 citizen kids & grandkids vote now?
If DHS won’t follow the law or basic civility, maybe they will respond to naked political interests? Disgusting.
Bankers, fintechs: Are you preparing for ongoing volatility with your vendor providers? @ivospigel.bsky.social @nickholland.bsky.social @psbdc.bsky.social @clagett.bsky.social
An Estonian Gov IT agency is testing European alternatives to US software vendors, while still shifting many civil servants to a centrally managed cloud by Microsoft. Although there are no plans to eliminate Microsoft or other US providers, the government aims to be prepared if it becomes necessary.
February 5, 2026 at 7:42 PM
Bankers, fintechs: Are you preparing for ongoing volatility with your vendor providers? @ivospigel.bsky.social @nickholland.bsky.social @psbdc.bsky.social @clagett.bsky.social
Understanding our past and the legacy of slavery in the US means going to slave dwellings, spending time in them (the author slept in many around the US) and talking to each other. An important episode of @bfworld.bsky.social and a really good book by Joseph McGill.
What can we learn by sleeping in a slave dwelling? 🛏️
In Ep. 386, Joseph McGill shares how spending the night where enslaved people once lived helps us honor their lives—and confront the legacy of slavery.
🎧 benfranklinsworld.com/386
#SlaveDwellingProject #VastEarlyAmerica #History
In Ep. 386, Joseph McGill shares how spending the night where enslaved people once lived helps us honor their lives—and confront the legacy of slavery.
🎧 benfranklinsworld.com/386
#SlaveDwellingProject #VastEarlyAmerica #History
Episode 386: Joseph McGill, Sleeping with the Ancestors
In this Juneteenth episode, we will delve into the work of those working to preserve slave dwellings across the United States.
benfranklinsworld.com
February 1, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Understanding our past and the legacy of slavery in the US means going to slave dwellings, spending time in them (the author slept in many around the US) and talking to each other. An important episode of @bfworld.bsky.social and a really good book by Joseph McGill.
financial services marketing is broken. Find out why and how financial institutions can fix it 👉🏽 open.substack.com/pub/pivotass...
Financial Services Marketing is Broken
In conversation with Jay Mandel, I learned that improving marketing has more to do with technology, product development and listening to customers than you might think.
open.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:15 PM
financial services marketing is broken. Find out why and how financial institutions can fix it 👉🏽 open.substack.com/pub/pivotass...
Reposted by Stessa Cohen
Memory is not automatic.
Saving History for the Future at Auschwitz-Birkenau
How the memorial and museum plans to continue its mission of preservation after the last Holocaust survivors pass away.
lnk.thebulwark.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:01 AM
Memory is not automatic.
Reposted by Stessa Cohen
The term “law enforcement” should not be used by media, except perhaps in quotations. It has sadly become an Orwellian term that is used to magically sanctify violence. Language matters. Be specific. Describe individuals with names and ranks. Say exactly what they did. Don’t repeat fascist hocum.
January 24, 2026 at 10:59 PM
The term “law enforcement” should not be used by media, except perhaps in quotations. It has sadly become an Orwellian term that is used to magically sanctify violence. Language matters. Be specific. Describe individuals with names and ranks. Say exactly what they did. Don’t repeat fascist hocum.
Reposted by Stessa Cohen
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
January 24, 2026 at 8:35 PM
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
Fintech doesn't mean you can take time to read, reflect & discuss the ideas of the best & brightest in fintech, banking and payments. Join us! fintechbookclub.com
January 20, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Fintech doesn't mean you can take time to read, reflect & discuss the ideas of the best & brightest in fintech, banking and payments. Join us! fintechbookclub.com
Reposted by Stessa Cohen
"Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly..." #MLKDay www.instagram.com/reel/DTiK9MF...
Hip Hop Caucus on Instagram: "Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King Jr.
Thank you for speaking knowledge and truth into us all with words that we still hold close to us daily.
Who's throwing somethin...
119K likes, 1,312 comments - hiphopcaucus on January 15, 2026: "Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King Jr.
Thank you for speaking knowledge and truth into us all with words that we still hold close to u...
www.instagram.com
January 19, 2026 at 8:15 PM
"Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly..." #MLKDay www.instagram.com/reel/DTiK9MF...
Is your bank AI curious and anxious to get to AI deployments? I talked with Jason Lowe about how FIs of all sizes can get there. pivotassets.substack.com/p/take-your-...
January 5, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Is your bank AI curious and anxious to get to AI deployments? I talked with Jason Lowe about how FIs of all sizes can get there. pivotassets.substack.com/p/take-your-...
The Big Bear bald eagles prepare their nest for the season: www.youtube.com/live/B4-L2nf...
Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest - Cam 1
YouTube video by FOBBV CAM
www.youtube.com
January 3, 2026 at 5:05 PM
The Big Bear bald eagles prepare their nest for the season: www.youtube.com/live/B4-L2nf...
What do early American coffee shops have to do with banking? It's where banking was done. Branches didn't exist 250 years ago.... @psbdc.bsky.social @clagett.bsky.social @lizlum.bsky.social @ledaglyptis.bsky.social @strategistjim.bsky.social @alexisrjimenez.bsky.social @michaelhattem.bsky.social
☕ Think tea was the drink of choice in colonial America?
Think again.
Our latest episode reveals why coffee — not tea — became the go-to beverage for early Americans (and no, it wasn’t just about the Boston Tea Party).
🎧 www.benfranklinsworld.com/429
#VastEarlyAmerica #BostonTeaParty #Coffee
Think again.
Our latest episode reveals why coffee — not tea — became the go-to beverage for early Americans (and no, it wasn’t just about the Boston Tea Party).
🎧 www.benfranklinsworld.com/429
#VastEarlyAmerica #BostonTeaParty #Coffee
December 27, 2025 at 2:35 AM
What do early American coffee shops have to do with banking? It's where banking was done. Branches didn't exist 250 years ago.... @psbdc.bsky.social @clagett.bsky.social @lizlum.bsky.social @ledaglyptis.bsky.social @strategistjim.bsky.social @alexisrjimenez.bsky.social @michaelhattem.bsky.social
Reposted by Stessa Cohen
Friends and followers, please help the family who was impacted by today’s fire in Bellefonte. Everyone made it out safely, but the loss was devastating. The fire consumed the home and everything inside, including their belongings and keepsakes.
Donate and share widely:
gofund.me/38c74f763
Donate and share widely:
gofund.me/38c74f763
Donate to Rebuilding After the Fire: The Hockenberry’s, organized by Emily Hockenberry
On December 26, 2025, a house fire destroyed the home of my father-in-l… Emily Hockenberry needs your support for Rebuilding After the Fire: The Hockenberry’s
gofund.me
December 27, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Friends and followers, please help the family who was impacted by today’s fire in Bellefonte. Everyone made it out safely, but the loss was devastating. The fire consumed the home and everything inside, including their belongings and keepsakes.
Donate and share widely:
gofund.me/38c74f763
Donate and share widely:
gofund.me/38c74f763
☕☕☕ Plan to listen to this episode while drinking my New England roasted but imported coffee from Ethiopia, Guatemala, etc.!
☕ Think tea was the drink of choice in colonial America?
Think again.
Our latest episode reveals why coffee — not tea — became the go-to beverage for early Americans (and no, it wasn’t just about the Boston Tea Party).
🎧 www.benfranklinsworld.com/429
#VastEarlyAmerica #BostonTeaParty #Coffee
Think again.
Our latest episode reveals why coffee — not tea — became the go-to beverage for early Americans (and no, it wasn’t just about the Boston Tea Party).
🎧 www.benfranklinsworld.com/429
#VastEarlyAmerica #BostonTeaParty #Coffee
December 16, 2025 at 2:57 PM
☕☕☕ Plan to listen to this episode while drinking my New England roasted but imported coffee from Ethiopia, Guatemala, etc.!
I went to Vermont and found the connection between cash payments and digital identity. And bought some magnificent, locally made cheese. open.substack.com/pub/pivotass...
Trust, Digital Identity and Cheese
Cash purchases are increasingly niche. Digital identity can support trust in those transactions. Doing so creates opportunities for FIs to motivate small businesses to move away from cash.
open.substack.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:17 PM
I went to Vermont and found the connection between cash payments and digital identity. And bought some magnificent, locally made cheese. open.substack.com/pub/pivotass...
Reposted by Stessa Cohen
The Wampanoag grew corn on Cape Cod during the Little Ice Age. How? Generations of seed science!
In Ep. 426, Michael Wise reveals how Native food systems were dynamic, scientific, and deliberate.
🎧 benfranklinsworld.com/426
In Ep. 426, Michael Wise reveals how Native food systems were dynamic, scientific, and deliberate.
🎧 benfranklinsworld.com/426
November 29, 2025 at 4:44 PM
The Wampanoag grew corn on Cape Cod during the Little Ice Age. How? Generations of seed science!
In Ep. 426, Michael Wise reveals how Native food systems were dynamic, scientific, and deliberate.
🎧 benfranklinsworld.com/426
In Ep. 426, Michael Wise reveals how Native food systems were dynamic, scientific, and deliberate.
🎧 benfranklinsworld.com/426
#bankers: Gen Z is smarter than you think. www.instagram.com/reel/DRffEHZ...
Oliver Otcasek on Instagram: "How to go to prison (now without violence!)
The Internet has an orange Lambo problem.
#tiktokfinance #scamtok #getrichquick #turofail #fartcoin #supercarbros #phillyhum...
Getting caught up in scams, financial mishaps, and business blunders can land you in prison without any physical harm. Learn from the real-life examples of people who have made costly mistakes and avo...
www.instagram.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:32 PM
#bankers: Gen Z is smarter than you think. www.instagram.com/reel/DRffEHZ...
@ivospigel.bsky.social, Nick Holland & I have created an exciting new fintech event. FinVino! 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
www.linkedin.com/posts/stessa...
www.linkedin.com/posts/stessa...
A couple of years ago, I approached Ivo Spigel, who I met through the twitter tech community & met in person through my colleague Ivan Maglic, about an idea I had for a fintech conference. A… | St...
A couple of years ago, I approached Ivo Spigel, who I met through the twitter tech community & met in person through my colleague Ivan Maglic, about an idea I had for a fintech conference. A gathering...
www.linkedin.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:35 AM
@ivospigel.bsky.social, Nick Holland & I have created an exciting new fintech event. FinVino! 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
www.linkedin.com/posts/stessa...
www.linkedin.com/posts/stessa...
If you have any interest in the American Revolutionary War, listen to this @bfworld.bsky.social episode with @michaelhattem.bsky.social & then buy his book(s). Both will help you understand the US today. @psbdc.bsky.social @strategistjim.bsky.social
After the Revolution, Americans didn’t just celebrate independence—they shaped its story. 🧠📖
Join Michael Hattem and explore how memory, myth, and meaning made 1776 a cornerstone of national identity.
#MemoryStudies #VastEarlyAmerica #History #AmericanRevolution #Revolution250
Join Michael Hattem and explore how memory, myth, and meaning made 1776 a cornerstone of national identity.
#MemoryStudies #VastEarlyAmerica #History #AmericanRevolution #Revolution250
Episode 408: Michael Hattem, The Memory of 1776
Michael Hattem joins us to discuss the American Revolution and its memory, drawing on details from his book, The Memory of ‘76.
benfranklinsworld.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:24 PM
If you have any interest in the American Revolutionary War, listen to this @bfworld.bsky.social episode with @michaelhattem.bsky.social & then buy his book(s). Both will help you understand the US today. @psbdc.bsky.social @strategistjim.bsky.social
Reposted by Stessa Cohen
The choice in the TN-07 Special is clear:
✱ Aftyn Behn always supported the release of Epstein files
✱ Her opponent DIDN’T SUPPORT RELEASE OF EPSTEIN FILES
☎️ Phone from anywhere: www.mobilize.us/theunion/eve...
🚶♀️➡️To canvass in TN-07 go to Action.jointheunion.us and filter for your area. Nashville 👇
✱ Aftyn Behn always supported the release of Epstein files
✱ Her opponent DIDN’T SUPPORT RELEASE OF EPSTEIN FILES
☎️ Phone from anywhere: www.mobilize.us/theunion/eve...
🚶♀️➡️To canvass in TN-07 go to Action.jointheunion.us and filter for your area. Nashville 👇
Nashville! Canvass With Aftyn! · The Union
Join Team Aftyn on the doors to help us connect directly with voters in Nashville! You’ll talk with neighbors about what’s at stake in this special election and why Aftyn is the fearless leader we nee...
www.mobilize.us
November 19, 2025 at 10:32 PM
The choice in the TN-07 Special is clear:
✱ Aftyn Behn always supported the release of Epstein files
✱ Her opponent DIDN’T SUPPORT RELEASE OF EPSTEIN FILES
☎️ Phone from anywhere: www.mobilize.us/theunion/eve...
🚶♀️➡️To canvass in TN-07 go to Action.jointheunion.us and filter for your area. Nashville 👇
✱ Aftyn Behn always supported the release of Epstein files
✱ Her opponent DIDN’T SUPPORT RELEASE OF EPSTEIN FILES
☎️ Phone from anywhere: www.mobilize.us/theunion/eve...
🚶♀️➡️To canvass in TN-07 go to Action.jointheunion.us and filter for your area. Nashville 👇
Reposted by Stessa Cohen
Want to help Aftyn on the ground or on the phone?
Canvass in TN-07: www.mobilize.us/theunion/?is...
Phone from anywhere: www.mobilize.us/theunion/eve...
Canvass in TN-07: www.mobilize.us/theunion/?is...
Phone from anywhere: www.mobilize.us/theunion/eve...
‼️TN07 SPECIAL ELECTION‼️
On Dec 2, you have the opportunity to end the chaos by voting for Aftyn Behn.
Aftyn is a social worker who understands how much TN is suffering the negative effects of the OBBB & disastrous economy.
Want better for your family?
Vote for Aftyn!
#ResistanceUnited #ProudBlue
On Dec 2, you have the opportunity to end the chaos by voting for Aftyn Behn.
Aftyn is a social worker who understands how much TN is suffering the negative effects of the OBBB & disastrous economy.
Want better for your family?
Vote for Aftyn!
#ResistanceUnited #ProudBlue
November 22, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Want to help Aftyn on the ground or on the phone?
Canvass in TN-07: www.mobilize.us/theunion/?is...
Phone from anywhere: www.mobilize.us/theunion/eve...
Canvass in TN-07: www.mobilize.us/theunion/?is...
Phone from anywhere: www.mobilize.us/theunion/eve...
Just finished first day at #FTTAustin. Heard lots of great ideas, thoughts & best practices about everything from Agentic AI to fintech partnerships.
November 19, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Just finished first day at #FTTAustin. Heard lots of great ideas, thoughts & best practices about everything from Agentic AI to fintech partnerships.
Goodbye penny. Cash is less popular and not in favor; I'm still anxious to see what I get when I give a $5 for something that costs $4.37. Will the retailer eat the 3 cents or will I?
@alexisrjimenez.bsky.social @strategistjim.bsky.social @psbdc.bsky.social
keystonenewsroom.com/2025/11/12/u...
@alexisrjimenez.bsky.social @strategistjim.bsky.social @psbdc.bsky.social
keystonenewsroom.com/2025/11/12/u...
US Mint in Philadelphia to press final penny as the 1-cent coin gets canceled
The U.S. Mint has been making pennies in Philadelphia, the nation’s birthplace, since 1793, a year after Congress passed the Coinage Act. Today, there are billions of them in circulation, but they are...
keystonenewsroom.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Goodbye penny. Cash is less popular and not in favor; I'm still anxious to see what I get when I give a $5 for something that costs $4.37. Will the retailer eat the 3 cents or will I?
@alexisrjimenez.bsky.social @strategistjim.bsky.social @psbdc.bsky.social
keystonenewsroom.com/2025/11/12/u...
@alexisrjimenez.bsky.social @strategistjim.bsky.social @psbdc.bsky.social
keystonenewsroom.com/2025/11/12/u...
Reposted by Stessa Cohen
U.S. Bank sees stablecoin opportunity in trade finance
The bank is still exploring stablecoin options outside of custody services
www.americanbanker.com/payments/new...
#FinTech #FinServ #Banking
The bank is still exploring stablecoin options outside of custody services
www.americanbanker.com/payments/new...
#FinTech #FinServ #Banking
U.S. Bank sees stablecoin opportunity in trade finance
The Minneapolis-based bank is still exploring stablecoin options outside of custody services, but sees opportunity in trade finance, CEO Gunjan Kedia said at The Clearing House Annual Conference in…
www.americanbanker.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:02 PM
U.S. Bank sees stablecoin opportunity in trade finance
The bank is still exploring stablecoin options outside of custody services
www.americanbanker.com/payments/new...
#FinTech #FinServ #Banking
The bank is still exploring stablecoin options outside of custody services
www.americanbanker.com/payments/new...
#FinTech #FinServ #Banking