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In this episode of Financial Forward, Jim McCarthy sits down with Steve Bishop, one of the leading voices in Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) and founder of Ambassador. If you're in banking, fintech, or regulatory circles—you’ve heard Steve’s name. And if you haven’t yet, you will.

From humble beginnings on a gravel road in Missouri to becoming the go-to source for how BaaS should really work, Steve walks us through his unconventional career path, the transformation he led at OMB Bank, and what inspired him to launch Ambassador, a firm that’s quietly (and now loudly) reshaping the embedded finance ecosystem.

This episode is a deep dive into what BaaS is, what it isn’t, and where the industry must go to stay aligned with compliance, innovation, and customer needs.

🔍 What We Cover:

• Steve’s early roots and rise from Jack Henry to fintech founder
• The hard truths about BaaS, compliance, and regulatory expectations
• Why “infrastructure” is the real story behind successful embedded finance
• How Ambassador partners with banks to modernize without losing their core identity
• What’s coming next for community banks and fintech relationships
• Why compliance must be embedded from Day One

👤 About Steve Bishop

Steve is the founder and CEO of Ambassador, a financial technology platform purpose-built to help banks offer embedded financial services the right way. Prior to founding Ambassador, he was Chief Digital Officer at OMB Bank, where he led a full tech stack modernization and built their embedded finance division from the ground up. He’s a seasoned operator, programmer, and respected strategist in the rapidly evolving BaaS landscape.

Connect with Steve on LinkedIn.

🙌 Special Thanks

This episode features an ad from Mavin Communications, a woman-owned public relations firm led by Angela Nibbs. Mavin helps companies—from startups to industry giants—elevate their message and own their story. Learn more at maven-pr.com.

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Ambassador – Banking-as-a-Service Infrastructure
• Mavin Communications – PR with Impact

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More from Jim:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mccarthyhatch/
https://www.mccarthy-hatch.com/