Small business owners do not wake up thinking about banking. They wake up thinking about making payroll, managing cash flow, finding customers, retaining employees and growing their businesses. Yet as economic uncertainty, technological change and competitive pressures continue to accelerate, the role banks play in helping business owners navigate these challenges has never been more important.

In this keynote session, Heather Kesner will challenge attendees to view the future of banking through a different perspective: the perspective of the owner. Drawing on insights from serving millions of small businesses, Kesner will explore how banks can build stronger relationships and deliver more meaningful value by understanding the day-to-day realities entrepreneurs face.

Small businesses rarely fail from lack of demand—they fail from delayed access to cash. This panel explores whether on-chain finance can fundamentally reshape SMB liquidity through tokenized invoices, real-time settlement, and programmable working capital. Industry leaders will debate whether these models truly reduce friction and expand access to capital, or simply introduce new operational, regulatory, and adoption challenges. The discussion will examine how banks, fintechs, and digital asset infrastructure providers are rethinking supply chain finance, receivables, and the future of SMB liquidity.

The gap between what small businesses want from their bank and what most deliver has never been wider—or more critical. They want transparency around finances, tailored guidance, and access to capital. Yet many banks fail to deliver these, opening the door for small businesses to turn to fintech rivals. This session explores the latest on small business owner attitudes, expectations, and banking behaviors that provide a data-driven picture of where the market segment is headed. Industry leaders will examine what small business owners most want—instant credit decisions, proactive fraud protection, seamless payments, and genuine advisory support—and why so few banks are consistently delivering it. The discussion will address the specific changes in product design, service model, and digital experience that will determine who wins and who loses the small business relationship.

Small business owners expect instant, seamless payments from their banks—anything less could be a deal breaker. This session explores the practical steps needed to close the payments gap—which is impacting some institutions’ small business relationships—and deliver a better, faster, more integrated customer experience for small businesses.