Turning Grief Into Innovation: How Ribbon Is Automating America's Inheritance | Mission Critical ...

In this episode of the Mission Critical Podcast, recorded live at GAC 2026 during the CU 2.0 Happy Hour at the Museum of Evolutions, hosts Jonathan Taylor (Bank Social / CU Spotlight) and David Dean (EFTG) sit down with Saeid Kian, founder of Ribbon. Saeid shares the deeply personal story behind Ribbon's founding—after losing his father to pancreatic cancer, he was shocked by the months-long, bureaucratic nightmare of the inheritance process across financial institutions. That experience became the spark for Ribbon: a mission-driven fintech solution helping credit unions streamline the inheritance and bereavement process for their members. In this conversation, they dive into: • The "aha moment" that led Saeid to build Ribbon • The challenges of building a B2B2C product for credit unions • Unexpected product pivots (Social Security notifications, loans, and protection products) • Ribbon's vision to automate America's inheritance process If your credit union cares about serving members during life's hardest moments — while also protecting deposit retention — then this episode is for you. Shine a light where it matters.