In what is a recurring feature, Finopotamus profiles interesting and intriguing tech professionals who are positively impacting the credit union industry. For this issue, we visited with Posh’s Co-Founder and CEO Karan Kashyap.
By W.B. King
Growing up in Frisco, Texas, Karan Kashyap had an early interest in technology cultivated by his eager participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs—further fueling his passion for problem-solving and innovation.
“During high school, I started taking advanced math and science classes at a local college, which really set the stage for my interest in computer science,” he told Finopotamus.
Kashyap later attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees that focused on artificial intelligence (AI). While conducting research in AI and natural language processing (NLP) as a graduate student, he was named a “Siebel Scholar.” Established by the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation in 2000, the Siebel Scholars program recognizes the most talented students at graduate schools of business, computer science, bioengineering, and energy science in the United States, China, France, Italy and Japan.
“The possibilities of AI to fundamentally reshape human-computer interactions really captivated me, and that became a key driver of my career,” said Kashyap, who noted that he met future Posh Co-Founder and current CTO Matt McEachern in 2013 as freshman rushing the same fraternity. While Kashyap was finishing his studies at MIT, he and McEachern began AI and software consulting.
Innovate Responsibly
Initially conceived in MIT’s AI lab in 2018, the Boston-based Posh, a conversational AI company, today serves more than 100 financial institutions, including many credit unions. And while technology by its nature is ever-evolving, AI is changing at a breakneck speed, Kashyap noted.
“One of the most obvious changes is the growing impact of AI. We're already seeing how AI is reshaping the way companies think about roles like software engineering, automating repetitive tasks, and enabling teams to focus on higher-value work. Another significant shift is the trend toward flatter organizational structures,” he said.
“Many technology departments today are embracing fewer layers of management, creating environments where teams can work more collaboratively and iteratively. There’s also a broader belief now that companies can achieve more with fewer resources, thanks to advancements in AI that continue to accelerate at an unprecedented pace,” he continued. “These trends are reshaping not just how teams operate but also how organizations view efficiency and scalability.”
While conducting research at MIT, Kashyap said he could forecast that it would take “deliberate effort” to keep pace with AI. “Innovation isn’t just coming from academia but also from commercial AI labs like OpenAI. At Posh, our goal is to remain at the cutting edge of AI technology—building products for credit unions that solve critical problems,” he explained. “That said, since we serve financial institutions, we also have to innovate responsibly.”
Acknowledging that the financial services sector faces “more constraints” regarding what types of AI-related technologies can be deployed compared to “less sensitive” sectors, he said Posh takes a balanced approach.
“We experiment and try new ideas in development, but deploying solutions to credit unions requires a high degree of rigor to ensure it’s done right and safely. For example, we built ‘Knowledge Assistant’—an internal-facing tool for financial institutions’ employees using generative AI—first because it’s safer to start internally before extending GenAI to serve end users (i.e. members), he said. “We’re excited to continue innovating and incorporating more GenAI capabilities into our external-facing products, but always with care.”
Sliding Scale AI
The company, which supports more than 80 employees, 40 of whom are tech-facing, recently released an innovative solution that allows credit unions, for example, to decide, on a use case-by-use case level, how much GenAI it wants to incorporate. He likened this new product, REALM, a large language model (LLM)-augmented reasoning engine, to a sliding scale from 0 to 100. “This flexibility ensures we meet their unique needs while maintaining safety and trust.”
Noting that diversity is a “key focus” in Posh’s hiring philosophy, he said the company’s technology teams are comprised of employees born in five different decades. “This reflects a broad mix of perspectives and experiences that strengthen our ability to innovate.” Humility, he added, is a cornerstone of Posh’s culture and his leadership philosophy. “Good ideas can come from anyone and anywhere, and it’s important to create an environment where those ideas are heard and valued.”
To ensure that he and his team understand clients’ wants and needs, Kashyap regularly attends, and sometimes speaks at, industry conferences. To this end, he told Finopotamus he is scheduled to keynote industry events in 2025, including Jack Henry’s Connect conference and the Cooperative Credit Union Association (CCUA) Accelerate Conference.
“I love attending these conferences because they are a fantastic opportunity to learn from others. Seeing what other companies are presenting and innovating is invaluable, and meeting our customers in person provides direct insights into how we’re benefiting their operations and where we can improve to strengthen our partnerships,” he noted, adding that he will also attending America’s Credit Unions’ Government Affairs Conference (GAC) and Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) Live. “These conferences help us stay plugged into the latest trends and maintain strong connections within the industry.”
Transformative Partnerships
What excites Kashyap most about AI these days is making intelligence available at scale, and for an increasingly affordable cost. “LLMs are advancing so quickly, and we’re seeing improvements across all dimensions—quality, speed, latency, and price,” he continued. “It was once impossible for a financial institution to serve every single account holder like a VIP—personalized interactions anytime, 24/7—but we’re working to make that a reality.”
This personalized, cost-friendly tech approach, he said, dovetails with the credit union industry’s mission of remaining true to member centric services and community-focused missions.
“Credit unions’ focus on their communities gives them a unique opportunity to leverage innovative tools to deepen member relationships and enhance accessibility. With the multilingual capabilities of these models, serving underserved populations is now possible at a scale like we have never seen before,” he noted. “That potential is both exciting and deeply meaningful as we build solutions to make financial services more inclusive and accessible.”
The credit union industry’s willingness to partner with fintechs has be “transformative” for Posh, Kashyap noted. By embracing innovation, he added that credit unions are allowing more fintechs to “tailor and refine solutions” that meet the specific needs of both credit unions and their members.
“Today, the industry is supported by a thriving ecosystem of resources, including venture capital firms like Curql, events like VentureTech, and organizations such as NACUSO with initiatives like the ‘Next Big Idea Competition.’ These structures foster collaboration and accelerate innovation within the credit union space.
The pandemic, he added, was a “significant catalyst” as credit unions quickly adopted new technologies and embraced change as branches were shuttered and call centers were overwhelmed.
“Many credit unions turned to Posh's AI solutions despite us being a small, emerging fintech at the time. This early adoption marked a pivotal moment for Posh, as it helped us build credibility and trust in the credit union industry,” he continued. “Now, with the rapid advancements of AI, credit unions are uniquely positioned to benefit. Credit unions have demonstrated a willingness to lead the way in adopting cutting-edge technology, and this trend will likely continue to drive meaningful innovation across the financial services landscape.”