Flyover Fintech Conference to feature expert panel on artificial intelligence in banking

Rep. Mike Flood, U.S. Representative for Nebraska's 1st District | Rep. Mike Flood Official Headshot

By L. B. Perry

Sep 2, 2025

U.S. Congressman Mike Flood announced that the upcoming Flyover Fintech Conference in Lincoln will feature a panel discussion on “AI and Banking.” The event, scheduled for September 23, 2025, will bring together representatives from Zest AI, Synovus, FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha), and Dynamo AI.

“Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the future of virtually every aspect of life, including banking,” said Congressman Flood. “This diverse panel of experts will share how their organizations are taking a variety of approaches to leverage AI as they envision the future of banking. With just three weeks to go, I encourage anyone interested in joining the conversation to register for Flyover Fintech today.”

Mike de Vere, Chief Executive Officer at Zest AI, leads efforts to modernize lending through artificial intelligence. Zest AI aims to expand credit access and improve fraud protection with its technology. De Vere has over 25 years of experience in consumer data analysis and has held leadership roles at several major firms.

Kevin Johnson serves as Head of AI at Synovus. He oversees initiatives embedding generative AI into banking operations and platforms. Johnson has also led cloud services and application development at Synovus, focusing on modernization projects across various bank functions.

Mihaela Kobjerowski is Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer at FNBO. She manages credit risk for First National of Nebraska institutions and brings over two decades of experience in financial services. Kobjerowski has worked in credit risk management, compliance, marketing, and analytics both in Europe and the U.S.

Vaikkunth Mugunthan is CEO and Co-Founder of Dynamo AI. His company provides secure AI solutions for businesses and government agencies. Mugunthan holds a Ph.D. from MIT with research focused on data privacy and regulatory compliance in artificial intelligence systems.

Photos of the panelists are available online.

The Flyover Fintech conferences include speakers from Congress as well as leaders from the fintech industry. Congressman Flood previously announced that Bryan Steil, Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Artificial Intelligence, will speak at this year’s event. Another panel will focus on “Bank-Fintech Partnerships,” with more speakers expected to be named soon.

Details about registration, travel arrangements, and lodging can be found at www.flyoverfintech.com; registration closes September 9.

Congressman Mike Flood represents Nebraska’s 1st district in Congress after succeeding Jeff Fortenberry in 2022 (https://flood.house.gov/about). Before his time in Congress, he served in the Nebraska State Legislature between 2007 and 2013 (https://flood.house.gov/about). Born in Omaha in 1975, Flood currently lives in Norfolk (https://flood.house.gov/about). He holds degrees from the University of Notre Dame (BA) and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (JD) (https://flood.house.gov/about).