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The International Factoring Association’s (IFA) core mission is to empower the Factoring community with cutting-edge resources, advanced training, substantial procurement advantages, and a centralized hub of knowledge and support.

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Speakers 2023

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 
 



Bryan Alsobrooks
President
Phoenix Capital Group
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Bryan Alsobrooks is President of Phoenix Capital Group, LLC (PCG). PCG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gulf Coast Bank; Trust Company and is a nationally recognized provider of working capital solutions to small- to medium-sized transportation companies. Financing solutions include asset-based lending, accounts receivable financing and factoring, equipment financing and fuel card services. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, with additional offices in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. Mr. Alsobrooks has over 30 years commercial finance experience and more than 20 years in the transportation industry. Mr. Alsobrooks is active with the International Factoring Association and has served as past Chairman and Vice Chairman for the North American Credit Manager's National Transportation Credit Group. Mr. Alsobrooks received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Austin Peay State University. Bryan is an IFA Certified Account Executive in Factoring (CAEF).
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Lacey Aulbach, CAEF
Vice President, Operations
Triumph
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Lacey is a Vice President in the operations department at Triumph. Her career started for a local bank and continued throughout a decade of various roles in commercial banking. In 2012, Lacey decided to change course to expand her knowledge and began her journey into factoring at Triumph. Her previous roles, in banking and at Triumph, have provided Lacey with a strong understanding of transportation factoring, risk assessment, and portfolio management to help lead her teams towards success.  Lacey graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice. She is a native of Dallas, TX where she lives with her husband and their three young sons. Outside of work, Lacey can usually be found in the stands at the baseball field or soccer field cheering for her boys.
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Terri Baker
Marketing Director
International Factoring Association
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Terri has over 20 years of experience working in the commercial finance industry. Her current responsibilities at the International Factoring Association include overseeing the Account Executive Certification Program, developing innovative training programs, managing sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, fostering new member relations and assisting with the coordination and execution of the Annual Conference.
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Robyn Barrett
SVP, Managing Director
FSW Funding, a division of Oxford Commercial Finance
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Robyn Barrett founded FSW and brought with her over 25 years of experience in finance with an emphasis on asset-based lending. Prior to founding FSW, Robyn worked for a national commercial finance company, FINOVA Capital Corporation where she last served as Assistant Vice President, Marketing for FINOVA Portfolio Services. Robyn also worked as a Senior Underwriter and Senior Analyst, where she gained knowledge in underwriting, sales, loan negotiations and management. Robyn is also a Certified Public Accountant and has a Masters in Business Management.
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Steven Bellah
Founder & Managing Member
Remuda Credit Advisors, LLC
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With over 35 years of commercial finance, managerial, and advisory experience, Steve is an expert in most facets of investment management ranging from new business origination and underwriting to distressed workouts. Key career engagements include building and managing substantial businesses and portfolios for some of the nation’s leading institutions including: The CIT Group, GE Capital, and Wells Fargo Foothill. Both a builder and change-agent, Steve has substantial experience with complex transactions including management buyouts, leveraged buyouts, turnarounds, debtor-in-possession financing, changes of control and special situations.  He has also successfully built new territories and provided division level management. His advisory and management expertise includes extensive work in portfolio management, cash-flow management, profitability analysis, asset-based lending, subordinated capital, securitizations, leasing, term loans, and factoring. His core areas of expertise include financial services management, consumer goods, oil field services, lending to retailers, leveraged buyout and distress financing. Steve holds a BA in Economics and Finance from the University of Texas at Dallas. Steve is married with 4 daughters and loves the outdoors, hunting, fishing, fresh air.
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Joe Camberato
CEO & Founder
National Business Capital
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Joe Camberato is the CEO and founder of National Business Capital – the leading fintech marketplace, helping entrepreneurs access competitive financing fast through an easy-to-use online platform and experienced team. From SBA loans to lines of credit, equipment financing, and more, Joe and his team have completed tens of thousands of transactions and helped clients secure over $2 billion in funding since 2007, helping entrepreneurs reach their full potential and outpace their competition. Joe knows entrepreneurs because he is an entrepreneur. He started National Business Capital after realizing how challenging it is for business owners to access the funding they need to grow. With a strong vision, determination, and passionate leadership, Joe grew his firm from his spare bedroom to an all-star team that’s earned #1 top workplace on Long Island 4 years in a row – all without one dollar of private equity. Today, Joe is frequently mentioned in Forbes, NASDAQ, Business Insider, and Entrepreneur magazine. He is recognized as a national thought leader in business growth and is consistently ranked among top business leaders. You can follow his passion on Youtube or LinkedIn at Grow By Joe, where he offers insider advice to help other entrepreneurs grow and scale fast.

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Leslye Campos
Vice President of Operations
Mitsubishi HC Capital America
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Leslye is the Vice President of Operations with Mitsubishi HC Capital America, formally ENGS Commercial Capital.  She brings with her over 25 years of managerial experience.  Ms. Campos has a passion for client service, process development, and employee mentoring.  She has spent her career in positions that have allowed her to manage, grow, and develop risk management procedures, client relationships, and associate training. Prior to joining Engs, Ms. Campos spent sixteen years with LSQ Funding Group where she most recently served as the Assistant Vice President of Operations. Throughout her career, Ms. Campos served in several critical roles such as Senior Account Manager, Purchasing Manager, and Accounts Receivable Manager.  She created efficiency by streamlining the purchasing department’s process and procedures and she increased risk management coverage by developing the Accounts Receivable Specialist roles.  Ms. Campos mentored and managed the collections, data entry, document review, and verification teams which allowed for professional growth for those associates.  
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Tina Capobianco
Sr. Vice President
J D Factors
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Tina Capobianco is the Senior Vice President of JD Factors Corporation in Canada and is responsible for the Canadian operations and portfolio with its head office in Mississauga and offices in Montreal, Eastern Canada and Calgary.  Her extensive career in factoring started in 1992 as an Account Executive and has covered all areas of factoring including operations, credit and underwriting and business development.   Mrs. Capobianco was involved in launching the first IFA Chapter in Canada, and sits on the chapter’s board of directors.   She is also a former advisory Board member for the IFA in the US.  She has earned a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Toronto and a CAEF (Certified Account Executive in Factoring) designation.
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Robert L. Carothers, Jr., Esq.
Partner
Jones Walker
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Rob advises banks and other financial institutions on a wide range of regulatory matters. This includes assisting clients with compliance with federal and state banking laws and regulations (e.g., Truth in Lending Act (TILA)/Reg Z, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), TRID, Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), mortgage origination/servicing rules, privacy rules, as well as many others). He also has experience assisting bank clients with data breach issues. He works with clients to prepare for regulatory examinations and counsels them on issues that arise during the examinations process, including negotiating proposed enforcement actions. He has significant experience working with banks in the mergers and acquisition process, including buy-side and sell-side representation (he has worked on more than 20 transactions during his career). As part of the M&A process, he works closely with clients to assist with due diligence, negotiation of key agreements, guiding clients through the regulatory applications process, drafting proxy statements, and other matters that arise during the process. He has worked with clients to deal with unique issues that arise with respect to in-market mergers, including working with the Department of Justice.
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Brian Center
CEO
Quasar Capital
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With a strong entrepreneurial spirit and passion for growing and connecting small businesses to bigger opportunities, Brian Center is a finance industry veteran with more than three decades of experience providing clients with trusted expertise as he helps them achieve maximum funding by capitalizing on what others in the industry don’t see. Center is a firm believer in straight talk, peace-of-mind, and funding reliability as the cornerstones of building long-lasting relationships. Center has an impressive background holding numerous executive and senior management roles within the commercial finance and banking industry, where he has managed everything from rapidly changing portfolio acquisitions and complex strategies to translating sales success from the front line all the way to the executive office. Now the Chief Executive Officer of Quasar Capital, a commercial finance firm that provides small businesses in North America custom invoice factoring, asset-based lending, and cash flow lending solutions. Receiving his Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics from Texas Tech University, Center got his start in asset-based lending and over the years nurtured his networking and financial acumen to successfully manage, lead and own multiple companies. Center was previously President and Chief Credit Officer for Far West Capital. Previously, he was the co-owner and president of Comresco Capital, LLC, a factoring company founded in 2002 and sold to Bibby Financial in 2007. Center thrives on assisting clients from all walks of life to understand the broader world and their story within it by creating a value-added consultative affiliation and helping them launch and grow their business successfully.
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Elizabeth "Liz" Leoty Craddock, Esq.
Attorney
Holland & Knight
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Drawing on her two decades of legislative and private sector experience — including her service as the first female staff director of the US Senate Energy and National Resources Committee and as vice president of government and industry affairs for an international oil and gas industry association — Liz helps corporations, industry organizations, trade groups, and nonprofit entities work with elected and appointed officials to develop, negotiate, and pass legislation critical to the success of the US economy. Her areas of focus include energy, environment, natural resources, agriculture, climate change, and trade policy, as well as social justice ethics, sanctions, and governance issues.
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Bud Crawford
Co-Founder & Partner
Coeur Capital, Inc.
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Bud is a co-founder and Partner at Coeur Capital, Inc. (“Coeur"), a specialty finance company based out of Atlanta, GA. Coeur provides factoring facilities and ledgered lines of credit ranging from $50,000 to $4,000,000. Prior to co-founding Coeur, Bud was the CEO of PrimeArc Capital, LLC, an Inc. 5000 list company in 2019.  In addition, Bud was an equity partner and COO at Libertas Financial Corporation ("Libertas") and helped successfully negotiate the sale of Libertas to a bank looking to grow their factoring portfolio. Bud has 15+ years of banking and factoring experience and has a strong understanding of the entrepreneurial components associated with starting your own factoring company. He graduated from Davidson College with a degree in economics and was a captain of the football team. Budhas been an active volunteer in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and coaching youth football baseball and football. He lives in Atlanta with his wife (Natalie), son (Kelly),  daughter (Lola) and German Shepherd (Kona).
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Jim Cretella, Esq.
Member
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Otterbourg, PC
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James M. Cretella is a Member of the firm’s Banking and Finance Department. He represents institutional lenders, factoring companies and specialty lenders, as well as borrowers, in a variety of asset based lending, specialty finance and other corporate transactions. Mr. Cretella has worked on financing transactions covering a wide range of industries, including staffing, transportation, oil and gas, refactoring and government contracting. He has extensive experience in supply chain and other trade finance transactions, including off-balance sheet receivable purchase facilities.
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Tania Daniel
Executive Director
International Factoring Association
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Tania Daniel is the Executive Director of the International Factoring Association. She has extensive experience in factoring and asset-based lending with roles in executive leadership, risk and portfolio management, credit, underwriting, sales, and operations. As Managing Director of ENGS Commercial Capital, she grew the company from a start-up to a recognized market leader that is part of Mitsubishi HC Capital group. Daniel began her career at LSQ Funding Group in Orlando, Florida and was also Chief Operating Officer at Porter Capital Corporation in Birmingham, Alabama. Daniel also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Factoring Association (AFA), the sole lobbying body representing the factoring industry in Washington, D.C. Daniel has been a board member since November of 2019 and serves as the government relations chair of the executive committee.
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Martin Efron
Managing Director of Portfolio Management

White Oak Commercial Finance

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Mr. Efron serves White Oak Commercial Finance as the Managing Director of the New York Factoring Team. He brings 20 years of commercial banking experience to the firm and previously served as Partner and SVP at Milberg Factors for 10 years. Mr. Efron has notable experience in textiles, apparel, and furniture industries in NY and North Carolina, as well as in Mexico. He started his US career at Middle Market Banking at Citibank and also worked with Mid Corporate clients at The Royal Bank of Scotland.  He holds his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, and his MBA from Stanford University.
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Constance Fraley
Chief of Staff

Petra Financial Technologies

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Constance Fraley serves as the Chief of Staff of Petra Financial Technologies. In her role, Constance manages sales, credit, risk, underwriting, portfolio management, and daily operations. She is responsible for improving performance, increasing productivity, and growing profitability. After five years in the United States Air Force, Constance moved into the construction industry. She spent two decades in construction and maintenance, doing everything from scheduling and budgeting to managing operations. Utilizing her in-depth industry knowledge, Constance now oversees a thriving capital funding division that caters not only to construction companies but business of all types. Constance spends her free time supporting the National Women in Construction OKC Chapter Board, the Junior League of Norman OK Board, the Project 3810 Advisory Council, Tornado Alley Bulldog Rescue, and the Enterprise Excellence Group. She also teaches classes at the University of Oklahoma and Francis Tuttle Technology Center.
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Philippe Frenette
Vice President, Factoring & Asset-Based Lending 

Mitsubishi HC Capital Canada, Inc.

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Philippe specializes in commercial finance. In recent years, he has led several large-scale projects and he currently leads the Factoring & ABL business platform. His mandate is to deliver tremendous growth while balancing risk and profitability. Prior to this role, he managed the structured credit and risk management team. His key objectives were to implement a credit philosophy to optimize portfolio management, maximize risk-return while considering business strategy and the development of new financing products. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Finance from HEC Montreal. 
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Christopher K. Friedman, Esq.
Attorney
Husch Blackwell
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Chris Friedman is a regulatory compliance attorney who represents lenders, banks, fintech companies and other participants in the financial services sector. Chris focuses on helping business-purpose lenders and alternative business finance companies address newly increasing regulatory and compliance burdens brought by federal and state regulators. In particular, he has represented merchant cash advance companies, factors, non-bank small business lenders, banks that make small business loans, commercial credit counselors, lead generators, and others in the industry. He helps clients launch new products, conduct due diligence, engage in compliance reviews, evaluate litigation risk, and solve some of the unique legal problems faced by companies that work with small businesses.
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Bob Grbic
President & CEO
White Oak Commercial Finance
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Robert Grbic is the President & CEO of White Oak Commercial Finance, LLC. Mr. Grbic has more than 30 years of commercial lending experience.  He has been with the company and its predecessor since 2005, previously serving as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer where he was involved in creating a hands-on, best-practices credit culture, as well as helping the Company expand its client portfolio. Before that, Mr. Grbic was Managing Director at Morris Anderson & Associates LTD, a turnaround-consulting firm. He also co-founded MetSource Capital, LLC, a restructuring and corporate finance firm, working primarily with small- and medium-sized companies. In addition, he also served at GMAC Commercial Credit, LLC, BNY Financial Corp and Bankers Trust.  Mr. Grbic is currently the chairman of The Secured Finance Network’s Factoring Committee. He served as an instructor for the Finance, Tax and Law Department at the NYU School of Continuing Education.  Mr. Grbic holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration from Pace University. 
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Harvey Gross
President
HSG Services, Inc.
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Harvey Gross is the founder and president of HSG Services Inc. He was formerly a Vice President with NationsBanc where he was a wholesale credit manager, wholesale team leader and account executive. He supervised in sales, marketing and insolvency recoveries. Harvey is the Executive Director of the IFA Northeast Chapter and the Managing Director of the New York Institute of Credit.
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Cole Harmonson
Co-Founder & CEO

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Dare Capital

Senior Executives Roundtable
IFA/AFA Update


Cole Harmonson has been in the AR Factoring and Asset Based Lending space his entire career, starting in commercial banking in El Paso, Texas in 1994.  In 1996, Cole started State Bank’s working capital finance business, which was sold in 2006.  In 2007, Cole co-founded Far West Capital, an independent AR Factoring and ABL company that was sold to Central Bank in Houston in 2018. Cole currently serves as president of commercial factoring nonprofit organization, the American Factoring Association, and has been a board member since 2009.
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Ben Heuer, Esq.

Attorney

Buchalter

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Benjamin Heuer is Co-Chair of Buchalter’s Alternative Lenders Practice Group. His practice focuses on matters involving asset based lending, factoring, corporate finance, and loan workouts and restructurings. He represents banks, asset based lenders, factors, specialty finance companies and other non-bank financial institutions in connection with senior-secured, asset-based, syndicated, mezzanine, cross-border, and unsecured financing. Mr. Heuer also represents private equity and other borrowers in connection with lender finance transactions. In addition, Mr. Heuer advises FinTech companies on various aspects of their businesses, including products, operations, and regulatory matters, with particular emphasis on California’s commercial lending license issues and matters before the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Recently, Mr. Heuer was recognized as one of Sacramento Magazine’s 2021 Top Lawyer in the field of Commercial Law.
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Husam Jandal

Digital Strategist & Marketing Consultant
Husam Jandal
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Husam Jandal is an internationally renowned business strategist and marketing consultant who helps businesses drive growth through innovative marketing and business transformation strategies. Husam is a thought leader, published author, and public speaker with more than 22 years of experience in the digital space, including training Google Partners, teaching e-business at a master's level, receiving multiple Web Marketing Association Awards, and earning many rave reviews from businesses of all sizes. Husam has developed effective growth strategies for Fortune 500 companies, including American Express, PepsiCo, Sanofi, HSBC, and Thomson Reuters, to name a few. Husam is also considered one of the few business growth experts specializing in the Factoring industry with solid results and success stories.
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Ryan Jaskiewicz

CEO
12Five Capital

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Ryan is CEO of 12five Capital. He started 12five Capital in early 2006 at the age of 23. Ryan attended University of Illinois at Chicago where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with an emphasis on international politics and economic policy. Ryan is married, with three children and lives in La Grange, IL. When he’s not trying to help entrepreneurs get access to the capital they need to thrive, you can probably find him running the Salt Creek trail, as running is his other passion. Mindfulness and meditation play vital roles in Ryan’s life and a huge part of his success.
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David Jencks, Esq.

Attorney
Jencks Law, P.C.

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Current Topics in Transportation Factoring
Small Factors Roundtable
David is an attorney that has been practicing for over 20 years in the areas of transportation and transportation finance. He represents Factors, Brokers, and Motor Carriers in transactional and litigation matters. He is a member of Delta Nu Alpha, the professional fraternity involved in the continuing education of transportation professionals, and the Transportation Lawyers Association. David presents regularly for the International Factoring Association on transportation topics and issues.
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Rich Karlgaard
Publisher & Futurist
Forbes Magazine
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Publisher of Forbes magazine, Rich Karlgaard writes a biweekly column known for its witty and honest assessment of current business issues. More than just a business journalist, Karlgaard as a private investor and board director understands firsthand the difficulties of navigating in today’s business climate and opportunities available to those who have the courage to reach out for them. Rich is also the author of Team Genius, which focuses on management strategy, and The Soft Edge. On stage he shares insights on relevant business strategies that help people to see the global marketplace with new eyes and what it means for the American economy. His new book, Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement, was published in April 2019.
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Steve Kurtz, Esq.
Partner
Levinson, Arshonsky, Kurtz & Komsky, LLP
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Steve is one of the foremost experts in the factoring and asset based lending industries. A partner in the Law Office of Levinson, Arshonsky, Kurtz & Komsky, LLP, he practices in the areas of bankruptcy, commercial law and litigation, workouts, and secured transactions.
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Bruce Loren, Esq.
Partner

Loren & Kean Law

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Bruce Loren is an attorney licensed to practice in the states of Florida and New York. For nearly thirty-five years, Mr. Loren has focused his practice on construction law and factoring law. Mr. Loren has achieved the title of “Certified in Construction Law” by the Florida Bar, exemplifying the Bar’s recognition of this expertise. He has always had the highest possible rating “AV” from Martindale-Hubbell, a company that recognizes attorneys based upon peer reviews. The firm’s construction clients include owners/developers, general contractors, specialty contractors in every trade, suppliers and professional architects and engineers who perform work in the U.S., Europe, Africa and Australia. Mr. Loren’s representation and counseling of factoring companies include a wide range of industries, including construction, services, goods, and apparel. Mr. Loren is uniquely equipped to combine his expertise in construction and factoring law to assist clients in this specialized area.
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Danika Louis
SVP, Portfolio Manager

Republic Business Credit

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As a member of the management team, with more than 20 years of bank and non-bank commercial lending experience, Danika manages the recourse factoring portfolio, reporting into the COO. In recognition of her efforts in portfolio management, Danika was awarded the SFNet Top 40 Under 40 Award in 2017 and Top Women in Asset Based Lending by the ABF Journal in 2022. Danika graduated from Xavier University in Louisiana and resides in New Orleans with her family.
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Daniel Lozier
Director of Sales & Marketing

Primary Funding

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Daniel joined Primary Funding in 2013 and has held every role within the company until recently being named Director of Sales & Marketing in 2021. He’s actively involved in the San Diego community and oversees the sales and marketing teams. Daniel is a San Diego native and enjoys surfing, fishing, outdoor activities, and spending time with his family.
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Archie Manning
All American Quarterback & NFL Icon
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As a 14-year veteran quarterback and the father of two Super Bowl champion quarterbacks, Peyton and Eli, Archie Manning knows the importance of instilling and living by four principles for success: leadership, depending on others, being flexible, and playing the game. Manning is ready to coach you and your team to victory with this fail-proof game plan. When people think of Archie Manning, they think football. But Archie’s appeal transcends his athletic achievements. People far and wide have been inspired by his warm personality, his drive and sense of humor. He was selected Father of the Year by the National Father’s Day Council. He currently serves in public relations and consulting capacities for several local, regional and national companies, including Gatorade, Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year, Direct TV and Zurich. For 25 years he hosted four Archie Manning Cystic Fibrosis benefit golf tournaments in Louisiana and Mississippi and is active in a wide variety of charitable and civic causes.
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Alex McFall, Esq.

Attorney

Husch Blackwell

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Alex McFall primarily represents banks, servicers and other financial institutions in civil litigation, with an emphasis in residential and commercial lending. Alex has defended financial institutions against claims for breach of contract, fraud, alleged violations of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and Fair Housing Act (FHA). She has substantial experience defending financial institutions in HOA super-priority lien litigation and has contributed frequently to the firm’s Financial Services Perspectives blog regarding super-priority lien litigation. Alex also advises financial institutions on various regulatory compliance matters, including fair lending, unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices (UDAAP), loan servicing, privacy issues, debt collection, and other consumer protection issues.  Recently, she has focused on emerging areas of the law, such as the legalization of cannabis and gambling, in order to help financial institutions navigate the increasingly complex regulatory environments associated with the provision of financial services to customers in these industries.
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Jason Medley, Esq.

Partner

Spencer Fane

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Jason Medley helps banks and other financial institutions structure transactions in a manner that enables them to be efficiently closed, allowing for key stakeholders to maximize benefits and avoid unnecessary delays or costs. His work fully encompasses all aspects of contract negotiations, workouts, intercreditor relations, and secured party collections. Jason represents banks, factoring companies, and real estate entities in a wide variety of transactional matters from due diligence to contract negotiations, workouts, intercreditor relations, and secured party collections. He has more than 20 years of extensive experience in asset-based loan (ABL) financing and uniquely serves as a preferred attorney for the International Factoring Association. In addition, Jason also represents businesses in corporate governance and general matters, including entity formation, contracts, leasing, mergers, and acquisitions. He is a frequent speaker at professional conferences and area civic groups on trend topics in the financial services industry in addition to providing written thought leadership.
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Amity Mercado

CFO/COO

nFusion Capital, LLC

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Amity serves as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer of nFusion Capital, LLC, a lending company that provides cash flow, collections and financial reporting compliance solutions to growing companies. She brings a wealth of knowledge in the areas of capital acquisition, risk analysis, and accounting systems and technology. Her creative problem‐solving skills and unique expertise and specialization in the construction and professional services sectors have been instrumental in the company’s exponential growth.
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Gen Merritt-Parikh
President
Haversine Funding
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Gen Merritt-Parikh is the President of Haversine Funding. She was named a Top Female Executive by Addison Magazine in 2015. Under her leadership, in 2016, her former company was ranked one of the Best Places to Work by The Dallas Business Journal. In 2018, as President of Allied Affiliated Funding, she led the company to a successful sale to a nationally chartered bank where she continued to manage that line of business for the bank. Previously, Gen has worked in the factoring and asset-based lending space in escalating roles since 1995 with companies including Liquid Capital, Comresco Capital and Guaranty Business Credit. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Economics from the University of Texas at Dallas, serves on the Factoring Committee for the Secured Finance Network and holds the Subject Matter Expert designation by the International Factoring Association, having helped develop the first factoring certification program for the industry. She joined Haversine Funding in 2020 and currently resides in the Dallas metroplex with her husband and two sons.
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Laurie A. Montplaisir, Esq.
Partner
Krieg DeVault LLP
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Laurie A. Montplaisir concentrates her practice in the areas of finance, secured lending, corporate transactions, participations and workouts, and business acquisition and sales, with an emphasis in the asset based lending and factoring industry. She has significant experience in due diligence, purchase agreements, financing documentation, forbearance and workout documents, and interparty documentation in alternative lending transactions. Montplaisir frequently serves as outside general counsel to her clients on a myriad of legal issues related to business formation and structuring, financing, contract negotiation and drafting, transactional matters, employment matters, general business needs, and litigation. Montplaisir is the Founder of the International Factoring Association (IFA) Midwest Chapter established October 2018. She often is a lecturer for the IFA, conducting webinars and seminars, and participating as a legal moderator at annual conference legal panels.
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Trishaala Ninan
Marketing Director
REV Capital
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Trishaala Ninan specializes in strategic planning to rapidly grow B2B companies. Trishaala’s expertise in the marketing industry and her ability to adapt effectively and efficiently has proven to be a huge asset to REV Capital and the factoring industry. Ambitious and always ready to go the extra mile, she is a true leader dedicated to every task she lays her hands on. Trishaala has over a decade of marketing and corporate communications experience across several sectors including Real Estate, Retail, and Finance. As the Marketing Director of REV Capital, her goal is to develop the company’s marketing strategy and expand its presence across North America. Through her industry involvement, Trishaala hopes to play a pivotal role in attracting, retaining, and engaging with the future of the factoring industry.
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Kristen Palmer
Business Development Officer
Iron Horse Credit, LLC
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In her role, Kristen is responsible for identifying new territories, partnership channels and building new client relationships. Kristen brings over ten years of experience in Asset-Based Lending with a focus in Stand-Alone Inventory Finance. She has spent much of her career with boutique lending firms in the New York and South Florida areas developing successful sales, operational and underwriting teams. Kristen currently serves as Board Member of the South Florida Chapter of the Secured Finance Network.
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Dezaree Porter
ERC Zone
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Dezaree is no stranger to the small business world, opening her first business at age 26.  She is diverse, well informed, and skilled in business start-ups, growing existing companies, digital media marketing, and funding for small businesses. She is passionate about being an advocate and has spent the past decade bringing awareness and serving others through volunteer work with the Great Life Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and The Children’s Justice Center.  A Utah native, she enjoys hiking in the mountains with her husband and son, and soaking up the sun on the lake with her family.  She currently resides in Texas and is immersed in the current work to help as many businesses as possible while the ERC funding opportunity is available.
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Peter Ricchiuti
Wall Street Investment Visionary & Entertaining Finance Speaker
Tulane University
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Peter Ricchiuti is the business professor you wish you had back in college. He teaches at Tulane University and has received numerous awards. In a competition, Peter’s teaching delivery skills placed him atop of entries from more than 400 universities representing 43 countries. He has been featured in/on The Wall Street Journal,  BARRON’s, The New York Times, Bloomberg, CNBC and The Nightly Business Report. Peter began his career at the investment firm of Kidder Peabody & Co in Boston and later managed more than $3 billion as the Chief Investment Officer for the State of Louisiana. He is the host of a popular weekly business show on NPR in New Orleans. Peter is a husband, father, author, media personality (and a darn good public speaker) who has attended games in all 30 current major league ballparks.
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Michael Rich, Esq.
Associate
Otterbourg, P.C.
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Michael A. Rich is an Associate in the Banking and Finance Department and the Real Estate Department.  Mr. Rich represents factoring companies, lenders and other financial institutions, as well as borrowers, in a variety of lending, factoring and corporate transactions.  Mr. Rich has worked on financing transactions covering a wide range of industries, including staffing, technology, transportation, oil and gas, lender finance and government contracting.  Mr. Rich has experience in factoring, asset based lending, inventory lending, trade finance and specialty finance.  

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Oscar Rombola
Managing Director
eCapital Freight Factoring
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Oscar is an experienced financial executive and advocate of invoice factoring services for over 22 years. His expertise places him as a leading consultant and recognized authoritative voice within the factoring industry. He has served on the IFA USA advisory board for two consecutive terms and, he is the current President and Founder of the IFA Canadian Chapter. Oscar has held several executive positions at factoring and financial companies in the past. As a co-founding partner of ITC Invoice to Cash, Inc. he again served as Vice President of Business Development for over eight years. Oscar’s current role is to grow and develop strategic relationships for eCapital’s Freight Factoring Division. He is a graduate of York University and Laval University and, he also, holds Financial Advisor designations from Ontario.
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Greg Salomon
President
Oxygen Funding
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Greg Salomon joined Oxygen Funding as President in 2020. Before joining the Oxygen Funding team, he was part owner and the Executive Vice President at Primary Funding, where he managed Sales and Marketing. Leading the sales team, Greg generated the highest volume of sales for Primary Funding. Greg’s entire 25-year career has been in the non-Prime Lending space, predominantly with publicly traded companies and well-established Factoring Companies. Throughout his career, he has generated hundreds of millions in revenue for these organizations. In 2021, Greg began his position as a Board Member for the International Factoring Association. He has a Bachelor of Science in Management and a minor in communication from Fresno State.
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Paul Schuldiner
EVP, Chief Lending Officer
Rosenthal & Rosenthal
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Paul drives Rosenthal's growth strategy and business development across all of its products and offerings. He is a key member of the executive leadership team and works closely with the division heads and the Rosenthal family to manage credit policies and organizational practices for the firm’s portfolio of clients. Paul is a seasoned financial executive with a broad range of marketing, business development, underwriting, and portfolio management experience in transaction capital in the form of purchase order and trade finance, bridge finance, contract finance, asset-based lending, factoring, and corporate finance, as well as prior audit, tax, and advisory work in public accounting. 
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Loren Shifrin
CEO
REV Capital
Canadian Factoring Session
NextGen Panel
Loren Shifrin is a highly ambitious young entrepreneur with seasoned experience building brands and scaling companies in multiple industries. As CEO of REV Capital, Loren has been instrumental in the reshaping of the factoring landscape in Canada. He has started and acquired multiple companies in the factoring, alternative lending, and hospitality markets and has a proven track record of building successful businesses.
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Richard Simon, Esq.
Partner
Mandelbaum Barrett
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Richard Simon, who has practiced law for over 30 years is a Shareholder, Co-Chair of the Firm’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group, and Partner in Charge of the Firm’s New York Office. Richard has extensive experience in, all aspects of commercial lending, including commercial and industrial, both bilateral and syndicated, asset-based lending, factoring, trade, purchase order, supply chain and other alternative financing, finance litigation, and commercial transactions. Throughout his career he has acted as outside general counsel, advising clients on a myriad of issues confronting midsize to large businesses on a daily basis, including business structure, planning, finance, corporate governance, cybersecurity and privacy issues. Richard, who first became a partner in 2000, also spent ten years as a principal and general counsel to a factoring and trade finance company with an emphasis on asset-based lending, factoring, purchase order funding, and documentary letters of credit. During this time, he was responsible for all legal affairs, including purchase order funding, letter of credit operations and oversight corporate compliance. Richard established the firm’s commercial banking finance practice which currently represents banks and non-bank institutional lenders, factors and borrowers in both loan negotiation, documentation and restructuring transactions. On an ongoing basis, Richard’s eclectic background has helped clients efficiently and cost effectively successfully complete difficult transactions.
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George Thorson
EVP, Chief Credit Officer
Triumph
​Factoring Essentials Class
Fraud/Risk Management Panel
George has more than 36 years of experience in commercial finance including factoring, asset based lending, business evaluations, loan work out and field auditing. Prior to joining Triumph, George was a principal in Collateral Risk Management, Inc. and Credit Support International. George continues to serve as an industry expert and peer educator for the International Factoring Association and the National Association of Credit Managers. George received a B.S. in Accounting from St. Cloud State University, and is an IFA Certified Account Executive in Factoring (CAEF).
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David Traxler
Senior Partner
Rule 1 Ventures
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David is a senior partner at Rule 1 Ventures, a member of their investment committee and head of the revenue team. He has extensive experience in software, hardware and technology sales and investments. He has led teams and managed investments across factoring, logistics, cyber security, and banking fintech industries, to include even the CPG beverage space. David graduated from Ole Miss with a bachelors in accounting and continued his graduate studies in Contemporary Taxation, while also playing varsity football, lettering 4 years.
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Jared Ullman, Esq.
Partner
Ullman & Ullman
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Jared Ullman is a Partner with the law firm Ullman & Ullman, P.A. located in Boca Raton, Florida. Ullman & Ullman has been co-counsel to the International Factoring Association for over 20 years, and has been advising and counseling factors and lenders for over four decades. Jared represents factors, forfaiting companies and various asset-based lenders, including purchase order, equipment and inventory finance companies in a host of areas which include, among others, transactions, due diligence issues, regulatory matters, workouts, chapter 11 bankruptcy matters (including post-petition debtor-in-possession financing), and litigation in state and federal courts, as well as complex commercial domestic and international arbitration.
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Mike Ullman, Esq.
Owner, Partner
Ullman & Ullman
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Mike received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida in 1975 and graduated Nova Law School Magna Cum Laude in 1979. He also served as a member of and published for the Nova Law School Law Review. Mike is a member of the Florida Bar, is admitted to practice in the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, Southern and Middle and Northern Districts of the Federal Courts in Florida and in the Eleventh and Fifth Circuit Federal Courts of Appeals as well as having been given pro hac vice status to serve his clientele throughout the country in numerous other states, including matters involving complex arbitration proceedings. Mike started his law firm, Ullman & Ullman, P.A., in 1980. Ullman & Ullman, P.A. has specialized in all forms of commercial transactions and litigation. Mike currently serves as co-counsel to and has been a frequent lecturer for the International Factoring Association for over a decade.
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Steven Uster
Co-Founder & CEO

FundThrough
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Steven Uster is the Co-Founder & CEO of FundThrough, a tech enabled invoice factoring platform that enables business owners to eliminate the wait associated with payment terms by giving them the power and flexibility to get their invoices paid when they want.  FundThrough partners with invoicing software companies, accounts payable automation tools and B2B marketplaces to embed FundThrough’s software directly into their platforms so that business owners can get paid faster within their existing work flow. Prior to FundThrough, Steven was an investment banker in New York first at UBS and then as a founding employee of Centerview Partners. Steven has an MBA from The Wharton School and a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours from McGill University, where he was a Loran Scholar.
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Heather Villa
Managing Director
International Factoring Association

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Heather has been with the International Factoring Association since 2003. She is responsible for managing and directing the business operations of the Association. She leads the event planning and conference coordination for all training seminars, including the Annual Factoring Conference. Previously, Heather was with Distinctive Solutions Corporation and has worked in the aerospace and transportation industries. She has a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management Information Systems from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
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Alberto Wyderka
Regional Director Americas
FCI
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Alberto Wyderka is responsible for strengthening and expanding the network of FCI factors in the Region and spread knowledge of international factoring. Alberto was a member FCI Executive Committee for 18 years and several times Vice Chairman. In 2007 he was elected Chairman, the first Latin American to be appointed in that position. Alberto Wyderka was the International Business Advisor of “TANNER Servicos Financieros”, the largest non-bank owned factoring company in Chile reporting to its President and Representative in Argentina. Previously he was SVP, Head of Trade Finance of Banco Galicia and CEO of Galicia Factoring, the first company to introduce international factoring in Argentina. He was Resident VP of Citibank, Argentina, Head of Foreign Trade Operations and "Senior Product Manager" of International Products.
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Ken Yager
President

Newpoint Advisors
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Ken is the founder and President of Newpoint Advisors and has 25 years of executive leadership experience in stakeholder communication. He has worked with clients in a variety of industries in over 150 engagements. Ken regularly takes on profit and loss and risk-management responsibility for cash-constrained companies in growth, leveraged-buyout and turnaround situations. He also has successfully worked on implementing hundreds of initiatives involving, operations and project management, team building, marketing, and sales and joint-venture management. He is a fierce advocate for capital preservation and saving jobs.
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Bob Zadek, Esq.
Attorney

Buchalter

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Bob is one of the premier attorneys and an expert in the field of factoring.  An attorney with the San Diego office of Buchalter, he handles loan documentation, trade finance and letters of credit, loan workouts and bankruptcy. He is a past Chair of the Commercial Financial Services Committee of the Section on Business Law of the American Bar Association, and was a founder and Chair of its Subcommittee on Loan Documentation.
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Debra Zukonik
Co-Founder & CCO
Dare Capital
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Debra Zukonik is a well-known and respected leader in factoring and asset-based lending, with over 30 years’ experience. Her risk-management expertise is unparalleled in the working capital industry. Prior to joining Dare Capital as Chief Credit Officer, she was the President and Partner of Vertex Financial, a leading Texas-based factor, from 2001 to 2017, and served as Chief Credit Officer of BAMFi from 2017 to 2019.
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