Speakers

2024 AACFB ANNUAL CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Nate Randle | Keynote Speaker

As CEO of Gabb Wireless, Nate Randle brings years of experience and expertise to the nation’s leading kid-safe tech company. Nate has held pivotal leadership positions at major companies like Nike, Callaway Golf, Qualtrics, and the Utah Jazz. He joined Gabb in June 2021 as the CMO and took on the CEO role in November 2021.

Nate is a husband and father of four. He places the highest priorities on people and family. His focus on family directly translates into his leadership at Gabb, where protecting kids and encouraging a stronger connection between families are core to the Gabb mission.

2024 AACFB ANNUAL CONFERENCE PRESENTERS

Katie Baker, CLFP | MC2 Finance

Katie Baker is the founder of MC² Finance. She started in the finance world as a Finance Manager for Volvo Trucks North America (aka Arrow Truck Sales) in Cincinnati, OH. After building a relationship with lenders, Katie worked for a subprime commercial lender to build the company's reach throughout the Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast. Having insight and direct experience in all aspects of the commercial loan process, Katie then founded MC² Finance. Prior to her career in finance, she worked in IT and healthcare. She has a degree in telecommunications and French. Fluent in French, she began learning the language in school at the age of ten. She studied abroad in both high school and college. From there, her love to travel grew. She has since traveled to over 40 countries and loves culture, languages and embraces learning about the world.  

Charles (Bud) Callahan, Jr., CLFP, BPB | National Equipment Leasing, Inc.

Bud Callahan started his career in the automotive industry in 1968, where he achieved the Ford Motor Company’s Grand Master Sales Award five years in a row. He started Ambassador Financial Services a decade later, and then returned to the automotive industry as a new car sales manager, vice president and general manager. In 1998 he joined the leasing industry once again as vice president and general manager of Dellen Financial Corporation, which became National Equipment Leasing, Inc. in 1999 with Bud as president, a role he remains in to this day.

Bill Elliott | First Business Specialty Finance

Bill Elliott, President - Accounts Receivable Financing at First Business Specialty Finance, LLC, a subsidiary of First Business Bank, has more than 40 years of experience in commercial finance, specializing in accounts receivable financing and asset-based lending. He leads an experienced team dedicated to helping clients take advantage of more business opportunities by unlocking the funds within their invoices instantly. Through his current and previous leadership roles, including founding Rexford Funding, Bill understands how to strategically cultivate synergistic relationships between companies and brokers, working collaboratively for the benefit of all parties. During his extensive career, he has been actively involved in the International Factoring Association and SFNet. Bill holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Notre Dame.

Alex Erickson | Navitas Credit Corp. - Partner Funding

Alex Erickson, Director of Credit at Navitas Credit Corp., boasts over 16 years of experience in banking and finance. Starting as a teller at Home Federal in 2005, he swiftly progressed to roles such as Credit Analyst at Axis Capital. Alex's expertise spans various departments, from collector to sales, culminating in his current position where he oversees credit management and portfolio cleanliness. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, specializing in Accounting. Outside work, Alex prioritizes family, coaching his children's sports teams, and serving as President of his church council, contributing to community outreach programs. His pending Certified Lease and Finance Professional (CLFP) certification underscores his commitment to professional advancement.

Laura Estrada | Preferred Capital Funding

Laura Estrada is a vital part of the family-owned business, Preferred Capital Funding. She handles marketing, processing and closing different types of commercial loans. Her expertise is in equipment and transportation.  Laura graduated from the University of Georgia and has worked for several large companies in marketing and sales. She enjoys working with and offering options for clients seeking commercial loans. Preferred Capital Funding, Inc., became a member of the AACFB (NAELB) in 2014.

Ken Greene | Law Offices of Kenneth Charles Greene

Ken Greene is an attorney based in Westlake Village, California. He has been representing lessors, brokers and others involved in the leasing and finance industry for almost 40 years. His practice entails documentation, licensing, compliance, litigation and bankruptcy. He is currently General Counsel to the American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers as well as an Advisory Board member and Legal Editor of Leasing News.

Scott Hansen | AvTech Capital, LLC

Scott Hansen has an extensive professional career including 12 years in the finance industry at AvTech Capital.  The past eight years have been dedicated to the Broker Desk at AVT, writing deals and funding transactions in all industries for all types of equipment.  As a Senior Account Manager Scott’s role is to work closely with Brokers and Customers to navigate industry conditions and generate funding terms that meet the needs of both Lessee and Lessor.  Scott is an excellent communicator and fosters trust and confidence in all aspects of his work.

 

Jaimie Haver | Happy Manufacturing

Jaimie Haver has been in the equipment leasing and finance industry since 1987 and has gained experience in every aspect of the industry. Her niche lies in operational roles where she can guide and influence others to achieve business objectives. She places great emphasis on executing tasks effectively and efficiently.

After serving as the Senior Vice President of Operations at Hanmi Bank's Equipment Finance Division, Jaimie founded Happy Manufacturing, Inc. in 2021. The company is committed to forming collaborative partnerships that empower companies to improve their operations through defined processes and policies, knowledge sharing, process optimization, and change management strategies.

Jaimie is excited about employee well-being and company culture. She has been published in NEFA NewsLine Magazine, acknowledged as an Impact Player in Monitor 100, and highlighted in Monitor's Top 50 Women in Equipment Finance. Jaimie has also earned her Certified Lease and Finance Professional (CLFP) and Society of Human Resource Management – Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) designations. She is an active NEFA Board Member, Equipment Finance Cares Advisory Committee member, and Chris Walker Education Fund Committee member.

Michael Hong | Taycor Financial

Michael Hong is President, CEO & board member at Taycor Financial. Hong began his career in the equipment finance industry as a teenager in the mail room, and over the last 20-years has accumulated a lifetime of lessons by working for and with countless inspiring mentors. Hong is originally from Texas and started his career in equipment finance for a company in Georgia. Hong worked his way through various sales and business development roles before relocating to California in 2011 and accepting a role as Director of Business Development at Taycor. At Taycor, Hong was responsible for the company’s development of several key technologies and process improvements that led to the organization’s year over year record growth. He was promoted to President and CEO of Taycor in 2015 and has continued to grow and evolve the company’s capabilities and product offerings.

Roderick Knoll, CLFP | Marathon Commercial Capital

Roderick Knoll, CLFP, is a partner at Marathon Commercial Capital a Louisville (Boulder), Colorado based firm that began operations in 2005. At Marathon, Roderick has specialized in real estate finance and real estate consulting. His consulting has included financial planning for new construction, due diligence for property acquisitions, strategy and operational guidance for property turn-arounds, and property problem-solving. Regarding equipment finance, Roderick concentrates on portable cabins and manufactured/modular houses. Earlier in his career, Roderick worked for a regional bank in the private equity department. He also worked closely with the commercial loan officers on several deals. Roderick is currently serving as Vice President on the AACFB Board of Directors.

Trey Markel | Centrex Software

Trey Markel is the VP of Sales and Marketing for Centrex Software, an enterprise operational software platform dedicated to the corporate and consumer finance sector.  Trey has been passionate and an advocate of fintech since he graduated from University of the Pacific with a degree in business marketing.  Early on in Trey's career he sold enterprise credit management software to organizations like Heritage Propane acquired by Amerigas, Pioneer Electronics, Lija Sportswear, Callaway Golf, and other large fortune 500 companies.  Shortly after Trey's time in credit management software, under the label iBank, Trey was awarded the first ever government contract by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) building software connecting owner operators and fleet owners in the transportation industry with specific lenders for fuel saving technologies.  The government contract was a part of the EPA's Smartway program to help lower emissions for transportation trucks in the United States.  Trey then joined Forth, the parent company for Centrex in 2009 as its third employee, growing the software company today to over 150 employees.  

Tamara McCourt, CLFP | Huddle Business Capital

Tamara McCourt is the Co-Founder of Huddle Business Capital in Irvine, CA. She began her equipment finance career in 1992 while working for a small equipment broker. Initially her career path was intertwined with sales, sales support, and documentation. In 1998 she left the industry to explore a career and education in Commercial Credit. In 2001, after receiving many awards and accreditations, Tamara became a Certified Credit Executive. With the promise that she would be sent to the Graduate School of Credit and Financial Management at Dartmouth, she returned to the Equipment finance industry as a credit manager in 2004, and quickly earned her CLP (now CLFP) accreditation. By 2008, Tamara moved to California and made the switch to the lending side as Western Region Credit Manager. She did move back over to the broker side and has held many roles from executive management, sales management, employee training, credit, documentation, and funding. Her passion for the industry and “Super Fabulous” mantra has led her through many opportunities to explore literally every aspect of the equipment finance industry.

Daniel Munman | Vista Capital Corporation

Daniel Munman serves as CEO of Vista Capital Corporation in Gilbert, Arizona.  Daniel graduated from Arizona State University in 1997 where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Political Science with a minor in Business. Shortly after graduating, he started working for Vista Capital Corporation and over the years became CEO and majority shareholder. Vista Capital deals in a variety of industries with transaction sizes of $5,000 to $100,000 being their primary focus.  While Vista brokers out a majority of their transactions they also hold their own small portfolio. Daniel has worked hard to maintain an extremely strong relationship with all of his funding sources and is well respected in the industry.  When away from work, he enjoys spending time with his wife of 11 years, their 10-year-old son and their 7-year-old daughter.  He is an avid sports fan and enjoys coaching a variety of his children’s sports. 

Carrie Radloff, CLFP | American Financial Partners

Carrie Radloff is the Business Development and Marketing Director for American Financial Partners (AFP). She has been in the business for over 26 years, spending her first 10 years in credit and sales for U.S. Bank Manifest and the last 16+ years with AFP. She graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University in 1998 with a B.S. in Accounting and in 2006 with a Master of Business Administration degree. Carrie attained her Certified Lease and Finance Professional (CLFP) designation in 2016. Carrie became involved with the association in 2013 when she joined the Marketing Committee serving as co-chair from 2014-2017.  She sat on the AACFB board of directors from 2017 to 2023, serving as President in 2021-2022 . Carrie joined the CLFP Foundation board of directors in 2024. She is a member of various local non-profit boards and resides in Minnesota with her husband Scott and two daughters Madison and Samantha.

Shervin Rashti | SLIM Capital, LLC

Shervin Rashti has over 20 years of experience in forming, capitalizing, operating and exiting start-up ventures. Shervin started in the leasing business in 2004, when one of his investors for his digital media distribution company offered him the opportunity to manage a leasing portfolio. After surpassing funding capacity for the fund, Shervin used his experience and ability to underwrite and sell full package transactions to launch a commercial division for CapNet Financial Services. Shervin served as VP of Commercial Lending for CapNet and was able to succeed in placing commercial transactions for the multitude of deals being originated. He then co-founded a direct sub-prime specialty finance company, Maxim Commercial Capital in 2008. After nearly 10 years, in 2017, Shervin chose to sell his interest in Maxim and launch SLIM Capital, LLC as a direct, independent equipment lease and finance company specializing in both credit-based and structured, collateral based transactions. Shervin earned his BS from University of California at Riverside.

Wade Rasmussen, Amerifund

Wade Rasmussen is President and chief bottle washer at Amerifund, Inc.  Wade began his career over 30 years ago working for a leasing company in the Bay Area and found that he loved learning about different businesses and helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Soon after he was hired to help develop the commercial lending side for Security Financial Services, a consumer lender. He partnered with one of the executives to start a franchise finance company in Scottsdale, Arizona but ultimately dissolved the partnership and founded Amerifund nearly 27 years ago. Through the years, both the good years and the recessions and downturns, he is still passionate about helping businesses get started and grow by providing funding at a fair price.  Wade loves jumping out of airplanes (with a parachute) and traveling to many countries (Bora Bora, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Tanzania etc.) with his bride of 30 years. He summited Kilimanjaro, and for the last fifteen years he has hiked the Grand Canyon Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim! 

Vickie Rocco | Entegra Capital LLC

Vickie Rocco is Director of Marketing and Business Development at Entegra Capital. In this role she uses her innate balance of creativity and logic to develop and execute Entegra Capital’s growth strategies. She has been a key player in both tech integration and product development that meet the needs of all constituencies. Prior to joining Entegra Capital, Vickie held leadership positions with various publishing outlets in sales, marketing and operational management. Her experience also includes several years in the equipment finance industry, first at SunBridge Capital and then at Broker Resource Solutions, a business she owned (and later sold) that catered to serving the back-office needs of both third-party originators and private funding sources. 

Kalah Sprabeary, CLFP, HUB Funding Solutions

Kalah Sprabeary has been involved in the alternative financing sector as a broker and direct lender. Her experience in multiple industries such as oil and gas, agriculture, construction, and real estate has provided a depth of direct industry knowledge. Kalah and their team at HUB focuses on customized funding solutions, ranging from equipment funding, factoring, working capital, commercial real estate, and supply chain.


Kalani Thomas, KIHBBA

Kalani (Ca-Lonnie) Thomas is the CEO of KIHBBA (Key-bah), which helps small businesses find the right technology, set it up, then build out the automations and integrations that help provide a better quality of life to employees and owners alike. Kalani has helped clients build out their systems that have largely gone unchanged and have allowed them to scale their companies twice over.  Kalani partners with more than 100 technology platforms like salesforce and Calendly, and has helped more than 1,000 companies with these processes and setups. 




Cheryl Tibbs, Commercial Capital Connect (formerly Equipment LeaseCo Inc)

Cheryl Tibbs has been leading Equipment LeaseCo Inc. as its President since July 2018. With a passion for empowering business owners, particularly in the trucking and construction sectors, Cheryl's dedication to this mission has been unwavering. In addition to her role at Equipment LeaseCo Inc., Cheryl has been collaborating with One Stop Commercial Capital since 2010. Her work there focuses on securing working capital and business loans for a diverse range of entrepreneurs. Furthermore, Cheryl serves as the Chief Strategist at AI Marvels, an AI Automation Agency established in 2023. AI Marvels specializes in the creation of conversational marketing solutions, including ChatBots, content generation, and tailored AI audits designed to benefit small businesses.




Amy Wagner, CLFP | American Financial Partners

Amy Wagner is the CEO of American Financial Partners, a broker/lessor based out of South Dakota.  Amy Wagner began her equipment finance career at Manifest Funding Services, a part of US Bank, more than 20 years ago.  American Financial Partners (AFP) was founded in 2004 to support business growth with an innovative and flexible approach. Influenced by her entrepreneurial family background, Wagner has led AFP to success by focusing on customer relationships, embracing technology, and prioritizing team collaboration. Her leadership and commitment to professional development, highlighted by her Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) designation and active industry involvement, have earned her recognition among The Monitor's 50 Top Women in Equipment Finance in 2023. Wagner's passion for the industry, effective communication, and strategic vision advocate for lifelong learning and the pursuit of excellence, making her a respected and inspirational figure in the equipment finance sector.

Scott Wheeler, CLFP | Wheeler Business Consulting

Scott A. Wheeler has over thirty-eight years of commercial financing and leasing experience. He has held executive positions with private and public companies. Scott's experience includes: leading executive teams, portfolio management, sales/marketing, and comprehensive consulting services to small and large corporations. Scott has held leadership positions on association boards and industry task forces. His well-rounded and vast experiences allow Scott to engage with his clients on multiple levels to improve productivity, profitability, and corporate development.