Speakers
Ambassador “Sully” Sullenberger has been dedicated to the pursuit of safety his entire adult life. He recently served as the U.S. Ambassador and Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations Specialized Agency, after being nominated by President Biden. As a global thought leader, he has now resumed his profession as a sought-after keynote speaker to audiences around the world and continues his advocacy for safety in global air travel.
Born in Denison, Texas, Sullenberger pursued his childhood love of aviation, learning to fly at 16. He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, and served as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. He went on to be an airline pilot, instructor, and accident investigator. He still flies privately.
Sullenberger became internationally renowned on January 15, 2009, as Captain of US Airways Flight 1549, when he and his crew safely guided their disabled jetliner to an emergency water landing in New York City’s frigid Hudson River, during what has been called the “Miracle on the Hudson.” Sullenberger and his crew received international acclaim for their actions, including the passage of a Congressional resolution recognizing their bravery. Sullenberger was ranked second in TIME‘s “Top 100 Most Influential Heroes and Icons of 2009” and was awarded the French Legion of Honour.
Sullenberger is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters and also wrote Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America’s Leaders. Clint Eastwood directed the major motion picture about Sullenberger, titled SULLY, based on Highest Duty, with Tom Hanks in the lead role. The film was released to critical acclaim in September 2016. Highest Duty was republished that year as SULLY: My Search for What Really Matters.
Sullenberger is an international lecturer and keynote speaker on how to achieve the highest levels of performance, reliability, and safety through effective crisis management, continuous learning, leadership, and culture.
Dr. Alex Lawrence wears dual hats as a tenured professor at Weber State University and as a seasoned entrepreneur.
At WSU Alex teaches his students about AI and the latest technology tools being used in business. His expertise in these areas has garnered him national recognition as an authority on ChatGPT and AI for business applications. This recognition resulted in Dr. Lawrence being showcased on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and participating in a spirited debate on CNN, viewed live by millions, among other national media appearances. Additionally, Dr. Lawrence is highly sought after as a speaker, consultant and advisor for innovative tech and AI practices and strategies.
Parallel to and preceding his academic career, Dr. Lawrence has been a lifelong entrepreneur. Over the past 30 years, he has been both a Founder and C-level Executive while launching and leading several successful companies, including one that ranked #34 nationally across all categories on the Inc. 500 list.
Right now, Alex is living his dream, maintaining a balance between teaching, consulting, and his entrepreneurial pursuits. In line with this, Alex currently owns the only EV used car dealership in Utah, EV Auto with two new locations opening in 2023-2024.
Despite his professional commitments, Alex prefers to spend time traveling with his wife and two daughters or playing golf and fly fishing with friends. Dr. Lawrence was an early executive for Lendio and being an instrumental part of the setting up of the company, Alex is still partnered with Lendio to this day.
Courtney Racquel Rhodes is a jewelry designer and seasoned marketing entrepreneur with 20-plus years of communications, brand marketing, and advertising experience. She has a proven track record of lending her expertise to strategize in helping to build multimillion-dollar businesses and brands.
Courtney was born in Baltimore, MD, grew up in Shulerville, SC, and returned to Baltimore as a freshman at Morgan State University at 18 years old. From a tender age, she was a talkative and curious child that grew up in a large and close family where she mastered being a daddy’s girl with both her father and grandfather.
Courtney is the Founder and Creative Director behind her namesake jewelry brand, Courtney Racquel. The brand allows her to combine three things she loves: designing meaningful jewelry, chasing personal freedom, and making a positive impact in the world. She is also Co-Founder and serves as DIRECTOR OF MARKETING and Media Relations at C & D THE AGENCY, a mission-driven woman of color-owned and operated marketing agency. The agency’s mission is to empower, mentor and lead businesswomen to collaborate their best skills with the common goal of excellence.
At C & D, Rhodes is responsible for managing and implementing brand marketing and communication strategies for clients. This includes e-commerce, brand marketing, digital marketing, traditional marketing, personal branding, crisis management, and media and public relations.
Prior to returning to Atlanta in 2019 and merging with C & D’s Co-Founder, she ran the day-to-day operations, business development, and client services for Urbanity Communications. Urbanity’s niche was consultation for media companies and retail brands.
Rhodes manages brand marketing and communications for clients’ existing businesses with a strong focus on communication messaging, e-commerce, and online marketing to drive targeted leads and sales.
While running Urbanity, Rhodes served as a committee member for Ford Motor Company’s Immersion Program, designed to take an intimate exploration into the lives of African-Americans as a unique consumer segment. Serving on that committee revived a deeply passionate interest Rhodes held to further explore the nuances and aspirations that drive purchasing behaviors.
Social responsibility and brand integrity drive her work as a seasoned marketer, communicator, and jewelry designer. Her professional focus centers around helping clients build, grow and protect brands and businesses.
Prior to building the agency, Rhodes spent six years at Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia), first as a Senior Account Executive and then as General Sales Manager for radio stations and their digital assets across Urban and Country genres. Additionally, she worked as an Account Manager for CBS-TV and Uptown Magazine.
Rhodes’s early career working at some of America’s most cause-worthy organizations in development, communications, and public relations roles shaped her business acumen. These included The Development Office at Gilman School (during the School’s Centennial Campaign) in Baltimore, MD; Caves Valley Golf Club Business Office (during the club’s hosting of the 2002 Senior Open) in Baltimore, MD and the National Association of Colored People (NAACP) President’s Office under the direction of former NAACP president, Congressman Kweisi Mfume.
She’s the author of Amazon’s bestselling Make Your Mark; Personal Branding Through – On Purpose Living, which explores how to use your story, strengths, and authenticity as the foundation for career and personal fulfillment. Courtney has appeared on/in the Huffington Post, Black Enterprise Magazine, CBS, NBC, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jezebel Magazine, The Atlantan Magazine, Peachtree TV, and Madam Noire Magazine, among others. She has delivered keynotes, hosted panel discussions, and spoken for professional organizations, including the Massachusetts Women’s Conference, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the National Association of Black Journalists ( NABJ), and The Congressional Black Caucus Conference, The NAACP National Convention, The University of Iowa Tippie College of Business and others.
Rhodes serves on the Board of Trustees at Bethune-Cookman University. She sits on the Institutional Advancement, Norm & Governance and Athletic Committees.
She’s a repeat presenter for the state of South Carolina’s Victim’s Advocacy Week. She’s a member of Fashion Group International, and an alumnus of Modern Luxury’s Jezebel Magazine “50 Most Beautiful Atlantans” and the Atlantan Magazine “Atlanta Women of Power & Influence.”
Equipped as a graduate of the Small Business Administration’s Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore (WEB) entrepreneurial program and two professional degrees, for 20+ years she has worked with multi-million-dollar brands to get their marketing messages seen, heard, and experienced across television, radio, magazines, e-commerce, digital, and social media platforms. As of today, she’s placed over 100 million in advertising dollars.
Courtney holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Morgan State University and a Master of Arts in Publications Design from The University of Baltimore.
In her free time, she enjoys exploring nature and traveling with her daughter Jala, mentoring women and studying design.
For more than 25 years, Deveron M. Gibbons has served as a strategic and tactical business leader, an advisor, and a counselor to Governors, legislators, and congressional representatives, and as a passionate community advocate for the city of St. Petersburg. In his professional capacity, Deveron leads the day-to-day operations of Amscot Financial’s Public Affairs Department, representing the company before local, state, and national elected officials. His role as a trusted advisor to elected officials has allowed Deveron to help shape the laws and the regulations that govern the financial services industry, creating an environment that both protects consumers and establishes a level playing field in which competitors can operate fairly. Additionally, this role makes Deveron an indispensable advisor to the national trade associations for the financial services industry. Deveron joined Amscot in 2004 after working as a lobbyist for Holland & Knight’s Tallahassee office and soon took over responsibility for growing Amscot’s bill-pay business. Amscot serves more than 3 million unique customers a month, and many of them utilize Amscot as their connection to pay their monthly water, electric, and cable television bills. Over the years, Deveron has developed direct relationships between Amscot and hundreds of utilities across the state of Florida, and today, Amscot’s bill-pay category generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Deveron’s track record and connections to both business leaders and community leaders in Florida make him a go-to source for advice and counsel from elected officials across the state and throughout the country. Deveron understands the challenges and opportunities facing elected officials and political candidates, having made a strong bid in the 2009 mayoral race in St. Petersburg. Deveron’s devotion to St. Petersburg is rooted in his upbringing. He was reared in St. Petersburg’s Midtown community as the son of a teacher and a church pastor. A football standout in high school, Deveron played football while attending the University of Florida. Friends told Deveron, as he was preparing to leave for Gainesville, “Goodbye Deveron. We’ll never see you again.” Deveron promised them then that he would one day return to Midtown and make it his home. Deveron made good on his promise and today lives just a few blocks from the home where he was reared. He continues to live up to his promise to make St. Petersburg his home. In 2006, Deveron received a gubernatorial appointment to the St. Petersburg College Board of Trustees. He has been subsequently reappointed twice by Gov. Rick Scott and by Gov. Ron DeSantis. In 2016, Deveron earned a juris doctorate degree from the Florida A&M College of Law in Orlando. In 2018, he was awarded a master’s of business administration degree from Florida A&M University and he also holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Florida. Deveron lives in St. Petersburg with his family.
Bill Gallagher has been the President of CFGMS since its inception in 2015. Prior to that, Bill was the Chief Credit Officer of CapFlow Funding, CFGMS’s factoring sister company, since 2009. Bill has held various senior-level Capital Markets and Investment Banking positions in the Institutional Fixed Income divisions of Lehman Brothers, and Barclays Capital.
CFGMS was launched as a direct funder in 2015 to focus on providing efficient capital access to small businesses across the United States that have been historically underserved by traditional financing sources. Since inception, CFGMS and CapFlow Funding have provided over $1 billion in growth capital to small and medium-sized American businesses, while doing so at the very highest standards of industry best practices.
Bill holds a BA in economics degree from Villanova University and currently resides in Northern New Jersey with his wife and four children.
Scott Crockett is the founder and CEO of Everest Business Funding. He is a seasoned professional with 20 years of experience in the finance industry. Mr. Crockett’s track record includes raising more than $500 million in capital and creating thousands of jobs. Scott has founded, built, and managed several finance companies in the consumer and commercial finance sectors.
Dan Gans is the founder and managing principal of Polaris Consulting, LLC. Prior to establishing Polaris, Dan managed the Telecommunications, Technology and Energy practice at a top 20 lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. for three years. Under Dan’s stewardship, Polaris Government Relations has quickly become one of the most in demand boutique lobbying firms in Washington. Dan in an expert in fintech policy and works closely with the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs.
Dan is an eleven-year veteran of Capitol Hill. Most recently, Dan served as Chief of Staff to Congressman Bob Riley (R-AL). In addition to serving as Riley’s Chief of Staff, Gans was also a Senior Advisor (in a volunteer capacity) to Riley’s successful gubernatorial campaign in 2002. Dan worked with the campaign General Consultant to develop and implement a successful media, grass roots, and fundraising plan.
As Chief of Staff, Dan served as Congressman Riley’s principal strategist and advisor on all legislative and political matters including the Congressman’s work on the Financial Services, Armed Services and Agriculture Committees. Dan’s responsibilities included oversight and management of the Washington, D.C. and Alabama offices. Dan also served as the Congressman’s liaison to House leadership and the Republican Study Committee.
During his tenure as Chief of Staff, Gans was recognized by The Wall Street Journal for designing a state-of-the-art interactive Congressional website that implemented an e-video communication platform. Bob Riley was the first Member of Congress to communicate with his constituents using video email technology. It was no surprise that Campaigns and Elections magazine cited Bob Riley’s campaign website as one of the best in the country and critical to his election success in 2002. Dan has been a regular speaker on internet communication and e-strategy for the House Republican Conference. Dan also held a Department of Defense security clearance, which he was required to have in order to handle Riley’s work on the House Armed Services Committee.
Kate is a partner in Hudson Cook, LLP’s Maryland office and co-chair of the firm’s Business Funding practice group. Her practice focuses on the areas of Consumer Financial Services and Small Business Financing. Kate represents banks, finance companies, private equity and investment bank investors, revenue based finance companies, and small business lenders establishing new programs and products, and conducts due diligence and compliance reviews of consumer lending and business financing portfolios.
Joshua is a partner at SBL Strategies and focuses on financial services lobbying amongst other areas. He has worked as an advisor for multiple U.S. Senators and Governors on both the political and official side for over 10 years. Joshua served as a senior advisor for former U.S. Senator and Ranking Member of the Banking Committee Pat Toomey.
Joshua has been in the government relations industry for close to 10 years and focuses his lobbying on FinTech, alternative consumer and commercial lending, debt collection, credit reporting, international finance issues as well as some transportation, health care and immigration issues.
Mr. Novotney stays very politically active as well working on super PAC’s and informally advising campaigns.
Rachael Schreiber helps lead CATALYST’s multistate government affairs practice nationally and leads the firm’s Texas office.
After two decades navigating government from the municipal to the federal level, Rachael has a unique blend of private and public sector experience making her an effective advocate and strategist. She previously served as vice president of government relations for one of the largest consumer specialty finance companies in the United States and led its professional teams across the country. Prior to more than a decade of lobbying on financial services issues, Rachael served at some of the highest level positions in the Texas State Capitol.
Mary Donohue is a government relations specialist for CATALYST based in Colorado Springs, CO. Before joining CATALYST, Mary developed and managed the federal and state public policy strategies and execution for the small business lending brands within Enova International (NYSE: ENVA) (OnDeck, Headway Capital, The Business Backer), including coordination with Enova SMB’s P&Ls, corporate support groups, third party consultants, and industry organizations. Mary also developed and lead public policy promotion campaigns and built networks of trade associations, industry partners, and non-profit groups to support policies that help create and maintain access to credit over the internet for America’s small businesses.
A well-seasoned government affairs professional, Mary lived and worked in Washington, DC for over ten years with a significant amount of time spent at one of DC’s top federal lobbying firms, Polaris Consulting. At Polaris, Mary specialized in financial services and labor client portfolios and implemented various strategic objectives through Congressional outreach and research.
Mary holds a Masters in Public Administration and Policy from American University and graduated magna cum laude from St. Lawrence University with a double major in Government and Psychology. In her free time, Mary enjoys hanging out with her husband, Parker, who is a U.S. Naval Officer and former Fighter Pilot, and their two dogs Cosmo, a Dalmatian, and Comet, an English Setter as well as her off the track Thoroughbred, Mucho.
Shane Mahabir is the Founder and President of Funder Intel, a resource, education, media, and community platform for the business finance industry. Funder Intel offers visitors a way to increase their knowledge of the industry, network with others, find new providers, keep up with the latest news and trends, grow their brand, and more.
Shane started out in the alternative business lending industry in 2014 by joining a startup in Miami in the ISO Relations department. He moved on to other Funders working in sales and back into ISO departments in various roles.
He also worked for a broker company and then started his own before the pandemic hit. That’s when he decided to go down the path of building Funder Intel to help make a positive impact on the industry and solve problems.
Shane has written countless articles on alternative business finance, created multiple training courses, interviewed industry experts, and lead a mastermind group of experienced ISO owners.
Recently, Shane obtained an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise from LSU and has a BA in Business Management from UF.
Shane is a native Floridian who currently resides in Boca Raton, FL.
Diego is President and CEO of the De Sola Group, a Central American conglomerate with over 126 years of working and serving in remote business solutions (uassistme.com), real estate (proyectosdevida.com), coffee, and hospitality. In 2007, Diego co-founded Glasswing International (glasswing.org), a regional non-profit that designs and implements cross-sector programs that promote youth and volunteering in 12 countries. He is a fellow and moderator for the Aspen Institute, and in 2012, was selected as a YGL by the World Economic Forum. He serves on the Citi Private Bank Latin America Advisory Board and is an active member of the El Salvador chapter of YPO. Diego attended the Hotchkiss School, Cornell University, and NYU Stern School of Business. He currently resides between New York and San Salvador with his wife, Alexandra, and his three boys, Diego Xavier, Herbert, and Alejandro.
Darwin Andujar is the lead Business Development Manager for Everest Business Funding.
Before being named the lead Business Development Manager in 2019, Darwin was a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), working with both individual and corporate clients to help them identify and meet their financial goals. He also served as the AVP of operations for a Portuguese bank where he focused on supporting cross-functional teams to increase productivity and customer satisfaction.
Darwin earned a joint business management/international business degree from Florida International University with an emphasis on global market capitalization and operations management.
With over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, Darwin is dedicated to helping more business owners find growth opportunities and generate long-term value for their organizations.
Josh Karp is the Senior Vice President of Production & Revenue at CFGMS. Mr. Karp began his financial career in 2006 as a collateral manager at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. In 2011 he spent time as an executive at Macquarie Bank Securities Group. Mr. Karp then obtained extensive experience in the MCA space when he became the Chief Operating Officer of Yellowstone Capital, LLC. Then in 2015, Mr. Karp was hired as the head of operations at CFGMS where he employed the independent contractor / joint venture model, built out the production team, and architected the CFGMS systems and operations team. Mr. Karp obtained his B.S. from Yeshiva University in 2005.
Michelle Melo is the Chief Revenue Officer at Westwood Funding. Michelle’s versatile background spans diverse segments of the finance industry, including investment banking and corporate finance. Her proficiency in risk management, portfolio optimization, and financial analysis has provided her with a deep understanding of the complexities associated with financial operations. Michelle has consistently contributed to Westwood Funding’s sustained growth and prominence through her ability to analyze market trends, anticipate shifts, and design innovative revenue strategies.
As a partner and Managing Director at Sachs Media, Drew Piers provides counsel and directs strategy for the firm’s communications and marketing clients. He specializes in developing and implementing effective advertising and messaging campaigns, bringing together proven storytelling tactics with hyper-targeted advertising to reach specific audiences and motivate them to take action. His background includes a particular emphasis in developing communications campaigns designed to achieve public policy goals at the state and federal level.
About Bob Squiers: As the visionary behind Meridian Leads, Bob boasts over a decade of expertise in the small business financing marketing sector. He has a knack for seamlessly merging data, technology, and innovation to craft impactful direct marketing strategies that deliver results. Currently based in Florida, Bob cherishes his moments on the golf course, fishing trips, and quality time with his loved ones.
About Meridian Leads: Meridian Leads is a Boca Raton, FL-based direct marketing agency that provides database marketing solutions, custom direct mail campaigns, full-service sms/ text marketing campaigns, and qualified live transfer leads for the MCA and SMB Financing industry. www.MeridianLeads.com
Eddie DeAngelis’ experience comes from a 30-year run as a serial entrepreneur (from a screen printing & embroidery company to a broker in the small business lending space). In 2013 he began making a mark in the finance world and has since personally overseen and secured more than 1/4 billion dollars in financing to America’s businesses. His ability to build strong relationships & embrace risk have contributed to 2 of his companies getting acquired along the way. Post-acquisitions, Eddie founded and currently leads QualiFi, a small business loan brokerage firm, where helping clients achieve their business goals is #1.
Bob Monach is the Vice President of Sales at The Fundworks – a tech-enabled financial services company based in Los Angeles, California. We provide financing to America’s small businesses and take pride in being their capital provider of choice. Bob is a seasoned professional bringing over 25 years of sales and operations management experience ranging from the tech industry to consumer-facing markets. Since joining The Fundworks in 2016, Bob has helped guide The Fundworks strategically and operationally, making us the provider of choice in the revenue-based financing market. Our merchant-focused approach has helped create and maintain strong relationships between our partners and their clients.
Marc Helman is Vice President of Business Development at Expansion Capital Group (“ECG”), a technology-enabled specialty lender that leverages data and analytics to offer customized solutions for small businesses. At ECG, Marc is responsible for driving all new business production across its direct sales, ISO, and partner origination channels, increasing originations by over 1,600% during his tenure. Marc is an avid tennis player, aspiring chef, and awful golfer.
With over two decades of dedicated experience in sales, coupled with a decade of focused expertise in the small business lending space, Eddie Hamid has consistently demonstrated a remarkable ability to navigate the intricacies of sales across various sectors. Armed with a deep understanding of market trends and merchant behavior, Eddie has honed the art of cultivating lasting connections with clients and lenders.
Over the course of Eddie’s career, along with the digital marketing expertise of his partner Belal Ayoub (Co-Founder and CEO of iAdvance Now), they have spent a decade orchestrating the landscape of financial empowerment. Their profound understanding of the unique challenges faced by small enterprises, combined with their ability to tailor lending solutions that foster growth, has solidified them as sought-after experts. Their insights into the nuances of the small business lending space, combined with their consultative approach, position them as a trusted advisor for entrepreneurs seeking to realize their business aspirations.
As Eddie sets sights on the future, his dedication to excellence remains unwavering. With an ever-growing network of satisfied clients and peers in the industry, continue to pave new avenues for growth and create opportunities for businesses to flourish. More than a sales professional, he embodies as a collaborative partner who provides strategic insights and facilitates mutual growth.
For deeper insights into Eddie’s journey, to establish a professional connection, or to explore potential collaborations, feel free to reach out via LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/eddiehamid).
