Innovation Lab Conference & Exhibition
Sunday, March 15
Dine-Around
Are you arriving Sunday evening and looking for something to do? Join a community table dinner group and get to know your fellow conference attendees over dinner!
This event is PYO and is not included with your conference registration. Dinner will be separate checks at each restaurant. Meet in the hotel lobby at 6:30 pm to walk to restaurants at 6:45 pm or meet your table directly at your selected restaurant. Most reservations begin at 7:00 pm.
Visit the restaurant list to save your seat at a community table.
Are you arriving Sunday evening and looking for something to do? Join a community table dinner group and get to know your fellow conference attendees over dinner!
This event is PYO and is not included with your conference registration. Dinner will be separate checks at each restaurant. Meet in the hotel lobby at 6:30 pm to walk to restaurants at 6:45 pm or meet your table directly at your selected restaurant. Most reservations begin at 7:00 pm.
Visit the restaurant list to save your seat at a community table.
Monday, March 16
Conference Registration Opens
Exhibitor Set-Up
Community Service Project: Beads & Bands for Brighter Days
Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Join us for a hands-on activation focused on creativity, connection, and giving back. During this interactive experience, attendees will design friendship bracelets or necklaces for children receiving treatment at a local children’s hospital. With colorful beads, letters, and charms to choose from, you can create uplifting pieces featuring encouraging words or positive messages to brighten a child’s day.
Letter-writing stations will also be available so you can include a personal note of encouragement. All completed items will be packaged into cheerful gift boxes and donated to the hospital—delivering comfort, positivity, and a reminder that someone is cheering them on.
Supported by:
Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Join us for a hands-on activation focused on creativity, connection, and giving back. During this interactive experience, attendees will design friendship bracelets or necklaces for children receiving treatment at a local children’s hospital. With colorful beads, letters, and charms to choose from, you can create uplifting pieces featuring encouraging words or positive messages to brighten a child’s day.
Letter-writing stations will also be available so you can include a personal note of encouragement. All completed items will be packaged into cheerful gift boxes and donated to the hospital—delivering comfort, positivity, and a reminder that someone is cheering them on.
Supported by:
Opening General Session & Luncheon
Opening
Chelsey Barron, LEAF Commercial Capital Inc., Chair, ELFA Innovation Committee
Keynote Presentation
Beyond the GPT: From Prompts to Strategy and Scale
Paul Zikopoulos, VP of Technology Group Skills Vitality & Enablement, IBM
An unfortunate truth: every day, employees walk by problems that could be solved—or at least improved—with technology. But do they even know those problems are solvable? What would a business look like if everyone was empowered to act because they knew solutions were within reach? That’s the opportunity AI is opening up.
This isn’t AI 101. It’s a front-row seat where execution, strategy, and humor collide. And perhaps the most important shift: the knowledge you need to move from +AI (where AI is bolted onto existing workflows) to AI+ (where workflows are re-designed with AI at the core). That’s how organizations change the curve. This talk shows exactly how to make that leap.
Underwritten by:
Opening
Chelsey Barron, LEAF Commercial Capital Inc., Chair, ELFA Innovation Committee
Keynote Presentation
Beyond the GPT: From Prompts to Strategy and Scale
Paul Zikopoulos, VP of Technology Group Skills Vitality & Enablement, IBM
An unfortunate truth: every day, employees walk by problems that could be solved—or at least improved—with technology. But do they even know those problems are solvable? What would a business look like if everyone was empowered to act because they knew solutions were within reach? That’s the opportunity AI is opening up.
This isn’t AI 101. It’s a front-row seat where execution, strategy, and humor collide. And perhaps the most important shift: the knowledge you need to move from +AI (where AI is bolted onto existing workflows) to AI+ (where workflows are re-designed with AI at the core). That’s how organizations change the curve. This talk shows exactly how to make that leap.
Underwritten by:
Networking Break & Connect with Exhibitors
Meet and Greet with Paul Zikopoulos. Stop by the Odessa table and say hello!
Meet and Greet with Paul Zikopoulos. Stop by the Odessa table and say hello!
The Journey After the Spotlight: Cisco Capital on Turning AI Concepts into Enterprise Capability
Join us for a dynamic conversation with Wayne Super of Cisco Capital, 2025 ELFA Innovation Award runner up, for a practical look at what happens after their award win. Wayne will discuss how AI initiatives have evolved since the award, the new opportunities Cisco Capital is exploring, tangible results, lessons learned, and how upskilling teams in prompt literacy helped drive adoption, shift responsibilities, and unlock new use cases across the business. This session offers a candid look at what it really takes to operationalize AI inside an established organization. Participants will walk away with practical insights into scaling AI beyond the pilot stage, and key considerations for organization-wide readiness.
Wayne Super, Cisco Corporation
Andrew Cotter, Somerset Capital Group, Ltd.
Moto Tohda, Tokyo Century
Sarah Tezuka, Solifi
Daniel Gonzalez, FIS
Join us for a dynamic conversation with Wayne Super of Cisco Capital, 2025 ELFA Innovation Award runner up, for a practical look at what happens after their award win. Wayne will discuss how AI initiatives have evolved since the award, the new opportunities Cisco Capital is exploring, tangible results, lessons learned, and how upskilling teams in prompt literacy helped drive adoption, shift responsibilities, and unlock new use cases across the business. This session offers a candid look at what it really takes to operationalize AI inside an established organization. Participants will walk away with practical insights into scaling AI beyond the pilot stage, and key considerations for organization-wide readiness.
Wayne Super, Cisco Corporation
Andrew Cotter, Somerset Capital Group, Ltd.
Moto Tohda, Tokyo Century
Sarah Tezuka, Solifi
Daniel Gonzalez, FIS
The Future of Work in Equipment Finance: Hiring, Developing, and Retaining Talent in the Age of AI
As artificial intelligence continues to absorb repetitive and rules-based work, the role of people in equipment finance is rapidly evolving. The future workforce will not compete with AI; it will collaborate with it. This session explores how leaders can intentionally prepare for this shift by rethinking how they hire, develop, and retain talent in in a rapidly changing environment.
Through a dynamic panel discussion, participants will examine how AI is reshaping roles across equipment finance, which human skills are becoming more critical, and how organizations can design roles where humans and technology work side by side. The session will also explore strategies for attracting and developing the next generation of professionals and building a sustainable talent pipeline for the future.
This session is designed for operations, customer experience, sales, credit, risk, technology, and people leaders who recognize that while technology enables transformation, people drive in talent.
Moderators:
Lilian Starr, First Citizens Bank
Turner Parlin, Alfa Systems
Speakers:
Sylvi Evans, US Bank
Christine Evershed, John Deere Financial
Loren Arrieta, Caterpillar Financial Services
As artificial intelligence continues to absorb repetitive and rules-based work, the role of people in equipment finance is rapidly evolving. The future workforce will not compete with AI; it will collaborate with it. This session explores how leaders can intentionally prepare for this shift by rethinking how they hire, develop, and retain talent in in a rapidly changing environment.
Through a dynamic panel discussion, participants will examine how AI is reshaping roles across equipment finance, which human skills are becoming more critical, and how organizations can design roles where humans and technology work side by side. The session will also explore strategies for attracting and developing the next generation of professionals and building a sustainable talent pipeline for the future.
This session is designed for operations, customer experience, sales, credit, risk, technology, and people leaders who recognize that while technology enables transformation, people drive in talent.
Moderators:
Lilian Starr, First Citizens Bank
Turner Parlin, Alfa Systems
Speakers:
Sylvi Evans, US Bank
Christine Evershed, John Deere Financial
Loren Arrieta, Caterpillar Financial Services
Building an Innovative Culture
Our panel of experts will share their insights on how they foster innovation in their organizations. We will discuss the key building blocks for unlocking innovation and hear real word examples of how innovation can drive improvements across the value chain and operation landscape of your company.
Moderator:
Mike Olson, Tamarack
Speakers:
Liz Boyd, Gordon Brothers
Mark Blais, Channel
Bill Verhelle, QuickFi
Andrew Flegg, Alfa Financial Software
Our panel of experts will share their insights on how they foster innovation in their organizations. We will discuss the key building blocks for unlocking innovation and hear real word examples of how innovation can drive improvements across the value chain and operation landscape of your company.
Moderator:
Mike Olson, Tamarack
Speakers:
Liz Boyd, Gordon Brothers
Mark Blais, Channel
Bill Verhelle, QuickFi
Andrew Flegg, Alfa Financial Software
Recharge & Connect Break
Looking Ahead: 2026 with ELFA Chair Deb Baker
ELFA Chair Deb Baker shares her perspective on the year ahead for the equipment finance industry and the association. She will discuss key priorities for 2026, emerging opportunities and challenges, and how ELFA will continue supporting members as the industry evolves.
Speaker:
Deb Baker, HP Inc., ELFA Chair of the Board
ELFA Chair Deb Baker shares her perspective on the year ahead for the equipment finance industry and the association. She will discuss key priorities for 2026, emerging opportunities and challenges, and how ELFA will continue supporting members as the industry evolves.
Speaker:
Deb Baker, HP Inc., ELFA Chair of the Board
General Session: When Everything Feels Disruptive, What Actually Matters?
Making Sense of Change Without Predicting the Future
ELFA members surfaced powerful signals during ELFA’s 2025 trend scanning work. Now it is time to turn those signals into shared meaning. This session helps you interpret what is emerging across the industry, where readiness looks strong, where it looks uneven, and what deserves leadership attention next.
This is a sense making session, focused on translating insights into practical clarity that you can use right away, while also connecting the dots to ELFA’s evolving research and innovation agenda.
- Spot the themes cutting across tech, regulation, economics, talent, and sustainability
- See where leadership confidence is strong, and where readiness gaps are slowing progress
- Take home sharp language and ready to use prompts for exec, peer, and cross functional conversations
- Understand how ELFA will turn these signals into research, programming, and Innovation Lab priorities
Moderator:
Deb Reuben, TomorrowZone
Panelists:
Deb Baker, HP Inc., ELFA Chair of the Board
Bill Verhelle, QuickFi
Steve Taplin, Lendscape
In partnership with:
Making Sense of Change Without Predicting the Future
ELFA members surfaced powerful signals during ELFA’s 2025 trend scanning work. Now it is time to turn those signals into shared meaning. This session helps you interpret what is emerging across the industry, where readiness looks strong, where it looks uneven, and what deserves leadership attention next.
This is a sense making session, focused on translating insights into practical clarity that you can use right away, while also connecting the dots to ELFA’s evolving research and innovation agenda.
- Spot the themes cutting across tech, regulation, economics, talent, and sustainability
- See where leadership confidence is strong, and where readiness gaps are slowing progress
- Take home sharp language and ready to use prompts for exec, peer, and cross functional conversations
- Understand how ELFA will turn these signals into research, programming, and Innovation Lab priorities
Moderator:
Deb Reuben, TomorrowZone
Panelists:
Deb Baker, HP Inc., ELFA Chair of the Board
Bill Verhelle, QuickFi
Steve Taplin, Lendscape
In partnership with:
Exhibitor Lightning Round #1
Get ready for a dynamic and engaging session where our exhibitors take the stage for rapid-fire presentations designed to grab your attention and spark your curiosity. Each exhibitor has just a few minutes to showcase their most compelling innovations, solutions, and value propositions - giving you a quick and entertaining way to discover what they have to offer. Whether you're scouting for new partners, exploring cutting-edge technologies, or just love a good pitch, this is your chance to identify exhibitors you want to connect with further. Quick. Informative. Fun. You won’t want to miss it!
Participating Exhibitors:
- FIS
- Kaaj Technologies
- Vertex Inc.
- Initium SoftWorks
- Alfa Systems
Underwritten by:
Get ready for a dynamic and engaging session where our exhibitors take the stage for rapid-fire presentations designed to grab your attention and spark your curiosity. Each exhibitor has just a few minutes to showcase their most compelling innovations, solutions, and value propositions - giving you a quick and entertaining way to discover what they have to offer. Whether you're scouting for new partners, exploring cutting-edge technologies, or just love a good pitch, this is your chance to identify exhibitors you want to connect with further. Quick. Informative. Fun. You won’t want to miss it!
Participating Exhibitors:
- FIS
- Kaaj Technologies
- Vertex Inc.
- Initium SoftWorks
- Alfa Systems
Underwritten by:
Newcomers Reception
Is this your first ELFA conference? Come meet fellow First Timers and the conference planning committee at this reception specifically for First Time Attendees.
Is this your first ELFA conference? Come meet fellow First Timers and the conference planning committee at this reception specifically for First Time Attendees.
Opening Reception with Exhibitors
All attendees are invited to connect and unwind at this fantastic reception. Exhibit tables will be open and you will have some time to stop by and chat. Lite fare will be served with an open bar. This event is included with all conference registrations.
Sponsored by:
All attendees are invited to connect and unwind at this fantastic reception. Exhibit tables will be open and you will have some time to stop by and chat. Lite fare will be served with an open bar. This event is included with all conference registrations.
Sponsored by:
Tuesday, March 17
Start Your Day Strong - Fun Walk
Lace up and join us for a refreshing, high-energy start to your morning! Led by a local fitness pro, this fun walk will take you on a scenic, energizing route designed to get your blood pumping and your mind ready for the day ahead. Afterward, enjoy post-workout refreshments and connect with fellow attendees in a relaxed, feel-good atmosphere. It’s the perfect way to jumpstart your day - and your networking! NO EXTRA FEE to attend this event.
Sponsored by:
Lace up and join us for a refreshing, high-energy start to your morning! Led by a local fitness pro, this fun walk will take you on a scenic, energizing route designed to get your blood pumping and your mind ready for the day ahead. Afterward, enjoy post-workout refreshments and connect with fellow attendees in a relaxed, feel-good atmosphere. It’s the perfect way to jumpstart your day - and your networking! NO EXTRA FEE to attend this event.
Sponsored by:
Breakfast with Exhibitors
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:
Tuesday Opening Keynote Presentation
Tim Mahedy is the founder of Access/Macro, a macroeconomic consulting firm delivering actionable insights to financial institutions and businesses. With experience at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, KPMG, Bloomberg, and the IMF, Tim has advised Fortune 500 leaders and policymakers alike. Known for making complex economic trends accessible and relevant, Tim specializes in inflation, monetary policy, and strategic forecasting. At this year’s event, he’ll provide a forward-looking view of the 2026 - 2027 economic outlook and what it means for your business.
Opening
Chelsey Barron, Chair, ELFA Innovation Committee, LEAF Commercial Capital Inc.
Keynote Presenter
Tim Mahedy, ELFA Chief Economist
Underwritten by:
Tim Mahedy is the founder of Access/Macro, a macroeconomic consulting firm delivering actionable insights to financial institutions and businesses. With experience at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, KPMG, Bloomberg, and the IMF, Tim has advised Fortune 500 leaders and policymakers alike. Known for making complex economic trends accessible and relevant, Tim specializes in inflation, monetary policy, and strategic forecasting. At this year’s event, he’ll provide a forward-looking view of the 2026 - 2027 economic outlook and what it means for your business.
Opening
Chelsey Barron, Chair, ELFA Innovation Committee, LEAF Commercial Capital Inc.
Keynote Presenter
Tim Mahedy, ELFA Chief Economist
Underwritten by:
Coffee & Connect with Exhibitors
The Next Funding Stack: How Fintech Is Reshaping How Equipment Gets Financed
Fintech and equipment finance are converging fast, but what does that actually mean for the people building and running this industry? QuickFi CEO Bill Verhelle and American Fintech Council CEO Phil Goldfeder get into the real mechanics: where capital is coming from, what agentic AI changes, and how the fintech-equipment finance relationship plays out from here.
Phil Goldfeder, American Fintech Council
Bill Verhelle, QuickFi
In partnership with:
Fintech and equipment finance are converging fast, but what does that actually mean for the people building and running this industry? QuickFi CEO Bill Verhelle and American Fintech Council CEO Phil Goldfeder get into the real mechanics: where capital is coming from, what agentic AI changes, and how the fintech-equipment finance relationship plays out from here.
Phil Goldfeder, American Fintech Council
Bill Verhelle, QuickFi
In partnership with:
Building the Future: How Technology Is Reshaping the Asset Finance Platform
The technology decisions asset finance companies make today will determine what they can and cannot do for the next decade. Alfa CTO Andrew Flegg gets into the real mechanics: what cloud-native architecture actually means for this industry, where AI is delivering results beyond the pilot stage, and what the leading platforms of 2030 will look like.
Leigh Lytle, President & CEO, ELFA
Andrew Flegg, Chief Technology Officer, Alfa
In partnership with:
The technology decisions asset finance companies make today will determine what they can and cannot do for the next decade. Alfa CTO Andrew Flegg gets into the real mechanics: what cloud-native architecture actually means for this industry, where AI is delivering results beyond the pilot stage, and what the leading platforms of 2030 will look like.
Leigh Lytle, President & CEO, ELFA
Andrew Flegg, Chief Technology Officer, Alfa
In partnership with:
Exhibitor Lightning Round #2
Get ready for a dynamic and engaging session where our exhibitors take the stage for rapid-fire presentations designed to grab your attention and spark your curiosity. Each exhibitor has just a few minutes to showcase their most compelling innovations, solutions, and value propositions - giving you a quick and entertaining way to discover what they have to offer. Whether you're scouting for new partners, exploring cutting-edge technologies, or just love a good pitch, this is your chance to identify exhibitors you want to connect with further. Quick. Informative. Fun. You won’t want to miss it!
Participating Exhibitors:
- Great American Insurance Group, Specialty Equipment
- CODIX LLC
- Kin Analytics
- CSC
- Northteq
- Odessa
Underwritten by:
Get ready for a dynamic and engaging session where our exhibitors take the stage for rapid-fire presentations designed to grab your attention and spark your curiosity. Each exhibitor has just a few minutes to showcase their most compelling innovations, solutions, and value propositions - giving you a quick and entertaining way to discover what they have to offer. Whether you're scouting for new partners, exploring cutting-edge technologies, or just love a good pitch, this is your chance to identify exhibitors you want to connect with further. Quick. Informative. Fun. You won’t want to miss it!
Participating Exhibitors:
- Great American Insurance Group, Specialty Equipment
- CODIX LLC
- Kin Analytics
- CSC
- Northteq
- Odessa
Underwritten by:
Networking Lunch
All conference attendees are invited to enjoy a networking lunch and spark new conversations and connections. Grab a seat and dig into great food while networking with fellow attendees. No additional fee to attend.
All conference attendees are invited to enjoy a networking lunch and spark new conversations and connections. Grab a seat and dig into great food while networking with fellow attendees. No additional fee to attend.
Exhibitor Lightning Round #3
Get ready for a dynamic and engaging session where our exhibitors take the stage for rapid-fire presentations designed to grab your attention and spark your curiosity. Each exhibitor has just a few minutes to showcase their most compelling innovations, solutions, and value propositions - giving you a quick and entertaining way to discover what they have to offer. Whether you're scouting for new partners, exploring cutting-edge technologies, or just love a good pitch, this is your chance to identify exhibitors you want to connect with further. Quick. Informative. Fun. You won’t want to miss it!
Participating Exhibitors:
- Solifi
- Owl Sure
- Ivory Consulting Corporation
- Liventus, Inc.
- Lendscape
- Human-I-T
Underwritten by:
Get ready for a dynamic and engaging session where our exhibitors take the stage for rapid-fire presentations designed to grab your attention and spark your curiosity. Each exhibitor has just a few minutes to showcase their most compelling innovations, solutions, and value propositions - giving you a quick and entertaining way to discover what they have to offer. Whether you're scouting for new partners, exploring cutting-edge technologies, or just love a good pitch, this is your chance to identify exhibitors you want to connect with further. Quick. Informative. Fun. You won’t want to miss it!
Participating Exhibitors:
- Solifi
- Owl Sure
- Ivory Consulting Corporation
- Liventus, Inc.
- Lendscape
- Human-I-T
Underwritten by:
AI in Action: Hands-On with AI in 2026
This isn't a lecture about what AI might do someday, it's a hands-on session where you'll actually use it. Whether you've been experimenting with AI daily or haven't touched it yet, this workshop meets you where you are. You'll work directly with AI tools using real (non-proprietary) scenarios, see how it can simplify the work you're already doing - research, analysis, presentations, communication - and walk away knowing exactly how to put it to use when you get back to your desk. The final portion of the session will go deeper for those ready to explore more advanced capabilities and integration concepts - buckle up! Bring your laptop or phone, an open mind, and a willingness to be surprised by what's possible.
Nick Pericle, Founder & CEO of Tenexity
In partnership with Tenexity.
This isn't a lecture about what AI might do someday, it's a hands-on session where you'll actually use it. Whether you've been experimenting with AI daily or haven't touched it yet, this workshop meets you where you are. You'll work directly with AI tools using real (non-proprietary) scenarios, see how it can simplify the work you're already doing - research, analysis, presentations, communication - and walk away knowing exactly how to put it to use when you get back to your desk. The final portion of the session will go deeper for those ready to explore more advanced capabilities and integration concepts - buckle up! Bring your laptop or phone, an open mind, and a willingness to be surprised by what's possible.
Nick Pericle, Founder & CEO of Tenexity
In partnership with Tenexity.
Recharge & Connect Break
Exhibitor Tear Down
Fireside Chat: Innovation in Action - Lessons from Award-Winning Leaders
What does true innovation look like in practice? Join us for an engaging fireside chat featuring past recipients of the Excellence in Innovation Award and the Operations and Technology Excellence Award - organizations whose ideas and initiatives have set new standards for what’s possible in equipment finance.
Moderated by Innovation Committee Chair-Elect Shelly Tauer (U.S. Bank), this candid conversation will explore the stories behind the recognition: the challenges faced, the risks taken, and the real-world impact of their innovation journeys.
This energizing session will also mark the official kickoff of the 2026 award season, making it the perfect moment to get inspired, start thinking about your own innovation story, and learn what it takes to stand out in the year ahead.
Shelly Tauer, US Bank
Mark Blais, Channel
Brian Antonellis, Fleet Advantage, LLC
What does true innovation look like in practice? Join us for an engaging fireside chat featuring past recipients of the Excellence in Innovation Award and the Operations and Technology Excellence Award - organizations whose ideas and initiatives have set new standards for what’s possible in equipment finance.
Moderated by Innovation Committee Chair-Elect Shelly Tauer (U.S. Bank), this candid conversation will explore the stories behind the recognition: the challenges faced, the risks taken, and the real-world impact of their innovation journeys.
This energizing session will also mark the official kickoff of the 2026 award season, making it the perfect moment to get inspired, start thinking about your own innovation story, and learn what it takes to stand out in the year ahead.
Shelly Tauer, US Bank
Mark Blais, Channel
Brian Antonellis, Fleet Advantage, LLC
Wrap-Up: Turning Insight into Action
Join Conference Chair Chelsey Barron as she brings the event to a powerful and energizing close. This fast-paced wrap-up will connect the dots across the biggest ideas, standout moments, and practical lessons shared throughout the conference - transforming inspiration into clear next steps you can take immediately.
More than a recap, this session is designed to help you translate what you’ve learned into meaningful changes in how you work, lead, and prioritize in a rapidly evolving environment. Expect fresh perspective, renewed motivation, and a set of actionable ways to rethink your approach when you return to the office.
Leave feeling energized, focused, and ready to put new ideas into motion.
Join Conference Chair Chelsey Barron as she brings the event to a powerful and energizing close. This fast-paced wrap-up will connect the dots across the biggest ideas, standout moments, and practical lessons shared throughout the conference - transforming inspiration into clear next steps you can take immediately.
More than a recap, this session is designed to help you translate what you’ve learned into meaningful changes in how you work, lead, and prioritize in a rapidly evolving environment. Expect fresh perspective, renewed motivation, and a set of actionable ways to rethink your approach when you return to the office.
Leave feeling energized, focused, and ready to put new ideas into motion.
Closing Party at The Overlook
Don’t pack up just yet - head upstairs and celebrate with us at The Overlook, the hotel’s rooftop pool deck, for a St. Patrick’s Day send-off you won’t want to miss. Enjoy festive drinks, great live music from trio band Tanglewood, city views, and one last chance to connect with new friends and colleagues.
Stick around, raise a glass, and end the conference on a high note! And don’t forget to wear GREEN.
Sponsored by:
Don’t pack up just yet - head upstairs and celebrate with us at The Overlook, the hotel’s rooftop pool deck, for a St. Patrick’s Day send-off you won’t want to miss. Enjoy festive drinks, great live music from trio band Tanglewood, city views, and one last chance to connect with new friends and colleagues.
Stick around, raise a glass, and end the conference on a high note! And don’t forget to wear GREEN.
Sponsored by: