Want to know what it feels like to be part of the best conference organized for the small business finance industry, by the small business finance industry? You’re in luck! We’ve got a sneak peek into what you can expect by gathering in 2025 with fellow funders, brokers, industry thought leaders and policymakers alike for Funders Forum + Brokers Expo 2025.
Join us for a conference that will bring together funders, brokers, industry thought leaders and policymakers. We’re excited to extend this industry-leading conference to now include funders, law firms, credit card processors and debt collectors.
Funders Forum + Brokers Expo will feature engaging sessions led by a diverse group of the small business finance industry’s top CEOs, strategists and entrepreneurs on innovative financial technologies, best practices and advocacy. Attendees will also hear firsthand from policymakers and regulators, who will discuss Washington’s impact on small business funders.
The latest on key policy developments and hear directly from the policymakers who are shaping the future of the industry.
While attending the Funders Forum and Brokers Expo, we invite you to make the most of your time by staying at the event venue, the iconic Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, ensuring your experience is nothing short of exceptional. Your room or suite, designed for your comfort and convenience, provides a luxurious haven to unwind or host private meetings. Including poolside gatherings, fine dining, world-class entertainment, and a vibrant nightlife, this venue seamlessly blends business and leisure, promising an unforgettable experience. Book your room by following the link below.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, FL 33314
Phone: 1-866-502-7529
The answer is simple; the future. The future of small business is the backbone of America.
Funders Forum was first held in 2018 and the spirit from that flagship event remains as strong as ever. Now Funders Forum + Brokers Expo has evolved into the most unique conference in its field, supporting the very heart of America, our small business community and the funders and brokers that help them thrive. Each attendee not only has the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals, they have a chance to engage with the brains behind today’s small business funding policies and regulations. Most importantly, the proceeds from the weekend go toward the funding community itself to continue fighting for policies that will help make a difference for our funders, brokers, and especially the small business owners impacted by the funding community.
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. 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.
For more than 25 years, Deveron M. Gibbons has served as a strategic and tactical business leader and an advisor and counselor to governors, legislators, and members of Congress. He has also established himself as a creative force helping to shape the next generation of leaders, serving on the boards of trustees of two institutions of higher learning in his native Florida.
Funders Forum + Brokers Expo is the first conference organized for the small business finance industry, by the small business finance industry. It is an opportunity to engage with and learn from industry thought leaders and policy makers while networking with fellow funders from across the country. The Funders Forum + Brokers Expo will celebrate the small finance business industry and discuss solutions that will ensure a safe and transparent method for the small businesses in this country that need capital the most to access it.
Funders Forum + Brokers Expo is the first conference organized for the small business finance industry, by the small business finance industry. It is an opportunity to engage with and learn from industry thought leaders and policy makers while networking with fellow funders from across the country. The Funders Forum + Brokers Expo will celebrate the small finance business industry and discuss solutions that will ensure a safe and transparent method for the small businesses in this country that need capital the most to access it.
Funders Forum + Brokers Expo welcomes small business financers from across the country to Fort Lauderdale to learn from and network with some of the nation’s top small business industry thought leaders and policy makers.
This two-day program will provide you with the tools, strategies and best practices you need to successfully compete in today’s rapidly changing business environment.
Funders Forum + Brokers Expo will take place from March 4 to March 6, 2025.
Funders Forum + Brokers Expo will be hosted at Seminole Hardrock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Seminole Hardrock Hotel & Casino
1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, FL 33314
The dress code for Funders Forum + Brokers Expo is business casual. This includes the forum sessions as well as the networking events. We recommend bringing a sweater or dressing in layers because the conference room temperatures can fluctuate.
A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available. For sponsorship or exhibitor opportunities, contact info@thefundersforumbrokerexpo.com as soon as you can.
Please contact info@thefundersforumbrokerexpo.com for more information.
The event has a no-refund policy. However, ticket exchanges and name changes will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The Broker ticket option is exclusively available for those who are employed by a business financing Broker/ISO that is not a bank or those who are independent sales agents.
This option is not available to those who are employed by a direct lender or direct funder.
The Non-Broker option is available for interested parties that do not match the Broker ticket criteria.
A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available. Please click here to view our sponsorship levels. For sponsorship or exhibitor opportunities, contact info@thefundersforumbrokerexpo.com as soon as you can.
March 4-6 2025
Check-in and pick up your name badge and a backpack filled with swag to kick off the Funders Forum and Brokers Expo.
Located in the Salon East Foyer.
Join us for a lively poolside networking event to connect with fellow attendees and industry leaders.
Sponsored by:
Located at the DAER DayClub.
Details coming soon.
Start your day with a refreshing breakfast with your fellow industry professionals, Kosher options will be available throughout the Funders Forum and Brokers Expo to suit your preferences.
Located in the Sponsor Zone.
This session provides insights into the Revenue-Based Financing (RBF) industry, exploring current trends, future projections, and key developments as shared by leading experts in the field.
This session delves into topics such as financing strategies, investment banking trends, recent securitizations, new funding opportunities, and the path to establishing and expanding credit facilities.
This session explores the key upcoming regulations and compliance requirements impacting the RBF industry, including the CFPB’s 1071 data collection rule, California’s APR disclosure requirements, new debt collection regulations, and other forward-looking regulatory topics and potential risks.
Enjoy a delicious meal and network with fellow professionals during this lunch break.
Located in the Sponsor Zone
Join a panel of top attorneys to discuss revenue-based financing and the legal support for a paradigm shift. This session also discusses legal trends in litigation and the impact of regulatory developments.
Sponsored By:
This session examines the priorities of the Trump administration during the first 100 days of a potential second term, the administration’s policy focus, and how states are likely to respond to these initiatives.
This session explores the adoption and application of AI within the industry, examining how companies are integrating AI into their platforms, the challenges they face, and the opportunities it presents for innovation and growth.
Fireside chat with Mike Tyson moderated by Deveron Gibbons. A discussion about his life, his entrepreneurial spirit and his takeaways for the industry.
End of scheduled speaking events for the Funders Forum + Brokers Expo 2025, be sure to join us for the evening social.
Continue networking, enjoy drinks, and unwind at the evening social.
Located in the Sponsor Zone
Details coming soon.
Come gather and say farewell to your fellow conference attendees with a brunch and light entertainment.
Engaging and impactful content is only as strong as the venue it is presented in, that is why Funders Forum + Brokers Expo creates a full top notch experience down to the very last detail. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is home to over a dozen award-winning restaurants and bars, and expansive serene pool and endless entertainment opportunities. So don’t choose between an impactful conference and a getaway, choose both with our event.
Another year, another industry-leading experience everyone will be talking about. This year we will be heading to an incredible new venue to create incredible new experiences. Funders Forum + Brokers Expo will continue to grow and change the industry, and it will continue to be the event of the year everyone will be talking about. Don’t wait, lock in next year’s event at it’s low super early bird rate.
Mike Tyson is a larger-than-life legend in and out of the ring. With nicknames such as “Iron” Mike, Kid Dynamite, and The Baddest Man on the Planet, Tyson’s legacy is undisputed. One of the most feared boxers in the ring, his resume proves he is one of boxing’s greats. In addition to being the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, Tyson holds the record as the youngest boxer to
win the WBC, WBA, and IBF world heavyweight titles. He was also the first heavyweight boxer to hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles simultaneously. In 2011, Tyson was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame, and in 2013 he was inaugurated into the Las Vegas Hall of Fame.
Tyson’s enduring mass appeal owes not only to his incomparable athleticism but also to his huge personality and unrivaled showmanship. His ability to work a crowd extends far beyond the ring — Tyson’s career in entertainment spans everything from blockbuster movies (The Hangover and The Hangover 2), to documentaries. He has also toured nationally and internationally with his critically acclaimed Broadway one-man show Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, which additionally aired as an HBO special. After a successful run at the MGM Grand’s Hollywood Theater, The show debuted on Broadway under famed director Spike Lee, before a return to the MGM and a national tour.
In 2018, Mike began his newest venture as an entrepreneur, opening Tyson Ranch where he works to create cannabis-based products like Copper Gel to help alleviate pain. In addition to Tyson Ranch, his podcast HotBoxin’ (on which Tyson talks with some of the world’s greatest sports legends, actors, and more) has been listened to over 40 Million times. His expansive digital footprint reaches over 400 million people, and in 2019, Tyson accumulated over 1.4 billion impressions on social media.
Mike Tyson and Eros Innovations have launched Mike Tyson’s Legends Only League, a next-generation sports venture that provides full support and infrastructure to the world’s greatest athletes, bringing the best of the best back to the ring, onto the court, and back on the field. The league will span live sporting events including tennis, basketball, boxing, and more.
In 2020, Mike Tyson returned to the ring for the first time in 15 years and fought against Roy Jones Jr. in an eight-round exhibition fight on November 28th at The Staples Center in Los Angeles. The boxing match was highly viewed on pay-per-View and streamed on Triller PPV. Jamie Foxx signed on to executive produce and star in Tyson, an authorized biographical limited series about boxing legend Mike Tyson, directed and executive produced by Antoine Fuqua and executive produced by Martin Scorsese. Martin Scorsese will executive produce the series under his Sikelia Productions banner. Rick Yorn will executive produce on behalf of LBI Entertainment. Along with Rick Yorn, Ian Montone, Chuck Pacheco, and James Barnett will executive produce on behalf of LBI Entertainment. Sophie Watts and John Ryan Jr. will serve as executive producers on behalf of Mike Tyson’s Legends Only League. Mike Tyson and Kiki Tyson will also serve as executive producers on the series. Azim Spicer will serve as associate producer on behalf of the League. The series will span the life of one of the most legendary boxing figures of all time.
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.
Marco Rubio was born in 1971 in Miami, Florida as the son of two Cuban immigrants pursuing the American Dream. His father worked as a banquet bartender, while his mother split time as a stay-at-home mom and hotel maid. From an early age, Rubio learned the importance of faith, family, community, and dignified work to the good life.
Rubio was drawn to public service in large part because of conversations with his grandfather, who saw his homeland destroyed by communism. After meeting and marrying his wife Jeanette—and earning degrees from the University of Florida and the University of Miami Law School—Rubio served as a city commissioner in West Miami and Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.
In 2010, he won a seat in the U.S. Senate. During his first term, Senator Rubio experienced the Washington gridlock. Efforts at reform met tough resistance from extreme partisanship and an engrained elite establishment, both of which benefited from the status quo.
Senator Rubio also saw firsthand the communities the establishment had left behind: towns and cities devastated by the loss of dignified work and corroded by a culture that had forgotten the need for faith, family, and community. But those experiences didn’t discourage Senator Rubio—they only strengthened his determination to revive the American Dream for hardworking Americans.
Now in his third term, he continues to enact common-sense policies that create good jobs, strengthen communities, and protect Americans from the Chinese Communist Party. In addition to providing award-winning constituent service, Senator Rubio has authored hundreds of new laws, including some that are truly transformational. He led the effort to reform the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and provide health care benefits to veterans suffering from toxic burn pit exposure. He doubled the federal child tax credit for working families. He kept millions of small businesses afloat during the pandemic lockdowns, through the historic Paycheck Protection Program. And he secured generous funding for Everglades restoration efforts.
Senator Rubio also wrote and passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which represents the greatest turning point in U.S.-China relations in decades. For these achievements and more, the Center for Effective Lawmaking consistently ranks Rubio among the three most effective senators in Congress. Fighting partisan gridlock and elite complacency is never easy, but Senator Rubio is honored to serve his country and the people of Florida. Every day, he wakes up determined to make it easier for you and your family to pursue the American Dream. He will not stop until American politics is once again centered on common sense and the common good.
Elected by the people of Southwest Florida to Congress in 2020 and subsequently in 2022, Congressman Byron Donalds represents Florida’s 19th Congressional District. The 19th District encompasses parts of both Lee and Collier Counties along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
In the historic 118th Congress, Congressman Donalds is proud to serve as a member on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and House Financial Services Committee. Prior to becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Byron served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives where he was a champion for education reform and school choice, criminal justice reform, and more. Prior to public service, Byron worked in the finance industry for nearly two decades.
Byron and his wife, Erika, live in Naples, Florida with their three boys, Damon, Darin, and Mason.
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, merchant cash advance companies, and small business lenders establishing new programs and products, and conducts due diligence and compliance reviews of consumer lending and business financing portfolios.
Mary Donohue is the Executive Director for the Revenue Based Finance Coalition (RBFC). Before joining RBFC, Mary worked as a government relations specialist for CATALYST Government Affairs. At CATALYST, Mary managed various client portfolios in areas ranging from a variety of financial services issues to foster care policy in many states across the country as well as in Washington, DC. Her prior work also consists of developing and managing the federal and state public policy strategies 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 led 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.
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.
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.
David A. Picon is a seasoned litigator who has tried dozens of cases in various tribunals for financial services firms and public and private companies. David represents clients in complex commercial disputes in a wide range of matters, including complex securities issues, commodities and derivatives-related disputes, fraudulent transfer actions, alleged Ponzi schemes, and contract and employment-related disputes.
James Intermont is a Managing Director at Atalaya Capital Management LP, focused on private asset-backed investments in the Consumer and Commercial specialty finance space. Prior to joining Atalaya, he was a Vice President at Ares Management, and an Associate at Jefferies. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2009.
Bruce Miller joined Stephens in 2004 and co-heads the firm’s global Specialty Finance investment banking group. Bruce and his team advise public and private commercial and consumer finance companies on M&A transactions, equity and debt capital markets transactions, and other strategic advisory assignments. Since 2006, the Stephens’ Specialty Finance group has advised on more than 200 transactions with deal value exceeding $25.0 billion. Prior to his career in investment banking, Bruce was a corporate lawyer with Alston & Bird in Atlanta, where he counseled numerous public and private companies on M&A transactions, securities offerings and corporate finance matters. He graduated from N.C. State University with a degree in finance and earned his Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of the Board of Editors of the Wake Forest Law Review.
Mr. McNierney is an Executive Managing Director of Brean Capital and a member of the firm’s Operating Committee. Mr. McNierney previously was President & Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Gleacher & Company, Inc. Prior to that, he was CEO and Head of Investment Banking for Broadpoint, the predecessor of Gleacher & Company. Earlier in his career, he was a Managing Director in the Healthcare and Communications Technology investment banking groups at Robertson Stephens & Company and a Vice President in the Healthcare investment banking group at Smith Barney, Harris, Upham & Co., Inc. During his 23 year career, Mr. McNierney has been involved in several hundred equity and debt public offerings, private placements and merger & acquisition and strategic advisory assignments for public and private companies in a diverse range of industries. Mr. McNierney obtained his BA and JD/MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. He holds Series 7, 24, 63, 79 & 99 licenses.
Mr. Papademetriou is a founder of Middlemarch Partners and co-leads the firm’s merchant banking and investing efforts. He has spent over 28 years investing, advising, and operating high-growth financial business services companies across the payments, specialty lending, capital markets, and insurance sectors.
Mr. Papademetriou is an active investor and advisor to financial services companies with a particular focus on financial technology opportunities, having raised over $1.6B for clients. Because of his operating and financial experience, he also serves as a board member for a number of Middlemarch Capital Partners’ portfolio companies. Prior to founding Middlemarch, he was a Director at Knight Capital Group, a global trading firm, where he was responsible for originating, evaluating, and executing strategic investment opportunities and M&A with the mortgage-backed securities, equities, foreign exchange, and derivatives desks both in the US and in Europe.
He also served as the Head of Strategy and Corporate Development for CashEdge, Inc., a financial services transaction and risk management software company, where he focused on capital raising, M&A, and new product development. CashEdge was sold to Fiserv (FISV) for $465M in 2011. Earlier in his career, Demetris worked at Swiss Re Capital Partners, the $5B AUM Merchant Banking and Private Equity division of Swiss Re.
Jim Granat is a President of Small Business Lending at OnDeck, America’s largest online small business lender. In his role, he is responsible for bringing easy-to-access working capital to more small businesses in the U.S. as well as driving strategic partnerships. With a decade of experience in online marketplaces and lending in both the consumer and small business industries, Jim previously served as President at Lendio and as Chief Operating Officer at FDI Management. He holds his BA in accounting and finance from Arizona State University. While at ASU, Jim was a member of the golf team, and he later played professionally.
Andrew Smith is a Partner at Covington & Burling in Washington, DC. He counsels banks, non-banks, and financial technology providers on consumer financial services issues, including privacy, UDAP, credit reporting, fair lending, payments, and internet delivery of financial services. He has testified frequently before Congress on these issues, and regularly represents clients before the FTC and CFPB in law enforcement and rulemaking proceedings. Between 2018 and 2021 he was the Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, and he is a former Chairman of the American Bar Association’s Consumer Financial Services Committee.
Brad is the Co-Founder and Chairman of The Fundworks, LLC, a software-enabled alternative lender, based in Los Angeles. He is also a Partner of Rivonia Road Capital, an alternative investment firm focused on the financial services industry. Before co-founding The Fundworks, Brad sourced, structured and oversaw private equity investments for Lightyear Capital, an investment firm that acquires financial services businesses including banks, insurance companies and specialty finance firms. Brad started his career as an investment banking analyst at Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown. He holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and an AB from Stanford University.
Robert (“Bob”) Gage is a partner in Hudson Cook’s Michigan office.
Bob’s practice focuses on a wide range of issues affecting consumer and commercial financial services. He frequently speaks and writes on issues affecting consumer and commercial financial services.
Bob regularly represents clients who provide financing to small and medium size businesses in the form of loans, credit sales, leasing, factoring and revenue-based financing.
He regularly helps banks, finance companies, and other providers of funds establish new programs and products, reviews, drafts and negotiates contracts and related documents, and advises on recharacterization risk, regulatory compliance, and legal risk management.
Bob is a member of the Alternative Finance Bar Association.
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.
Mr. Fuentes, of Cuban descent, received his degree in Business Administration from Iona College, located in New Rochelle, New York. After graduating, he began his career as an Investment Associate with Merrill Lynch from 1990-1992. For the next six years, Mr. Fuentes continued his career on Wall Street as an Investment Banker. Then in 1999, he joined the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce as a Membership Specialist focused on the Hispanic market. During this time, Mr. Fuentes recognized the need for an organization exclusively dedicated to the Hispanic business market, and thus, he founded the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
He formerly served on the Step Up for Students’s Governance Board, the Board of Directors for Florida Kidcare, Chairman of Latin CEO, appointed by Former Gov. Charlie Crist as Commissioner for A Blueprint for Juvenile Justice Reform, served on Gov. Rick Scott’s Education Transition Team, and appointed by former Presidential Candidate Gov. Mitt Romney’s Education Policy Committee. In 2018 Influence Magazine named Mr. Fuentes as one of the top 100 most influential people in Florida politics.
Mr. Fuentes resides in Wellington, Florida with his wife and two kids, Nicholas and Gabriella.
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.
Alexis Shapiro is the Senior Vice President & General Counsel of Forward Financing, where she oversees all legal functions of the Company.
Prior to joining Forward Financing in April 2018, Alexis was a partner at the Boston-based law firm Goodwin Procter, where she advised companies and their officers and directors on strategies for avoiding liability and complex business disputes, with a particular emphasis in the financial services industry. Prior to Goodwin, Alexis was an attorney at Skadden Arps in New York City. Alexis is a board member of the Alternative Finance Bar Association (AFBA), an attorney-based organization that serves as a resource to its attorney members concerning current legal issues in the field of alternative finance.
Originally from New Jersey, Alexis graduated from Colgate University with a Bachelor of Arts, and from Boston College Law School with a Juris Doctorate. She currently resides in the Boston area with her family.
