STRIPES Leadership Program celebrated the graduation of 20 equipment finance professionals on October 20 in Philadelphia. The graduates were recognized for completing a rigorous, six-month program involving a mix of transformational development, business curriculum, coaching, extensive industry networking and culminating with presentations showcasing their capstone projects.
The graduates include:
- Christy Bader — VP, SFG Auto, Truck & Specialty Vehicle Fleet Division, 1st Source Bank
- Ryan Bass — VP, Operations, Sales & Marketing Enablement, Navitas Credit Corp.
- Ashley Bradburn — Director of Partner Engagement, Alliance Funding Group
- Jess Brick — Director of Technology, Trans Lease
- Nick Bromberek — Regional Sales Manager, Crossroads
- Jeff Choi — Credit Officer, Wintrust Speciality Finance
- Scott Darchuk — SVP, Operations, MAZO Capital
- Frank Fiumara — VP, North America Debt & Asset Recovery, Mitsubishi HC Capital America, Inc.
- Shane French — Senior Account Manager, Healthcare, DLL
- Jenny Jarose — VP, Human Resources & Administration, LTi Technology Solutions
- Corey Kalinoski — Product Manager, Northteq
- Allison Larson — VP/CE Sales, RVI Group
- Michael McElroy — Director, OEM Partnerships, Oakmont
- Patrick Mikkelsen — VP, Risk Management, Mobilease
- Andrea Moreno — VP, North Mill Equipment Finance
- Jessica Schmidt — Regional Sales Manager, Channel
- Lilian Starr — Director – Servicing Operations, First Citizens Bank
- Todd Williams — VP, Lenovo Financial Services Program Manager (U.S.), First Citizens
- Hiroki Yagishita — Credit Officer, Wintrust Speciality Finance
- Lisa Yanskey — VP, Sales, Mobilease
The graduation brought together participants, managers, curriculum leaders and industry colleagues, both in person and virtually. Scott Weissmann, head of equipment finance sales at M&T Bank, delivered the keynote address.
Throughout the celebration, graduates described how STRIPES changed their understanding of leadership and their ability to make a difference within their organizations. By uncovering blind spots, interrupting self-sabotaging patterns and challenging limiting assumptions, participants created new possibilities for themselves, their teams and their businesses.
STRIPES combines a three-day in-person Transformational Leadership Launch with ongoing coaching, peer learning, executive roundtables, business workshops and capstone projects.
Led by Denis Stypulkoski and Ellen Comeaux, the workshops focus on leading and sustaining change, driving growth and efficiency and managing performance. Participants put what they’ve learned into practice through their capstone projects, expanding their ability to engage stakeholders, navigate resistance and translate their commitments into action.
The capstones demonstrated the connection between leadership development and business results, with projects focused on operational efficiency, employee development, cross-functional collaboration, technology adoption, growth and organizational change.
“These capstone presentations brought the impact of STRIPES to life,” Lisa Rafter, founder and CEO of STRIPES, said. “Participants demonstrated not only how much they’ve grown as leaders, but how they’re translating that growth into meaningful results for their teams and organizations.”
For Yanskey, integrity became a guiding principle in her capstone project and her work with employees and company leadership. She described how building trust and helping others succeed had become central to her own leadership journey.
“If you can develop yourself as one with integrity, others believe you, others follow you, others feel that you can create opportunities for them,” Yanskey said. “I have so many things that I can put into practice with what I’ve learned.”
Kalinoski described moving from repeatedly stepping in to solve immediate problems toward creating space for strategic work and developing others. He played a leadership role on a cross-functional team that strengthened collaboration across product, services, sales, marketing and customer success.
“We started to see each other in a new light and built new processes where we really worked together,” Kalinoski said.
For Yagishita, the program expanded his understanding of leadership as an individual contributor and helped him recognize the importance of intention, listening and presence in effective communication.
“Addressing what was in the way and removing that perspective has led to a lot of positive changes at my company,” he said.
The graduates’ reflections illustrated a central premise of STRIPES: leadership development becomes most valuable when it changes what leaders are able to see, do and create within their businesses.
In his keynote, Weissmann reinforced that connection, emphasizing a lifelong commitment to personal development, skill building and action. He challenged graduates to measure their leadership by the people they help develop into leaders and to carry the program’s impact into the next stage of their careers.
“Your team needs leaders who keep learning. Your customers need leaders who keep listening. And our industry needs leaders who keep developing,” Weissmann said.
The graduation concluded with the presentation of certifications and a welcome into the STRIPES alumni community from Val King, Broker Operations at NewLane Finance and a Cohort 2 graduate, and Jim Wall, director of sales, healthcare and fitness at PEAC Solutions and a Cohort 3 graduate. Through the alumni community, graduates can continue building relationships, supporting fellow leaders and extending the impact of their STRIPES experience throughout the industry.
STRIPES’ Fall cohort will begin on Nov. 4 with its Transformational Leadership Launch in Philadelphia.
