Equipment Finance Cares will host its Southern California event on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, at Mazo Capital Solutions’ office located in Irvine, CA.
“Equipment Finance Cares is excited to be back in Southern California,” Jesse Johnson, founder of Equipment Finance Cares, said. “We are grateful to Mazo Capital Solutions for hosting and to our sponsors for making these events possible.”
The event will kick off with a panel titled “The Human Side of Equipment Finance,” moderated by Brad Kissler of Vanguard Captive Management, and featuring Brij Patel, president of Alliance Funding Group; John Pfister, CEO of Mazo Capital; Chelsea Haines, chief operating officer of Regents Capital; and Ofer Horn, chief financial officer of Providence Capital Funding. The panel will explore leadership and company culture, the current state of the equipment finance industry and the challenges and opportunities around recruiting, developing and retaining the next generation of talent, drawing on real-world experiences from organizations navigating change and growth.
The event will also feature a 45-minute fireside chat with industry veteran Dan Krajewski, executive vice president of Mazo Capital Solutions, whose more than four decades in equipment finance span leadership roles at major institutions, independent finance companies and ongoing service to organizations including ELFA, NEFA and Equipment Finance Cares. Moderated by speaker and author Hilary Bilbrey of HB Inspires, the conversation will move beyond metrics and production to explore purpose, resilience and the human side of leadership. Krajewski will reflect on career-defining moments, lessons learned from setbacks, the difference between staying too long and leaving too soon and the responsibility seasoned leaders have to develop the next generation. The session is designed to be candid, thoughtful and deeply relevant.
Foundations highlighted at this event include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Chicago, Operation Open Water, Tam Ky Project, Warriors for Work and the McKenna Claire Foundation. Networking will conclude the day with a two-hour reception at Mazo Capital Solutions’ office.
“Mazo is honored to host Equipment Finance Cares here in Irvine,” Krajewski said. “Bringing people together to connect, share perspectives and support charitable organizations tied to the equipment finance industry is something we value deeply, and we are proud to support EF Cares and the work it does across the industry.”
