On November 6, nearly 100 equipment finance and leasing professionals came together at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia for Monitor’s inaugural conference, Equipment Finance Disrupted+.

“We couldn’t have been more pleased with how our first conference turned out,” said Lisa Rafter, owner and publisher of Monitor. “By taking a deep dive into the concept of technology and disruption, we were able to provide important information and lively discussions to help our industry prepare for what’s ahead.”

Keynote speaker Deb Reuben, president of Reuben Creative, kicked things off with a speech focused on the ways companies can reorient themselves to learn about, follow the development of and prepare for upcoming technological developments and advances. Bill Verhelle, president of Innovation Finance, and Rafe Rosato, chief innovation officer at DLL, followed up with powerful presentations regarding innovation strategies from their respective perspectives as a start-up and an established 50-year-old organization.

The afternoon sessions continued with two Innovation Challenge panels which included lively discussions and Q&A sessions, featuring Steve Nelson of TD Equipment Finance; Don Bryson of Canon Financial Services; Michelle Speranza of LEAF Commercial Capital; Jeff Lezinski of Odessa; Yoshi Mua of MMedia; and Vanessa Flick of DLL.

Verhelle and Rosato then returned to the stage for a “fireside chat” where they elaborated on the topic of disruption and provided insights into their unique journeys on the road to innovation. To end the day, Reuben engaged the audience in an interactive discussion about the vulnerabilities of the equipment finance industry to disruption and the overall impact of new technology.

“This event met all of my expectations to be able to network with my peers and to have intelligent conversations about how this industry can be disrupted, along with what things are already happening to cause that disruption,” said Todd Madson, director of Business Development, TCF Financial.

Monitor plans to continue its conference series with more regional events, starting with a follow-up of its Disrupted+ theme in Southern California in February 2020. Companies interested in future sponsorship opportunities for a conference should contact Susie Angelucci at [email protected].