Meet the 2026 NEXGEN Award Recipients

The International Factoring Association, in collaboration with the NEXGEN Committee, is proud to recognize the winners of the 2026 NEXGEN Awards, professionals who are helping shape the future of the factoring industry through innovation, leadership, and impact.

This year’s recipients represent a range of roles and accomplishments across five categories: Rising Star, Innovator, Powerhouse, Leader, and Ally. Each award reflects a unique area of excellence—from early career impact to trailblazing ideas and unwavering support of peers.

We look forward to celebrating their achievements at the 32nd Annual Factoring Conference.

2026 NEXGEN Award Recipients:

• Kait Martin, Director of Operations & Accounting, Dune Funding – NEXGEN Rising Star

• Mauricio Vergara, CEO & Co-Founder, Kapwork – NEXGEN Innovator

• Jonathan Leopold, President, Single Point Capital – NEXGEN Leader 

• Charena O'Dell, Account Resolutions Manager, Triumph – NEXGEN Powerhouse

• Marija Nickic, Senior Associate, Krieg DeVault LLP – NEXGEN Ally

We spoke with each recipient about their journey into factoring, the lessons that have shaped their careers, and how they view the future of the industry. Each recipient’s path into factoring is different, but a common thread quickly emerges: the ability to make a real, tangible impact.

What initially drew you into factoring? What excited you about it?

Kait: I came into factoring by complete chance, but it quickly became a natural fit. I’ve spent much of my career working with small businesses, so I’ve already seen how challenging cash flow can be, even for strong, well-run companies.

What drew me in was how factoring directly addresses that challenge. It’s not theoretical or abstract, you can see the impact almost immediately. A business goes from feeling constrained to having the flexibility to take on new opportunities and operate from a position of strength.

What really stood out to me, and still is one of my favorite parts of the industry, is how relationship-driven it is. Factoring isn’t just about funding invoices; it’s about understanding each business, how it operates, and where it’s trying to go. You become a consistent partner in that growth. No two situations are exactly alike, which keeps the work engaging and, more importantly, meaningful.

Jonathan: I was initially drawn to the specialty finance industry through my father, who introduced me to the family business after graduating from business school. What immediately appealed to me was the challenge of structuring creative financing solutions for high-growth businesses that didn’t always fit traditional lending models. I enjoyed the analytical side—assessing risk, understanding cash flow dynamics, and building customized capital solutions that supported expansion.

Charena: I was initially drawn into factoring because it felt like the perfect bridge between two worlds I already understood – transportation and financial services. Coming from a trucking background, I knew firsthand how much cash flow impacts a carrier’s ability to operate. When I learned more about factoring, what excited me most was how directly it supports businesses behind the scenes. Factoring isn’t just financial—it’s operational. It keeps trucks moving, payroll covered, and businesses stable. I liked the fact that it was fast-paced, problem-solving driven, and required both relationship management and strategic thinking.

While their paths into factoring differ, each recipient has faced defining moments that shaped how they lead today.

What’s one challenge you’ve faced in your career, and what did it teach you that still guides you today?

Charena: One of the biggest challenges I faced in my career was stepping into leadership while also helping rebuild structure within a fast-moving department. Managing performance is one thing, but implementing consistent training, setting standards, and rebuilding expectations across a large team requires trust, patience, and discipline.

That experience taught me that leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice – it’s about being consistent. It also taught me that people thrive when expectations are clear, training is strong, and accountability is fair. That lesson still guides me every day: if you want sustainable success, you have to build systems that support both the business and the people.

Marija: Factoring differs from other forms of secured financing—particularly real estate financing—primarily because of the nature of the collateral. In real estate transactions, the collateral is easily identifiable and generally presents relatively low risk. Financing based on accounts receivable, by contrast, requires a shift in perspective. The focus is not only on identifying and mitigating risk, but on doing so efficiently within the context of a fast‑paced transaction.

Kait: One challenge I’ve faced is navigating situations where a deal makes sense on paper but doesn’t in practice, whether due to misaligned expectations or gaps in information.

Early in my career, I was more focused on getting deals done. Over time, I realized that clarity upfront is more important. Taking the time to ask better questions and set clear expectations prevents a lot of friction later.

That experience still guides how I approach my work today. I’m more intentional about communication and more focused on long-term outcomes rather than short-term wins. I’ve learned that trust is built through transparency and consistency, not just closing deals.

For those entering the industry, their advice reflects both practical experience and a deep understanding of what drives success.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into the industry?

Charena: My advice would be to learn the “why” behind the work, not just the daily tasks. Factoring is an industry built on relationships, urgency, and trust. If you take the time to understand how trucking operates, why customers rely on cash flow, and how collections impacts both risk and client retention, you’ll stand out quickly.

Also, don’t underestimate the value of communication. The people who succeed in factoring are the ones who can stay professional under pressure, problem-solve quickly, and treat every interaction as an opportunity to build credibility.

Mauricio: Talk to the businesses using the facilities. Not just the specialty finance teams. Sit with a borrower who's waiting 90 days on a receivable and hear what that does to their operations. That's where you learn what this industry actually solves and where it falls short.

Talk to brokers too. They sit between borrowers and funders every day. They understand the full ecosystem better than almost anyone because they see both sides of every deal. They'll tell you what's working, what's broken, and where the opportunities are.

Then spend real time with risk teams. Study fraud cases in detail. Greensill, Stenn, First Brands. Understanding what went wrong in each one teaches you more about what this industry needs than any textbook. The risk teams are the ones who catch the patterns. They know where the vulnerabilities are.

And don't be afraid to come from outside. I came from tech. My co-founder Pete came from fintech. We brought a different perspective on what infrastructure should look like. The industry is ready for new approaches. But you have to earn the right to propose them by first understanding how things work today and why they work that way.

Jonathan: My advice to someone looking to get into the factoring industry is to prioritize building relationships early on. Network with experienced factoring professionals, learn from their insights, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. This is a relationship-driven business, and who you know—and how you engage with them—matters.

I’d also strongly recommend attending industry events like the International Factoring Association conference. It’s a great opportunity to connect with leaders in the space, stay current on industry trends, and gain a deeper understanding of how the business operates.

Who in your life (ex. mentor, coach) has made the biggest impact on your career? How have they pushed you to excel in factoring?

Marija: I am very fortunate to work with Laurie Montplaisir, Esq., who brings a wealth of experience in the factoring industry and is also the founder of the Midwest Chapter of the IFA. She has led by example in demonstrating the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships within the industry. Through her, I was introduced to the IFA and had the opportunity to meet many industry leaders. She also taught me the importance of supporting the legal needs of factors throughout the entire lifecycle of a factoring transaction. These needs can include leasing, employment matters, regulatory changes, and, at times, litigation. While I may not be able to address all of these needs on my own, we have established a strong network of experienced attorneys at Krieg DeVault who can.

Jonathan: A key professional mentor in my career has been Jonathan Morris, who has played an instrumental role in my leadership development. Beyond providing tactical guidance on structuring deals and managing risk, he consistently emphasized the importance of leading with clarity and accountability. One of the most valuable lessons he taught me was that leadership is less about having all the answers and more about setting a clear vision, empowering the right people, and making disciplined decisions under pressure. He also reinforced the importance of integrity and consistency. His mentorship has shaped how I approach both strategic growth initiatives and day-to-day team management, and it continues to influence how I develop others within the organization.

Kait: One of the biggest influences on my career has been a mentor I was introduced to early on and still work with today. When Dune Funding was just an idea and they needed someone to help make it a reality, she said, “I know a girl,” and that was me. She brought me in with the belief that I could help build the company from the ground up.

That moment stayed with me. It was more than an opportunity; it was a vote of confidence that pushed me to take ownership, learn quickly, and grow into responsibilities I might not have taken on otherwise.

I’ve also learned from mentors across the factoring space who have been generous with their knowledge and perspective. They’ve challenged me to think more critically and helped shape how I approach both the technical and relationship sides of the business.

What does it mean to you to be a NEXGEN award recipient?

Jonathan: Being a NEXGEN award recipient means a great deal to me. I’m very proud of the recognition—it reflects not just my individual efforts, but also the support, mentorship, and opportunities I’ve had along the way. To me, this award represents a commitment to growth, leadership, and making a meaningful impact in our industry. It’s both an honor and a motivator to continue raising the bar.

Kait: Being a NEXGEN award recipient is incredibly special, especially because it reflects not just individual effort, but the people and experiences that have shaped my career along the way. More than anything, it motivates me to keep growing; both in how I support clients and how I contribute to the industry.

Marija: I’m honored. It has been a very rewarding experience to meet and work with so many people through the IFA, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to promote the work we do within the factoring industry.

Charena: Being a NEXGEN award recipient is both an honor and a responsibility. To me, it represents more than recognition – it reflects the work I’ve put into growing as a leader, developing others, and improving operations in a way that creates long-term impact.

It’s meaningful because factoring is an industry that often works behind the scenes, yet it plays such an important role in keeping businesses running. This award motivates me to keep raising the standard, continue building strong teams, and contribute to the future of the industry in a bigger way.

Mauricio: I take it as a responsibility first. The NEXGEN label means the industry expects you to deliver. That's motivating.

For years, I've been having the same conversations with people across the industry about verification. Hundreds of them. The response was usually some version of "we lose some every year, cost of doing business" or "we just call the debtor, that's how it works." Fraud was a line item factors budgeted for, not a problem they thought could be solved.

But those conversations are different now. The same people who said "that's how it works" are starting to ask how it could work better. As long as the industry relies on self-attested data, it's exposed. You're verifying a receivable by asking someone who has every incentive to misrepresent it. And with AI generating fake invoices and spoofing debtor confirmations, the risk is accelerating.

Pete and I built Kapwork to replace self-attested data with debtor-verified proof. Getting recognized by the IFA tells me the industry is taking verification seriously. This award gives us credibility in those conversations.

Technology is reshaping the factoring landscape, but not without nuance.

As a NEXGEN leader, how do you see the factoring industry growing in the couple of years especially with new developments in technology?

Mauricio: I see a wave of new entrants. Look at what happened with professional services. AI created openings for new players to disrupt established firms by doing the same work faster and cheaper. The same thing is starting in non-banking financial services. And here's the other side of it: a lot of fintechs that built software businesses are realizing they need to monetize through capital rails because AI is compressing the value of software itself. That means more companies looking at receivables finance as a business model, which will bring competition but also innovation.

The factors who will thrive are the ones who embrace better data. Right now, every factor does its own verification. That work gets duplicated across the industry thousands of times. A shared infrastructure layer for verified receivables would change the economics entirely. Funders would spend less time and money on manual checks and more time deploying capital and pricing according to risk.

If we can reduce fraud risk and improve operational efficiency through better verification, I believe factors will be willing to issue facilities at more favorable terms. That means faster access to capital for the businesses that need it. And faster access means more businesses use factoring, which grows the market for everyone.

Jonathan: I believe the biggest opportunity for innovation in specialty finance over the next five years is leveraging AI to automate operations and underwriting. Real-time data monitoring will allow factors to better manage portfolios, spotting trends and risks as they happen rather than after the fact.

I also see a growing opportunity for clients to self-fund their businesses, using smarter, more flexible financing solutions that adapt to their cash flow in real time. As technology continues to advance, these innovations will also enable near-instant access to capital, allowing businesses to unlock and deploy funds exactly when they need them, rather than waiting through traditional approval and funding timelines.

Marija: The growth of AI is both exciting and increasingly useful in the factoring industry. While I personally use AI to improve efficiency in my work, I would caution factors against over‑reliance on it. Many attorneys are seeing a rise in issues stemming from incorrect information generated by AI. It is important to remember that, although AI is a valuable tool, it is not a replacement for human judgment or decision‑making. This is especially true in areas where professional advice is traditionally relied upon, such as accounting and the legal field.

How do you want to leave your mark on the industry?

Kait: For me, it comes down to how clients feel after working with us. I want to be known for doing things the right way; being transparent, following through, and actually helping businesses move forward, not just closing deals. If clients walk away feeling like they had a true partner in their corner, that matters more to me than anything else.

On a broader level, I’d like to play a small part in making the industry more approachable and better understood. Factoring can be incredibly helpful when it’s done right, and I think there’s a HUGE opportunity to improve how it’s perceived.

Charena: I want to leave my mark by helping build stronger operational foundations—training programs, leadership development, and process improvements that make teams more consistent and effective. I’ve always been passionate about structure and accountability because those are the things that allow organizations to scale successfully.

Marija: The factoring industry has undergone many changes in recent years, including the promulgation of new regulations as well as the increased use of AI. I would like to be at the forefront of these developments so that I can provide current and accurate counsel to factors as they navigate these shifts in the industry.

Long-term, I want to be known as someone who helped raise the standard in factoring operations and collections by focusing on clarity, performance, and sustainable improvement. I also want to continue supporting the next generation of leaders, because investing in people is what ultimately strengthens the industry as a whole.

The 2026 NEXGEN Award recipients represent not only the future of the factoring industry, but the evolving standards of leadership, innovation, and partnership that will define it. The IFA is proud to recognize their contributions and looks forward to their continued impact in the years ahead.