International Factoring Association Announces NEXGEN Award Recipients
San Luis Obispo, CA, March 31, 2026 – The International Factoring Association (IFA), in conjunction with the IFA NEXGEN Committee, have announced the winners of the 2026 NEXGEN Awards. The annual awards celebrate talented individuals who have significantly impacted their companies and the factoring industry. The recipients will be honored at the IFA Annual Conference on May 6th in Nashville, TN, where their achievements will be celebrated in front of industry peers and leaders.
The award recipients include:
NEXGEN Rising Star – Kait Martin, Dune Funding
Kait Martin believes that access to capital should be clear, practical, and built around how a business actually operates, not the other way around. She brings that mindset into her work at Dune Funding, where she focuses on helping small to medium sized businesses solve cash flow challenges and turn cash flow into a tool for growth. At Dune Funding, Kait has played a key role in building the company’s factoring operations from the ground up, while also driving new business development. Her path into alternative lending has been hands-on and experience driven, shaping a practical approach that prioritizes clarity, speed, and real-world application over unnecessary complexity. She works closely with business owners and operators to structure funding solutions that align with their goals and is known for her straightforward style and strong client relationships. Kait is passionate about helping business owners feel confident in their financial decisions and turn stronger cash flow into sustainable, long-term growth.
NEXGEN Leader – Jonathan Leopold, Single Point Capital
Jonathan Leopold joined Single Point Capital in 2019, a family-owned invoice factoring company specializing in funding small to medium-sized companies in the transportation industry. In his role, Jonathan leads the senior management team and drives strategic direction with a focus on sustainable growth, operational excellence, and long-term value creation. Prior to joining Single Point Capital, Jonathan worked as a field engineer at Halliburton, where he managed hydraulic fracturing operations in the Permian Basin. He is an active member of the International Factoring Association (IFA) and supports the V Foundation through volunteer efforts to raise funds for cancer research. Jonathan earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from Clemson University, and his M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance from the University of Notre Dame. He currently lives in Houston, and outside of work enjoys traveling, playing golf and spending time with his family.
NEXGEN Innovator – Mauricio Vergara, Kapwork
Mauricio Vergara is the CEO and co-founder of Kapwork. He's spent most of his career watching late payments hurt businesses. First, while running his own small business, and then at Google, he watched creators struggle to grow because money owed to them didn't arrive on time. The receivables market has systemic verification risk. Every major fraud case, Greensill, Stenn, First Brands follows the same script. Invoices that were never verified. Capital deployed against assets that weren't real. Kapwork is building the infrastructure to fix that. Kapwork is co-founded with Pete Thomas, also co-founder of C2FO. Since the age of 14, Mauricio has been involved with Fundave, a foundation that gives children with visual disabilities access to education and opportunity.
NEXGEN Powerhouse – Charena O’Dell, Triumph
Charena O’Dell is an operations and account resolutions leader with nearly a decade of experience rooted in both the transportation and financial services industries. She began her career in trucking as a dispatcher and shipping supervisor, gaining firsthand experience in the fast-paced world of logistics, customer coordination, and day-to-day operational execution. This early exposure gave her a unique perspective that she later carried into the factoring industry. Since joining Triumph, Charena has held multiple roles across client experience and account resolutions, ultimately progressing into her current position as Account Resolutions Manager. Throughout her tenure, she has been recognized for her ability to assess operational gaps, introduce structured improvements, and implement training and process standards that enhance team performance and departmental consistency. With a proven record of operational enhancement and team development, Charena is recognized as a dependable and results-oriented leader within the financial services sector.
NEXGEN Ally – Marija Nickic, Kreig Devault LLP
Marija Nicksic is a Senior Associate in the Chicago office of Krieg DeVault LLP. Her practice focuses in the areas of secured transactions ranging from the purchase and sale of accounts receivables to asset-based lending and real estate financing. Ms. Nicksic has experience in factoring transactions, asset-based loans, energy project financing, and general real estate services. This experience includes the drafting of factoring documents, including purchase agreements, guaranties, and landlord/warehouseman waivers, as well as the drafting and negotiation of asset-based lending documents such as loan agreements and subordination agreements. In addition, Ms. Nicksic is an active participant in the Midwest Chapter of the International Factoring Association (IFA).
The IFA NEXGEN Committee managed the requirements, submissions, and deadlines for the awards, ensuring a fair and transparent process.
IFA NEXGEN is an inclusive and engaging group designed specifically for young professionals who want to stay ahead of the curve and thrive in the commercial finance industry. It is a vibrant and dynamic community that brings together the brightest and most ambitious minds at the early stages of their careers.
For more information on the awards, visit www.factoring.org/nexgenawards.