Test 2
Maddie Gainza leads partner marketing at Esper, working daily across OEMs, VARs, MSPs, and distributors — a cross-ecosystem view that most board candidates simply don’t have. She brings a PR degree from WSU, a Master’s in Communication Management from USC, and a career built on growing communities and telling stories that move people.
Her platform: amplify the channel’s story so the next generation finds their way in, and build programming around what this community already does better than anyone — competing with courage and collaborating generously.
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Jerry Abiog is the CEO and Co-founder of Standard Insights, a predictive analytics/AI software development company started in 2018. He has given talks, both nationally and internationally, on how companies can leverage their data for a competitive advantage and has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, Atlanta Business Chronicle, and RFID Journal. Jerry’s goal is to educate companies to play chess with their AI initiatives, focusing on implementing AI solutions for the long term rather than checkers, which only focus on short-term reactive moves.
Jason Diaz is founder and CEO of Bodega AI, an AI-first operating platform for independent retailers. His 30-year career spans payments infrastructure, transportation technology, and AI-native business building. He built TaxiPass, enabling mobile point of sale for 30,000+ taxi operators nationwide. He began his career as a strategic consultant at Monitor Company (now Deloitte) and holds an honors degree from the Wharton School of Business. Jason brings operator-level experience at the intersection of payments, technology, and independent commerce, exactly where RSPA members live every day.
After more than a decade as a software reseller and ISO, Travis transitioned into the ISV space, bringing with him a strong servant-leadership mindset. Today, he leads a team of exceptional people leaders at LINGA, focusing on growth, performance, and customer success. Outside of work, Travis enjoys playing golf and going to the movies.
Allie Haskell is Vice President of Brand and Marketing at CBS NorthStar, current RSPA Software Vendor Board Member, and recipient of the 2024 RSPA Woman of the Year award. With a background spanning support, sales, implementation, marketing and leadership, she brings a real-world perspective and a passion for helping people succeed. Allie is known for building connections, elevating voices, and creating momentum across the industry. She believes the strength of the RSPA community comes from the people behind the work and is committed to helping shape a stronger, more connected future for the channel.
Mahdi Hussein is the Founder and CEO of SuperSonic POS, an operator-built retail technology platform serving local convenience stores, grocery, liquor, restaurant, and specialty retailers nationwide.
With a background rooted in retail, Mahdi built SuperSonic POS to help independent businesses access enterprise technology without enterprise complexity. Under his leadership, the company has expanded to over 3500 stores through innovations in payments, AI-driven tools, loss prevention, and all-in-one commerce solutions designed to help merchants run faster, smarter, and more profitably.
Stephanie is a channel development and marketing leader with experience across the retail technology ecosystem, including roles with an MSP, distributor, and manufacturer. As Director of Channel Development at SpacePole, she focuses on partner engagement, reseller growth, and strategic marketing initiatives within the retail and hospitality IT channel. Stephanie has been actively involved with the RSPA for over a decade through committees, leadership programs, and industry events. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, sports, great food, and making meaningful connections with people across the industry and beyond.
Till grew up in Dresden, Germany. During his high school years, he developed a strong passion for software development and computer science. In 2006, he joined Combase AG, which was founded by his father, Thomas Freier, in 1994. He quickly took a leading role in the development of the cloud-based point of sale and back-office, KORONA POS. In 2012, he relocated to the United States to lead COMBASE USA in its efforts to bring KORONA POS to the North American market. Today, KORONA POS serves thousands of businesses across the United States and Canada and continues to grow.
For over two decades, I’ve dedicated my career to driving innovation in the Point of Sale and hospitality technology sectors. As the Co-founder and Vice President of Essential Systems Solutions (ESS), I have focused on delivering robust, cutting-edge POS and payment solutions that empower businesses to streamline operations and enhance the customer experience. My passion for shaping the future of retail and hospitality technology also extends to my work on the RSPA Board of Directors, where I collaborate with industry leaders to guide market trends, foster channel growth, and champion the next generation of secure, seamless payment integration.
Lora Coggins, a respected industry leader in the channel community, with more than 40 years of experience in retail technology and POS ecosystem.
She currently serves as Senior Sales Alliance Partner Manager for North America at Diebold Nixdorf, where she focuses on strategic growth and channel partner collaboration. Recognized for her 25-year tenure at Toshiba. A dedicated member of the RSPA community, she has participated in 24 RetailNOW, 10 INSPIRE events and has previously served as board member. Lora is passionate about advancing innovation, education, and next-generation initiatives across the RSPA reseller community. Looking forward to serving our great community.
Payments industry executive with 29 years of experience building, scaling, and leading high-growth organizations across the fintech industry, serving both issuing and acquiring sectors. Don has held several senior leadership roles supporting publicly traded companies, driving revenue expansion, operational execution, strategic partnerships, and national sales growth. Over the last seven years, Don has leveraged that enterprise experience as an independent executive, advising businesses on payments innovation, risk management, customer acquisition, and operational strategy. Known for aligning vision with execution, he brings a practical, board-level perspective focused on sustainable growth, governance, leadership development, innovation and long-term stakeholder value.
Kate Orara, Channel Account Manager at Elo Touch Solutions, brings more than 20 years of channel experience working with resellers, manufacturers, distributors, and partners across the retail technology industry. She has served on the RSPA Board of Directors since 2024 and is passionate about mentorship, partner growth, and strengthening the future of the RSPA. Kate has been actively involved in RSPA communities including WIT and NextGen and is a strong advocate for the RSPA Scholarship Program. She is committed to helping the association continue to grow its impact and value for members across the industry.
Chantelle Benesh is a senior marketing and business growth leader with deep expertise across Cyber, SaaS, and Fintech. Known for driving strategic brand elevation and revenue impact, she currently leads marketing initiatives for LANDI Global in North America. Chantelle has built a career, with companies like Verifone, Dell Technologies, First Data (FISERV) and Mastercard, shaping go to market strategies, strengthening partner ecosystems, and delivering measurable business outcomes. A longtime advocate for women in technology, she previously served on the WIT Connect Committee and was recognized on the 2023 CRN Women of the Channel list. She brings a passion for innovation, collaboration, and empowering teams to excel.
| Saturday – August 1, 2020 | |
|---|---|
| RSPA Board Meeting | 9:00A – 5:00P |
| Implementing an Effective Sales Management Program Key Components to Driving Results and Productivity of Sales Teams Download Video Download Audio Only |
Dave Menton |
| Learning From Another’s Forensic Engagement Download Video Download Audio Only | Adam Perella |
| Meet the Modern Marketer: Content Marketing Key Concepts Download Video Download Audio Only | Mark Fraker and James Korte |
| Things You Can Do Right NOW to Improve the Value of Your Business Download Video Download Audio Only | Tom Bronson |
Leadership in You -If You Don’t Prioritize Your Development No One WillDownload VideoDownload Audio OnlyKathy Meader and Shannon Reichart
| Breakouts | |
|---|---|
| Balancing Retail, Hospitality and Security (Slides Unavailable) Download Video Download Audio Only | Michael Weaver |
| Blocking Breaches with Blockchain Download Video Download Audio Only | Dee Duncan |
| Cloud or Client Server – A Winning Recipe For Each Download Video Download Audio Only | Bob Bauer |
| Credit Card Processing 101 – Winning Strategies for the Convergence of Industries Download Video Download Audio Only | Dan Brattland |
| Innovating as an SMB Reseller Download Video Download Audio Only | Alan Outlaw |
| Keeping Your Top Talent Download Video Download Audio Only | Chelsey Paulson |
| Positioning VAR Businesses for SMB Success Download Video Download Audio Only | Jeff Riley and Chris Rumpf |
| The Challenge of Implementing Saas Download Video Download Audio Only | Andrew Warker |
| The Voice of the Customer Download Video Download Audio Only | Ansley Hoke |
| Unlocking the Hidden Value of Recurring Revenue Download Video Download Audio Only | Chad Carr |
Sales Management: Fundamentals of managing sales deployment, process, forecasting and compensation.
Sales, Marketing & Customer Service: Portfolio expansion (adding to tech stack), How to find & retain customers
Executive Education: Business Management, Operations and/or Culture.
Express Education (These are short, 10–12-minute presentations followed by Q&A): Suggested topics include: Emerging Technologies, Security, Leadership, Sales
ISV Education: Channel Development, Strategies for Partnerships
Other: Please describe any session you are proposing that does not fit into one of the categories above.
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Each applicant is required to submit a Scholarship Application Essay. This is a two-page, double-spaced paper, which cannot be handwritten. Submit your essay by uploading a text file with your other materials. Your essay should be written and edited by you. RSPA will review all essays for potential use of AI and other writing tools as a substitute for the student’s original work.
Please choose one of the following topics below for your essay:
TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR ESSAY SUBMISSION:
The essay should show original and serious thinking on the part of the applicant and should demonstrate the applicant’s ability to express those thoughts clearly and accurately. A third page may be added to cite sources if quotes, purported facts, etc. are used. The essay should be coherent; it should have a clear beginning, middle and end. Begin by introducing the topic and set forth the boundaries of the subject. Do not be vague or too expansive. Instead, be specific and well-disciplined. You may want to follow these steps in preparing your essay:
Outline your essay. Write a rough draft and review it by asking yourself such questions as: Is it clear? Are questions raised by this essay left unanswered? Is the topic clearly defined? Are the ideas well developed? Are the ideas concrete?
Finalize your essay, asking yourself these questions: Is this precise or too general? Is it concise or does it ramble? Have I used grammar properly? Is this essay persuasive? Are the quotes accurate? Are the facts valid? Are my thoughts and conclusions well organized?
The RSPA Academy proudly presents our second Regional Education Event being held on Tuesday, May 7th in Tampa, Florida. Join RSPA and sponsor EVO Payments, for a 1 day, on-site workshop like no other event in the industry. Agenda topics include:
Hosted by EVO Payments at their headquarters in Tampa, FL and led by RSPA’s VP of Sales, Dave Menton and VP of Education, Kathy Meader, this interactive workshop event will help you think about change and transformation in your sales organization. Join your colleagues as they share best practices around:
Registration will open at 9:30 AM. The workshop will be held from 10:00 am – 3:30 pm and lunch will be provided for all attendees. Seats are limited, so click here to register today!
Registration is complimentary for Current RSPA Members. For lasped and non-member companies:
| $50 | 1 individual* |
| $75 | 2 individuals of the same company* |
| $100 | 3+ individuals of the same company (best value)* |
*Cost will be credited towards renewal or new membership fees if activated within 30 days of the event.
Join us as we review the lessons we learned from forensics investigations in 2018. Dave Ellis, SecurityMetrics’ VP of Investigations (PFI, GCIH, CISSP, QSA), also gives his forensic predictions for 2019 to help you strengthen your organization’s defense. Dave is also joined by John Bartholomew, SecurityMetrics’ SVP of Technology (PCIP), for a Q&A session where they answer questions about data security and breaches.
Let’s face it. Our most valuable resources walks out of our offices at the end of each workday…that resource is our people. The question every leader should ask themselves is “Have I done enough today to ensure they come back tomorrow?” Join Paul and Shannon for the 1st part of this 2-Part session that will assist you in developing your people. Part 1 will focus on HOW to develop your people and where to exert your time and energy.
In 2018 most processors began requiring resellers to sign up for MasterCard’s Terminal Servicer Program. We also saw a few changes to the program with the release of the updated QIR program. Join us on this webinar as we review the details of this program and how it applies to all POS resellers.
By incorporating the newest in payment technologies into your POS sales pitch, both POS VARs and ISVs can complement their existing sales points while differentiating their product from a competitor. Join Matt Bruno VP of Sales for Payment Logistics as he looks at a few of the new technologies, their functionality and, most importantly, how dealers can capitalize on these new tools.
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| Time | Function |
| 6:00pm – 7:00pm | Open Networking & Tabletops Open Bar & Passed hors d’oeuvres |
| 7:00pm – 7:10pm | RSPA Welcome & Intro RSPA President & CEO: John Kirk |
| 7:10pm – 7:55pm | Guest Speaker Michael Leblanc |
| 8:00pm – 8:55pm | Open Networking & Tabletops Hockey Hall of Fame Games |
| 8:55pm – 9:00pm | Closing RSPA Canadian Committee Chair: Paul Leduc |
7am-8am
1pm-3pm
7am-8am
1pm-3pm
1pm-3pm
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