I had a great time connecting with colleagues at the 2025 AACFB Annual Conference last week! While I’m no stranger to AACFB events, this was the first time the equipment finance industry brought me to Las Vegas. They say it’s the city that never sleeps—turns out, it’s also the city where, at 4:30 a.m., you can easily place a bet or grab a drink, but good luck finding a decent cup of coffee.

A shoutout to Scott Wheeler and AACFB President Roderick Knoll for their commitment to the “Brokering Essentials 1 & 2” sessions that kicked off the conference. As a service provider, it was refreshing—and humbling—to sit in the broker’s seat for a few hours and gain a better understanding of their world.

Special thanks to Dennis Dressler of Dressler Peters for the invitation to participate and for leading the Section 1071 session. His legal insight and deep understanding of both Congress and the courts helped cut through the noise around compliance—a remarkable feat in today’s rapidly evolving regulatory environment.

And speaking of changing environments, it’s officially “ice-out” season here in Minnesota.

With 10,000+ lakes stretched across five degrees of latitude, there’s no one-size-fits-all ice-out date. So naturally, many towns host an “ice-out raffle” for their lake — right up there with meat raffles and fish fries in terms of treasured seasonal traditions. We Minnesotans get creative when the winters are long and the cabin fever is real.

Now, I’m no gambler, but I do watch ice conditions like a hawk. Why? Because ice-out signals when it’s safe to put docks and boats back in the water—an annual ritual that bookends our short but glorious summer. While some folks outsource this job to the local high school hockey team, my friends and I consider it a sacred tradition. (One where sore backs and post-installation brats are guaranteed.)

According to local sources—and by that, I mean John across the lake—the shoreline is clear and the middle looks dark, which means we’re just days away. Calendars have been cleared for the first weekend in May.

So, if you find yourself in Minnesota and want to experience true Midwest fellowship—complete with near-polar-plunge conditions, questionable weather decisions, and homemade BBQ—let us know. I can assure you we’ll have enough meat and a place to crash.

Enjoy the changing season,

Daniel Nelson, CLFP, founder and CEO, Tamarack

In this issue:

• Whitepaper explores the next era of syndication
• ELFA Legal Forum to close with AI ethics discussion
• Exploring AI-driven strategies at Equipment Finance Connect
• Bringing industry voices to D.C. — ELFA Capitol Connections
• Tamarack heads to Solifi Summit
• Tech firms mull tools to mitigate tariff uncertainty

Whitepaper explores the next era of syndication

In response to growing pressure on capital markets to deliver value amid a shifting economic landscape, Tamarack has released a new whitepaper: Syndication Evolves as the Rules of Money Expand—and AI Excels at Following Rules. The paper explores how emerging private capital sources, increased demand for equipment finance, and advances in AI and data analytics are transforming syndication strategies. It highlights how digital technologies—especially AI—are reshaping deal-making processes and enabling faster, more precise capital deployment.

ELFA Legal Forum to close with
AI ethics discussion - May 6th

The ELFA Legal Forum will conclude on Tuesday, May 6, with a session on “AI in Law Practice – Ethics.” The interactive discussion, featuring Tamarack’s Scott Nelson and legal experts, will explore the ethical and legal challenges of integrating AI in equipment finance. Through real-world scenarios, the session will highlight best practices for responsible AI adoption, addressing critical topics such as AI-driven decision-making, bias, data privacy and compliance. For more information, contact Scott Nelson.

Exploring AI-driven strategies at
Equipment Finance Connect - May 15th

In its second year, the Equipment Finance Connect takes place May 14-15, 2025, will bring together equipment dealers and finance providers for dynamic, interactive discussions aimed at fostering collaboration and innovation. As part of the event, Tamarack’s Scott Nelson, alongside leaders from DataCRaiM, Mitsubishi HC Capital and Oakmont Capital Services, will participate in a panel discussion on “Technology and AI Strategies for a More Successful Finance Business.” The session will explore how to assess emerging technologies, identify key business areas for digitalization and automation, and guide customers through the evolving digital and AI-driven landscape. For more information, contact Scott Nelson.

Bringing industry voices to D.C. — ELFA Capitol Connections  

We’re excited to share that Daniel Nelson will participate in the ELFA Capitol Connections event on June 3 in Washington, D.C. According to Nelson, “Representing the equipment finance industry is an important responsibility—and a valuable opportunity to engage directly with lawmakers on the issues that matter most to the industry.”

Tamarack heads to Solifi Summit

The Tamarack team looks forward to connecting with industry friends and partners at Solifi Summit, happening June 4–6 right here in our hometown of Minneapolis! As a longtime Solifi partner, we’re thrilled to be part of the annual event that brings together Solifi users and fintech leaders for a few days of learning, networking and conversations about the future of equipment finance technology. If you’ll be attending, we’d love to connect!

 Tech firms mull tools to mitigate tariff uncertainty

 In a recent Equipment Finance News article, Tamarack’s Scott Nelson discusses how AI can help equipment financiers navigate tariff uncertainty. By aggregating government data, AI tools can identify assets at risk of availability or price hikes, enhancing portfolio management and risk assessment. Nelson suggests that AI can be used to “scrub the tariffs and the asset lists to create a list of the assets that are most at risk—from an availability point of view and a price-increase point of view.” 

See more posts and connect with us at Tamarack.ai

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