The Western State Acquirers Association (WSAA) is an organization that provides financial institutions, independent sales organizations, and other businesses involved in the payment processing and merchant services industries within the with up-to-date, industry-related education. Part of this effort is hosting a yearly conference in Palm Springs, CA that offers inspiration and education to the attendees. For the 2019 conference, WSAA has invited entrepreneur and author Molly Bloom to be the keynote speaker.
Molly bloom has quite a background. She went from training to be an Olympic skier, which was a dream ended due to injury, to being the head of underground poker games that attracted noted names such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. Molly Bloom has been called a “poker princess” for her former high-stakes underground gaming empire.Â
Bloom’s empire eventually ended when it was the subject of a raid as part of an investigation into one of her players. It was the wild ride surrounding this poker empire and the subsequent arrest that served as the basis of her 2014 memoir ‘Molly’s Game: The True Story of the 26-Year-Old Woman Behind the Most Exclusive, High-Stakes Underground Poker Game in the World’. The book was later turned into a movie starring Jessica Chastain.
Molly Bloom’s story has gained the attention of a variety of noted names. Among them was Ellen DeGeneres who interviewed the now author and speaker in November of 2017. With such an incredible and inspiring story of entrepreneurship, bravery (including a confrontation with the Russian mob), and rebuilding her life after adversity (both the ski career-ending injury and her arrest for the underground poker games), it is not a surprise that the WSAA decided to choose Bloom as the speaker for its 2019 conference, which is to be held September 18-19 at Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa in Palm Desert, CA.Â
At the conference, Bloom, while not being directly involved with the payment processing and merchant services industries, will offer attendees insight and inspiration during her keynote address. It will be part of an overall itinerary that has been designed to support the educational needs of the acquiring business community. Though Molly’s address may not be directly about the merchant services industry, rest assured there are many other speakers featured at the conference who will speak to trends and news to do with payment processing and other merchant service-oriented topics. A full schedule can be found at https://westernstatesacquirers.net/.
The 2019 conference is part of the association’s ongoing commitment to the payments business community. This will be the 16th year for the conference and slated to be one of the greatest so far. Host Merchant Services is excited to be exhibiting and hopes to see all of you at booth #7.Â