Association of Professional Rental Organizations (APRO)

Snap Finance Makes Impressive Community Impact

Two men and a woman wearing navy-blue tees with “Snap Cares” logos, Snap baseball caps, and gardening gloves stand together smiling, with lush greenery behind them.
Snap team members volunteered more than 2,600 hours, participated in 24 Snap Cares events, and supported 41 nonprofit partners in 2025. 

APRO member Snap Finance continued its commitment to “doing well by doing good” last year, contributing more than $3.1 million in donated goods, awarding more than $272,000 in charitable giving and community grants, and setting a record year for employee volunteerism. 

The results, detailed in the company’s newly released 2025 Community Impact Report, reflect the growth of its corporate social responsibility program, Snap Cares, from a nationwide endeavor into a multinational initiative spanning the United States, the United Kingdom, and Costa Rica. 

In 2025, Snap team members volunteered more than 2,600 hours, participated in 24 Snap Cares events, and supported 42 nonprofit partners. Since launching in 2021, Snap Cares has delivered more than $10 million in donated goods and funds to support positive, long-term outcomes for individuals and families. 

“Our mission to expand access to simple, inclusive financial solutions guides everything we do,” said Snap Finance Chief Executive Officer Ted Saunders. “This extends beyond our products and into how we show up for our communities, our partners, and each other. Giving back is embedded in our culture, and I’m incredibly proud of the care, creativity, and purpose our teams brought to this work throughout 2025.” 

Turning Values into Action 

Snap Cares’ efforts focus on three objectives: expanding financial access and empowerment; promoting career readiness and economic mobility; and helping build healthy and resilient communities. 

A group of men and women wearing navy-blue tees with “Snap Cares” logos standing together smiling, with tall green plants behind them.
Snap Finance team members in Salt Lake City, Utah, helped the International Rescue Committee by preparing beds in its New Roots Garden for winter.

For example, in Costa Rica, Snap team members promoted financial empowerment by partnering with TECHO – a youth-led nonprofit working to fight poverty – to assemble more than 100 piggybanks, interactive learning tools designed to help young people build foundational money-management skills. 

In Salt Lake City, Utah, Snap team members supported career readiness by helping with the International Rescue Committee’s New Roots Garden, while Snap’s Social Media Manager led a workshop for food-service entrepreneurs through IRC’s SPICE Kitchen Incubator Program. 

Instances of Snap team members helping build healthy and resilient communities include partnering with Wasteless Solutions in Salt Lake City, Utah, to package meals made from surplus food – reducing food waste and assisting local access.

A smiling bearded man wears a navy-blue tee with the “Snap Cares” logo and holds a bright red rake as he helps clean up garbage from a waterway.
Leaders from Snap Finance Costa Rica worked alongside nonprofit partner CODEA to beautify public parks and community spaces.

Creating a Culture of Service 

Additionally, over 600 Snap Finance team members gathered in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the company’s biggest-ever Snap Cares volunteer initiative, held during its 2025 Sales Kickoff and Hub events. Partnering with Hope Alliance, Operation Gratitude, and Volunteers of America, volunteers filled more than 750 backpacks for unhoused youth, sorted over 10,000 donated eyeglasses, and created care items for children of deployed service members and veterans. 

“What makes this program powerful is not just what we give, but also how our team shows up for each other and our communities,” said Kendall Banks, Snap Cares Leader. “Together, we’re building a culture where giving back is inseparable from how we work, and where our collective efforts create lasting economic opportunity for the families and communities we serve.”

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Mike Lewis

Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.

For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!

Lauren Talicska

Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials

Lauren Talicska is an experienced multi-channel marketing specialist and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Arona Home Essentials. She has found her home in the RTO community, supporting stores in branding, growth, and increasing traffic.

You may recognize Lauren as a former RTO vendor, including her time as a partner for Nationwide RentDirect, or her previous participation in the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee. Lauren calls Columbus, Ohio, home and spends her workday crafting and executing marketing promotions from inception to realization, all while supporting the branding and social media needs of all the Arona stores in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico!).

Charles Smitherman

APRO

Charles Smitherman, JD, PhD, CAE, became CEO of APRO in 2023, bringing years of legal and executive experience in the rent-to-own industry. 

Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO, General Counsel, and Vice President of PTS Financial Services, where he played an active role in the rent-to-own industry by representing his company through PTS’s club program offering with APRO member dealers. Charles is an attorney with two decades of experience across a wide variety of areas, including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law. Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD in Law from the University of Oxford in England.

Charles is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association, and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. As APRO’s sixth CEO in its 45-year history, he brings a collaborative, member-focused approach to association leadership, emphasizing transparency, advocacy, and value creation. Outside of work, Charles is an active ultra runner and open water swimmer.

Mike Kays

Ashley Furniture Industries

As VP of Rental Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries, Mike thrives on building relationships with our RTO industry veterans, and helping businesses grow through new product, new marketing, and new supply chain options.

Mike works to leverage a wide breadth of relationships and influence, intimate knowledge of market trends, and unique knowledge of what RTO dealers need from a supplier to be successful.

The saying goes that a high tide raises all boats, and our goal is to leverage the world’s largest furniture manufacturer to drive the continued growth of the RTO industry and all the suppliers.

Mike Tissot

Countryside Rentals Inc., dba Rent-2-Own

Mike grew up in the rent-to-own industry under the guidance of his father, former APRO President and RTO legend Darrell Tissot. For nearly 25 years, Mike’s innovative leadership has helped expand the family business to more than 40 stores across Ohio and Kentucky while also shaping the industry as a whole.

He has served as President of the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, an APRO board member and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the TRIB Group. His contributions have earned him the APRO President’s Award of Excellence and the title of APRO Rental Dealer of the Year.

Outside of RTO, Mike enjoys time at the lake house or in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his girlfriend, Angela Strong McCool. A passionate Cincinnati Reds fan, he rarely misses a game, whether watching or listening alongside his parents. He also takes every opportunity to visit Arizona, where his daughter is currently attending Arizona State University.