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<div class="mb-playbook"><div class="page">  <div class="hero"> <div class="eyebrow">Operational Playbook</div> <h1>RefundRush: Monday Morning Playbook</h1> <div class="sub">Two parallel BD tasks for the IEEPA refund wedge: (1) get CBP-ready before April 20, (2) sign 5 broker design partners. Plus two bombshell findings that change the entire approach.</div> <div class="hero-stats"> <div class="hero-stat"> <div class="num red">10 days</div> <div class="lbl">Until NCBFAA conference</div> </div> <div class="hero-stat"> <div class="num orange">13 days</div> <div class="lbl">Until CAPE portal launches</div> </div> <div class="hero-stat"> <div class="num green">5</div> <div class="lbl">Design partners needed</div> </div> <div class="hero-stat"> <div class="num purple">$0</div> <div class="lbl">CAPE certification fees</div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="section"> <h2>Two Bombshell Findings</h2> <p>Both of these came out of the research and they fundamentally change how to approach this. Read them first.</p> <div class="card bombshell"> <h3>Bombshell #1: There is no "CAPE certification."</h3> <p style="font-size:15px;"><strong>CAPE bypasses ABI entirely.</strong> Three independent CBP and broker sources confirm:</p> <ol style="font-size:14px; padding-left:24px; margin-bottom:12px;"> <li><strong>"Filers will NOT use ABI to file in CAPE portal."</strong> (A.N. Deringer; corroborated by CBP CIT progress report, March 30, 2026)</li> <li><strong>CAPE is a web-based tab inside the existing ACE Portal.</strong> A new "CAPE Claim Portal" tab will appear in importer and broker ACE Portal accounts on April 20.</li> <li><strong>CAPE submissions are CSV uploads,</strong> not EDI transactions. There is no CATAIR chapter for CAPE because CATAIR governs ABI/EDI, which CAPE bypasses.</li> </ol> <p><strong>What this means:</strong> RefundRush does not need to be a "CBP-approved CAPE vendor" because that designation does not exist. <strong>What Caspian and Descartes actually have is ABI software vendor certification</strong> (which is irrelevant to CAPE) <strong>plus, in Caspian's case, a separate licensed customs broker entity</strong>. Their CAPE modules are CSV builders + ACE Portal automation wrappers. The "CBP-approved" claim is technically true but means something different than buyers think.</p> <p><strong>The strategic implication:</strong> Don't try to certify MightyBot. Sign 5 brokers, prep their CSVs, watch them upload via their existing ACE Portal accounts on day 1. The brokers ARE the CAPE filing path.</p> </div> <div class="card bombshell"> <h3>Bombshell #2: The NCBFAA Conference is in 10 days and SOLD OUT.</h3> <p style="font-size:15px;"><strong>April 12-15, 2026, JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa.</strong> 500-600 broker firm owners, ops directors, and federal regulators in one place at exactly the moment CAPE goes live.</p> <ul style="font-size:14px; padding-left:24px;"> <li><strong>Attendee registration:</strong> SOLD OUT</li> <li><strong>Exhibitor booths:</strong> SOLD OUT (80+ exhibitors confirmed)</li> <li><strong>Sponsorships still available:</strong> Diamond ($50K), some Patron ($2-5K), Supporting ($100-2K) tiers</li> <li><strong>Speaker slots:</strong> Locked. Cervo AI and OpenTrack got the AI panel slots — both are direct competitors</li> <li><strong>Sponsor balance deadline:</strong> March 21 (passed). Late-add sponsors may still be possible — call Beth Gillis Monday morning</li> </ul> <p><strong>What this means:</strong> Conference attendance is the entire ballgame. Without it, MightyBot is shouting from outside the room while Cervo AI and OpenTrack are on stage. With it, MightyBot can hit 27 NCBFAA APN regional presidents, 20 NCBFAA board members, and 500+ broker owners in 4 days. <strong>Wire the Patron sponsorship Monday morning. Book the JW Marriott. Run a hospitality suite parallel to the conference.</strong></p> </div> </div>  <div class="section"> <h2>Task 1: Get CBP-Ready (Without "CAPE Certification")</h2> <p>Since CAPE certification doesn't exist, the actual goal is: <strong>be ready to prep CAPE-format CSVs the moment the portal goes live April 20</strong>, with at least one broker design partner who can upload them via their existing ACE Portal account.</p> <h3>The four paths to actually file CAPE</h3> <table> <thead> <tr><th>Path</th><th>What it gives you</th><th>Time</th><th>Difficulty</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>A. Importer self-files via own ACE Portal</strong></td> <td>RefundRush prepares CSV; importer logs in and uploads</td> <td>2-6 weeks for ACE setup if not yet enrolled</td> <td><span class="pill pill-green">LOW</span></td> </tr> <tr style="background:rgba(61,214,140,0.06);"> <td><strong>B. Customs broker partner files via their ACE Portal</strong> ⭐</td> <td>RefundRush prepares CSV; broker uploads on behalf of mutual client</td> <td>Already in place if broker has ACE Portal</td> <td><span class="pill pill-green">LOW — THE WEDGE</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td>C. RefundRush becomes a licensed customs broker</td> <td>File directly</td> <td>6-12 months: CBLE exam, district permit, national permit</td> <td><span class="pill pill-red">HIGH</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td>D. RefundRush becomes ABI software vendor</td> <td>EDI transmission (irrelevant since CAPE bypasses ABI)</td> <td>3-6 months LOI process</td> <td><span class="pill pill-amber">MEDIUM but pointless</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><strong>Path B is the only viable path before April 20.</strong> Find broker design partners with existing ACE Portal accounts. RefundRush becomes the data prep / classification / claim eligibility engine; the broker pulls the trigger.</p> <h3>Who at CBP runs CAPE</h3> <table> <thead> <tr><th>Name</th><th>Role</th><th>Why they matter</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Brandon Lord</strong></td> <td>Executive Director, Trade Programs Directorate, CBP Office of Trade</td> <td>Owns IEEPA-related implementation including CAPE since July 2022. The single human at CBP most relevant to this product.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Susan Thomas</strong> + <strong>Diane Sabatino</strong></td> <td>CBP Executive Assistant Commissioners</td> <td>Both confirmed at NCBFAA conference April 13 in closed-door CBP Leadership Sessions. They'll be in the room.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Client Rep Branch</strong></td> <td>Office of Trade > Trade Transformation Office</td> <td>Operational owner of ACE/CAPE technical onboarding. The actual humans who can answer day-to-day questions.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h3>CBP contact emails (verified)</h3> <table> <thead> <tr><th>Resource</th><th>Email / URL</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr><td>ACE general support</td><td><code>ace.support@cbp.dhs.gov</code></td></tr> <tr><td>ACE technical desk</td><td><code>(866) 530-4172</code></td></tr> <tr><td>ABI software vendor LOI</td><td><code>letterofintent@cbp.dhs.gov</code></td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Client Rep Branch (the one to email Monday)</strong></td><td><code>clientrepoutreach@cbp.dhs.gov</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Client Rep Outreach (alt)</td><td><code>gmb.clientrepoutreach@cbp.dhs.gov</code></td></tr> <tr><td>ACE Account Service Desk</td><td><code>ASKACE@cbp.dhs.gov</code></td></tr> <tr><td>New ACE Portal application form (April 1, 2026)</td><td><a href="https://aceaccountreview.cbp.gov/">aceaccountreview.cbp.gov</a></td></tr> <tr><td>ACE getting started</td><td><a href="https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/getting-started">cbp.gov/trade/automated/getting-started</a></td></tr> <tr><td>CSMS bulletin archive (watch daily)</td><td><a href="https://www.cbp.gov/document/guidance/csms-archive">cbp.gov/document/guidance/csms-archive</a></td></tr> <tr><td>ABI software vendor list (Sep 2025)</td><td><a href="https://www.cbp.gov/document/guidance/abi-software-vendors-list">cbp.gov/document/guidance/abi-software-vendors-list</a></td></tr> <tr><td><strong>CBP Filer Code List CSV (master broker list)</strong></td><td><a href="https://www.cbp.gov/document/report/filer-code-list">cbp.gov/document/report/filer-code-list</a></td></tr> </tbody> </table> </div>  <div class="section"> <h2>Task 2: Sign 5 Broker Design Partners via NCBFAA</h2> <p>The conference is sold out, but the sponsorship door is still cracked open. Once inside as a Patron-tier sponsor + Affiliate member, MightyBot has direct access to 500+ broker firm owners in 4 days.</p> <h3>NCBFAA Affiliate Membership (do this Monday)</h3> <table> <tbody> <tr><td><strong>Tier for vendors</strong></td><td>Affiliate</td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Cost (1-9 emp)</strong></td><td>$907/year</td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Cost (10-499 emp)</strong></td><td>$1,631/year</td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Application URL</strong></td><td><a href="https://members.ncbfaa.org/join/company_new/Affiliate/CoAffiliate.html">members.ncbfaa.org/join/company_new/Affiliate/CoAffiliate.html</a></td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Membership contact</strong></td><td><code>membership@ncbfaa.org</code></td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Benefits</strong></td><td>Member directory access, 2 free webinars/year hosting, MMeB newsletter listing, conference pricing, regional chapter access</td></tr> </tbody> </table> <h3>NCBFAA Conference 2026 — what to sponsor</h3> <table> <tbody> <tr><td><strong>Dates</strong></td><td>April 12-15, 2026 (pre-conf April 10-11)</td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Venue</str

ong></td><td>JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa</td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Attendee count</strong></td><td>500-600 broker firm owners, ops directors, federal regulators</td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Sponsorship status</strong></td><td>Diamond ($50K), Patron ($2-5K), Supporting ($100-2K) tiers still listed</td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Sponsorship contact</strong></td><td><code>bgillis@ncbfaa.org</code> (Beth Gillis, Meeting Department Director)</td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Phone</strong></td><td><code>(202) 466-0222</code></td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Sponsorship form URL</strong></td><td><a href="https://www.ncbfaa.org/membership-benefits/conferences-events/ncbfaa-annual-conference-2026/sponsorship-information/sponsorship-form">ncbfaa.org/.../sponsorship-form</a></td></tr> <tr><td><strong>CAPE-relevant sessions confirmed</strong></td><td>"CBP Refunds" (Mon closed-door); "Tariffs and Exposure for Today's Customs Broker"; "Mastering PSC, Protests, and Surety Exposure"; CIT lunch with Hon. Leo M. Gordon</td></tr> <tr><td><strong>AI sessions to attend</strong></td><td>"From Pilot to Production"; "Build It Yourself"; "Your IT Backlog Isn't Getting Shorter"; "Fox In The Box: Compliance Striker"</td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Direct AI competitors on stage</strong></td><td><strong>Cervo AI</strong> and <strong>OpenTrack</strong> (both got Diamond sponsorship slots)</td></tr> </tbody> </table> <h3>NCBFAA Board of Directors — your design partner shortlist</h3> <p>These 20 people run brokerage firms and will all be at the conference. Hit them first.</p> <table> <thead> <tr><th>Name</th><th>Role</th><th>Firm</th><th>Priority</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr style="background:rgba(61,214,140,0.06);"> <td><strong>Janet Fields</strong></td> <td>Chairperson</td> <td>John S. James Co. (Savannah)</td> <td><span class="pill pill-green">PRIME</span></td> </tr> <tr style="background:rgba(61,214,140,0.06);"> <td><strong>Karen Damon</strong></td> <td>Treasurer</td> <td>Mohawk Global Logistics (Syracuse, NY)</td> <td><span class="pill pill-green">PRIME</span> ~200-400 emp</td> </tr> <tr style="background:rgba(61,214,140,0.06);"> <td><strong>Paige Stewart Morgan</strong></td> <td>Area 7 Director</td> <td>Page & Jones, Inc. (Mobile, AL)</td> <td><span class="pill pill-green">PRIME</span></td> </tr> <tr style="background:rgba(61,214,140,0.06);"> <td><strong>Maurine Cecil</strong></td> <td>Area 9 Director</td> <td>Western Overseas Corporation</td> <td><span class="pill pill-green">PRIME</span> 40+ years LA</td> </tr> <tr> <td>J.D. Gonzalez</td> <td>President</td> <td>J.D. Gonzalez Customs House</td> <td>Owner-operated TX</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Kristiann App</td> <td>Vice President</td> <td>J.W. Allen & Co</td> <td>Mid-market</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Laurie Arnold</td> <td>Secretary</td> <td>JAS Forwarding USA</td> <td>Larger 3PL</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Brian Barber</td> <td>Area 1 Director</td> <td>Willson International (Buffalo)</td> <td>100+ years old, ~200 emp</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Tom Marzano</td> <td>Area 2 Director</td> <td>Alba Wheels Up (NY)</td> <td>Mid-market</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Pamela Brown</td> <td>Area 4 Director</td> <td>Future Forwarding Co</td> <td>SE mid-market</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Ralph De La Rosa</td> <td>Area 4 Director</td> <td>Imperial Freight Brokers (S. Florida)</td> <td>52-year family business</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Eduardo Acosta</td> <td>Area 8 Director</td> <td>RL Jones Customhouse Brokers (Nogales)</td> <td>Border specialist</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h3>NCBFAA Regional Affiliate Presidents — second target ring</h3> <p>These 27 are presidents of regional NCBFAA-affiliated associations. Each is an active operator. They will all be at the Affiliate Presidents Network meeting (pre-conference, April 10-11). <strong>Hitting this group during the APN window is the highest-leverage 4 hours of the conference.</strong></p> <table> <thead> <tr><th>Region</th><th>Name</th><th>Firm</th><th>Email</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr><td>Northern Border</td><td>Mike Miller</td><td>Cole International</td><td><code>mike.miller@coleintlusa.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>JFK Airport</td><td>Leslie Bresnaider</td><td>Alba Wheels Up</td><td><code>l.bresnaider@albawheelsup.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>New Jersey</td><td>Al Raffa</td><td>Seafrigo USA</td><td><code>a.raffa@seafrigo-usa.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Boston</td><td>Michelle Francis</td><td>Magic Customs Brokers (Canton, MA)</td><td><code>michelle@magicbrokers.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Philadelphia</td><td>John Ercolani</td><td>721 Logistics</td><td><code>jercolani@721logistics.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Charleston</td><td>Patti Meyer</td><td>MAO Inc</td><td><code>patriciameyer@maoinc.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td><strong>Virginia</strong></td><td><strong>Ben Nelson III</strong></td><td><strong>Nelson International</strong></td><td><code>beniii@nelsonint.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Savannah</td><td>Kit Johnson</td><td>John S. James (board chair Janet Fields' firm)</td><td><code>kit.johnson@johnsjames.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Charlotte</td><td>Penny Perkins</td><td>Geodis</td><td><code>penny.perkins@geodis.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Dulles</td><td>Paul Peterson</td><td>Laing International</td><td><code>paul@lainginternational.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Chicago</td><td>Jason Doyle</td><td>Scoular</td><td><code>jdoyle@scoular.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Columbia River</td><td>Phil Traylor</td><td>Geo. S. Bush</td><td><code>Phil.Traylor@geosbush.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>N. California</td><td>Chris Ramos</td><td>Alba Wheels Up</td><td><code>chris.ramos@albawheelsup.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Washington State</td><td>Ashley Coxey</td><td>Laufer</td><td><code>acoxey@laufer.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>New Orleans</td><td>Janet Colley-Morse</td><td>Dupuy Storage</td><td><code>jcolley@dupuystorage.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td><strong>North Texas</strong></td><td><strong>Paige Stewart Morgan</strong></td><td><strong>Page & Jones</strong></td><td><code>pmorgan@pagejones.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Houston</td><td>Lori Mullins</td><td>Rogers & Brown</td><td><code>lori_mullins@rogers-brown.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Brownsville</td><td>Ernesto Hernandez Jr</td><td>Hema Logistics</td><td><code>e.hernandez@hemalogisticsllc.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Mid Valley</td><td>Crispin Flores</td><td>CJ Logistical</td><td><code>cnflores@cjlogistical.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>San Diego</td><td>Carime Duck</td><td>CDSAI</td><td><code>carime@cdsai.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>W. Texas / NM</td><td>Gilberto Arias</td><td>Arias International</td><td><code>garias@ariasintl.com</code></td></tr> <tr><td>Los Angeles</td><td>David Harlow</td><td>FTZ Consultants</td><td><code>drharlow@ftzconsultants.com</code></td></tr> </tbody> </table> <h3>The single most important contact</h3> <div class="card highlight"> <h3>Lenny Feldman — NCBFAA General & Customs Counsel</h3> <p style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Partner at Sandler Travis & Rosenberg</strong>. He is the single highest-leverage human in the trade compliance ecosystem. He is NCBFAA General Counsel and Sandler Travis is the largest US customs law firm. He has unique COAC and CBP Office of Trade access.</p> <p style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Email Monday morning</strong> with this exact subject line: "MightyBot CAPE prep agent — 15 min for NCBFAA briefing?" Lenny opens emails. Mention you're attending the conference and would love to brief him on what MightyBot is shipping ahead of CAPE day-one. If you get one meeting at NCBFAA, make it him.</p> <p style="font-size:14px;"><strong>His email:</strong> Verify via Sandler Travis: <a href="https://www.strtrade.com/">strtrade.com</a>. Likely <code>lfeldman@strtrade.com</code> but confirm before sending.</p> </div> </div>  <div class="section"> <h2>The 90-Second Design Partner Pitch</h2> <p>Use this verbatim. It's been pressure-tested against the typical broker objections.</p> <div class="pitch-box"> <div class="label">Opening (15 seconds)</div> <p>"Hey [name], I'm John from MightyBot. I run an AI agent platform and we've built a CAPE Declaration prep agent for the IEEPA refund wave. CBP turns on the portal April 20. We're looking for 5 customs brokers to be design partners. The deal is: 90 days free, you keep 100% of the contingency on your refund work, in return we co-author a case study and you intro us to two peer brokers. Got 3 minutes for the wedge?"</p> </div> <div class="pitch-box"> <div class="label">Wedge (45 seconds)</div> <p>"Here's the problem your team is about to hit. Phase 1 of CAPE only covers 63% of impacted entries. Your importers are going to flood you with refund requests starting April 21. The CSV builder CBP gave you is going to choke at scale; the file validation rejects anything malformed; the entry validation rejects anything where the IEEPA Chapter 99 codes weren't declared cleanly the first time. Your team is going to spend the entire month of May fixing CSVs by hand.</p> <p>What we built is an AI agent that ingests your importer's entry summary data, identifies CAPE-eligible entries against the Phase 1 rules, prepares clean CSVs that pass validation on the first upload, and routes the rejects through a human-in-the-loop queue. You file via your existing ACE Portal — we don't touch that. We're the prep layer."</p> </div> <div class="pitch-box"> <div class="label">The Ask (15 seconds)</div> <p>"Free for 90 days. We onboard you

r top 10 importer accounts. You file via your ACE Portal. If you recover even 5% more refund volume than doing it manually, we'd love to talk about a paid pilot. If you don't, we shake hands and walk."</p> </div> <h3>Objections you'll hear (and the answers)</h3> <table> <thead> <tr><th>Objection</th><th>Response</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><em>"We use Descartes / CargoWise / Quavo already"</em></td> <td>"Great, we plug in next to your existing TMS. We're not replacing the TMS, we're the CAPE-specific data prep layer. Descartes shipped a CAPE module but it's a CSV builder; we're the eligibility engine that decides which entries actually go into the CSV."</td> </tr> <tr> <td><em>"We don't trust AI to file CBP submissions"</em></td> <td>"Right answer. That's why we don't file. You file. Every CSV goes through your team's review queue before upload. We compress 20 hours of analyst work into 30 minutes of review."</td> </tr> <tr> <td><em>"How is this different from Caspian / Pax / Zollback?"</em></td> <td>"Those are direct-to-importer plays competing with you for the contingency dollar. We're vendor to you, not your competitor. You keep the importer relationship and the fee."</td> </tr> <tr> <td><em>"Why would I help you for free?"</em></td> <td>"Honestly? Because the 5 brokers who get this right in April-May will be the brokers who win the next 18 months of refund work. Phase 1 is $100B+ across 63% of entries. Whoever has the throughput wins."</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div>  <div class="section"> <h2>The Monday Morning Checklist</h2> <p>This is the actionable sequence for the next 14 days. Every item has a name, an URL or email, and a deadline.</p> <div class="checklist-day"> <div class="day-label">Monday April 7 — Before 10am</div> <h3>The CAPE + NCBFAA Setup Sprint</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Wire Patron-tier sponsorship ($2-5K) to NCBFAA.</strong> Email Beth Gillis at <code>bgillis@ncbfaa.org</code>. Subject: "URGENT — late sponsor signup for 2026 Annual Conference." Reference the CAPE moment as justification for late add. <strong>Critical path item.</strong> If she says no, ask for "Supporting" tier ($100-2K) or hospitality suite booking</li> <li><strong>Submit NCBFAA Affiliate membership application</strong> at <a href="https://members.ncbfaa.org/join/company_new/Affiliate/CoAffiliate.html">members.ncbfaa.org/join/company_new/Affiliate/CoAffiliate.html</a> — pay $907 dues</li> <li><strong>Email Lenny Feldman</strong> (NCBFAA General Counsel, Sandler Travis & Rosenberg). The single highest-leverage human in trade compliance. Ask for 15 min on a call about MightyBot's CAPE prep agent</li> <li><strong>Submit ACE Portal application via the new web form</strong> at <a href="https://aceaccountreview.cbp.gov/">aceaccountreview.cbp.gov</a> — register MightyBot as a service provider sub-account</li> <li><strong>Email Client Rep Branch</strong> at <code>clientrepoutreach@cbp.dhs.gov</code> asking: (a) any CAPE-specific guidance for software service providers, (b) whether a CERT environment will exist for CAPE at launch, (c) which Client Rep is assigned to the trade modernization team</li> <li><strong>Download CBP Filer Code List CSV</strong> at <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/document/report/filer-code-list">cbp.gov/document/report/filer-code-list</a> — master target list of every licensed broker</li> <li><strong>Run internal searches:</strong> <code>search mightybot meetings "customs broker"</code> and <code>search mightybot slack "NCBFAA OR CBP OR IEEPA"</code> to surface any internal connections</li> <li><strong>Run Attio query:</strong> <code>python scripts/attio_query.py search "customs"</code></li> </ul> </div> <div class="checklist-day"> <div class="day-label">Tuesday April 8 - Wednesday April 9</div> <h3>Cold Outbound Sprint</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Send cold email batch 1</strong> to the 10 priority broker targets above (Mohawk Global, John S. James, Page & Jones, Western Overseas, Carmichael, Allyn International, Willson International, A.N. Deringer, Nelson International, Imperial Freight). Mention San Antonio attendance. Use the 90-second pitch script</li> <li><strong>Send cold email batch 2</strong> to all 27 NCBFAA APN regional presidents (emails listed above), inviting to a "CAPE War Room" coffee at the JW Marriott on April 13 between 10am-12pm</li> <li><strong>Book a hospitality suite or meeting room at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort</strong> for a 2-hour broker office hours session April 13. If JW is full, Hyatt Hill Country across the street works</li> <li><strong>Print collateral:</strong> one-pager titled "CAPE Day-1 Survival Kit for Customs Brokers." Include: 4-step CAPE process diagram, common Phase 1 rejection codes, MightyBot CAPE Prep Agent demo screenshot, the design partner offer (free 90 days, no commitment, 2 referrals)</li> <li><strong>Book NCBFAA webinar slot</strong> via <code>webinars@ncbfaa.org</code> (free for affiliates) — title: "How CAPE Will Actually Work: A Field Manual for Brokers." Target post-conference dates April 21 or April 28. <strong>This single move beats sponsorship for cost-per-lead</strong></li> </ul> </div> <div class="checklist-day"> <div class="day-label">Thursday April 10 - Friday April 11</div> <h3>Travel Prep + Pre-Conference Meetings</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Book San Antonio flight + JW Marriott Hill Country room</strong> (or Hyatt overflow)</li> <li><strong>Pre-load LinkedIn connection requests</strong> for every confirmed name above. Hit board members first, then APN regional presidents</li> <li><strong>Set up CAPE demo on a laptop</strong> that runs offline — conference WiFi will be terrible</li> <li><strong>Order branded swag for hospitality suite</strong> — caps work in Texas, not stickers</li> <li><strong>Pre-conference APN meetings</strong> happen April 10-11. If you can fly in Thursday, hit the APN cocktail hour Thursday night</li> </ul> </div> <div class="checklist-day"> <div class="day-label">Sunday April 12 — Conference Day 1</div> <h3>Welcome Reception + Marketplace Walkthrough</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Walk every exhibitor booth in 2 hours.</strong> Identify which exhibitors are also vendor-to-broker (not direct competitors)</li> <li><strong>Attend the welcome reception</strong> in branded MightyBot shirt. Hit the bar — that's where deals happen at NCBFAA</li> <li><strong>Identify Cervo AI and OpenTrack booths.</strong> Visit both. Don't introduce yourself yet. Listen and learn their pitch</li> </ul> </div> <div class="checklist-day"> <div class="day-label">Monday April 13 — Conference Day 2</div> <h3>The "CBP Refunds" Day</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Attend "CBP Refunds" closed-door session</strong> if NCBFAA membership grants access. This is the day the federal reps will be in the room</li> <li><strong>Lunch with Laura DiBella keynote</strong></li> <li><strong>Run hospitality suite 4-6pm</strong> — invite all 27 APN presidents who replied to your email batch</li> <li><strong>Goal:</strong> 3 verbal design partner commitments by end of Monday</li> </ul> </div> <div class="checklist-day"> <div class="day-label">Tuesday April 14 — Conference Day 3</div> <h3>The AI Day (Competitor Recon)</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Attend "From Pilot to Production" AI session</strong> — Cervo AI and OpenTrack will be visible</li> <li><strong>Attend "Build It Yourself" AI session</strong></li> <li><strong>Listen for gaps in their pitches.</strong> What are they NOT saying? CAPE-specific evidence chain? Per-entry deadline tracking? Reasonable care audit trail? Those are MightyBot's wedges</li> <li><strong>Attend Tuesday Night Gala</strong> dressed appropriately ("Diamonds, Denim & Dice"). This is the relationship-building night</li> <li><strong>Target:</strong> 2 more verbal commitments. Total = 5</li> </ul> </div> <div class="checklist-day"> <div class="day-label">Wednesday April 15 — Conference Day 4</div> <h3>Lock In LOIs</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Attend "PSC, Protests & Surety Exposure" panel</strong> — directly CAPE-adjacent</li> <li><strong>Lunch with Hon. Leo M. Gordon (CIT judge)</strong> — the judge who issued the March 4 nationwide refund order</li> <li><strong>Convert verbal commitments to signed design partner LOIs</strong> on the spot. Use Gmail/DocuSign — keep terms simple. Get 5 signatures by end of Wednesday</li> <li><strong>Awards ceremony</strong> — be visible</li> </ul> </div> <div class="checklist-day"> <div class="day-label">Thursday April 16 - Sunday April 19</div> <h3>Onboarding Sprint Before CAPE Launch</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Onboard top 5-10 importer accounts per design partner.</strong> Get their entry summary data into RefundRush</li> <li><strong>Watch CSMS bulletins daily</strong> at <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/document/guidance/csms-archive">cbp.gov/document/guidance/csms-archive</a></li> <li><strong>Run pre-launch dry runs</strong> on synthetic CAPE-format CSVs against the schema you've reverse-engineered from CBP CIT progress reports</li> <li><strong>Confirm with each design partner</strong> that they have an active ACE Portal account and ACH refund banking configured</li> </ul> </div> <div class="checklist-day"> <div class="day-label">Monday April 20 — CAPE LAUNCH DAY</div> <h3>Be First In The Queue</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Be in the ACE Portal at 8am Eastern</strong> to see the CAPE tab go live</li> <li><strong>Test the schema</strong> against your prepped CSVs. Fix any rejections in rea

l time</li> <li><strong>File the first batch through 1-2 design partners' ACE accounts</strong></li> <li><strong>Be the first vendor to publish a "Day 1 CAPE Field Report" blog post.</strong> This becomes inbound marketing for the next 30 days</li> <li><strong>Email Beth Gillis</strong> for permission to recap at the post-conference newsletter</li> </ul> </div> </div>  <div class="section"> <h2>Alternative Channels (If NCBFAA Doesn't Work)</h2> <p>Backup plans if Beth Gillis says no to late sponsorship or if conference attendance becomes impossible.</p> <table> <thead> <tr><th>Channel</th><th>Status</th><th>Action</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>NCBFAA Affiliate webinar</strong> (free for affiliates, hosts 200+ broker audience)</td> <td>Available year-round</td> <td>Book "How CAPE Will Actually Work" webinar via <code>webinars@ncbfaa.org</code> for April 21 or April 28. Highest-leverage no-conference move</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>NCBFAA Monday Morning eBriefing</strong> (member newsletter)</td> <td>Available to affiliate members</td> <td>150-word listing in MMeB Member Forum runs 4 weeks</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>ICPA (International Compliance Professionals Association)</strong></td> <td>2026 conference already happened (March 1-4)</td> <td>Buy lead list now via <a href="https://icpainc.org">icpainc.org</a>. Get on next year's speaker list</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>ICPA Global Trade Insights Conference 2026</strong></td> <td>Date not confirmed</td> <td>Check <code>icpainc.org/2026-global-trade-insights-conference/</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Regional NCBFAA affiliates</strong> (LACBFFA, Houston)</td> <td>27 chapters mapped above</td> <td>Each holds quarterly events. Pick LACBFFA (Los Angeles) and Houston — biggest entry volume hubs</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>NCBFAA Drawback Committee</strong> (chaired by Michael Cerny)</td> <td>Year-round committee</td> <td>Approach Cerny via NCBFAA committee channel. Drawback specialists are the natural pivot to IEEPA refunds</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>r/CustomsBroker</strong> on Reddit</td> <td>Active community</td> <td>Free post or AMA — content marketing into the broker community</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>NCBFAA Government Affairs Conference</strong> (DC)</td> <td>Annual fall conference</td> <td>Typically Sept/Oct — sponsor for the second-half push</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div>  <div class="section"> <h2>The Bottom Line</h2> <div class="card success"> <h3>What changed</h3> <p><strong>The "CAPE certification" worry is a phantom.</strong> There is nothing to certify. The real bottleneck is broker design partner sign-ups, and the conference next week is the entire ballgame. CAPE is just a CSV upload via the existing ACE Portal — meaning every customs broker with an existing ACE account is already a viable filing path. RefundRush doesn't need to be a CBP vendor. RefundRush needs to be the data prep engine that brokers run BEFORE they upload.</p> </div> <div class="card highlight"> <h3>The single critical action this week</h3> <p><strong>Wire the Patron sponsorship to NCBFAA on Monday morning.</strong> Email Beth Gillis at <code>bgillis@ncbfaa.org</code> by 9am Eastern. Without the sponsorship, MightyBot is shouting from outside the room while Cervo AI and OpenTrack are on stage as Diamond sponsors. With it, MightyBot is in the room with 500+ broker firm owners at the moment CAPE goes live — a once-in-a-cycle alignment of buyer pain and product readiness.</p> </div> <div class="card warning"> <h3>The realistic outcome</h3> <p>If the playbook is executed cleanly: <strong>5 signed design partner LOIs by end of Wednesday April 15</strong>, top 30 importer accounts onboarded by April 19, first CAPE filings live April 20, "Day 1 Field Report" blog post drives inbound for the next 30 days. By end of April: 50-100 importer accounts under management, $5-15M in refunds in the pipeline, $1-3M in contingency revenue projected for Q2.</p> <p>If the playbook misses (no sponsorship, no conference attendance, no NCBFAA membership): <strong>RefundRush ships into a fully gold-rushed market with no relationships, no warm intros, and no day-1 filings.</strong> Caspian, Pax, Forge, Zollback, and Stenson Tamaddon all eat the lunch. The window closes by Q3.</p> </div> </div> <div class="footer"> <p>MightyBot Marketing — RefundRush Monday Morning Playbook — April 2026</p> <p style="margin-top:4px;">Sources: A.N. Deringer CAPE explainer, CBP CIT progress report (March 19, 2026), Mallory Group, Troutman, KPMG CAPE update, CBP CSMS bulletins, NCBFAA conference page (April 12-15, 2026, JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country), NCBFAA staff directory, NCBFAA board page, NCBFAA Affiliate Presidents Network page, CBP Filer Code List CSV (Dec 8, 2025), Caspian launch announcement, Descartes IEEPA Refunds page. All emails verified from public NCBFAA pages as of April 2, 2026.</p> </div> </div></div>