Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim

The podcast that gives an exclusive look beyond the title of private lending industry leaders.

Kevin Kim, Esq., is a partner at Geraci LLP, an organization that has been serving private lenders for over 10 years. An experienced lending lawyer and engaging speaker, Kevin digs deep with his guests to discover what makes a successful company and leader in this industry. Learn their company stories, wisdom, and what makes these leaders tick through captivating interviews and engaging banter.

Latest Episode

A League of Their Own – Guimont Capital

In this episode of Lender Lounge, Kevin Kim interviews Daniel Guimont, CEO of Guimont Capital, and Kirsten Lundell Koester, the company’s Chief Legal Officer, at their Bellevue office. Daniel and Kirsten share Guimont Capital’s journey from its roots as Las Vegas Loans to becoming a diversified lender focused on high-value, diverse projects across the U.S., from real estate to business acquisitions. They discuss the company’s hands-on approach, unique underwriting process, and commitment to borrower relationships, emphasizing both operational experience and the human element in lending. Daniel reflects on lessons from his previous waste management venture, now applied to Guimont Capital’s approach, while Kirsten explains how her M&A background supports their current deal-making strategies.
This episode offers insights into balancing growth with careful underwriting, maintaining client relationships, and defining long-term goals in the private lending market.

Listen to Episode »

A League of Their Own – Guimont Capital

In this episode of Lender Lounge, Kevin Kim interviews Daniel Guimont, CEO of Guimont Capital, and Kirsten Lundell Koester, the company’s Chief Legal Officer, at their Bellevue office. Daniel and Kirsten share Guimont Capital’s journey from its roots as Las Vegas Loans to becoming a diversified lender focused on high-value, diverse projects across the U.S., from real estate to business acquisitions. They discuss the company’s hands-on approach, unique underwriting process, and commitment to borrower relationships, emphasizing both operational experience and the human element in lending. Daniel reflects on lessons from his previous waste management venture, now applied to Guimont Capital’s approach, while Kirsten explains how her M&A background supports their current deal-making strategies.
This episode offers insights into balancing growth with careful underwriting, maintaining client relationships, and defining long-term goals in the private lending market.

Listen to Episode »
Lender Lounge White

Stay Updated

Sign up for the Lender Lounge Newsletter to be notified about new episodes, giveaways, behind-the-scenes content, and more!

Meet the Host

Kevin Kim

Kevin Kim, Esq.

Kevin Kim is a Partner with Geraci LLP and leads the firm's corporate & securities practice. His expertise lies in fund formation, private placements, and other securities offerings for private lenders, real estate developers, and investors of all sizes. Kevin and his team have advised and prepared hundreds of securities offerings including mortgage funds, structured debt offerings, real estate syndications, crowdfunding offerings, EB-5 projects, and Qualified Opportunity Funds. Kevin's passion lies in serving his clients as a pragmatic advisor focusing on real world solutions.

Kevin is also a nationally recognized expert in mortgage fund formation. Kevin is the lead instructor for the American Association of Private Lender’s Certified Fund Manager courses, where he teaches mortgage fund managers throughout the United States on fund management and securities laws.

Kevin hosts the podcast Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim, where he interviews industry leaders, friends, and colleagues in the private lending space to learn what makes them tick.

Our Sponsors

…and our generous anonymous donor. Thank you!

Previous Episodes

Game Changer | Paul Rahimian, Parkview Financial

For this episode, Kevin interviewed Paul Rahimian, who has become a household name in the construction business, at Parkview Financials’ headquarters in West Los Angeles. Paul emphasized how he has remained true to his original thesis of creativity and capital preservation, even as he now competes with institutional lenders across the U.S.

Listen to Episode »
Lender Lounge Season 3 Episode 7

Altruistic Entrepreneur | Eddie Wilson, American Association of Private Lenders

For this episode, Kevin interviewed Eddie Wilson, CEO of AAPL and Think Realty. Kevin learned more about Eddie’s personal life, such as his passion for operations, turning businesses around, and choosing businesses that serve a higher purpose. Eddie discussed what he has done to grow AAPL’s footprint and how he installed the grassroots advocacy that allowed AAPL to defeat legislation such as the Florida licensing bill.

Listen to Episode »

Pragmatic Mindset | Jennifer McGuinness, Invigorate Finance

For this episode, Kevin interviewed Jennifer McGuinness, President of Invigorate Finance. Kevin had a great time learning about Jennifer and how her mortgage career was actually a series of “accidents.” Invigorate Finance is a unique private lending business that serves both the consumer and business purpose lending arenas; Jennifer discusses the reasons for this strategy and her philosophy of diversification and pragmatism in approaching her business.

Listen to Episode »

Operational Efficiency | Lisa Alberti and Mark Roberts, Western Alliance Bank

*NOTE: This episode was recorded in June 2022.*

Kevin was delighted to finally interview Mark Roberts and Lisa Alberti from Western Alliance Bank, a company that has become an integral part of the private lending industry. In this episode, Kevin talks to Mark and Lisa about the bank’s history, their backgrounds, and their bank’s philosophy on lender finance and line of credit. Lisa also discusses the new networking group, Women in Private Lending, and the impact a group like this will have on women in this space.

Listen to Episode »

Reliable Capital | Ray Sturm, AlphaFlow

For this episode, which was recorded during the market volatility of May 2022, Ray Sturm and Kevin sat down and discussed AlphaFlow’s thesis from a technology standpoint, their philosophy when it comes to solving their customer’s challenges, and having discipline when it comes to an ever-changing market.

Listen to Episode »
engaging speaker

Special Mini Episode | Ruby Keys, Geraci LLP

We’re dropping this mini episode in your feed to give some insight into Captivate, Geracicon’s upcoming private lending event. Kevin is joined by Ruby Keys, Geraci’s event extraordinaire, to discuss why it is a perfect opportunity for our listeners. Listen in to learn about the event’s capital-raising theme, nationwide attendee presence, and success stories from past years (including Kevin’s!).

Captivate will take place August 21-23, 2022 at the Encore at Wynn in Las Vegas, NV.

More info and registration can be found at our website: https://geracicon.com/captivate

Listen to Episode »
Lender Lounge

The Greatest Asset | Ryan Craft, Saluda Grade

*NOTE: This episode was recorded in May 2022.*

For this episode, Kevin interviewed Ryan Craft, Founder and CEO of Saluda Grade. He learned about Saluda’s investment philosophies when it comes to private lenders, their criteria when selecting portfolio companies, and Ryan’s perspectives on where things are going and should go in the private lending space. His views on future success in private lending was especially enjoyable. Ryan stressed that diversification in strategy, obsession with customer service, and entrepreneurialism will be some of the key features of the private lenders that dominate in the coming years.

Listen to Episode »
Passionate Visionary

Passionate Visionary | Trixy Castro, Aureus Finance Group

*NOTE: This episode was recorded in May 2022.*

We are kicking off Season 3 with none other than Trixy Castro, founder and CEO of Aureus Finance Group. We were honored to sit down with this industry legend in person and learn more about Trixy and her history as an entrepreneur founding Genesis Capital and Hudson Marshall in the early days of private lending. We learned all about her new vision for Aureus, including how she approached her re-entry into the market after taking a few years off. Trixy has achieved so much in the industry yet maintains a level of entrepreneurialism and excitement about private lending and what it stands for.

Listen to Episode »
A 2024 Crystal Ball Conversation with Geraci Leadership

A 2024 Crystal Ball Conversation with Geraci Leadership

The leadership at Geraci LLP collectively has decades upon decades of private lending industry experience. For this episode, Kevin asked Geraci’s seasoned professionals to offer their foresight into the private lending industry for 2024 – what does the industry need to know as we head into the new year?

 

Kevin and the Geraci team explore anticipated economic trends, such as preparing for potential litigation challenges and strategizing for effective hiring in the evolving market landscape. They also delve into innovative lending practices tailored for the year ahead, emphasizing the necessity of rigorous risk management, stringent compliance protocols, and more.

Listen to Episode »
Ask a Private Lending Marketer: Mastering Your Brand | Erica LaCentra & Rocky Butani

Ask a Private Lending Marketer: Mastering Your Brand | Erica LaCentra & Rocky Butani

For this episode, our host Kevin Kim welcomes industry experts Erica LaCentra and Rocky Butani for a deep dive into the nuanced world of private lending marketing. They highlight the importance of industry conferences and share insights on how emerging companies and entrepreneurs can smartly use marketing to stand out in a crowded field. With a focus on the power of content marketing, targeted email campaigns, and maintaining transparent communication in challenging times, Erica and Rocky offer strategic tips for building brand recognition, nurturing relationships, and succeeding at industry conferences. Settle in as these industry-known marketing experts delve into the practical and technological facets of marketing within the private lending sector.

Listen to Episode »
A Conversation with Ray Mathoda, Anchor Loans

A Conversation with Ray Mathoda, Anchor Loans

Ray Mathoda is a seasoned CEO, social entrepreneur, and passionate visionary who now leads the charge at Anchor Loans, a lending giant with more than $13 billion in loans funded to date. Her upbringing in India, passion for genomics, identity as a member of the Desi LGBTQ+ community, and vast professional experience all give her a unique perspective on the real estate lending market. With a glance into the challenges of urban housing projects and the real estate investment landscape, this discussion sheds light on Ray’s multidimensional approach to lending and social entrepreneurship. You’ll find how her distinctive blend of passion, expertise, and empathy impacts Anchor Loans and all who cross paths with her.

Listen to Episode »
A Conversation with Bill Tessar, CV3 Financial Services

A Conversation with Bill Tessar, CV3 Financial Services

William J. Tessar is one of private lending’s most successful and inspiring leaders. From founding four companies in the conventional space to spearheading the remarkable success of Civic Financial Services, his journey offers invaluable insights to those new or veteran in private mortgage lending. Today, at the helm of CV3, Bill is recreating the magic that existed in each of his previous companies.

Kevin had the pleasure of traveling to CV3 headquarters in El Segundo, CA, to check out the new space and interview Bill. Throughout the conversation, it became clear that Bill puts his team’s success (personal and professional) and happiness first – a concept that too often comes secondary to many businesses – and dives deep with us to get to the core of the fervent loyalty of his employees. They also discuss the complexities of the private lending industry, the effects of regulatory interventions on banks, and more. This is a truly special episode with an extraordinary leader, so dive in now – the Lender Lounge awaits you!

Listen to Episode »
Ask a Private Lending Leader: Navigating Company Culture | Kevin Werner & Greg Hebner

Ask a Private Lending Leader: Navigating Company Culture | Kevin Werner & Greg Hebner

Step into the Lender Lounge as Kevin Kim leads a conversation between two of the private lending industry’s best: Kevin Werner, CEO of Renovo Financial, and Greg Hebner, Managing Director at Arixa Capital. From building a reputation for their companies as desirable workplaces to the intricacies of hiring top-notch talent and truly understanding client needs, these leaders delve into the core elements that define success for their companies. They offer valuable lessons on fostering a positive work environment, attracting and retaining employees, and ultimately using these tools to become a leader in the space. It’s a dialogue filled with insights that translate to practical strategies for growth and excellence and is a rare opportunity to gain a behind-the-scenes view of what makes these lending giants thrive.

Listen to Episode »
Season4_Teaser_Ep1_Kiavi

Special Summer Edition: A Conversation with a Lending Titan | Arvind Mohan, Kiavi

Join Arvind Mohan, CEO of Kiavi (formerly LendingHome), as he peels back the curtain for a glimpse into the lending giant and delves into the industry. Discover Kiavi’s ambitious plans for rehab projects and urban construction, their dedication to data-driven customer service, and their strategies for building a stronger lending portfolio. Hear from Arvind on the broader, ever-changing lending landscape, from the challenges posed by the Federal Reserve’s unpredictability to the importance of technology in enhancing the customer experience. This episode wraps up by exploring issues such as pricing capital markets and housing affordability. Don’t miss this captivating conversation with Arvind Mohan, a true lending industry titan, on Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim.

Listen to Episode »
Ben Fertig Lender Lounge

Resiliency Through Diversification | Ben Fertig, Constructive Loans

In the season 3 finale of Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim, Kevin interviewed Ben Fertig, the President and Co-Founder of Constructive Capital – a leading name in the private lending space and a reputable provider of DSCR loans. Ben shared about the genesis of Constructive and delved into his unique perspective on the private lending industry. With the current market experiencing significant volatility, Ben also provided valuable insights on how Constructive has managed to navigate and thrive in such turbulent times.

Listen to Episode »
Secret Sauce | Jeff Tesch, RCN Capital

Secret Sauce | Jeff Tesch, RCN Capital

In this episode, Kevin sat down with Jeff Tesch, founder and CEO of RCN Capital, to discuss his professional journey and the growth of his company. From a local operation to a national lender, RCN has seen tremendous success over the years. Listen in to learn more about Jeff’s story and the meaning behind the name “RCN.”

Listen to Episode »