About Lendistry
Lendistry is a minority-led and technology-enabled small business and commercial real estate lender with Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Entity (CDE) certification. Lendistry ranks second nationwide in SBA Community Advantage lending, providing responsible financing to small business owners and their underserved communities. Lendistry is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and is headquartered in a Los Angeles Opportunity Zone with an additional location in a Baltimore Opportunity Zone.
In 2020 and 2021, Lendistry provided Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to small businesses in all 50 states and was selected by the State of California to administer the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program, which distributed grants to small businesses that lost significant revenues during the pandemic. Lendistry is dedicated to providing economic opportunities and progressive growth for underserved urban and rural small business borrowers and their communities.
Lendistry’s non-profit related entity, The Center for Strategic Economic Studies and Institutional Development, provides technical assistance, educational, and other services to many of Lendistry’s small business customers.
PPP Loans Originated
Small Business Relief Grants
Small Businesses Supported
Our Executive Team
Chief Executive Officer
Everett serves as the CEO & President of Lendistry. His past experience includes both national and community banking where he has served as a sales leader and on various committees including commercial lending, compliance and risk. Mr. Sands leadership includes managing over 200+ sales professionals in his career as well serving as a Board Member of a community bank, an instructor for multiple associations and managing both credit, operations and sales departments of lending institutions. Mr. Sands holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania.
EVP, Sales
Lynn Fernandez has been a leader in the banking world for over 30 years. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President at Comerica Bank, where she directed 100+ banking locations throughout California. Before that, Fernandez oversaw small business banking in Southern California and the Pacific Northwest as Senior Vice President at Bank of America.
Chief Credit Officer
Lynn Fernandez serves as Lendistry’s Chief Credit Officer. Her duties include overseeing credit policies, operations, products, and serving as Lendistry’s keeper of credit culture and credit risk management. Her past roles include Vice President at California United Bank, Vice President at City National Bank, former Officer of Comptroller of the Currency Safety and Soundness Bank Examiner, including Credit Officer and Credit Analyst. Ms. Fernandez received her B.S. Business Administration, Finance and Financial Management Services from the University of Denver.
EVP, General Counsel
Kyle Funn brings over 12 years of business experience to Lendistry, both as a corporate attorney and in-house operator. Most recently, Mr. Funn was a senior corporate associate in the Los Angeles office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C., where he advised private companies and venture capital and private equity funds in a variety of corporate and securities law matters. Prior to that, he was a corporate associate at Cypress LLP, where he provided broad-based corporate representation to start-up and private growth companies and private equity firms in a variety of industries, including technology, healthcare, financial services, entertainment and media, and manufacturing. Mr. Funn received his undergraduate degree at Howard University and law degree at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
Chief Finance Officer
Jason serves as CFO of Lendistry. He began his career on the technical development side of startups which led him to become a financial technology executive at two national banks. Mr. Haase then moved over the finance side of building startups upon earning his MBA. Including Lendistry, he has served as CFO for four startups, two of which had successful exits for the founders and investors during his tenure. Mr. Haase holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Wisconsin and a Masters in Business Administration from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Chief Operating Officer
Scharrell Jackson brings to Lendistry over 20 years of excellence in operations. Her previous roles include twenty years as COO at Squar Milner and, more recently, COO of BPM LLP, one of the 50 largest public accounting and advisory firms in the country. Her keen oversight of day-to-day operations and ability to achieve sustainable, scalable growth form a foundation for each firm’s innovation and growth models. As a graduate of UCLA, a long-standing board member at several community service and youth organizations, and Founder and CEO of the Leadership in Heels speaker series, Ms. Jackson shares her expertise to help her local community.
Chief Marketing Officer
Joe has more than 20 years of marketing experience in financial services organizations, including a focus on the commercial real estate and commercial lending space as a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo. He has overseen and grown brands at large institutions and small technology and fintech startups. As Lendistry’s Chief Marketing Officer he oversees marketing, public relations and communications for the company. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tulsa and a Master of Arts from DePaul University.
Chief Technology Officer
Karthik Ramaswamy oversees all of Lendistry’s technological platforms. His recent experience includes Chief Architect of Digital Platforms at JP Morgan, where he oversaw the architecture of API and data frameworks at the firm’s Central Investment Bank, and VP of Framework Engineering and Digital Banking at American Express. Mr. Ramaswamy holds an MS in Operations Research from Clemson University and has experience leading teams to develop high-performance software products for startups and Fortune 500 companies.
Board Advisor, Finance
Deanna is a serial entrepreneur with more than two decades of financial and operational leadership in technology focused enterprises. A specialist in the critical early stages of company development, Deanna adds the discipline necessary for successful capital formation and profitable growth. Deanna has served as CFO for three different organizations.
Board Advisor, Technology
Rob Green has over 20 years of technology and management experience with a focus on defining SaaS product strategy and leadership at the executive level. Rob has held leadership roles in technology organizations such as Dizzion, Salesforce, Viawest, Rackspace, and Verizon Business services (formerly Digex). He has held technical roles in science and engineering at the National Institutes of Health, NASA and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics lab. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Information Science from the University of Maryland as well as several industry certifications.
Board Advisor, Strategy
A graduate of Temple University’s Fox School of Business, Ms. Lynch has 15 years’ experience in residential and commercial lending driving profitability through marketing strategies and operational efficiencies. As Lendistry’s Board Advisor, Strategy, she works alongside the executive team where she has developed valuable affiliate partnerships and implemented crucial marketing initiatives which have significantly increased sales volume and brand awareness.