Lendio Leadership

Brock Blake is the CEO and co-founder of Lendio, the nation’s leading small business finance solutions provider. Brock believes that access to capital should be simpler and quicker for small business owners, and he’s built a successful company around solving this problem. Brock leads the team that has helped business owners get access to more than $10B in funding. An Inc. 500 CEO, national keynote speaker, Forbes columnist, and Utah’s Emerging Executive of the Year, Brock’s dedication extends far beyond the boardroom. He has shaped a superior company culture with a humble and hungry team that is passionate about driving results and giving back. For every loan facilitated on Lendio’s marketplace platform, Lendio Gives, an employee-contribution and employer-matching program, provides a microloan to a low-income entrepreneur around the world through Kiva.

Trent’s knack for taking complex business problems and creating elegant technology solutions for small business owners positively impacts Lendio every day. As a founder and the architect of the Lendio platform, Trent's rare mix of technical, business, and problem-solving skills—no matter the challenge—empower him to find a creative solution to any technology problem. Trent's focus on implementing development best practice enables Lendio to consistently deliver value to its customers.

Under Ben’s direction as Chief Franchising Officer, Lendio became the world’s first franchised online lending marketplace. Now as the company’s Chief Revenue Officer, Ben leads all revenue functions in both sales and franchising. Ben believes that empowering small business ownership should be a cornerstone of any collective effort to strengthen individuals, families, communities, and countries.

Karen has experience in all strategic and functional aspects of marketing but finds the human side most compelling. Before joining Lendio, Karen served as CMO for BrainStorm, Inc. Before that, she spent over a decade at Ancestry, helping launch the Canadian market and rising to the position of SVP, U.S. Marketing. Karen holds a B.S. in English and Criminal Justice, and an MBA in Marketing and Marketing Analysis.

Mark Santiago is a driven leader with a strong track record of building successful companies and teams in fintech, financial services, and high tech. His business career started in the Bay Area, working with and learning from great business leaders and companies on the cutting edge of technology. In 2016, Mark was voted a 2016 CXO of the Year by Utah Business Magazine. Prior to his role as Chief of Staff, Mark served as Lendio’s CFO for nearly 5 years.

David Bedell joined Lendio in January 2022, bringing 20 years of financial industry experience to his role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Prior to joining Lendio, Bedell successfully led companies through acquisitions, integrations, private equity sales and IPOs. He also served as CFO of HireVue, overseeing the company’s sale to The Carlyle Group, and worked with Instructure as well as Intuit, where he received the CFO Recognition of Excellence award and 2013's Business Unit of the year.

As Lendio’s General Counsel, Ethan takes care of all things legal, from document review and negotiation to acquisitions to general legal advice for employees. Ethan brings extensive experience to the board, including helping business owners get their business up and running the right way, protecting their interests as they grow, and helping them generate long term success. Knowing that Lendio is helping businesses move forward and succeed is what drives Ethan every day.

As a fintech executive, Denada has led strategic partnerships with U.S. and international corporations, executing business strategies across borders and under challenging market conditions. At Lendio, she leads both lender and partner acquisition, applying her philosophy of a holistic, 360-degree partnership model to lender strategy and portfolio management. ​Denada is committed to supporting diversity in fintech and creating financing opportunities for women-owned businesses. She is also a member of Forbes Business Development Council, an Electronic Transaction Association Forty Under 40 honoree, and winner of a Silver Stevie​® Award for Female Executive of the Year – Business Services.​ Prior to her role at Lendio, she acquired and managed partnerships for American Express’ non-card lending division.

Brett has a love of small business and enjoys helping business owners find access to funding each day. As co-founder of Lendio, Brett is instrumental in shaping the unique culture that has led Lendio to be recognized as one of the best places to work in financial services and one of the Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies. Brett's experience working with partner networks, sales process design, and operational management has produced substantial growth in the marketplace sales team, and his passion for helping underserved markets access growth capital extends far beyond Lendio’s marketplace. Brett leads the Lendio Gives initiative, an employee-contribution and employer-matching program dedicated to helping entrepreneurs around the world receive microloans through Kiva.

During his time at Lendio, Jay has influenced every aspect of the sales process, starting out as Director of Training, and eventually moving into a role as Senior VP of Sales Acceleration. A Southern California native and Brigham Young University graduate, Jay’s favorite part of working at Lendio is the hardworking team. Lendio’s value “Be the CEO of your job” means he spends less time managing and more time leading. Jay’s previous experience as a business owner himself makes Lendio’s mission to fuel the dream of entrepreneurship all the more personal.

Brian wrote his first <b> tag in 1996 for his band's website and immediately fell in love with using technology to build cool stuff. He is a passionate and driven technologist and a continuous learner. He loves getting his hands dirty and creating, and he loves writing code and delivering valuable products that solve problems. Brian also has the proven ability to create and lead high-functioning engineering teams that deliver results on time without fanfare or heroic 2:00 a.m. death marches. His tech pet peeves include inconsiderate user interfaces, bad APIs, and intrusive data collection.

Mark joined the Lendio team in the first year of its franchising program. His work has not only helped to launch dozens of Lendio Local “offices” across the country but also to ensure these franchise locations continue running successfully. Throughout his career, Mark has directly worked with hundreds of franchisees in several industries and various capacities. Since 2018, Mark has been leading all aspects of the Lendio Local business, from recruiting new franchisees to ongoing training. Mark is passionate about small businesses as the lifeblood of national and local economies and loves working closely with individuals who embody the "if it is to be, it's up to me" mindset.

Kevin is a finance professional with over 10 years of experience working primarily in the financial services and real estate sectors. Kevin has spent time working as a consultant to clients large and small and as part of in-house finance teams. With a passion for improving processes and helping others succeed, Kevin manages and knows firsthand the power of a great team. Kevin became a licensed CPA in the state of Utah in 2013, holds an MBA with an emphasis in Accounting and Finance from the University of Utah, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Information Technology from Brigham Young University.

Nick is an accomplished sales and marketing professional with acumen in account management, channel marketing, lead generation, lead nurturing, sales campaign generation, and business development. Nick is a strong team leader who has found success in developing and implementing both new business acquisition and up-sell campaigns designed to build a sales pipeline within direct and channel sales organizations.

Tyler is known for building high performing teams and strategies that are dynamic, scalable, and differentiating. He has a strong track record of helping high-growth companies, including Lendio, increase revenue and deliver substantial value. Previous experience spans Fintech, SaaS, Marketing Agency, Consulting, Fashion, and Education industries. Above all else, Tyler loves solving problems, learning new things, and helping people grow.