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

Kevin Kim, Esq., is a partner at Fortra Law, 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

Lender vs. Originator: Why Control of Capital Matters

Ezra Dweck, President and Co-Founder of IceCap Group, joins Kevin Kim on this episode of Lender Lounge to discuss the evolution of private lending, the importance of disciplined underwriting, and the changing dynamics of the RTL and DSCR markets. Ezra shares how IceCap began as a family office deploying capital into real estate before transitioning into one of the Northeast’s established private lending platforms. The conversation covers the distinction between being an originator versus a true lender, the role of securitization in creating stable financing, and why maintaining independent decision-making remains central to IceCap’s strategy. Ezra also examines the risks associated with aggressive leverage, valuation concerns, and the growing influence of technology and AI in modern lending operations.

Listen to Episode »

Lender vs. Originator: Why Control of Capital Matters

Ezra Dweck, President and Co-Founder of IceCap Group, joins Kevin Kim on this episode of Lender Lounge to discuss the evolution of private lending, the importance of disciplined underwriting, and the changing dynamics of the RTL and DSCR markets. Ezra shares how IceCap began as a family office deploying capital into real estate before transitioning into one of the Northeast’s established private lending platforms. The conversation covers the distinction between being an originator versus a true lender, the role of securitization in creating stable financing, and why maintaining independent decision-making remains central to IceCap’s strategy. Ezra also examines the risks associated with aggressive leverage, valuation concerns, and the growing influence of technology and AI in modern lending operations.

Listen to Episode »
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Meet the Host

Kevin Kim

Kevin Kim, Esq.

Kevin Kim is a Partner with Fortra Law 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.

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Previous Episodes

See a Need, Fill a Need | Steven Trowern, Temple View Capital

Maintaining a startup mentality can work wonders for business growth. Steven Trowern, CEO and Founder of Temple View Capital and MCM Capital, discussed Temple View’s focus on just that, including their history and growth over the years. Kevin and Steve also spent some time comparing the pandemic crisis to the global financial crisis of 2008 – and had some laughs around the TARP program of 2009.

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Filling a Void in Private Lending | Rocky Butani, PrivateLenderLink.com

If you’re in the private lending industry, you probably know Rocky Butani with Private Lender Link! Rocky visited Kevin in his office before the California Mortgage Association summer seminar where they discussed the evolution of PLL and where it’s headed. Rocky lives and breathes the private lending space and, in this episode, gives a glimpse into his deep understanding of its dynamics.

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True Independent Lender | Renee Lewis, Bloomfield Capital

Renee Lewis, a three-time “Women of Influence” awardee by Real Estate New York, has a wealth of knowledge about private lending. A disciplined partner at Bloomfield Capital, she discusses their view on real estate finance and how they grew their business. Learn about Bloomfield Capital’s strong underwriting, utilization of data, and focused approach to capital used to build their national lending business.

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Adapting to Industry Changes | Michael Ramin, Sharestates

What’s better than a podcast on the fly? Kevin enjoyed catching up with Michael Ramin – a long-time friend and much-loved industry leader – when they sat down for an impromptu interview during sponsor set-up at Geraci’s Captivate event. Learn about Michael’s journey in private lending as well as Sharestates’ history as a crowdfunding business and multi-disciplined lender.

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What’s in a Name? I Zack Lofton, Loan Ranger Capital

On the road in Texas, Kevin visited with Zack Lofton with Loan Ranger Capital. He got to learn about their “garage band debt fund” and how Loan Ranger has grown rapidly in a short period of time in the central Texas market. Kevin and Zack also talked about building the brand, staying lean and mean, and growing a great company culture. He also got to learn about Zack’s background as a Chartered Financial Analyst and learn how he grew the business from a solo operation.

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Candid Chat with the Best Dressed Man in Lending | Peter Steigleder, Fidelity Mortgage Lenders

For this episode, Kevin interviewed Peter Steigedler, the best-dressed man in Hard Money! Listen in to learn more about Peter’s career path at the German consulate, to real estate broker, to principal at Fidelity Mortgage Lenders – one of the oldest shops in private lending. Kevin got know Peter as a person as well as they discussed his work with the Guardians of Los Angeles Jewish Home.

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Innovate Special Edition | Kristina Sawyer, Arixa Capital; Ruben Izgelov, WeLend LLC; Vincent Balagia, Stallion Capital

Geraci’s Innovate Conference for 2021 was a massive success. While we were there with all of our wonderful clients and friends, Kevin had the opportunity to interview Kristina Sawyer with Arixa Capital, Ruben Izgelov with WeLend, and Vincent Balagia with Stallion Capital. The purpose of this episode was to get a better understanding of their local markets. All three individuals have immense expertise of their local and surrounding geographies and shared their insights on where the market was headed. One interesting point was how popular ADUs are in all three markets. Listen in and learn more!

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Lender Lounge S3E11 | Diversification is Key | Mark Jury, Sortis Holdings

Diversification is Key | Mark Jury, Sortis Holdings

For this episode, Kevin interviewed Mark Jury with Sortis Holdings. Mark discussed the details of Sortis’ business and how they are servicing private lenders as an advisor. He also gave perspective on the current market conditions and his take on institutional investors in private lending.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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