LendAPI Podcast

Timothy Li
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Business News
  • Updated Weekly

We dedicate this podcast to the hard working men and women from members on LendAPI's Marketplace.

  1. 2d ago

    LendAPI Partner Podcast: Trevor Barran (FNCR) on the $1M-to-$30M Gap No One Is Financing

    In this episode, host Timothy Li (CEO, LendAPI) talks with Trevor Barran, CEO of FNCR, about the strange, underserved middle of small business lending — too big for a local bank or an online lending platform, too small for a commercial bank's credit desk — and why FNCR built an entire company to close that gap. Trevor's path runs from building American Express's early small business credit line models, to studying complex adaptive systems and AI at the Santa Fe Institute in the early 2000s, to living through the 2008 financial crisis as regulation reshaped small business lending in ways no one fully anticipated. He and Tim trace how that regulatory shift commoditized small-dollar lending, created the opening for data-driven platforms like OnDeck, Kabbage, and Lending Club, and left a $1M-to-$30M financing gap that neither banks nor fintech lenders have solved. What You'll Learn: How 2008-era regulation (personal guarantees, delinquency timelines, capital reserve rules) accidentally commoditized small business lending and pushed banks out of itWhy data-driven lending platforms work well under roughly $250K-$500K, but struggle to underwrite profitably above thatHow Trevor's team built a market for monetizing pending government credits (like the Employee Retention Credit) during COVID — buying receivables at 85 cents on the dollar so businesses could get cash immediately instead of waiting on the IRSWhy the same logic now applies to the tariff refund wave, after tariffs were ruled unconstitutionalHow FNCR connects roughly 2,000 bank and non-bank lenders to the small and medium enterprise market through "programs" — tightly defined lending needs matched to specific capital providers, currently focused on real estate and healthcareWhy FNCR never cold-calls or cold-emails a business — every introduction comes through an existing partner relationship (PEOs, GPOs, large suppliers) with tens of thousands of SME relationships already in placeWhat's next for FNCR: e-commerce businesses and the AI-driven creator economy About FNCR FNCR ("financier") is a lending marketplace built to serve small and medium enterprises seeking $1 million to $30 million in financing — a segment too large for most banks and online lenders, and too small for commercial banking desks. Led by CEO Trevor Barran, FNCR partners with large businesses that already hold tens of thousands of SME relationships (suppliers, PEOs, GPOs) to match qualifying businesses with the right lender from its network of roughly 2,000 bank and non-bank capital providers, with no unsolicited outreach to borrowers. Learn more: https://www.fncr.com Explore the LendAPI Marketplace: https://www.lendapi.com/marketplace Listen on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts

    LendAPI Partner Podcast: Trevor Barran (FNCR) on the $1M-to-$30M Gap No One Is Financing

  2. 5d ago

    LendAPI Partner Podcast: Carlos Caro on Scaling Network with Affiliate Marketing Summit

    In this episode, host Timothy Li (CEO, LendAPI) welcomes back Carlos Caro — consumer lending founder, creator of The Free Toaster newsletter, and now the organizer of a new invite-curated event bringing lenders and publishers together in San Francisco. Carlos spent seven years at Capital One before building Credit Karma's Lightbox targeting platform from zero customers, then went on to found NewMarket Growth, which advises lenders on affiliate partnerships with the likes of Experian, LendingTree, and Credible. Now he's channeling everything he's learned about the industry's biggest conferences into something smaller, sharper, and far less exhausting. What You'll Learn: Why Carlos built a 150-person, highly curated alternative to 10,000-person mega-conferences like Money20/20The two-day format: a TED-talk-style day of talks, off-the-record Q&A, and debate-format sessions at San Francisco's Exploratorium, followed by a day of wine tasting and structured networking in SonomaWho should attend: CMOs and heads of partnerships at lenders, and senior leaders at publishers like Experian, Credit Karma, Engine, and Prism DataWhy panels are being replaced with debates — two speakers arguing opposite extremes of an issue, judged by no oneHow ticket pricing (under $1,000 for day one before August 1) compares to Money20/20's $4,000+ price tagCarlos's philosophy on event pricing, ratios, and why he'd rather have 100 of the right people in a room than 300 of the wrong onesWhat "success" looks like for attendees: one new partner relationship worth more than the ticket price ten times over About The Free Toaster The Free Toaster is a newsletter and podcast covering the intersection of marketing and lending, with roughly 2,500 subscribers and interviews with leaders across the fintech ecosystem. Its latest venture is the Affiliate Marketing Summit for Lenders and Publishers — a two-day, invite-curated event running September 23 (San Francisco) and September 24 (Sonoma), with early-bird pricing through August 1. Sponsors confirmed so far include Experian, Engine, Prism Data, SoFi, Chime, Credit Karma, LendingTree, Bankrate, Rakuten, and Avant. Learn more and register: https://events.thefreetoaster.com Explore the LendAPI Marketplace: https://www.lendapi.com/marketplace Listen on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts

    LendAPI Partner Podcast: Carlos Caro on Scaling Network with Affiliate Marketing Summit

  3. 6d ago

    LendAPI Partner Podcast: Jeeda Salloum (Block Equity) on Betting on Businesses When No One Else Will

    In this episode, host Timothy Li (CEO, LendAPI) talks with Jeeda Salloum , Partner at Block Equity Group, about small business lending, the real stories behind the numbers, and how a psychology degree turned out to be the perfect training for finance. Jeeda's a partner, closing deals and helping build out the firm's AI stack. She and Tim dig into how Block Equity has funded $370M+ for small businesses, why 80% of their clients come back for a second round, and what it actually looks like to pull a business owner out of a genuine financial hole. What You'll Learn: How Block Equity Group has funded over $370 million for small businesses, and why 80% of clients return for repeat financingA real client story: an SBA micro loan, a medical emergency, a "rapid rescore," and a larger SBA round that followedHow a factoring facility helped a trucking company stabilize cash flow while waiting on 30/60/90-day client paymentsWhy a policy change on SBA eligibility for green card holders forced Block Equity to find bridge financing and investor capital insteadHow Block Equity is using AI to automate back-office and document collection work — without replacing the human relationship at the center of the businessWhy Jeeda believes sales is the single most transferable skill you can learnAdvice for young people and founders on staying focused, choosing your environment, and pushing through economic uncertainty and noise About Block Equity Group Block Equity Group is a small business finance and advisory firm that helps business owners access SBA loans, factoring, bridge financing, and refinancing — with a relationship-first approach that keeps 80% of clients coming back for repeat funding. Founded by two cousins as a family venture, the firm has funded more than $370 million for small businesses across the country. Block Equity Group is a partner on the LendAPI Marketplace. Learn more: https://www.blockequitygr.com Explore the LendAPI Marketplace: https://www.lendapi.com/marketplace Listen on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts

    LendAPI Partner Podcast: Jeeda Salloum (Block Equity) on Betting on Businesses When No One Else Will

  4. Jul 22

    LendAPI Partner Podcast: John Gordon (ValidiFI) on Killing Payment Fraud Before It Happens

    In this episode, host Timothy Li (CEO, LendAPI) talks with John Gordon, CEO of ValidiFI, about how lenders and fintechs validate bank accounts, stop ACH fraud, and make better credit decisions using bank behavior data most lenders never see. John breaks down NACHA's Web Debit Rule (why every ACH payment now requires account validation and ongoing fraud checks), the real-world fraud patterns ValidiFI's data uncovers, and why "managed friction" — not maximum friction — is the smarter way to protect both lenders and good customers. What You'll Learn: What NACHA's Web Debit Rule actually requires, and how its 2026 update expanded fraud-check obligationsReal fraud signals ValidiFI tracks: landlines/VOIP as the riskiest phone types, 4+ accounts linked to one consumer raising risk 70%, and one account tied to 200+ Social Security numbersWhy "managed friction" beats blanket friction — fast-tracking clean accounts and reserving step-up authentication (bank login, micro deposits) for risky onesHow FedNow/RTP-enabled micro deposits now validate an account same-day using an alphanumeric code instead of a 3-day penny-dropWhy open banking (logging into your bank account) and account/routing validation should coexist, not competeHow ValidiFI processes 1.75 billion account inquiries, plus data partnerships with Early Warning Services and JPMorgan PaymentsWhy traditional credit scores miss Buy Now Pay Later, medical debt, and gaming spend — and how bank behavior data fills the gapHow free retroactive testing lets lenders see what ValidiFI's fraud and risk scoring would have caught, before signing anything About ValidiFI ValidiFI helps lenders, fintechs, and financial institutions validate bank accounts, detect fraud, and assess credit risk using bank and payment intelligence — including a 1.75-billion-inquiry data network and data-sharing partnerships with Early Warning Services and JPMorgan Payments. Led by CEO John Gordon, ValidiFi serves clients across credit and risk, fraud prevention, and account validation, including non-prime lenders, auto finance, insurance, and loyalty/payments programs. ValidiFi is a partner on the LendAPI Marketplace. Learn more: https://www.validifi.com Explore the LendAPI Marketplace: https://www.lendapi.com/marketplace Listen on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts

    LendAPI Partner Podcast: John Gordon (ValidiFI) on Killing Payment Fraud Before It Happens

  5. Jul 21

    LendAPI Partner Podcast with Jay Shah, Director of Strategic Partnership at CRS Credit API

    In this episode, host Timothy Li (CEO, LendAPI) talks with Jay Shah of CRS Credit API — a licensed Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) built to make regulated financial data easy for fintechs and lenders to access. Jay breaks down what "regulated data" actually means, why the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) protects consumer credit data, and what separates a licensed CRA from a data broker. He explains how CRS connects lenders to 200+ products across Experian, TransUnion, Equifax, LexisNexis, CoreLogic, Finicity, SoCure and more — all through a single integration, with onboarding down to about four days. What You'll Learn: Why regulated consumer data exists, and what the FCRA protectsWhat a CRA license actually requires, and why so few companies have oneHow CRS lets lenders pull credit, identity, and fraud data through one API instead of onboarding each bureau separatelyWhy some lenders want more data (full reports, fraud, business checks) while others want less — just the 3-5 attributes that matter for fast, high-volume decisionsHow silent, low-friction identity verification (phone + device signals) is replacing long PII forms without hurting match ratesHow a non-technical client used AI tools to build a working underwriting engine directly on top of CRS's APICRS's "sales karma" philosophy — advising fintechs on compliant, cost-efficient data flows instead of just selling products About CRS Credit API CRS is a licensed Consumer Reporting Agency built by CEO Stephen Hawkins, a 30+ year veteran of the credit bureau industry, to give fintechs and lenders fast, compliant access to regulated data. Jay Shah leads business development, having previously worked in fintech sales at Forward Lane. CRS partners directly with the major bureaus and specialty data vendors, offering a single onboarding process, a real-time onboarding portal, and flexible product bundles for lenders of every size — from single-founder startups to major banks. Learn more: crscreditapi.com Explore the LendAPI Marketplace: lendapi.com/marketplace Listen on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

    LendAPI Partner Podcast with Jay Shah, Director of Strategic Partnership at CRS Credit API

  6. Jul 21

    LendAPI Partner Podcast — Ron James, Founder & CEO at Opscale Exchange

    In this episode of the LendAPI Partner Podcast, host Timothy Li sits down with Ron James, a former senior retail executive at Walmart, Best Buy, and H&R Block who now runs Opscale Exchange. They dig into the billions of dollars in government tax credits — from R&D to tariff refunds — that small businesses leave unclaimed every year, and how LendAPI itself just recovered a six-figure R&D credit using Ron's team. What You'll Learn:The R&D Tax Credit, Demystified: Why the Research and Development Tax Credit isn't just for Microsoft and Amazon — any business taking a risk with an unknown outcome (including software teams) can qualify, and how LendAPI recovered roughly $500,000 by working directly with Ron's team.$80 Billion Goes Unclaimed Every Year: The IRS estimates $80 billion in tax credits go unclaimed annually — not because of loopholes, but because most small businesses don't have the teams big companies use to find them.From Katrina to COVID — How the ERC Was Born: The origin story of the Employee Retention Credit, which Ron's prior company recovered $6 billion of for U.S. businesses, and how it traces back to relief legislation written after Hurricane Katrina.PPP vs. ERC — The Difference That Confuses Everyone: A clear breakdown of how the Paycheck Protection Program (a loan) differs from the Employee Retention Credit (a refund of payroll taxes already paid).The Tariff Refund Opportunity: Why the government estimates $165 billion (and Ron's network believes closer to $1 trillion) in tariffs are refundable after recent rulings, what "importer of record" means for eligibility, and why working with a customs attorney — not just a broker — matters.What the "Big, Beautiful Bill" Actually Changed: How the law made 100% bonus depreciation and cost segregation permanent, letting real estate investors and equipment buyers write off the full cost of an asset in year one instead of over 20–30 years. About Opscale ExchangeOpscale Exchange helps small and mid-sized businesses recover tax credits and refunds — R&D, Employee Retention Credit, cost segregation, tariff refunds, and 10,000+ other federal, state, and local incentives — that typically go unclaimed simply because businesses don't know they qualify. Opscale Exchange partners with top-100 law firms and specialty attorneys to file claims on contingency — no upfront cost — and is building a client portal to continually surface new credits as they qualify. Learn more at OpscaleExchange.com. 📢 Explore more on the LendAPI Marketplace 🎧 Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

    LendAPI Partner Podcast — Ron James, Founder & CEO at Opscale Exchange

  7. Jun 19

    LendAPI Partner Podcast with Tristan Pollock, Managing Director at gener8tor

    In this episode of the LendAPI Partner Podcast, host Timothy Li sits down with Tristan, who manages the accelerator community at gener8tor. They explore the burgeoning tech landscape in Nevada, the critical importance of the energy sector, and how generator's specialized programs are accelerating innovation for deep tech and hard tech startups. The Electrify Nevada Program: A detailed look at gener8tor’s seven-week energy accelerator designed to support companies in advanced energy, critical minerals, and physical AI. Nevada's Energy Dominance: Insights into why Nevada is a top-ranked state for solar, geothermal, and grid battery storage, making it a "breeding ground" for new energy technologies. The Lithium Loop: An explanation of why Nevada is the only state in the U.S. capable of supporting the full lithium lifecycle, from mining and extraction to battery manufacturing and recycling. Business Advantages of Nevada: The strategic reasons companies are moving to Nevada, including zero corporate and income taxes, lower operational costs compared to California, and significantly reduced regulatory "red tape". Data Center & AI Synergy: How the massive expansion of data centers by hyperscalers like Microsoft, Google, and Apple is driving an immediate need for advanced power solutions and battery storage in the region. Accelerator Strategy & "Speedrun" Ecosystem: How generator acts as a "fractional co-founder," helping startups achieve in seven weeks what would typically take seven months by opening doors to major industry players like Tesla and Redwood Materials. Lifestyle as a Talent Magnet: Why the Reno-Tahoe area’s outdoor lifestyle—featuring world-class skiing, mountain lakes, and the Truckee River—is attracting top-tier talent and venture capital from Silicon Valley. gener8tor is a global venture firm and accelerator that runs over 100 programs worldwide.Their Nevada-based initiatives, such as Electrify Nevada, focus on integrating startups into the local ecosystem by providing critical introductions to mentors, investors, and state-run VC funds like Battle Born Ventures.By bridging the gap between academic research at institutions like UNR and UNLV and commercial application, generator helps turn deep tech innovations into scalable businesses 📢 Explore more on the LendAPI Marketplace 🎧 Listen now onYouTube,Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. What You'll Learn:About gener8tor

    LendAPI Partner Podcast with Tristan Pollock, Managing Director at gener8tor

  8. May 29

    LendAPI Partner Podcast with Tommy Cotter, Director of Data Product at Benzinga

    In this episode of the LendAPI Podcast, host Timothy Li talks with Tommy Cotter, who manages the API data endpoints for Benzinga. They discuss the evolution of financial news, the power of real-time data integration, and how modern technology is reshaping how retail and institutional investors consume market information. What You'll Learn: The Benzinga Content Philosophy: How the company focuses on making complex financial news simple and actionable by breaking down what happened, why it matters, and what happens next for its audience. API Integration and "Stay Put" Strategy: How brokerages and fintech startups use Benzinga’s 30+ API endpoints to natively integrate news and corporate actions data, keeping users engaged on their own platforms. Emerging Market Trends: Insights into the current "hottest" topics in the financial world, specifically the rapid growth and interest in private markets (such as SpaceX and Anthropic) and prediction markets. The Human-in-the-Loop Advantage: Why human editorial discernment remains critical in an era of "AI slop" to ensure news coverage is important, unbiased, and provides actual new information. Real-Time Data Evolution: A look at Benzinga’s new conference call transcripts endpoint, which provides real-time, timestamped, and diarized data from executive calls to give investors an immediate edge. The Business of News: An overview of Benzinga's three primary revenue verticals: B2B/B2C subscriptions, targeted advertising, and high-quality lead generation for financial partners. From the Court to the C-Suite: Tommy Cotter shares how his experience as a Division I college basketball player at Oakland University taught him the dedication, teamwork, and punctuality necessary for success in the fintech industry. About Benzinga Founded in Detroit in 2009, Benzinga is a leading financial news and data provider.With a team of approximately 200 employees and a growing global presence, the firm provides a massive data lake of normalized, dependable information extracted from SEC filings and press releases to help investors around the world own a piece of the American market. 📢 Explore more on the LendAPI Marketplace 🎧 Listen now onYouTube,Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

    LendAPI Partner Podcast with Tommy Cotter, Director of Data Product at Benzinga
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About

We dedicate this podcast to the hard working men and women from members on LendAPI's Marketplace.

Information

  • Creator
    Timothy Li
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    52
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Timothy Li
  • Show Website
    LendAPI Podcast