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Juan Rodas
Co-founder, New Story Lending
This conversation explores the inspiring journey of Juan Rodas, who overcame significant challenges in his life, including personal and financial struggles, to co-found New Story Lending. Juan shares his experiences of resilience, the importance of community support, and the transformative power of education.
Someone always has it worse — and someone always sees more in you. Born with a deformed hand, bullied, and in early legal trouble, Juan was saved by a mentor who kept believing in him; decades later, the governor of Virginia pardoned him.
Street smarts plus education is an unfair advantage. A 15-year mortgage career from the mail room to Wall Street presentations, plus degrees from George Mason and Johns Hopkins, built what no business school teaches alone.
Homeownership is the number one catalyst out of poverty. New Story Lending over-indexes on very-low and low-income lending — 20%+ against a 7% benchmark — with down-payment assistance, FHA myths debunked, and loan applications in Spanish.
Be okay risking it all. Juan and his partner signed personal guarantees and took big pay cuts to build their bank — betting on yourself means accepting you could start over.
