Brock Blake

Brock Blake[1][2] is founder and CEO of Lendio, an online marketplace for small business loans. Lendio offers borrowers access to loan options from more lenders than any other marketplace in the industry. Blake is an Inc. 500 CEO, national keynote speaker, and Forbes columnist.[3]

Brock Blake
EducationBrigham Young University
OccupationFounder & CEO of Lendio
Children4

He was educated at Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management. He lives in Utah with his wife and four children.

Career

Blake founded FundingUtah in 2006,[4] which became FundingUniverse and, by 2011, Lendio.[5] CEO Blake[2][1] has served in that role to each. has served in that role to each.

Blake founded Lendio after witnessing how small businesses struggled to get capital from U.S. banks following the 2008 global financial crisis. Lendio's platform enables small business owners to fill out a free online loan application, then browse multiple loan products from a network of more than 75 lenders. In October 2018, Lendio announced[6] it had serviced $1B in total loans to over 51,000 small businesses across the country.

Blake also created one of the first ever speed dating-style small business pitching events called CrowdPitch.[7]

Awards

Brock Blake has received several awards throughout his career, including:

  • Q Awards, 2020 Entrepreneur Of The Year: Brock Blake, Lendio[8]
  • Business Intelligence Group Small Business Executive of the Year,[9] 2013
  • Utah Venture Entrepreneur Forum Peak 100,[10] 2015
  • Windsor Advantage recognition of commitment to small business lending and the SBA 7(a) Program, 2015, 2016
  • ETA Forty Under 40, received 2008.[8]

Philanthropy

Through Lendio, Blake has instituted numerous philanthropic efforts to give back to the small business community. For every loan facilitated on Lendio's marketplace platform, the company donates a percentage of funds to low-income entrepreneurs around the world through the nonprofit organization, Kiva.[11] The program, Lendio Gives,[12] typically awards loans in amounts from $150 to $5,000 to early stage small businesses in impoverished countries around the world. One hundred percent of every dollar the company lends to Kiva goes to funding loans.

From 2012 to 2017, Lendio offered two scholarship programs including The Lendio Brock Blake Student Entrepreneur of the Year scholarship, given to a student who demonstrated excellence in entrepreneurship; and, Lendio's Scholarship to Small Business Families, a video contest where applicants discussed the types of sacrifices they have made in order to start or grow a small business.[13][14]

As of October 2018, Lendio Gives had funded[11] 4,100 microloans to entrepreneurs across 78 countries totalling $104,000.

References
  1. "Small-Business Relief Effort 'a Mess'". The New York Times. April 2, 2020.
  2. "Small Businesses Seek a Crisis Lifeline Beyond Loans". The New York Times. March 23, 2020.
  3. "www.forbes.com/sites/brockblake/#3f3c81b06047". forbes.com. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  4. Gabrielle Olya (May 17, 2019). "This Lendio CEO Started a Billion-Dollar Business That Helps Other Entrepreneurs Get Their Start".
  5. {cite web |website=TechCrunch |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/06/02/lendio-scores-2-million-more-to-assist-business-owners-in-securing-loans |title=Lendio Scores $2 Million More To Assist Business Owners In Securing Loans |date=June 2, 2011}}
  6. "Lendio Tops $1B in Online Business Loans and $3.8B in Economic Output". lendio.com. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  7. Ann Meyer (February 23, 2011). "ReadyPing presents winning message at CrowdPitch". SmallBusinessExecutive (SmallBizChicago.com).
  8. {{cite magazine |magazine=Utah BusinessQ |url=https://utahvalley360.com/2020/04/03/q-awards-entrepreneur-of-the-year-brock-blake-lendio |title=Q Awards Entrepreneur Of The Year: Brock Blake, Lendio |author=Bri Stewart |date=April 3, 2020}
  9. "Brock Blake Wins Small Business Executive of the Year". lendio.com. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  10. "Utah Venture Entrepreneur Forum Announces Winners of Its Peak 100 and EPIC Ventures Hot 100 Awards". prweb.com. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  11. "Kiva Lending Team: Lendio Gives". Kiva. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  12. "Lendio Gives". Lendio. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  13. "The Brock Blake Student Entrepreneur of the Year Scholarship" (PDF). July 1, 2012.
  14. "Brock Blake Student Entrepreneur of the Year Scholarship". will award $2,500 every year to a student who has demonstrated ..


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