Commercial Real Estate Refinancing

Sundip Patel is a visionary entrepreneur whose journey embodies resilience and a deep commitment to social impact. Immigrating from Zambia as a child, his early experiences instilled in him a lifelong dedication to financial equity and community empowerment.

He earned an MSc in Social Business & Entrepreneurship from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MBA from the University of California, Irvine, and holds CPA and CMA licenses. Sundip is a lifelong member of YPO. Since founding AVANA Companies in 2002, Sundip has grown it into a family of three world-class brands - AVANA Capital, AVANA CUSO, and EqualSeat™ - to become a top private credit platform united by the mission “Delivering Capital for Better Tomorrow.” As CEO, he oversees these entities and leads EqualSeat™, a fractional loan-trading platform that democratizes access for both retail and accredited investors.

Under his stewardship, AVANA Companies, the holding company for AVANA Capital and AVANA CUSO, was named an Inc. 5000 firm, has secured over $6.5 billion in funding to date, manages more than $1+ billion in private credit assets, and created over 5,500 jobs worldwide. AVANA CUSO stands as the nation’s leading provider of full-service lending solutions to credit unions.

In addition to serving on the board of AVANA Bank in Abilene, Texas, Sundip is spearheading strategic expansions into Saudi Arabia through Ezdaher Financing Company and into India via LendThrive Finance Private Limited, that is licensed as an NBFC, regulated by the Reserve Bank of India. Beyond his business ventures, Sundip founded the Giggle Foundation to support underprivileged children.

Splitting his time between Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, India, and Phoenix, Arizona, he continues to inspire future generations as a sought-after speaker on socially and environmentally conscious business practices.

As Chief Lending Officer at AVANA Companies and Chair of the Board at AVANA Bank, Sanat Patel brings more than three decades of experience in financial services, private credit and commercial banking, with a proven track record in loan structuring, risk management, and balance sheet growth.

Sanat has led strategic initiatives that connect institutional capital with entrepreneurial ambition, supporting the growth of businesses, and  owners engaged in commercial real estate across the U.S. He has built and scaled lending platforms in partnership with banks and credit unions, developing tailored financial solutions that drive job creation and foster inclusive economic development.

Sanat’s earlier career includes leadership roles at JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and Household Bank, where he consistently ranked among the top performers nationwide. He is widely recognized for creating innovative niche-lending programs and pioneering “social underwriting,” a relationship-based credit approach that evaluates borrowers’ community ties and business character—particularly for underserved communities.

Sanat holds an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management (2021), is a graduate of California State University at Fullerton, and has completed executive banking studies at the Pacific Coast Banking School. A dedicated community leader, he served as President of the Phoenix Chapter of Pratham USA (2020–2024) and currently serves on the Board of Community Housing Works (San Diego) as Chair of the Finance Committee. He is also a former board member of the Arizona Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

With a servant-leadership philosophy grounded in integrity and humility, Sanat is committed to delivering sustainable value to clients, investors, and community partners. Sanat remains focused on building lending solutions that not only generate financial results but also uplift communities and fuel lasting impact. 

Yiqing Wang brings a global perspective and strong operational acumen to AVANA Companies as Chief Operating Officer and Business Head of AVANA CUSO. With a background in management consulting at McKinsey & Company, she has advised C-suite leaders across industries on large-scale operational transformation, digital strategy, and GenAI-enabled innovation—delivering measurable outcomes such as £500M+ in cost savings and significant process optimization.

Her prior roles include leading EMEA growth at Windtech Consultants and driving sales performance and strategic bids at BMT Global, where she consistently accelerated revenue and expanded market presence. Yiqing’s track record includes securing multimillion-dollar deals, launching strategic partnerships, and building scalable, data-driven systems that enhance performance and ROI.

An MBA graduate from INSEAD and Dean’s List scholar, Yiqing also holds a Master’s from Imperial College London. She combines deep technical insight with strategic leadership to enhance AVANA’s operational capabilities and support its mission to deliver long-term, impact-driven value to clients and investors.

Matt has over 25 years of lending experience and currently serves as the Chief Credit Officer for AVANA. Prior to joining AVANA Capital, Matt was Senior VP and Director of National Real Estate lending for Zions Bank. In that role, he oversaw the bank’s nationwide commercial real estate lending platform with a primary focus in SBA 504 lending.

During his 16 years at Zions, the National Real Estate Group originated over $10 billion in commercial real estate loans, including nearly $5 billion in SBA 504 1st mortgage loans. He brings deep experience, having managed a $5.0 billion CRE portfolio through the global financial crisis and overseeing the secondary market program at Zions Bank.

Matt earned an MBA from the University of Utah in 2010. He also graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from University of Utah in 1998. In 2005, he graduated from the Pacific Coast Banking School.

Mae Monnette Julian-Ulfindo, CPA, CMA, CSCA, has over a decade of experience in accounting, auditing, and financial management. As the VP-Finance Controller at AVANA Companies, she leads cross-functional teams and drives initiatives that enhance operational efficiency and support the company’s expansion. She oversees several functions such as financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and investor reporting.

Prior to joining AVANA Companies, Mae Monnette built a strong foundation at Ernst & Young, earning accolades for technical excellence and innovative contributions. She led the team to audit financial statements in compliance with IFRS and ISA and led the discussion of audit issues and recommendations to clients. She had also been a part of EY Middle East and North Africa (MENA) where she was involved in the preparation of various technical materials as guidance for the auditors across the EY- MENA region and participated in the development of innovative solutions and digitalization of audit processes and data analytics.

Mae graduated as Magna Cum Laude from Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

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Cathy joined AVANA in October 2023 to contribute to the firm’s fundraising efforts for our portfolio strategies. She has over 35 years of experience in the investment managemen industry, working for a variety of investment firms including Nordea Investment Management and JP Morgan Chase. Cathy has successfully raised assets in a variety of investment strategies including domestic and international equity and fixed income strategies as well as real estate investment funds. She has significant product experience in separate accounts, mutual funds, insurance products and retirement plans. Cathy received a B.A in Business Administration and Political Science from Hood College and is a member of 100 Women in Finance as well as a volunteer for New York Cares.

Bikash Bhalotia is a data-driven marketing and strategy leader with over 20 years of cross-industry experience spanning financial services, media, and technology. As EVP of Marketing & Communication at AVANA Companies, he drives integrated B2B marketing across AVANA Capital, AVANA CUSO, and EqualSeat™, targeting investors, credit unions, brokers, and borrowers through CRM, digital channels, and performance-led content strategies.

Throughout his career, Bikash has built an expertise in transforming insights into impactful outcomes. He has launched and scaled financial and media brands internationally, shaped go-to-market strategies for marquee sports and entertainment properties, and delivered measurable audience and revenue growth across regions. His approach blends storytelling with analytics: leveraging AI, customer data, and predictive modeling to sharpen marketing effectiveness, accelerate growth, and align with long-term business goals.

An MBA from IIM Bangalore and eligible for CFA charter (cleared all 3 levels), Bikash brings a unique blend of analytical rigor, creative thinking, and strategic leadership to the role he plays. He is passionate about consumer behavior, content innovation, and the evolving intersection of marketing and technology.

Kristine Sanchez is a Customer Success Manager at AVANA Companies, where she serves as one of the primary points of contact for borrowers and ensures smooth transactions from initial inquiry to closing. She plays a key role in deal vetting, loan processing, and closing coordination, working closely with the credit team, title companies, attorneys, and internal departments to facilitate efficient and seamless loan execution.

With over a decade of experience in customer service, financial services, sales operations, and training & development, Kristine has honed her expertise in client relationship management, deal evaluation, and operational efficiency.

She ensures that all financing opportunities align with AVANA’s lending and capital partner requirements before transitioning deals to underwriting. She also leverages industry-leading tools to streamline operations and enhance the borrower experience.

Before joining AVANA, Kristine worked in automotive sales and leasing in Kuwait, specializing in corporate and hotel-based mobility solutions. In addition to her sales and customer success role, she spearheaded employee training and development initiatives, conducting staff orientations, internal training workshops, and process improvement programs to enhance performance and service quality.

Kristine holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Polytechnic University of the Philippines. She is passionate about process optimization, client engagement, and delivering exceptional financial solutions to borrowers.