Lehi, Utah, Oct. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lendio, the nation’s leading marketplace for small business loans, today announced that its CEO and co-founder Brock Blake and CGO and co-founder Trent Miskin received the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Utah Region Award (Utah, Idaho, Wyoming), which was presented at a special virtual event.
Now in its 34th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors successful business leaders whose ambitions deliver innovation, growth and prosperity as they build and sustain groundbreaking companies that transform our world. These business leaders were selected as finalists by a panel of independent judges comprised of former winners and other leaders of the business community.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be named along with Trent Miskin as an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Utah Region Award winner,” said Blake. “We started Lendio because we truly believe that small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and of the communities in which they reside. Yet, banks reject 80% of small business loan applicants, meaning many entrepreneurs can’t even get their businesses off the ground. We’ve created a new reality for them and are proud to say we’ve helped 216,000 small business owners get a little closer to their dreams.”
Blake and Miskin founded Lendio in 2011 with the idea that access to capital should be simpler and quicker for the 30 million Main Street businesses across the U.S. As CEO, Blake leads a team that has facilitated over $2B in loans to small businesses, as well as processed more than 100,000 PPP loan approvals for a total of $8 billion in relief funding. An Inc. 500 CEO, national keynote speaker and Forbes columnist, Blake grew Lendio to become #34 in Inc.'s 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies. He has been recognized by Utah Business magazine as one of the Top 40 Under 40 business executives in Utah and in 2006, the Utah Technology Council named him Utah's Emerging Executive of the Year.
Miskin's knack for taking complex business problems and creating elegant technology solutions for small business owners positively impacts Lendio every day. As a founder and the architect of the Lendio platform, Trent's rare mix of technical, business and problem-solving skills empowers him to find a creative solution to any technology problem. Trent's focus on implementing development best practices enables Lendio to consistently deliver value to its customers.
“EY’s recognition of Lendio, particularly on the heels of the Paycheck Protection Program earlier this year, is a validation of the hard work the entire Lendio team has done to help small business owners navigate the complicated lending process,” said Miskin. “The loans we helped process have enabled small business owners to hire staff, buy equipment or simply keep their doors open during hard times. We are thrilled to be recognized by our peers in the business community and look forward to continuing to help more small business owners stay in business and thrive.”
Under Blake and Miskin’s dedicated leadership, Lendio has built a company culture that is passionate about driving results and giving back. For every new marketplace loan facilitated on Lendio’s platform, Lendio Gives, an employee-contribution and employer-matching program, provides a microloan to a low-income entrepreneur through Kiva.
Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive business awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. Finalists were evaluated based on six criteria, including overcoming adversity; financial performance; societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company; innovation; and talent management. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries throughout the world.
Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, to be announced in November during a virtual awards gala. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in June 2021.
For more information about Lendio, visit www.lendio.com.
For more information about EY, visit www.ey.com.
About Lendio
Lendio is the nation’s leading small business loan marketplace. With its diverse network of lenders, Lendio enables small business owners to apply for multiple loan products with a single application. To date, Lendio has facilitated over 200,000 small business loans for $10 billion in total funding, including $8 billion in PPP loan approvals as part of government COVID-19 relief. Lendio is a values-driven organization striving to provide equal access to capital to underserved communities and America’s smallest businesses. For every new marketplace loan Lendio facilitates, Lendio Gives—an employee-contribution and employer-matching fund—provides a microloan to a low-income entrepreneur around the world.
About Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title.
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