AI Advocate Joins Rocket Board Of Directors

Rocket Companies has appointed an AI-oriented independent director to its Board of Directors, according to a press release. The new addition, Alex Rampell, is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz who focuses on fintech investments. Described as a “serial entrepreneur,” he co-founded companies like Affirm, a leader in “buy-now-pay-later,” and TrialPay, a transactional advertising and payments company that was acquired by Visa in 2015. Rampell now promotes the responsible use of AI, which he says will bring about a new era of transformation and disruption in the financial services space. “When I heard [CEO Varun Krishna] speak about the AI tools Rocket is creating, and the massive amount of data at their fingertips, I was simply blown away,” said Rampell.…

Tavant’s New Platform Helps Lenders Analyze Data, Predict Future Trends

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Leaders at a California-based digital lending solutions provider say they are using generative AI to redefine the financial services landscape. The launch of Data Beats by Tavant was announced at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s annual convention and expo in Philadelphia this October. The platform will initially be used for mortgage and home equity products but it will be extended to all consumer loans and banking products. Abhinav Asthana, fintech product business and growth leader at Tavant, said in a statement that the company’s mission is to stay at the forefront of innovation and to be the engineering partner of choice in the financial services industry. “Data Beats exemplifies our commitment to providing our customers with an advanced…

Fintech Hometap Announces Exec Appointments

Fintech Hometap made two exec-level appointments geared towards leveraging capital markets, the company announced in a press release. Cara Newman has joined the company as Head of Structured Finance, while Josh Gaffney has been named General Counsel. Both will report to CEO and co-founder Jeffrey Glass. “I’m thrilled to welcome Josh Gaffney and Cara Newman to our team,” said Hometap Cofounder and CEO Jeffrey Glass. “Drawing upon their guidance, I am confident that we will deliver even more value to our partners, investors, and stakeholders while always driving positive impact for homeowners and their families across the country.” Newman comes to the company from Redwood Trust, Inc., a residential mortgage credit company where she served as Managing Director and Head…

Muetzel Named President Of Blue Ridge Bank’s Fintech Division

Leaders at Blue Ridge Bank have announced that Kirsten Muetzel is their new president of the Fintech Division of the company. Muetzel brings over a decade of experience working with the Federal Reserve system, including supervising banks involved in BaaS and related partnerships. Additional experience includes being a Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer for fintech companies. Muetzel will be responsible for overseeing the Fintech Division, managing a portfolio of partners, strengthening regulatory compliance, and working to advance Blue Ridge’s fintech strategy. Muetzel said in a statement that there continue to be significant opportunities for banks to develop relationships with fintech firms and create new revenue streams while in turn enhancing products and services to existing customers. “Community banks are uniquely…

New LendArch COO Says They Can Help Mortgage Firms Improve The Loan Origination Process 

By KIMBERLEY HAAS The new executive vice president and chief operating officer at LendArch says they can enable lenders to optimize the mortgage experience from start to finish by digitalizing the real estate financing process. Karthik Kumar has 25 years of experience in the industry. He worked for Tata Consultancy Services from 2004 to May of this year. Citigroup and Standard Chartered Bank are among his previous employers, according to a press release. Kumar shared his excitement about the new position during a recent interview with The Mortgage Note. “I am in a company that is capital adequate, that has given me all of the empowerment to create, to experiment, in a way, to transform, to disrupt, so I am…

Finding A Mortgage On Your Phone? FinTech Companies Catering To Those Customers

By KIMBERLEY HAAS The typical American spends between five and six hours a day on their mobile phone so mortgage companies are developing new technologies to help them meet customers where they are. Brett Bivenour, Chief Technology Officer at Nationwide Mortgage Bankers in Melville, New York, explained during an interview with The Mortgage Note last week that for too long, the process seemed arduous for the average person. Even prior to the pandemic, consumer expectations about what they could do online had shifted because of what was happening outside his industry, he said. “As more and more aspects of people’s everyday lives were happening online, that certainly influenced their expectations of what it looks like to get a mortgage in…

FinLocker Names Andria Thomas SVP, Product

Fintech company FinLocker has named Andria Thomas as Senior Vice President, Product. “As FinLocker continues to build market traction and looks ahead to the next three to five years, we recognize the need to add more consumer understanding and leadership to our team,” said Prabhakar Bhogaraju, FinLocker Executive Vice-President, Head of Strategy and Product Development. “Andria Thomas brings a wealth of experience in product management in a direct-to-consumer setting and in management consulting. She is also a passionate advocate for financial health, equity, and inclusion. I am excited to have Andria join us and lead all things product here at FinLocker.” In the role, which is a new position within FinLocker leadership, Thomas will lead innovations in the FinLocker app.…