In this episode of The Growth Seat, Dhani Jones sits down with Kevin Werner, co-founder and CEO of Renovo Financial, to discuss how a culture-driven private lender scaled from a post-financial-crisis startup into a national real estate capital partner.

Werner shares how Renovo emerged in 2011 as traditional banks pulled away, creating opportunity in underserved local markets. What began as a self-written business plan has grown into a platform operating in more than 30 markets and funding thousands of projects each month.

The conversation explores Renovo’s differentiated model—combining institutional capital with boots-on-the-ground local teams who take the time to understand each borrower’s business plan, not just the deal. Werner also reflects on his non-traditional path into business, the discipline of setting “Big Hairy Audacious Goals,” and why a company’s potential is often defined by its leader’s mindset.

This episode is about building the kind of company that employees want to work at, staying authentic as a leader, and scaling a business while maintaining the culture that makes it work.

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Guest Highlight: Kevin Werner

Kevin Werner is the co-founder and CEO of Renovo Financial, a national private lending platform serving residential real estate investors. He founded the company in 2011 following the financial crisis to help fill the gap left by traditional banks. Under his leadership, Renovo has grown from a Chicago startup into a national platform focused on relationship-driven lending.