Meet the Team

Christopher Fiumara, Founder, CFM, CPLA

Christopher Fiumara, Founder, CFM, CPLA is a 2000 graduate of Richmond College, The American International University in London. He entered the real estate industry in 1995 as a rental agent and since has been a developer, owner, operator, landlord, and lender. Chris has owned over 300 rental units which he managed with a hands-on approach. Chris founded Suffolk Management, LLC in 2000 as a real estate development, management, and consulting company. Under the Suffolk umbrella, Chris has bought and sold over $25 million worth of real estate. He has negotiated all aspects of real estate transactions with contractors, sellers, and buyers. Chris founded Crowd Lending, Inc. in 2015 with his partner, Dan Najarian. Chris utilizes his experience to see the big picture of the real estate world. His focus is on recruiting investors, securing creditable borrowers, and leading Crowd Lending Inc. into the future. Chris has earned the Certified Fund Manager designation and the Certified Private Lender Associate designation from the American Association of Private Lenders.

Daniel J. Najarian, Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder, JD, CFM

Daniel J. Najarian is a 1998 graduate of Boston College and a 2001 graduate of Suffolk University Law School where he graduated with honors. He is licensed to practice in Massachusetts and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. In 2009 Dan opened Najarian & Associates, LLC and he has been in real estate ever since. Over the last 9 years, Dan has represented buyers, sellers, and lenders in over 900 real estate transactions. Najarian has also represented landlords in real estate-related matters since 2002. Additionally, Dan founded Najarian Investments, LLC and has been involved in over twenty single-family residential rehabilitation projects. In 2015, Dan Co-Founded Crowd Lending, Inc. with Christopher Fiumara and has been the company’s CEO since its inception. He is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the company including the vetting of both investor and lending opportunities. Dan is hands-on in all aspects of the company and uses his extensive real estate experience to service investors and borrowers. He ensures the company is moving towards its long-term goals. Dan has earned the Certified Fund Manager designation from the American Association of Private Lenders.

Christopher Roche, Chief Business Development Officer

Christopher J Roche attended U-Mass Boston and studied political science. Prior to real estate, Chris managed political campaigns in the Boston area and also worked in the Boston city government. He began his real estate career in 2001 as a licensed residential broker. He played a key role in assisting developers through the permitting process and is adept at adding and creating value with distressed properties. In 2007 Chris began structuring private real estate commercial loans. His intimate knowledge of the Boston real estate market, keen underwriting skills, and longtime relationships with developers and investors have led to the successful funding of 300 million dollars in debt and equity financing for residential and commercial real estate. Chris is a strategic and creative problem solver with an intuitive ability to convert challenging transactions into successful private mortgage solutions. Christopher lives in the Dorchester section of Boston with his wife and four children. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf and traveling. He is proud to be a lifelong Bostonian but even prouder to be a husband and father.

Nicholas Todman, Accounting Manager

Nick attended Bryant University, where he graduated with a BSBA in Accounting and a minor in Statistics in 2014. At Bryant University he was a D1 Track and Field athlete, a member of various clubs and programs, and had several internships with a Big Four accounting firm. After Bryant, Nick started full-time in the Assurance practice at a Big Four accounting firm, where he served various clients in the real estate, retail, technology, and financial services industries. Through these various positions and experiences, Nick has learned how to lead and be a contributing member of a team, as well as the importance and value of relationships. At Crowd Lending, Inc., Nick is responsible for managing a team of staff accountants, review of quarterly and annual financial statements, coordinating the financial statement audit, preparing budgets and forecasts, and preparation of various reporting requirements. Nick has also developed a standard set of controls that all individuals in financial reporting adhere to. In his free time, Nick enjoys working on his car, street photography, and playing around with his dogs, Biscuit and Coco.

Hussien Skaiky, Business Development

Hussien and his family immigrated to the United States in 1995 from Sierra Leone. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the New England Institute of Technology, and that knowledge of construction and design led him to begin flipping houses in 2013. At the same time, Hussien was the construction and risk manager for a private money lender, where he managed the construction draws on hundreds of loans and tens of millions of dollars worth of real estate. Shortly after, he began originating hard money loans across Greater Boston. Since 2013, Hussien has successfully originated or brokered over $250,000,000 in private real estate loans across New England. His strong track record of identifying credible borrowers and profitable deals has resulted in a less than 1% default rate throughout his career. Hussien’s best asset is his ability to understand both the borrowing and lending side, which allows him to create long-term relationships with his clients and network. In his free time, Hussien likes to stay active, travel, and spend time with good friends and family. Hussien truly has the entrepreneurial spirit, and always strives to improve in all aspects of his personal and professional life.

Keith Carter, Business Relationship Manager

Keith Carter, a Fairfield University graduate, has spent the last 15 years working in the commercial construction industry. Keith is a licensed real estate agent and comes with a background in project management, estimating, and sales. Keith resides in Duxbury MA with his wife and children. In his spare time, Keith enjoys coaching ice hockey, playing golf, and spending time with family and friends. In Keith’s current role, he focuses on construction draw inspections and borrower relationships.

Anh Le (Jeremy) , Staff Accountant

Anh Le (Jeremy) came to the United States as an international student in 2012. He graduated from Suffolk University in May 2020 with a BSBA in Finance and Data Analytics. Throughout his years at Suffolk University, Jeremy remained on the Dean’s list and dove further into his fascination of marketing research. After graduation, Jeremy began at Crowd Lending, Inc. as a temporary administrator and soon became a full-time employee under our accounting department. At Crowd Lending, Inc. Jeremy is responsible for processing day-to-day accounting activities and helping with financial reports. In his free time, Jeremy enjoys playing video games, watching anime, and building gaming computers.

Mike Najarian , Investor Relations

Mike Najarian graduated from Boston College in 2003 as a Finance and Accounting major and a Philosophy minor.  He worked several years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in the Investment Management Division auditing high-profile mutual funds and pension plans.  After PwC, Mike worked on the finance team at a venture capital firm named General Catalyst, where he assisted the CFO directly.  In 2012, Mike acquired his Series 7, 63, and 65 licenses and his life and health insurance licenses and began building a financial advising/investment management practice off of his father's successful accounting practice in Braintree, MA.  From April of 2012 until January of 2020 Mike practiced as an Investment Advisor Representative of the distinguished broker-dealer firm Cambridge Investment Research.  In January of 2020, Mike left the broker-dealer space and formed his own RIA (Registered Investment Advisor) under the name Najarian Financial LLC, using Charles Schwab as his main custodian.  Mike began working with Crowd Lending amidst frustration with the alternatives available through the broker-dealer and RIA spaces.  Many non-traded REITs, BDCs, and interval funds lacked transparency and performance and displayed declining yields.  Crowd Lending offered a different narrative of multiple income streams while completely debt-focused.  Mike came aboard to bridge this alternative income gap in his own practice and to bring it to other like-minded financial professionals and investors alike.

Robert Nichols, Business Development

Robert Nichols was born and raised in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston MA. After graduating from the University of Connecticut in 2003, Robert began his career in real estate on the advice of a family friend. In 2004 at the age of 23, he purchased his first investment property and became a licensed real estate agent in 2005. In 2008 Robert became a full-time project manager for a new construction company where he began to hone his skills as a real estate developer. Since 2008 Robert has founded Boston Trust Realty Group, a full-service brokerage firm, and New City Investors, a real estate investment and development company. Robert began his lending career in 2010 when working as a processor for a commercial finance company and in 2018 joined the Crowd Lending team as a loan originator. Since joining Crowd Lending, Robert has originated nearly $20M in private real estate loans throughout New England and in Chicago. When Robert isn’t originating loans and developing real estate, he enjoys trips down the Cape with his wife and 4 children. Robert believes that hard work makes anything possible. As Abraham Lincoln famously said, “The Best Way To Predict Your Future Is To Create It.”

Kattia Ira, Originator

Kattia Ira is a Simmons graduate with a BA in Sociology. After 13 years of working for a local non-profit in Boston as a licensed Social Worker, Kattia decided to start her real estate journey in 2019. Currently a licensed Realtor with Century 21 North East, Kattia has a passion for seeing all investors succeed in the realm of real estate and provides them with the necessary support to ensure their success. Ms. Ira is also an investor and has the skillset of project management and understanding the operations of flipping from start to finish. She loves to showcase the great work of her clients by meeting them at project sites and highlighting their properties. Kattia is very proud to serve experienced investors as well as those who want to begin on their real estate investment journey. Kattia always looks out for the best interest of her clients with honesty and guidance throughout the process.

Amy Walsh, Marketing Specialist

Amy is a Westfield State University graduate with a degree in Communications. With that degree, she has since served various clients in the construction, interior design, retail, and entertainment industries. Through these experiences, Amy has learned the importance of relationships, communication, and staying up to date with the latest market trends. As our Marketing Specialist, Amy actively monitors the moves of the industry and creates genuine, engaging content to keep you informed. By focusing on transparent and consistent communication, she ensures you will always know what’s happening at Crowd Lending, Inc. After work you can find Amy teaching a spin class, discovering new music, or exploring with her dog Rocky.

Madison Carr, Operations Manager

Madison graduated from Saint Anselm College in 2020 with a degree in Finance and Math.  After graduating, she gained her real estate knowledge working as an independent Mortgage Loan Officer.  During this time she learned the ins and outs of the real estate market, while also excelling in customer relationships, critical thinking, and leadership.  Madison joined the Crowd Lending family in 2022. As Operations Manager, it's her priority to secure capital distributions and oversee the backend of loans until they have paid off.  When Madison is not working, you can find her in a  yoga class, visiting her family in New Hampshire, or exploring Boston with friends.

 

Charlie Philion , Portfolio Manager

Charles attended Exeter University with a BSc. in Business and Management and an MSc. in International Management. There was a particular focus on circular economy and future trends throughout his programs. Charles founded the ‘GreenDay initiative’ (an energy-saving program within schools) and was awarded Stoic of the year for this initiative. Charles has interned in finance, law, and government ministries among other industries. His role at Crowd Lending is to manage our extensive loan portfolio. In his spare time, Charles enjoys reading literature, visiting art galleries, and playing football.