In this episode of Off to the Valley, I sit down with Sasha Yablonovsky, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Loanspark and former President at CareerBuilder, to unpack her extraordinary journey from immigrant beginnings to building a fintech that’s reshaping small business lending.

Sasha shares how Loanspark went revenue positive in under 24 months with a lean team of just 20 hires, proving that speed and focus can matter more than raising millions. We talk about:

→ The mindset shift from corporate executive to startup founder

→ Lessons from being a woman in tech in the 90s, and how she turned skepticism into strength

→ Why hiring the right people can make or break an early-stage company

→ How Loanspark’s embedded lending model is changing access to capital for SMBs, from equipment financing to real estate

→ The role of AI in speeding up approvals and underwriting in commercial lending

→ How founders can avoid “yes syndrome” by innovating with purpose and learning to say no

Packed with hard-won insights, candid reflections, and actionable takeaways, this conversation is a must-listen for founders, fintech operators, and anyone navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.