Many of you know that I spend a good deal of my time these days focused on the LendIt Conference. I am the CEO and Conference Chairman of LendIt which is pretty much a full time job. Consequently, I am finding it more difficult to find the time to write quality in-depth articles, the kind of articles that Lend Academy readers deserve and expect.
So late last year, I decided I needed to add someone to the team who could devote themselves to writing these in depth articles. While I considered putting an ad out there for a journalist, what I really wanted was someone who knew P2P lending and had a passion for it like me. So, I started reaching out to people I knew who were already covering the industry. One of the first people I contacted was Ryan Lichtenwald of Peer & Social Lending. I have been following Ryan’s work for some time and have been impressed with his coverage. I also got to know him a little last year at LendIt 2014.
So, without any further ado I am very pleased to announce that today is Ryan’s first day at Lend Academy. I asked him to write a short piece introducing himself:
I have been writing about the p2p lending industry in my spare time on my own blog for a year and a half. My content ranged from helping out the beginner investor on getting a basic understanding of p2p lending to the more advanced investors who were looking at ways to maximize their returns. I’ve always been passionate about investing and ever since I found out about p2p lending, I was fascinated by the industry. Much of my original knowledge about p2p lending came from Peter and the Lend Academy forum. I soon felt comfortable enough to put some of my own money to work. My background is in information technology and I believed, like the p2p lenders, that technology could revolutionize the way people are able to access credit. I believe we are still in the infancy of where this industry can go and we’ve already heard many exciting updates in 2015 from both Lending Club and Prosper.
As someone who has followed the industry, I was well aware of Lend Academy and their presence in p2p lending education, conferences and finally as an investment company. When the opportunity arose to join the team at Lend Academy, it was a perfect opportunity. I’m now able to focus solely on the p2p lending industry and be a part of it’s growth. I’ll continue to be able to educate others as well as work side by side with a team that has been involved from the start. I look forward to being a regular contributor to Lend Academy and helping others get the most up to date information about this exciting industry.
Now, this doesn’t mean I have stopped writing on Lend Academy. I still love to write and want to continue. So, you will still see articles from me regularly but Ryan will be covering the industry in more depth and breadth than I could ever hope to do today. He will also be helping out with our other divisions: LendIt and Lend Academy Investments.
These are exciting times for this industry with so many new developments happening on an almost daily basis. With the addition of Ryan to the team Lend Academy is well poised to continue to be the leading news and educational resource for the P2P/marketplace lending industry.
Peter Renton is the chairman and co-founder of LendIt Fintech, the world’s first and largest digital media and events company focused on fintech. Peter has been writing about fintech since 2010 and he is the author and creator of the Fintech One-on-One Podcast, the first and longest-running fintech interview series. Peter has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The New York Times, CNBC, CNN, Fortune, NPR, Fox Business News, the Financial Times, and dozens of other publications.