February 3, 2026 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher FranFund Named Coleman SBA Franchise Lender of the Year FranFund is the leading provider of franchise funding solutions, with deep expertise in SBA loans and Rollover as Business Startups (ROBS). Voted the No. 1 Financing Supplier in franchising by Entrepreneur magazine three years in a row, FranFund is a trusted…

February 3, 2026 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Total SBA Named Coleman SBA Lender Service Provider of the Year Total SBA is a national leader in SBA lending support, built on decades of expertise, precision, and a commitment to white-glove service. Their executive leadership team and industry experts bring over 150 years of combined experience, with…

February 3, 2026 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher LiftFund Named Coleman SBA Mission-Based Lender of the Year LiftFund is recognized for its unwavering commitment to expanding access to affordable capital and business support for entrepreneurs who are too often overlooked by traditional lending. Since 1994, LiftFund has paired financing with hands-on guidance to help small businesses…

February 3, 2026 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Justin Levy Named Coleman SBA Lender Innovator of the Year Justin Levy, CEO of iBusiness, has been named SBA Lender Innovator of the Year in recognition of his forward‑thinking leadership and commitment to advancing small business lending through technology. He has a long track record of innovation, from…

February 3, 2026 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Ken Rosenthal Named Coleman SBA 504 Third Party Lender Professional of the Year SBA 504 Third Party Ken Rosenthal, M.B.A., is a highly deserving recipient of the SBA 504 Third Party Lender Professional of the Year award, recognized for his unmatched experience, national leadership, and lasting contributions to…

February 3, 2026 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Elena Merkley Named Coleman SBA 504 Green Energy Advocate of the Year Elena has enjoyed assisting Entero Energy to help grow the SBA 504 Green Energy Loan program. With more than 20 years of SBA lending experience, she works closely with CDCs and SBA lenders to help qualify…

February 2, 2026 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Lords of Lending Named Coleman SBA Podcast of the Year Stephanie Dunn, Shane Pierson and Brian Congelliere reshaped how the industry engages with small business owners through the Lords of Lending platform and Podcast. The Lords surpassed over 37,000 viewers in the last 6 months of 2025 alone…

February 2, 2026 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Lendsey by iBusiness Awarded Coleman Best Use of AI in SBA Lending As the world’s first multi-agent, agentic AI lending assistant, Lendsey from iBusiness is an AI solution explicitly designed to support rather than replace lending teams. Lendsey is far more than a chatbot—it’s a team of powerful…

February 2, 2026 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Zach Balmer Named Coleman SBA Business Development Officer of the Year 2025 was a year of growth and change for me. The biggest accomplishment I have for 2025 is joining the Lexicon Bank Team and helping launch our National SBA Team. This has been a rewarding experience to…

February 2, 2026 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Chris Bane Named Coleman SBA Business Development Officer of the Year Chris Bane, Senior Vice President of Business Development serving Arizona, delivered one of the strongest FY25 production years at TMC with 80 SBA 504 loans totaling over $103.3 million in SBA financing. His FY25 work helped countless entrepreneurs secure…