About Crescent
We started a lender because we were tired of watching owners guess
Crescent Loans is a small online lender based in Denver. We make one kind of loan, price it in public, and put a person on the phone when you need one.
Our story
Built by two people who used to say no for a living
Our founders spent years approving and declining small-business loans at a community bank. The good owners they turned away kept coming back with the same story: they had signed a cash advance with a "factor rate," daily payments, and no idea what it really cost.
In 2019 they opened Crescent with a simple rule. Before anyone gives us their email, they should see the APR, the payment, the fee and the total dollar cost of the loan. Everything else on this site follows from that rule.
We are not the cheapest money an owner can find. A bank is often cheaper, and we say so. We aim to be the fastest honest option, with a price you can check before you sign.
$212M
funded since 2019
9,400+
small businesses served
24 hrs
fastest application-to-funding
$0
prepayment penalties, ever
What we believe
Four rules every loan follows
01
Show the whole cost first
APR, monthly payment, origination fee and total dollar cost, together, before we ask for so much as your email.
02
A person makes the call
A model does the first pass in seconds. An underwriter reads your file and decides, and you can call them.
03
Say no out loud
If we decline, you get the real reason and what would change the answer. If a loan is the wrong move, we say that too.
04
One payment a month
Fixed monthly ACH payments. Never daily debits, never a cut of your card sales, never a prepayment penalty.
Lines we don't cross
What we will never do
- Quote a factor rate instead of an APR
- Take daily or weekly payments from your account
- Charge you for paying off early
- Stack a third payment on two open advances
- Push a today-only offer or a countdown clock
- Price a loan on ZIP code, gender or ethnicity
Along the way
A short history
-
2019
Two former bank credit officers open Crescent in a shared office on Larimer Street.
-
2020
Hardship plans and due-date moves become standard for every borrower, at no fee.
-
2022
The full rate table goes public. Nothing on the site says 'call for pricing.'
-
2026
Over 9,400 small businesses served, and still one fixed payment a month.
The people
Who reads your file
-
Nadia Okonkwo
Co-founder & CEO
Spent a decade in small-business credit at a community bank. Started Crescent after watching owners sign advances they could not price.
-
Tom Brandvold
Co-founder & Head of Underwriting
Built the pricing bands on this site and still reads a few files a week himself. Believes every decline deserves a reason.
-
Rosa Delgado
Senior Underwriter
Reads bank statements the way a mechanic listens to an engine. Specializes in seasonal businesses and restaurants.
-
Maya Sandoval
Loan Servicing Lead
Runs the team that answers when a payment is at risk. Due-date moves and short hardship plans start with her.
Licensing and responsible lending
How a lender like us is regulated
Business lending is regulated state by state. A real Crescent Loans would lend only under the state licenses or exemptions that apply where your business is located, so loan availability, amounts and terms can vary by state. This sample site makes no loans and holds no licenses.
We lend only to businesses, for business purposes. Every owner with 20% or more ownership signs a personal guarantee, and we explain what that means before anyone applies. Our pricing model is reviewed every quarter for fair lending.
Talk to a person first?
Call (720) 555-0164 or send a note. A funding advisor will tell you honestly whether a loan fits.