From the Mailroom to the Main Stage: Juan Rodas at Avance Global 2025

Last month, New Story Lending CEO Juan Rodas, CMB®, took the stage at Avance Global, NAHREP’s flagship conference presented with Wells Fargo, held September 18–21 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. He shared the speaker lineup with names like astronaut José Hernández, NAR CEO Nykia Wright, and Century21 president Mike Miedler. But when it was Juan’s turn, he didn’t talk about rate sheets or loan products. He talked about how he got here.

A Start in the File Room

Juan’s path into the mortgage industry began at 18 years old, working in the file room, what he jokingly called being “Chris Rock in Boomerang”. He was also, in his own words, still drawn to street life at the time. He’d become a father at 16, in high school. That daughter has since graduated college and is about to turn 23.

The Setback

Juan doesn’t skip the hard part of the story. He was involved in activity outside the mortgage business, and it caught up with him: he was convicted of a felony and incarcerated. “I thought my life was completely off the business track at that point,” he told the Avance Global audience.

The Opportunity That Changed Everything

While he was serving his time, Juan was accepted into a work release program, back at the same mortgage company where he’d started in the file room. The person who made that possible, he said, is “like an angel in my life.” Juan stayed at that company for 15 years, rising to executive leadership as the organization grew into a $10 billion company, eventually selling for more than $100 million.

Investing in Himself

In his late 20s and early 30s, the company’s CEO offered to pay for Juan’s education. He earned a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University, a master’s in finance from Johns Hopkins University, and a Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB®) designation from the Mortgage Bankers Association, one of the industry’s most respected credentials.

Building New Story Lending

Juan went on to serve as COO and then CEO of another mortgage company, helping grow it into a $5 billion organization. Two years before taking the Avance Global stage, the Governor of Virginia granted him a full pardon. Today, he’s Co-CEO of New Story Lending, an independent mortgage bank he leads alongside J. Shane Miller, Ph.D., built around serving the borrowers other lenders turn away.

Why This Story Matters at Avance Global

Avance Global exists at, in the event’s own words, “the intersection of capital, leadership, and Latino prosperity.” Juan’s story isn’t a departure from that theme, it’s the point of it. He didn’t just tell a room full of industry leaders how he built a career; he told them what it looks like when someone gets a second chance and builds something real with it. It’s the same philosophy behind New Story Lending’s 500+ FICO lending threshold and its work with borrowers banks like Navy Federal and Guild won’t touch: everyone’s story is different, and a setback isn’t the end of one.

Learn more about Juan and our leadership team or explore our loan options if you’re ready to write your own next chapter.