Kristie Bender-Carey
CEO
Bender Carey-Capital
“A Humble Leader”
Kristie Bender-Carey is the creative driving force behind Bender-Carey Capital’s programs and services. Determined to bring each project to life and a successful close, she is driven to earn a high level of client retention and customer loyalty. Vital to a consistently growing company, Bender-Carey Capital, LLC focuses on providing an optimal level of service for each client while constantly striving to satisfy customers at a higher rate than the industry average. Their goal is to serve as a performance-proven leader in the financial industry. Through the pillars of excellence, distinction, transparency, trust, and honesty, they aim to satisfy their responsibility to their clientele.
As an eager stockbroker for Searson American Express, Kristie entered her career field as an aspiring entrepreneur with a vision for scaling a portion of the capital market. After selling her company, her efforts led her to become the bank president for Midland States Bank. Although a majority of headstrong men surrounded her, Kristie’s mindset was to learn from a challenging environment, be the first at the table, and the last to leave the room.
While the leading force of men has traditionally dominated the financial realm, the “glass ceiling” was something Kristie intended to shatter. “I watched as women in every industry grew stronger, smarter and applied themselves to transform both regulated industries and outdated stereotypes. I considered myself among the ranks of these influential members and I persisted towards taking my spot among the male-dominated ranks of being a female financial leader.”
From someone who has learned first-hand the challenges of beginning a career in a highly regulated industry, Kristie prioritizes offering her insights to female business owners everywhere. “As women in business, we stand stronger together when we combine our learnings and experiences to make better-informed decisions,” she says. “Strategically speaking, if you’ve got a wealth of knowledge that others can learn from, you should feel encouraged to position yourself as a strong influence that can shift the status quo.” Her foundational piece of advice is that failure is inevitable, “You learn from it, but how you get back up and the choices you make after will determine who you will be. Learn from your industry leaders and don’t allow your vision to be compromised by small setbacks.”
Motivating young entrepreneurs, Kristie adds, “go for it and put yourself out there. Your passion is your “why.” Be good at it, and better yet, be the best at it. So often, I come across individuals who can explain what their role is, but struggle to explain why they do it.” Based on the Golden Circle theory, great leaders understand their value proposition, which is how they truly differentiate themselves from others. “As I promote continued education to encourage others to stay on top of new advances in cutting-edge technology, I also strive to educate others on the importance of communicating your “why.” In combination with giving back to the community that supports you, there’s a humbling feeling from being able to learn, do, and teach others.” Armed with a unique mindset, Kristie has taken the company to great heights.
As the financial industry continues to experience disruptions from the modern digital transformation, Kristie and her team will continue scaling operational growth. They envision providing industry-leading capital and cutting-edge products and services. Setting the industry standards exceeding client expectations is their number one priority. “From a personal standpoint, the future is highly opportunistic as more female business owners begin to realize their potential. I’m enthusiastic about being able to contribute my knowledge to help others grow in both a professional and individual manner.”
The company’s mission is to be the nation’s premier commercial real estate middle-market lender by leveraging its deep expertise, robust network of relationships, and the latest technology. Bender-Carey Capital builds long-term client relationships with a results-oriented approach, producing innovative solutions swiftly and efficiently. Kristie and her real estate finance professionals provide creative and tailored solutions for complex financial transactions. Real estate owners needing immediate access to flexible capital can rely on Bender-Carey Capitals’ nationwide lending solutions to ensure success. They seek investment opportunities with economic upside and sound fundamentals, allowing real estate owners to acquire, refinance, or enhance distressed and non-distressed properties.
Bender-Carey Capital actively pursues financing opportunities for commercial real estate assets, including multifamily, industrial, office, hospitality, medical, and retail. Bender-Carey Capital provides solutions during all phases of an assets life cycle, including predevelopment, construction, renovation, adaptive reuse, lease-up and stabilization loans. WL
Company
Management
Kristie Bender-Carey
CEO
Bender Carey-Capital
Description
Bender-Carey Capital was formed stemming from first and foremost the passion to serve our clients in their pursuit of their ambitions, dreams and aspirations. The creation, development and implementation of a plan that took years to development in my opinion can only come from a desire from deep within.