Investor Review: SCALING
SPONSORED CONTENT Tackling Private Lending HERE’S HOW DEVON KENNARD IS SCALING 42 SOLUTIONS WITH PRECISION AND PROFESSIONALISM.
SHAYE WALI
D evon Kennard leans forward confidently in his chair as he talks about his passion for real estate. He’s focused, poised, and articulate. On his desk, there is no clutter—revealing something about the way his mind works. For Kennard, staying organized isn’t just a mindset; it’s his way of life. It served him well during his nine years as a linebacker in the NFL, where focus and discipline were the cornerstones of his success. Now, Kennard has traded in his jersey for his next play: real estate private lending. The average career length of an NFL player is 3.3 years. Although Kennard spent nearly a decade in the league, he understood the finite nature of the job and planned ahead. During his career in the NFL, he amassed a portfolio of over 20 rental properties to build passive income. After recently retiring, Kennard launched the Phoenix-based private lending business 42 Solutions, a nod to the number he wore on his jersey. The number carried with it a sense of identity and purpose. It’s a reminder of the professional standards he held himself to as an athlete, and now, as a businessman. Kennard started the way most lenders do. “I was using multiple spreadsheets, word documents, accounting software— my process was all over the place.”
After realizing that process was no longer cutting it, he looked at other software: “I looked at five separate solutions. Each of them had something to offer, but none quite matched my vision.” When Kennard came across Baseline, it immediately struck a chord. He could clearly see the system’s potential to save him time and freedom to focus on what really mattered—managing relationships. “Baseline is more than just a software for managing loans; it’s a complete solution designed for private lenders like me who want more than just spreadsheets.” Kennard had briefly entertained the idea of running a local lending operation, focused only on the Phoenix market. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized his ambitions stretched beyond local borders. Kennard’s ethos is clear: professionalism above all. He favors working with borrowers who are professionals, regardless of the markets in which they operate. Baseline has allowed 42 Solutions to scale without compromising Kennard’s core values and the experience he delivers to his borrowers, who expect their lender to be just as professional as they are. Now, with the assistance of a bookkeeper, Kennard can handle a growing multi-state portfolio of loans. Kennard recognizes that borrowers favor reliability and speed. One of his core
advantages over institutional lenders is that borrowers deal directly with him—he’s the decision-maker. That’s something borrowers appreciate when working with 42 Solutions. “People don’t want to jump through hoops to get an answer,” Kennard said. “They want to know that they’re dealing with someone who can give them a yes or no.” With Baseline running the back office, Kennard is already thinking about what comes next. “I’ve got big plans,” he says, hinting at his ambitions for growth. And with a book set to release later this year, it’s clear that Kennard’s journey is just beginning.
SHAYE WALI
Shaye Wali is the CEO of Baseline, a loan management software designed for the private lending industry. Before starting Baseline, he ran a private lending business and worked on the bond trading desk at Morgan Stanley. Wali graduated from Tulane University, where he was the captain of the nationally ranked NCAA Division I tennis team.
40 | think realty magazine :: september - october 2024
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