A personal account of breaking barriers in private lending, exploring how preparation, relationships, resilience, and authenticity drive success and leadership for women in finance.
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Influential Woman · Real Estate Finance
Christy Vilaysack
Vice President / Loan Officer, Dunmor
Los Angeles, CA 90024
2Years experience
1Article published
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I found my community when I stopped looking to fit in and started surrounding myself with women who inspire growth, share knowledge, and create opportunities.
Christy Vilaysack · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Christy
Christy Vilaysack is Vice President, Lending at Dunmor, a direct private lender helping real estate investors and developers secure financing nationwide. She began her career in private lending in 2021 as a loan processor and worked her way into business development and leadership through persistence, relationship building, and a willingness to learn every side of the business.
Today, Christy specializes in ground-up construction, fix-and-flip, bridge, DSCR, multifamily, and mixed-use financing. Known for her hands-on approach, she takes pride in simplifying complex transactions and staying involved from the first conversation through closing. For Christy, lending is more than numbers—it is about building trust and helping clients bring their real estate visions to life.
Outside of work, Christy enjoys traveling, cooking, and playing golf. She is also passionate about building meaningful connections with women across the real estate, finance, and construction industries.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Christy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to persistence. My father taught me early on that if I wanted something, I had to go after it and never be afraid to ask for an opportunity.
When I first started originating loans, I didn’t have an established client base, so I had to build one from the ground up. I spent my days cold calling, following up, and hearing “no” far more often than “yes.” I asked for 30 days to prove myself, and within that time, I generated $3.2 million in loan volume.
That experience taught me that sometimes you have to create your own opportunity—and then be willing to put in the work when you get it.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve received is, “If you don’t ask, the answer is already no.” It taught me to advocate for myself and ask for opportunities instead of waiting for them. Some of the best moments in my career began with simply being brave enough to ask.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell my younger self that she is not behind and she does not need to have everything figured out. Stop questioning whether you belong in rooms you were brave enough to enter.
The rejection, setbacks, and moments when you have to start over will not break you—they will teach you how to trust yourself. Ask for opportunities, but never tie your worth to who says yes. Work hard, remain kind, protect your peace, and understand that not everyone will see your vision—and that is okay.
One day, the rooms that once intimidated you will become the rooms where you lead and create space for others. Keep going, but remember to enjoy the journey and be proud of the woman you are becoming along the way.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me most are integrity, kindness, patience, and perseverance. I believe in treating people with respect, being honest even when the conversation is difficult, and following through on what I say I will do.
In both my work and personal life, I try to give people grace while still maintaining healthy boundaries. Not every situation will go as planned, so I focus on remaining patient, finding a solution, and learning from the experience. I want my success to be measured not only by what I accomplish, but also by the relationships I build and how I make people feel along the way.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Christy
Breaking Barriers in Private Lending: Leading With Relationships, Resilience, and Results
Building a Career in Private Lending: How Preparation, Relationships, and Resilience Break Barriers for Women
When I entered private lending, I did not have a perfect roadmap or know exactly where the journey would take me. I simply knew I was ambitious, willing to learn, and determined to build a career I could be proud of.
Private lending is a fast-paced, results-driven industry. Every deal presents a different challenge, and success requires confidence, strong communication, attention to detail, and the ability to stay calm under pressure. As a woman building her career in this space, I also learned that I would sometimes have to establish my credibility before people were willing to fully recognize it.
I realized early that I did not need to be the loudest person in the room. I needed to be prepared. I needed to understand the numbers, know the structure of each deal, communicate clearly, and follow through on what I promised.
For me, breaking barriers has not always looked like one dramatic moment. It has happened through smaller moments: speaking confidently in important conversations, earning the trust of clients, navigating complicated transactions, showing up consistently, and continuing to grow even when a deal did not go as planned.
Relationships have also played an essential role in my career. Lending may be built around numbers, but the business is ultimately about people. Behind every transaction is someone taking a risk, pursuing an opportunity, or trying to bring a vision to life.
I never want my clients to feel like they are simply another loan in a pipeline. I want to understand what they are building, recognize the challenges they may face, and help them find the right path forward. That relationship-first approach has helped me create lasting partnerships and earn repeat business throughout my career.
Resilience has been just as important. In this industry, appraisals can change, timelines can shift, and deals can fall apart despite everyone's best efforts. I have learned not to let one difficult outcome define my confidence or my ability. I take the lesson, adjust my approach, and keep moving forward.
Today, serving as a vice president in lending is a milestone I am proud of, but the title itself is not what defines leadership to me. Leadership means being dependable, making complicated information easier to understand, advocating for the people who trust me, and helping create opportunities for others.
It has also shown me that women do not have to change who they are to be respected in business. We can be warm and powerful, relationship-driven and results-oriented, polished and knowledgeable. Our authenticity is not a weakness—it is part of what makes us effective leaders.
As I have attended more industry events and connected with other women in real estate, construction, and finance, I have also come to understand the importance of community. There is something powerful about being in rooms where women openly share knowledge, celebrate one another's accomplishments, and create opportunities together.
Breaking barriers is not only about reaching a leadership position. It is also about making the path more visible for the women coming behind us.
My journey is still being written, and I know there is much more for me to learn and accomplish. But if my experience can leave other women with one message, it would be this: You do not need permission to belong in the room. Prepare yourself, trust your voice, show up consistently, and let your results speak for you.
Every time a woman claims her place, leads with confidence, and helps another woman rise, another barrier begins to fall.
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