Code That Closes

Lisa BINKLEY

Chief Operations Officer
National Credit-reporting System, Inc. (NCS)

What inspired you to pursue a career in technology, and how has your journey evolved along the way?

I began my career in mortgage lending at a time when most processes were manual, and I quickly saw the inefficiencies and risks that came with them. What inspired me to move into technology was the opportunity to solve real problems, improving accuracy, reducing fraud, and creating better outcomes for lenders and consumers.

Over time, my journey evolved from operations into leading enterprise quality and verification initiatives, and eventually into the technology and vendor space. I’ve had the opportunity to help build and implement systems that transformed how data is validated and used in lending. Today, my focus is on combining automation with human expertise to deliver scalable, compliant solutions that improve operational performance and the borrower experience.

What values guide your leadership and decision-making?

My leadership is guided by accountability, integrity, and a commitment to continuous improvement. I believe that technology should serve the business and consumer, and that every decision should be grounded in delivering accurate, reliable outcomes.

I also value transparency and collaboration. Strong results come from aligning teams around shared goals and creating an environment where people feel empowered to contribute and grow.

What excites you most about the future of technology — and where do you see the biggest opportunities for women?

What excites me most about the future of technology is the ability to make complex processes more accessible, transparent, and efficient for businesses and consumers. As data becomes more connected and real-time, we have an opportunity to improve decision-making and create better experiences across the mortgage lifecycle.

For women, especially, there is a significant opportunity in shaping how these technologies are developed and applied. As the industry evolves, diverse perspectives are critical to building solutions that are both effective and inclusive.

I believe the next generation of women in technology will continue to drive innovation through technical expertise, collaboration, empathy, and a focus on long-term impact.

Leslie CHESHIER

Chief Client Officer
Dark Matter Technologies

What inspired you to pursue a career in technology, and how has your journey evolved along the way?

I didn’t set out to pursue a career in technology … it found me. At 19, while working in a customer service role, I became deeply involved in solving problems for lender clients, which exposed me to the systems and processes behind the mortgage industry. I was drawn to the challenge of making complex technology work better for people. Over time, my career evolved from client support into account management, implementation, and product leadership roles. Each step gave me a deeper understanding of how technology, operations, and client experience intersect.

What challenges have shaped your growth in tech, and how have you navigated them?

Early on, I learned that technology challenges are rarely just technical; they’re about people, communication, and trust. Clients rely on these systems to run their businesses, so even minor disruptions can have major impacts. Navigating that requires transparency, disciplined planning and a willingness to take ownership, even in difficult situations.

How do you stay ahead of emerging trends and innovations in technology?

Staying ahead starts with staying connected to clients, to teams, and to the broader industry. I spend a significant amount of time engaging with clients to understand their evolving challenges and priorities, which often provides early insight into where technology needs to go.

How are you leveraging AI in your role today, and what impact has it had?

In my role, AI is primarily used to enhance client insights, improve operational efficiency, and support more proactive decision-making. We leverage AI and advanced analytics to better understand client behavior, identify trends, and surface opportunities to improve performance across workflows.

AI also plays a role in streamlining processes, reducing manual effort, improving data accuracy, and enabling faster response times for both internal teams and clients.

The impact has been meaningful. It allows us to be more predictive rather than reactive, improving both the client experience and operational outcomes. That said, I believe AI is most effective when paired with human judgment. The goal is not to replace relationships, but to strengthen them by providing better 

The goal is not to replace relationships, but to strengthen them by providing better information and more timely insights.

Audrey CLEARWATER

SVP, Sales Operations
Class Valuation

What inspired you to pursue a career in technology, and how has your journey evolved along the way?

My path into technology started on the operations side. Early in my career, while leading large teams and managing client portfolios, I saw firsthand how systems, processes, and data directly impacted outcomes for lenders and borrowers. I was drawn to the opportunity to use technology not just to improve efficiency, but to create better, more consistent experiences for clients.

What challenges have shaped your growth in tech, and how have you navigated them?

One of the biggest challenges in my career has been bridging the gap between operational execution and technology design. My interest in technology was initially driven by the need for operational efficiency. While leading large-scale teams and managing complex client portfolios, I saw how critical it was to build tools that improved accuracy, delivered more reliable data, and consistently met client expectations. At the same time, I saw how often systems were built in isolation from the people who rely on them, creating inefficiencies and limiting adoption. That realization shaped my approach and reinforced the importance of aligning operations, data, and user experience.

What excites you most about the future of technology — and where do you see the biggest opportunities for women?

I’m excited about better connecting data, systems, and workflows in ways that drive transparency and efficiency at scale. Having worked in operations, I know how complex and fragmented processes can be, and I’m energized by the opportunity to simplify them and improve outcomes across the mortgage lifecycle. I’m also extremely excited about the ethical use of AI, ensuring that as we automate and scale, we maintain trust, accountability, and responsible decision-making.

For women, there’s an opportunity to participate in this transformation and help shape it. As technology becomes more central to business strategy, there is a need for diverse perspectives to ensure solutions are practical, inclusive, and grounded in real-world application.

I’ve seen firsthand how mentorship and access to opportunity can accelerate growth. I hope to see more women step into leadership roles, bringing operational expertise and strategic influence to drive innovation forward.

I hope to see more women step into leadership roles, bringing operational expertise and strategic influence to drive innovation forward.

Courtney DODD

Head of Marketing
Floify

What inspired you to pursue a career in technology, and how has your journey evolved along the way?

I did not set out to work in technology. I started in mortgage and quickly realized how much technology shapes the borrower experience and how lenders operate. That pulled me into fintech, where I could sit at the intersection of product, marketing, and real business impact.

Over the past 12+ years, my role has evolved from executing campaigns to leading full go-to-market strategy for complex products. I have worked across product marketing, demand generation, and brand, but what has stayed consistent is a focus on outcomes, not activity.

Today, I lead marketing at Floify, where I focus on turning innovation into pipeline and growth. That has meant leading launches like Dynamic Apps and helping position the company as a category leader in mortgage POS technology.

What values guide your leadership and decision-making?

I lead with accountability, clarity, and a bias toward action.

I believe marketing should be tied directly to business outcomes, so I hold my team and myself accountable to pipeline and revenue, not just activity. That means being clear on priorities, moving quickly, and adjusting when something is not working.

What excites you most about the future of technology — and where do you see the biggest opportunities for women?

What excites me most is how technology, especially AI, is starting to remove friction from complex processes like mortgage lending. When done right, it has the potential to make experiences faster, simpler, and more accessible for lenders and borrowers.

The biggest opportunity for women is to be part of shaping how that technology is built and brought to market. Not just participating, but leading. There is a real need for more voices who understand the customer experience and the business impact.

I also think there is a huge opportunity for women in go-to-market roles. Being able to connect product innovation to real-world outcomes is where a lot of value is created, and it is an area where strong leadership can make a significant difference.

The biggest opportunity for women is to be part of shaping how that technology is built and brought to market.

Joy FARRELL

Vice President, IT Audit and Compliance
ServiceLink

What inspired you to pursue a career in technology, and how has your journey evolved along the way?

I never actually planned to work in technology. Early in my career, I was working on the business side of mortgage services, and I loved working with the technology department. My team was often a beta test site for technology projects, and I enjoyed being part of that work. Over time, they recruited me to work in technology. I always thought it was fun and interesting, and I appreciated that I was learning something new every day. Both technology and the mortgage industry have evolved significantly over the last 35 years, and my skill set evolved right alongside them. I learned as the world and industry changed. Today’s landscape is a brave new world from where it was, and with AI, we are truly on the cusp of another transformational era.

What challenges have shaped your growth in tech, and how have you navigated them?

I’m a right-brained person working in a left-brained world. So, it was a challenge for me, with my creative and intuitive nature, to learn how to collaborate with others in an environment filled with technical, analytical thinkers. One of the most important things that I learned is to keep an open mind when I walk into a room, set aside my own biases and assumptions, and listen, learn and be a good student. This has helped me grow and evolve.

What values guide your leadership and decision-making?

Having integrity is very important to me. If I say I’m going to do something, I do it. I bring my moral compass with me to work every day, and I truly try to do the right thing in every situation. At times, there are tough choices that I must make. So, I gather all the data and do an analysis to determine the right way to respond. I always strive to present things in a way that is true, honest, correct, and clear, and still present them in the best possible light. It is all about balance.

Today’s landscape is a brave new world from where it was, and with AI, we are truly on the cusp of another transformational era.

Kathy GAULT

Program Specialist
Down Payment Resource

What challenges have shaped your growth in tech, and how have you navigated them?

One of the most defining challenges in my career has been navigating uncertainty and rebuilding from difficult situations. When a previous employer entered conservatorship, I had to reassess my path and adapt quickly. Later, I found myself solely responsible for rebuilding an Affordable Housing Department from the ground up.

That experience taught me resilience, ownership, and the importance of creating structure where none exists.

How are you leveraging AI in your role today, and what impact has it had?

While much of my work still relies on human validation and relationship management, AI has the potential to enhance how we maintain and scale our database. It allows us to process larger volumes of information more efficiently while maintaining a high standard of data integrity.

The impact is in creating a more responsive and reliable system for lenders and housing partners. However, the human element remains essential, especially when building trust and ensuring compliance.

What values guide your leadership and decision-making?

My leadership is guided by service, integrity, and accountability. I believe the work we do, especially in affordable housing, has a direct impact on people’s lives, and that responsibility requires accuracy and care.

What excites you most about the future of technology — and where do you see the biggest opportunities for women?

What excites me most about the future of technology is its ability to make complex information more accessible and actionable. In affordable housing, better data and more connected systems can help lenders and borrowers navigate programs more easily, ultimately expanding access to homeownership.

For women, there is a significant opportunity to lead in areas where technology intersects with real-world impact. Affordable housing, in particular, benefits from diverse perspectives and strong communication skills.

I’ve seen how mentorship and support can open doors, and I believe the biggest opportunity is to ensure women not only enter these spaces but also feel confident leading within them. As technology continues to evolve, women play an important role in shaping solutions that are both effective and inclusive.

In affordable housing, better data and more connected systems can help lenders and borrowers navigate programs more easily, ultimately expanding access to homeownership.

Nidhi GUPTA

Senior Technical Quality Assurance
Sagent

Nidhi Gupta directs engineering efforts across mission-critical platforms. Gupta has been a critical safeguard in the end-to-end quality engineering validation of Dara by Sagent, the mortgage industry’s servicing system of record that unifies all data and user experiences for servicers and homeowners across the entire servicing lifecycle.

Gupta brings more than a decade of quality engineering and automation experience across leading financial institutions, including most recently at Bank of America and Homebridge Financial Services. Gupta has used this wealth of experience in financial and mortgage technology to push forward Dara’s development, including overcoming the challenges involved in building a net-new servicing platform from the ground up while meeting tight delivery timelines and responding to constantly evolving regulatory requirements.

Across every stage of her career, Gupta has advanced automation, strengthened platform stability, and delivered reliable fintech solutions. Her commitment to excellence sets her apart as a technology leader who ensures mortgage servicing innovation performs reliably, evolves responsibly, and delivers relevant, measurable impact upon deployment and for many years to come.

Gupta transforms mortgage technology by making large-scale modernization operationally possible. In an industry long constrained by legacy infrastructure, innovation only succeeds if new systems perform reliably under real servicing conditions. Ensuring reliability at scale is where Gupta delivers her greatest impact — Gupta expanded Sagent’s platform system testing coverage by 90% through broader automation and more robust test suites and significantly reduced regression timelines to enable faster, more confident deployment of next-generation servicing capabilities.

While validating Dara’s AI-driven, cloud-native architecture, Gupta rigorously tested servicing integrations and data flows that power real borrower interactions. Gupta’s commitment to ensuring a seamless, unified experience for servicers and homeowners contributes to Dara’s capability of reducing operational costs by up to 40% while maintaining compliance and stability.

As a result of Gupta’s relentless commitment to excellence, Sagent is pushing the limits of what’s possible.

As a result of Gupta’s relentless commitment to excellence, Sagent is pushing the limits of what’s possible.

Corey HAMPTON

VP of Project Management
Informative Research

What challenges have shaped your growth in tech, and how have you navigated them?

I approach every challenge as an opportunity and enjoy tackling each one that comes my way, as I find creating order from chaos deeply rewarding. There is an inherent challenge in leading complex, interdepartmental enterprise initiatives with strict technical, security, and compliance requirements. I’ve worked through modernizing legacy APIs, aligning cross-functional teams, and meeting the standards of large financial institutions.

One defining experience was leading a major enterprise rollout that required tight coordination across product, engineering, and security teams, along with rigorous identity, access, and risk requirements. Stepping in during a period of internal transition, I focused on aligning stakeholders, establishing clear ownership, and maintaining steady progress despite complexity. By breaking large challenges into structured, manageable steps and keeping communication consistent, I was able to help deliver scalable solutions and ultimately achieve zero outstanding risk findings.

How do you stay ahead of emerging trends and innovations in technology?

I stay ahead by focusing on the practical application and working to turn evolving technologies into scalable, repeatable solutions. Throughout my career, I’ve prioritized improving implementation standards, modernizing integration approaches, and building frameworks that can intentionally support future growth and change.

For me, staying ahead is less about chasing trends and more about continuously improving how we deliver technology in a way that is reliable, secure, and scalable.

What excites you most about the future of technology — and where do you see the biggest opportunities for women?

I’m especially excited about the flexibility of modern technology architectures and its impact on innovation. At Informative Research, our foundation allows us to move quickly, bring solutions to market, gather feedback, and continuously improve in ways that truly meet client needs. Having that kind of infrastructure in place creates real momentum and opens the door for meaningful advancement.

I see opportunities for women through increased visibility, mentorship, and community. 

I believe it’s especially important for women in leadership to actively support and mentor others, helping to create stronger pathways and lift the next generation of women in technology.

Natalie HENDERSON

VP, API Automation
LoanLogics

What inspired you to pursue a career in technology, and how has your journey evolved along the way?

My path into technology wasn’t a straight line, and honestly, I think that’s what makes it interesting. I started on the lending side of the mortgage industry, first as a loan officer and then in underwriting. That time in the trenches helped me better understand the process from the inside. I knew where the friction lived, where mistakes happened, and what it cost when things went wrong.

When I had the chance to meet the founders of LoanLogics, something clicked. They were building technology to solve the exact problems I had been living with firsthand, and I wanted in. Seventeen years later, I’m leading API Automation Services at LoanLogics and delivering automation to some of the largest originators and servicers in the country. The thing I feel most strongly about hasn’t changed: the best technology solutions come from people who genuinely understand the problem they’re trying to solve.

How do you stay ahead of emerging trends and innovations in technology?

My most valuable source isn’t a newsletter or a conference, it’s my clients. Working with some of the largest mortgage originators and servicers in the country means I’m constantly hearing where processes are failing, and where they see risk ahead. Client pain points are typically a leading indicator of where technology needs to go next.

What values guide your leadership and decision-making?

The value I keep coming back to is conviction — advocating hard for something you believe is right, even when the room isn’t with you yet. Early on, I learned that good ideas don’t sell themselves, especially at the intersection of a traditional industry and emerging technology. You must make the case, absorb the skepticism, and keep pushing.

I also work hard to make sure people around me feel genuinely heard, not just consulted, especially on a team of mostly women in a male-dominated industry. Good ideas go unspoken when people don’t feel empowered to push back.

The thing I feel most strongly about hasn’t changed: the best technology solutions come from people who genuinely understand the problem they’re trying to solve.

Andria LIGHTFOOT

VP, Client Success
FirstClose

What inspired you to pursue a career in technology, and how has your journey evolved along the way?

I fell in love with technology at a young age. I was fascinated by how accessible it felt and how I could use it to create something that made other people happy. That early experience stuck with me. It wasn’t about someone inspiring me to go into tech; it was more that I was genuinely drawn to what it could do for others.

That interest turned into a career when I entered the mortgage industry. I helped automate an underwriter’s workflow, which immediately improved her day and was a defining moment for me. I realized technology could directly improve lives.

From there, my journey has been about scaling that impact. I’ve continued to lean into roles where I can use technology to solve real problems, create efficiency, and ultimately make work better for the people doing it.

What challenges have shaped your growth in tech, and how have you navigated them?

I think the most consistent challenge throughout my career has been being the only woman in the room. That’s something a lot of women in tech can relate to, and it shapes how you show up and advocate for yourself.

What values guide your leadership and decision-making?

Everything I do as a leader really comes back to empathy. I believe the best leaders start by truly understanding what people need and why they need it. From there, it’s about finding the right way to solve that problem, whether that’s through technology, process, or communication.

Creativity is another big one for me. In technology, the best ideas don’t always come from having the “right” answer. They come from asking better questions. I try to create an environment where my team feels comfortable challenging ideas, including mine, and exploring different ways of thinking.

And then there’s integrity. For me, that means showing up authentically and bringing my whole self to the work. When you lead with integrity, people trust you, and that trust enables teams to do their best work and push boundaries together.

It wasn’t about someone inspiring me to go into tech; it was more that I was genuinely drawn to what it could do for others.

Yazmin PALACIOS

VP — Real Estate Operations
Amplify Credit Union

What challenges have shaped your growth in tech, and how have you navigated them?

Implementing complex technology in a highly regulated environment has been a defining challenge in my career. In mortgage lending, every system change must align with investor requirements, regulatory standards, and internal risk controls. This requires a disciplined approach to innovation, ensuring efficiency never comes at the expense of compliance or consistency. 

How do you stay ahead of emerging trends and innovations in technology?

I use continuous learning, strategic evaluation, and practical application to stay one step (or two) ahead. I actively track industry developments, regulatory changes, and evolving system capabilities, but I approach new technology with intentional discernment; innovation only matters if it solves a real problem. My evaluation framework is simple: does it improve efficiency, reduce risk, or enhance the member experience? From there, I focus on execution. Technology only delivers value when it is intentionally integrated into daily operations with clear ownership and accountability. Staying ahead is not just about adopting new tools, it’s about ensuring those tools are aligned with how work actually gets done and can be sustained at scale.

What excites you most about the future of technology — and where do you see the biggest opportunities for women?

What excites me most is the continued alignment between operations and technology and the opportunity it creates to drive more efficient, consistent, and scalable outcomes. The rapid evolution of AI is accelerating that shift, creating new opportunities to enhance decision-making, streamline workflows, and rethink how work gets done.  As mortgage lending becomes increasingly system-driven, success will depend on translating technology into real operational performance.  

For women, the opportunity is significant. Women already lead in operational execution, process design, and system adoption — the foundation of how these technologies function. The next step is expanding that influence into shaping, optimizing, and governing the systems themselves. There is meaningful opportunity for more women to lead, especially where strategy, execution, and innovation come together to drive real transformation. 

Technology doesn’t transform organizations — people do.

Technology only delivers value when it is intentionally integrated into daily operations with clear ownership and accountability.

Lisa SCHREIBER

SVP Correspondent Lending
eRESI

What inspired you to pursue a career in technology, and how has your journey evolved along the way?

Early in my career, I witnessed how manual processes and disconnected systems created barriers for originators and investors alike. I started focusing on enabling technology that prioritizes user experience while meeting investors’ needs to execute with quality. Not just automating tasks, but reimagining how mortgage lending could work. That vision has guided my journey through multiple leadership roles, from building integrated platforms at American Brokers Conduit, propelling ABC to become one of the industry’s fastest-growing wholesale lenders, to championing technology-driven processes, advising national lenders on strategic technology adoption as a consultant.

What challenges have shaped your growth in tech, and how have you navigated them?

When I championed integrated platforms early in my career, many believed sophisticated technology was too expensive or complex for small- to mid-sized lenders. I navigated this by proving that well-designed technology doesn’t just benefit the biggest players. It levels the playing field, giving all lenders the tools to compete effectively.

How do you stay ahead of emerging trends and innovations in technology?

I stay ahead by maintaining connections with the people actually using our technology — our lending partners and internal teams. They tell me what’s working and what’s not, which is far more valuable than any industry report. I also collaborate with our technology partners to understand capabilities and limitations rather than delegating these conversations. This keeps me grounded in what’s practical versus what’s just promising.

How are you leveraging AI in your role today, and what impact has it had?

We’re leveraging AI to enhance decision-making and streamline processes while keeping human expertise at the center. AI-powered data analytics has helped our teams prioritize what needs immediate attention. This is starting to allow our team to focus on complex scenarios that require nuanced judgment rather than spending time on routine reviews.

The impact will be significant as we continue down this path. Quicker responses, fewer errors, and better outcomes for lending partners.

But what excites me most is how AI is beginning to show us what is possible, enhancing what eRESI already delivers, which is a deep partnership that will only be more powerful as we progress.

Darlene SWAIN

SVP Product Strategy
Consolidated Analytics

What inspired you to pursue a career in technology, and how has your journey evolved along the way?

I was drawn to a career in technology after seeing how powerful data and innovation can be when applied to real‑world challenges. With more than 20 years in the mortgage industry, I experienced firsthand how legacy systems and manual processes constrained progress, which inspired me to help reimagine how decisions could be made smarter, faster, and with greater confidence. My journey has evolved from navigating those limitations on the lender side to actively shaping the future of collateral risk and valuations through technology. While we’ve made meaningful progress, I believe we’re still early in what’s possible — and I’m energized by the opportunity to continue modernizing the industry in ways that are more intelligent, transparent, and scalable.

What challenges have shaped your growth in tech, and how have you navigated them?

One of the most impactful challenges shaping my growth in technology has been navigating data quality and consistency in a data‑dependent business. I’ve seen how fragmented data sources, incomplete records, and inconsistent standards can limit the effectiveness of even the most advanced models. Early on, I learned that no amount of sophisticated analytics can overcome poor data — and that building trust in technology starts with improving the foundation beneath it.

I navigated this challenge by shifting a lot of focus to data governance. That meant pushing for clearer data validation and stronger confidence indicators — so users understood not just the output, but the quality of the data behind it.

Ultimately, those challenges shaped how I lead today. I approach innovation with the belief that responsible technology starts with disciplined data practices — and that addressing data quality head‑on is what turns insight into trust and adoption.

How do you stay ahead of emerging trends and innovations in technology?

I stay ahead of emerging trends by staying closely connected to real business problems and the regulatory realities that determine what can actually scale. 

Rather than chasing every new technology, I focus on understanding where innovation can responsibly deliver measurable impact in a highly regulated environment.