OUR TEAM

Sahra S. Halpern

President

Sahra S. Halpern, president of the Business Consortium Fund and Triad Investments, has created innovative, mission-driven lending programs throughout her career in community development finance. She is responsible for driving BCF toward greater impact in the communities we serve by expanding our capital reach to business owners of color. Ms. Halpern started her career in international microfinance before spending 15 years at Charles Schwab Bank in the Community Development Group, which she helped establish and grow. Subsequently,  Ms. Halpern led strategic lending initiatives at Capital Impact Partners, a national community development financial institution, where she led structured fund development and lending strategy. Ms. Halpern earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Davis – Graduate School of Management and also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University.

Socorro Vallejo

Administrative Officer

Socorro Vallejo is an expert in non-profit impact financing with 25 years of experience. In her role at BCF as Administrative Officer, Ms. Vallejo manages the financial structures, systems, and reporting for clear analysis, strategic planning, and operational and administrative management of the BCF and its subsidiaries. She also manages the BCF’s Internship Program established in 2012.   After joining BCF in 1994 as Office Manager. Ms. Vallejo was promoted to Assistant Vice President and Controller in 2000 and has held her current position as Vice President and Controller since 2014.   Ms. Vallejo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Lehman College.

Ruben Rodriguez

Senior Vice-President and Chief Lending Officer

Ruben Rodriguez is an experienced business professional with 35 years of in-depth knowledge of finance and small business lending with JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bank of America, and New York National Bank.   Since joining BCF in 2012, Mr. Rodriguez is involved in all aspects of the BCF with particular focus on managing the organization’s loan portfolio, including loan underwriting. Before joining BCF, Mr. Rodriguez managed the loan portfolio for Seedco Financial Services, Inc. (currently known as TruFund Financial Services, Inc.) a national non-profit organization that provides affordable capital, hands-on business assistance and solutions to small businesses, non-profit organizations and real estate developers.   Mr. Rodriguez received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Lehman College.

Elba Garcia

Assistant Vice-President, Loan Portfolio Manager

Elba Garcia brings over 20 years of experience in loan operations to minority business enterprises.   As Assistant Vice President, Loan Portfolio Manager, Ms. Garcia is responsible for managing the daily loan operations of BCF and Triad Investments, LP., including loan administration, servicing, monitoring, compliance reporting, renewal and restructuring. Prior to joining BCF in 1996, Ms. Garcia worked as an assistant to the Economic Development Specialist for the Bronx Council for Economic Development and assisted with the formation of a Business Improvement District.   Ms. Garcia received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Business Management from Lehman College.

Camellia Loojune

Director, Small Business Lending

Camellia Loojune has 10 years of finance and accounting experience, five of which have been focused on community development finance. As Director of Small Business Lending, Ms. Loojune is responsible for supporting the loan origination process and leading the evolution of BCF’s lending platform. In this role, she will also contribute to the development of new and innovative products and services to support Minority Business Enterprises in order to build expertise and generational wealth. Prior to BCF, Ms. Loojune was a Senior Loan Officer with Capital Impact Partners, underwriting community development real estate deals. She also served as Director of Real Estate Underwriting at High Impact Financial Analysis, a financial services firm that supports mission-driven lenders and investors. Ms. Loojune holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from Syracuse University.

Joubert Richards

Small Business Loan Underwriter

Joubert Richards has six years of commercial real estate finance experience. As a Small Business Loan Underwriter with BCF, Mr. Richards supports the loan origination process, underwriting deals for Minority Business Enterprises to gain access to capital. Prior to BCF, Joubert was a Loan Closer/Closing Officer for a Certified Development Company in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In this role, Mr. Richards conducted closing procedures for small business real estate transactions in Indiana and Kentucky by ensuring SBA 504 loan policy compliance. Prior to Mr. Richards’ career in finance, he served as a Patent Examiner for the U.S. Government and as a Proposals Coordinator for an engineering company in Madrid, Spain. Mr. Richards earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.