Joe Welu is the founder and CEO of Total Expert, the fintech software leader that launched the first customer experience platform purpose-built for modern financial institutions. Since 2012, Joe has led Total Expert’s vision, culture, and growth to more than 300 employees today. The company powers CRM, marketing, and customer engagement for more than 170 financial institutions—from leading community banks and credit unions to 15 of the top 25 U.S. banks and lenders. Total Expert’s growth has skyrocketed since its inception, being named the #1 CRM platform by STRATMOR Group and earning top spots on the Inc. 5000 and HousingWire Tech100.

Alec Hanson is a contemporary leader within the Mortgage Industry.  Constantly striving to improve, he began his career in origination in 2004 funding over $85M and was named Rookie of the Year by Scotsman’s Guide. Every subsequent year, Hanson landed on Scotsman’s Top 200 Originator list finishing his best year at $185M. From there, Hanson began coaching and growing a successful branch network in Orange County with his peak year in 2010 funding over $1B at the branch level. Hanson has received Housing Wire’s Rising Star award both in 2017 and 2019.  Previously he has served as the Senior Vice President of Production for loanDepot for the West Division, overseeing approximately $8B in annual production and as the Chief Marketing Officer for loanDepot. Currently, he serves as the Head of Revenue Development and Growth for the company.  A dynamic coach and thought leader, Hanson believes in leading and coaching within the trenches of the mortgage business.  

He is the author of loanDepot’s Modern Lending Playbook: a strategic and tactical tool designed to equip, train, and evolve the traditional mortgage professional’s skill sets into the modern era. Alec is also the author of “Bypassed: A Modern Guide for Local Mortgage Pros Left Behind by the Digital Customer,” which details a systemic approach to help Mortgage Professionals succeed in the digital world.

Alec is married to his beautiful wife of 20 years, Erica, and is the proud dad of Phoenix (14 years old) and Scarlett (11 years old).  He can be found at @alecthehanson on all social platforms.

TJ brings nearly 15 years of experience leading architecture and engineering  teams across financial services. She has a strong track record of driving change— modernizing platforms and aligning technology with business strategy. She’s  passionate about bringing product and technology together to create meaningful,  sustainable impact. 

Beyond her day-to-day work, TJ stays actively involved in tech community events  to connect with and learn from others who are shaping the future of our industry. 

Outside of work, she’s a proud mom of two daughters, lifts weights to clear her  head, and enjoys reading non-fiction.

Heidi Patalano is the editor-in-chief of National Mortgage News. Previous to this role, she was a magazine editor at real estate trade publication The Real Deal. She also oversaw residential real estate news reporting as the features editor at DNAinfo.com. Patalano holds a Bachelor of Science from Boston University’s College of Communication.

Founder of The Basis Point®, a sales & strategy consultancy to banks, lenders, and fintechs – and a smart, fun financial media brand. We advise top companies in the space, and cut through the consumer finance, real estate, and fintech clutter to deliver sharp insights that consumers get and pros respect.