Jonathan Parnell · Ex-Merrill Lynch · Global fintech problem solver
I solve complex global fintech problems across travel, hospitality and housing.
Merrill Lynch white-glove service, applied to financing and payments for travelers, hosts and property owners worldwide.
“Great people are hard to find so make sure you think about how to keep them.”
“Price is what you pay; value is what you get.”
- 98%Close rate on submitted deals
- $50K→$600KGross, 2020–2023
- $5Cost per lead
- 12xPresident's Award
Relationships & tech stack
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Memberships University of Massachusetts Alumni Association
Top Airbnb host: creating revenue by putting properties to their highest and best use.
Client reviews
What clients say
Debt restructuring · VA benefits
“Jonathan restructured my home finances and debt at the right time for my family, and made my VA benefits transferable to my wife. Professional, transparent and straightforward.”
Pedro C. · Disabled Veteran
Foreclosure · Tax exemption
“When foreclosure threatened our home, Jonathan's team secured my 100% VA disability rating and a lifetime property-tax exemption, saving us $7,000 a year so we could stay.”
Joe A. · Disabled Veteran
Debt consolidation
“Jonathan consolidated two private loans on my New Mexico home, one at 8%, into a lower payment that saves me more than $640 a month.”
J.M.H. · Disabled Veteran
Restructuring
“Jonathan's team made a complex process feel effortless, with simple steps and consistent communication from start to finish.”
Curtis A. · Disabled Veteran
Payment reduction · Debt payoff
“They reduced our monthly payment by more than $400 and helped us eliminate our debt. A difficult process, made remarkably simple.”
B. Pila · Client
Credit-card debt restructuring
“Jonathan's team restructured $250,000 in credit-card debt at 3%, giving our family a clear, sustainable path forward.”
Ira H. · Client
Shortened for length.
Résumé at a glance
Ten years of building and closing
Angel Oak Tree LLC, San Diego, CAPrincipal, Capital & Hospitality Strategy01/2016 – Present
- Built and run a bootstrapped capital advisory and lending firm; grew gross revenue from $50K to $600K (2020–2023) with zero outside capital.
- Pre-underwrote every file and enforced a fixed document stacking order, holding a 98% close rate on deals submitted to underwriters and funds.
- Built 100+ lender relationships and structured deals across agency, non-QM, DSCR, private, construction, commercial and cross-border capital.
- Designed a one-page intake that feeds LendingPad and Salesforce automatically, replacing manual data entry; trained remote contractors to run the process consistently.
- Replaced resold credit-bureau trigger leads with a self-sourced lead engine and referral loops, cutting cost per lead from $500 to $5.
- Rolled out the full software stack (Salesforce, LendingPad, AppFolio, HubSpot, QuickBooks Online) and migrated the firm off Encompass.
Portfolio of Work: angeloaktreellc.net/press
Global Equity Finance, San Diego, CASenior Executive, Mortgage Banking01/2013 – 01/2015
Top-producing enterprise sales leader responsible for high-volume complex financing and new market expansion.
- Generated $40M+ in real estate fundings while setting company records for pipeline volume and conversion speed (approvals within 7 business days of underwriting submission).
- Helped build the company and expand it to two Las Vegas branches, using relationship building and lean process improvements that shortened sales cycles and increased win rates.
- Trained many of the people who work at the company today, passing on the pipeline and closing process behind its growth.
Merrill Lynch, United States (Hybrid)Investment Banking Associate01/2010 – 12/2012
- Started with no book of business and built a direct-outreach program to private equity and institutional buy-side clients, sourcing $100M in new assets in year one.
- Served on the Facebook IPO underwriting syndicate, managing client share allocations within a 27.3M-share block; ranked #2 in a $100M pre-IPO share syndicate.
- Reviewed about 20 private-equity deal prospectuses daily to screen opportunities for clients; delivered white-glove service to high-net-worth accounts.
BA in English, University of Massachusetts Amherst09/1998 – 05/2004
Study abroad, Granada, Spain
- 12x President's Award, Global Equity Finance
- Top Volume Producer and Top Unit Producer, Global Equity Finance
- Fast Track Champion, Global Equity Finance: 8 loans closed in first 2 months
- Rookie of the Year and Louisville Slugger Award, Merrill Lynch
Claude 101 (Anthropic, Aug 2026)
Gen AI: Beyond the Chatbot (Google, Aug 2026)
Contact
Let's build what's next
Open to strategy, partnerships and capital-markets roles at fintech and proptech teams.