John Paasonen co-founded Maxwell in 2015 to arm small to midsize lenders with the efficiencies and economies of scale they need to compete against the industry’s largest players. Since then, Paasonen has grown the company to serve more than 250 community lenders. Under his leadership, the Maxwell platform has facilitated more than $100 billion in loan volume, helping its customers enhance the borrower experience by closing loans 45% faster than the national average.

Paasonen knows the right talent and leadership drive metrics and transformative solutions. In the last 12 months, Paasonen has scaled the Maxwell team and business rapidly despite the challenges of work-from-home settings and changing market conditions. Under Paasonen’s guidance, the Maxwell employee base grew by more than 500% in 2020. Because of Paasonen’s deep connections to the lender community, he was able to use his insight to deliver value to Maxwell’s customers even in 2020’s unprecedented landscape.

Despite ambitious product release reschedules and company growth, Paasonen has remained committed to company culture. Due to his influence, the Maxwell team centers day-to-day interactions on its core values. Each weekly check-in ends with an opportunity for employees to give gratitude to others who have helped them in large or small ways. Similarly, Paasonen ensures the company focuses on its mission of increasing access to homeownership. As a part of this focus, Paasonen created a partnership with New Story, a non-profit organization that provides homes to people living with inadequate shelter.

What has been your secret to success?

“I asked a venture capitalist what the most predictable factor was when evaluating a new business to invest in. He said, ‘A founder that has grit.’ When you’re starting a business, the biggest difference in success is having the gumption to overcome the inevitable challenges that stand in your way.”

Name:

John Paasonen

Title:

CEO & Co-Founder

Company Name:

Maxwell