The Olea Group (pronounced “oh-LAY-uh”) was established in 2017 when a move to the Middle East prompted founder Amy Collins to seek remote opportunities. Amy realized that many firms exist to help small business lenders write funding applications and access capital, but few focus wholly on building processes, policies, and teams for maximum impact and efficiency.

Today, The Olea Group has a reputation as a trusted consultancy and dependable underwriting resource. We serve a diverse array of CDFI lenders across the United States. As consultants, we write credit policies that balance cutting-edge industry research with age-old best practices. We work with lenders to distill antiquated systems down to their parts, creating powerful processes that clarify everything from application to approval.

As underwriters, we process over $50 million dollars of financing per year for CDFIs, and we do so to an incredibly high standard. We provide back-office underwriting services to lenders of all stripes—from those who hire us because they need an experienced partner to protect their portfolio, to those who simply wish to boost capacity without increasing overhead.

The Olea Group exists to turn inexperienced and inefficient lenders into powerhouse forces for opportunity in their communities. Each member of our team brings demonstrated expertise and practitioner experience in their area of focus, and we carefully screen engagements to work only with organizations we know we can help.

Named after the olive trees (olea europaea) that grow wild where our business was founded, The Olea Group builds lenders that are durable symbols of opportunity, bearing healthy fruit for the communities they serve.