Fast Funding for California Commercial Real Estate

Rubicon Mortgage Fund, LLC has funded private commercial loans in California since its inception in 2008. We are a direct private lender that specializes in short-term loans for commercial and residential acquisitions, refinancing and equity cash out for business purposes, new commercial construction loans (SF Bay Area only) and hard money for rehab fix & flip. We understand that occasionally loans do not fit into the standard model of traditional commercial lenders; therefore, we focus on funding non-conventional commercial loans.

Meet our Team

Executive Team

Vance Hillstrom

CEO

Maureen Kelly

General Counsel & Chief Financial Officer

Field Team

Cesar Peña

Senior Director – Producer
Se Habla Español

Casey Hopkins dec 2022
Casey Hopkins

Senior Loan Officer

Jake Berry

Loan Officer

Operations Team

Cheryl Rubicon
Cheryl Duncan

Operations Manager

Charles Poloka
Charles Poloka

Marketing Communications

Christie Elwood

Loan Documentation Specialist

May Sieng

Administrative Assistant
(Fluent in Cantonese)

Loan Services Team

Meghan Rubicon
Meghan Simms

Head of Loan Servicing, Staff Accountant

Lori Hillstrom

Investor Relations

Kathryn Rogers

Accountant, Investor Relations

Rubicon Mortgage Fund
Vance Hillstrom Rubicon Mortgage Fund
Vance Hillstrom
CEO, Rubicon Mortgage Fund
Phone: (925) 788-8964

Click here to email Vance

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Vance is the CEO and sole managing partner of Rubicon. Vance is involved in all operations of the company and does the underwriting for Rubicon. Vance was one of the three founding partners of Rubicon and has been part of mortgage banking since 2005. Prior to Rubicon, Vance was an independent 30-year bond futures Trader at the Chicago Board of Trade and thereafter worked as the Lead Market Maker for Microsoft at the Pacific Options Exchange. Vance graduated from DePauw University with a degree in Economics and captained the DePauw baseball team. He has both his California Lenders Finance License as well as his California Department of Real Estate Brokerage License.  DRE # 01908390 CFL # 6053885

Maureen Kelly
General Counsel & Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (925) 283-8919

email: makelly283@gmail.com

Maureen is General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer for Rubicon Mortgage Fund LLC. Prior to co-founding Rubicon Mortgage Fund LLC in 2007, Maureen served as legal counsel and CFO for several hedge funds and options market makers on the Pacific Options Exchange.  Maureen was also in private practice with Plageman & Lund LLP where she advised clients on real estate transactions and estate matters.  She began her career with Arthur Andersen in their Family Wealth Planning practice.  She currently lives in San Francisco with her family.


Professional:
Member, California State Bar
Certified Public Accountant, California (currently inactive)

Education:
University of California, College of Law, San Francisco (formerly Hastings) J.D.
U.C. Davis (B.A. Economics / History)

Cesar Peña
Senior Director – Producer
Phone: (925) 239-6609

Click here to email Cesar

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Cesar has been with Rubicon Mortgage Fund, LLC since 2013. Currently Director of Sales, Cesar is responsible for overseeing Rubicon’s loan originators and placing non-conventional financing for his clients throughout California. Cesar received his B.A. degree in Business Administration from Cal State East Bay, Hayward, CA, focusing in Finance and Real Estate Management Cesar currently serves as Treasurer for Bay Area Mortgage Association (“BAMA”), an organization founded in 1953, and is a member of the Oakland, CA Chapter of Commercial Certified Investment Manager (“CCIM”). CA BRE #01984871.
Casey Hopkins dec 2022
Casey Hopkins
Senior Loan Officer
Phone: (530) 228-3790

Click here to email Casey

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Casey Hopkins has been active in the real estate industry since 2008 having worked as a Commercial Real Estate Appraiser, and most recently as a Business Development Officer for an environmental due diligence company. Casey joined Rubicon Mortgage Fund in the spring of 2017 and is currently focusing on expanding awareness of Rubicon and its services to Commercial Real Estate Companies throughout the state of California. Casey graduated from California State University, Chico with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Finance. CA BRE #02040604.
Jake Berry
Loan Officer
Phone: (925) 899-3091

Click here to email Jake

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Jake Berry is a loan originator at Rubicon Mortgage Fund, LLC. He focuses on providing short-term financing on commercial and residential properties throughout the state of California. Jake has extensive knowledge in originating and underwriting a multitude of properties including industrial, retail, multifamily, office, hospitality, etc. He also aids in determining the status of Rubicon’s current loan portfolio through underwriting various loan scenarios and property types. 

Jake serves on the board of committee of Bay Area Mortgage Association (BAMA) and HIF Building Leaders Initiative. He earned a degree in Hospitality Management at Utah Valley University and played on the Division 1 Baseball team. He currently resides in San Francisco.

 CA BRE#02136134

Cheryl Duncan
Operations Manager
Phone: (925) 283-8919
email: cheryl@rubiconfund.net

Cheryl is the Operations Manager for Rubicon.  Cheryl has over 30 years in real estate related industries and over 3 years in the financial services industry. In addition to 18 years with a national title company, Cheryl has worked in Operations for a real estate auction company and a commercial property management company.  Cheryl was a licensed Financial Advisor for Waddell and Reed. Cheryl graduated from California State University at Sacramento with a BS in Business with a Finance concentration.

Charles Poloka
CJ Poloka
Investor Relations / Head of Marketing
Phone: (925) 283-8919

Click here to email CJ

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Charles has been with Rubicon for four years and focuses on expanding Rubicon’s online presence. Day to day, Charles works to further brand Rubicon as an expert in the lending industry and to enable the sales team to have the tools they need to market successfully to their clients. Charles is a Sacramento State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. He is also an Eagle Scout and Assistant Scoutmaster in Troop 200 in Lafayette.
 Christie Elwood
Analyst / Sales Associate
Phone: (925) 283-8919
email: christie@rubiconfund.net

Christie is the Loan Documentation Specialist at Rubicon.  She began her career in corporate accounting and residential escrow and gained further invaluable experience as a small business owner.   Her title and escrow experience along with in-depth knowledge of non-profit event planning is invaluable. These skills she now uses to process loans from due diligence through funding and ultimately close of escrow.  In her spare time, Christie enjoys spending time with her husband and two teenage children.

May Sieng
Administrative Assistant
Phone: (925) 283-8919
Email: May@rubiconfund.net

May is the Administrative Assistant at Rubicon. She enjoys working with people and has over 10 years of customer service and administrative experience in the food and financial service industries. She can speak three languages including Chinese Cantonese & Vietnamese and enjoys outdoor activities, travel, and live music.

Meghan Sims
Staff Accountant, Investor
Relations Manager, and Loan Servicing
Phone: (925) 283-8919
email: meghan@rubiconfund.net
Meghan has been with Rubicon since 2014. She is responsible for in house accounting, loan servicing and is the Investor Relations Manager for the Fund. Meghan graduated from Cal State East Bay with a BS in Business Administration with concentrations in Accounting and Information Technology Management. She currently resides with her husband and daughter in Concord, California.
Lori
Lori Hillstrom
Investor Relations
Phone: (925) 283-8919

Click here to email Lori

Lori received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing from San Diego State University. Upon graduation Lori worked in the management and merchandising division of Nordstrom, Inc. Lori then pursued a Master of Science degree in Instructional Leadership and Curriculum Development, a California Teaching Credential and an English as a Second Language certification. She taught for 28 years after which her true passion of art and design came out in founding and operating a successful staging company for five years. Lori is a local rental property owner and manager, carrying on the tradition her family started over 100 years ago.
Kathryn Rogers
Accountant, Investor Relations
Phone: (925) 283-8919

Email: Kathryn@rubiconfund.net
Kathryn is a new addition to Rubicon. She is responsible for in-house accounting for the Management Company and Investor Relations for the Fund. Kathryn attended UC Berkeley’s Accounting Certificate Program and studied Investments and Securities. She has over 30 years of accounting experience working mainly in property management and banking. She currently resides with her husband and dachshund in Concord, California.

(925) 283-8919
© 2022 Rubicon Mortgage Fund

Vance Hillstrom
Phone: (925) 788-8964
Cesar Peña
Phone: (925) 239-6609
Casey Hopkins
Phone: (530) 228-3790
Jake Berry
Phone: (925) 899-3091
CJ Poloka
Phone: (925) 283-8919