As first reported by The Secured Lender, Jennifer Palmer, the current president of the Secured Finance Network and former CEO of eCapital Asset Based Lending and Gerber Finance, launched JPalmer Collective, a brand-new asset-based lending firm based in New York.

According to the company’s website, JPalmer Collective will focus on “representing entrepreneurs and working together to improve the world in a sustainable way,” emphasizing work in the debt markets with companies led by women as well as those with a sustainability and inclusivity focus.

“JPalmer Collective was created to fund entrepreneurs focused on sustainably improving our world and to provide equal access to business funding for women,” Palmer said. “While coincidental, the launch timing is perfect: the theme of International Women’s Day this year is ’embrace equity,’ and we’re doing just that by leveling the playing field in financing. More than half of our portfolio will be women-led companies.”

Palmer will serve as CEO of the new company, while Melissa Fleishman will serve as chief operations officer.

Palmer spent nearly 16 years in leadership roles with Gerber Finance, ultimately succeeding company founder Gerald Joseph as CEO in 2020. Gerber was acquired by eCapital in 2017 and eventually rebranded as eCapital Asset Based Lending.

Fleishman was previously a senior vice president and underwriting manager for Gerber Finance and then eCapital Asset Based Lending. Fleishman also previously spent time in underwriting roles for Shadow Tree Capital Management/Capacity Funding, Sun National Bank, Access Capital, Finova Capital and CIT.