# Christopher Hurn

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**Christopher Hurn** is an [American](/source/Americans) writer, entrepreneur, and business executive who works primarily in the field of [small business lending](/source/Small_business_financing).[1] He is the founder and CEO of Fountainhead, a company that provides commercial real estate financing and [growth capital](/source/Growth_capital) for small business owners. He previously founded Mercantile Capital Corporation, a financier of owner-occupied commercial real estate and an [Inc. 500](/source/Inc._(magazine)#Inc._500_and_Inc._5000) company. He served as CEO of that company prior to leaving in late 2014 to launch Fountainhead.[2]

Hurn is the author of *The Entrepreneur's Secret to Creating Wealth: How The Smartest Business Owners Build Their Fortunes*, a book that details financing for small business owners.[3] He is also a frequent media commentator,[2] appearing on [Fox Business](/source/Fox_Business) to discuss issues relating to small business,[4][5] and a regular contributor for [The Huffington Post](/source/The_Huffington_Post).[6] As an entrepreneur and small business owner, he founded Kennedy's All-American Barber Club which operates stores nationally in the United States.[7][8]

## Education

Hurn graduated from [Loyola University Chicago](/source/Loyola_University_Chicago) where he earned two bachelor's degrees, magna cum laude.[9][10] He went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Center of Government (Part of the [Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania](/source/Wharton_School_of_the_University_of_Pennsylvania) at the time), earning his M.B.A before a brief stint at [Georgetown University Law Center](/source/Georgetown_University_Law_Center).[11] He left Georgetown early to pursue a career in finance.[10]

## Career

Hurn began his career in lending with [GE Capital](/source/GE_Capital) before moving on to [Heller Financial](/source/Walter_E._Heller).[1] His lending experience led him to become an entrepreneur when he co-founded Mercantile Capital Corporation in 2002.[2] The company specialized in small business loans that are backed by commercial real estate.[12] The company first loaned to businesses in Florida, but expanded beyond the state shortly thereafter.[1] It used the [SBA 504 Loan](/source/SBA_504_Loan) program to help small businesses obtain financing and was listed on the Inc. 500 list at #245 in 2007, on the Inc. 5000 list at #1683 in 2008, and on the Inc. 5000 list at #3,776 in 2009.[13] Mercantile was sold to Old Florida National Bank in 2010, with Old Florida National Bank later being acquired by [IBERIABANK](/source/IBERIABANK).[1] Hurn stayed on as the company's CEO until he left the firm in late 2014.[14]

Hurn authored *The Entrepreneur's Secret to Creating Wealth: How The Smartest Business Owners Build Their Fortunes*, a financial advice book that he released in October 2012.[15] The book details strategies for small business wealth creation. [Inc.](/source/Inc._(magazine)) editor Bo Burlington stated that the book is "an invaluable guide to a crucial, but often overlooked, aspect of building a business" while *Secrets of the Millionaire Mind* author [T. Harv Eker](/source/T._Harv_Eker) stated that it was a "hands-on strategy for your own financial freedom."[16] Hurn is also a regular contributor for The Huffington Post.[6]

Hurn founded Fountainhead Commercial Capital in February 2015.[17] The company is a direct lender specializing in SBA 504 and Low LTV (<65%) conventional loans. Fountainhead provides 504 first mortgages as a third party lender and interim second mortgages for acquisition, ground-up construction, and renovations.[18] It is a non-bank, national commercial lender that provides other commercial loan programs in addition to its SBA lending, while also originating loans from banks, nonbank lenders, credit unions and mortgage bankers/brokers through their new secondary market program: FastTrack504.[19][20][11] Fountainhead has closed over 12 billion dollars in SBA 504 loans in the last 20 years.[11]

Fountainhead, Hurn's company, was among the first round of Florida's "2018 Companies to Watch".[21]

Hurn is also a small business owner and listed as the principal of numerous businesses, including ATCC Management Group, Kennedy's International Franchising, and SpreheFamily Investments.[2] Kennedy's is a chain of barbershops [Kennedy's All-American Barber Club](http://kennedysbarberclub.com/) with locations in Florida, Connecticut, and New Jersey, with Hurn operating one of the franchises in [Lake Mary, Florida](/source/Lake_Mary,_Florida).[7]

Hurn has made numerous media appearances and provided commentary for media outlets that include multiple appearances on Fox Business, [PBS NewsHour](/source/PBS_NewsHour),[22] [The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post),[23] [Forbes](/source/Forbes),[24] [The Wall Street Journal](/source/The_Wall_Street_Journal) [25] ,[26] and [CNNMoney](/source/CNNMoney).[27] He also testified before the United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship in March 2012.[9] and [28] His work in finance has led to him receiving numerous awards and recognition, some of which include *Top Twenty Most Influential People in Small Business Lending*, *SBA Marketing Guru of the Year*, *Top 25 Twitter Small Business Experts to Follow*, and *Top 100 Small Business Influence Champion*.[29] Chris Hurn was recently[when?] named by [American City Business Journals](/source/American_City_Business_Journals) as one of the nation's most influential leaders in commercial real estate.[30] Hurn was additionally named as one of the Top Small Business Influencers of 2018 by Fit Small Business.[31][32]

He recently was interviewed on the changes in the 504 programs. [33] Hurn is a member of the [Young Presidents Organization](/source/Young_Presidents'_Organization).[34] He has written the only book on SBA 504 loans and has testified in front of congress several times.[35]

## See also

- [Commercial property](/source/Commercial_property)
- [Small Business Administration](/source/Small_Business_Administration)
- [Small Business Lending Index](/source/Small_Business_Lending_Index)

## References

1. Finkelstein, Brad (23 February 2015). ["Why This SBA Real Estate Lender Struck Out on His Own - Again"](http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/news/people/why-this-sba-real-estate-lender-struck-out-on-his-own-again-1045235-1.html). National Mortgage News. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. Burnett, Richard (28 July 2014). ["Mercantile Capital co-founder steps down to pursue new business"](https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2014/07/28/mercantile-capital-co-founder-steps-down-to-pursue-new-business/). Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. ["Book Awards - The Entrepreneur's Secret to Creating Wealth"](http://bookawards.smallbiztrends.com/personal-finance-2013/the-entrepreneurs-secret-to-creating-wealth-1/). *Small Biz Trends*. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. ["Chris Hurn on Fox Business Channel January 2010"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edhZIeDWBS8). *Fox Business*. YouTube. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. ["Chris Hurn on Fox Business"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez3io0K-LPc). *Fox Business*. YouTube. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. ["Chris Hurn writing profile on The Huffington Post"](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-hurn/). *The Huffington Post*. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. Bower, Sean (21 December 2012). ["Kennedy's All-American Barber Club cuts, snips and shaves through recession"](http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/print-edition/2012/12/21/kennedys-all-american-barber-club.html?page=all). Orlando Business Journal. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. Lee, Kenny (2019-01-23). ["Call grows louder for SBA to tackle loan application backlog"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190302152415/https://www.ecommercedailynews.com/call-grows-louder-for-sba-to-tackle-loan-application-backlog/). *Ecommerce Daily News*. Archived from [the original](https://www.ecommercedailynews.com/call-grows-louder-for-sba-to-tackle-loan-application-backlog/) on 2019-03-02. Retrieved 2019-03-01.

1. Walters, Tanner. ["Class Notes"](http://blogs.luc.edu/ilweekly/2012/10/02/class-notes/). *Loyola Magazine*. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. ["Chris Hurn"](http://drivingyourmarketing.com/488/chris-hurn/). *Driving Your Marketing*. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. ["Chris Hurn: Founder, Fountainhead Commercial Capital"](https://startupsavant.com/chris-hurn-of-fountainheadcc/). *Startup Savant*. 2016-12-17. Retrieved 2018-09-05.

1. Fuscaldo, Donna (23 April 2013). ["Out of the Box Loan Options to State a Business"](http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/finance-accounting/2013/04/23/out-box-loan-options-to-start-business/). Fox Business. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. ["Mercantile Commercial Capital provides real estate loans to small and mid-size businesses"](http://www.inc.com/profile/mercantile-commercial-capital). Inc. Magazine. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. Barth, Cindy (25 July 2014). ["Mercantile Capital Corp., Chris Hurn part ways"](http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2014/07/25/mercantile-capital-corp-chris-hurn-part-ways.html). Orlando Business Journal. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. ["The Entrepreneur's Secret To Creating Wealth Book Review"](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/chris-hurn/the-entrepreneurs-secret-to-creating-wealth/). *Kirkus Reviews*. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. Hurn, Chris (2012). *The Entrepreneur's Secret to Creating Wealth: How the Smartest Business Owners Build Their Fortunes*. Advantage Media Group. ISBN 9781599323152.

1. Barth, Cindy (29 January 2015). ["Small biz lender Chris Hurn launches Fountainhead Commercial Capital"](http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2015/01/29/small-biz-lender-chris-hurn-launches-fountainhead.html). Orlando Business Journal. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. Green, Charles H. (2 March 2015). ["He's Back: Interview w/Chris Hurn, Fountainhead Capital"](https://archive.today/20150311143933/https://www.sbfi.org/2015/03/02/hes-back-interview-wchris-hurn-fountainhead-capital/). SBFI. Archived from [the original](https://www.sbfi.org/2015/03/02/hes-back-interview-wchris-hurn-fountainhead-capital/) on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. Coleman, Bob (4 February 2015). ["Main Street Wednesday: A New SBA 504 Lender on the Block"](http://www.colemanreport.com/main-street-wednesday-a-new-sba-504-lender-on-the-block/). The Coleman Report. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. ["Small Business Lending Interview Series: Chris Hurn"](https://www.monjaco.com/blog/monja-small-business-lending-interview-series-chris-hurn/). *MonJa*. 2018-04-11. Retrieved 2018-09-05.

1. ["Join us February 9, 2019 to Celebrate Florida Companies to Watch"](https://www.growfl.com/flctw18/about-flctw/). *GrowFL*. Retrieved 2018-10-08.

1. Goodman, Jordan (6 May 2013). ["How Business Owners Can Thrive Regardless of Economic Conditions"](http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/68901/how-business-owners-can-thrive-regardless-of-economic-conditions). Voice American. Retrieved 10 March 2015.

1. Harrison, J.D. (5 November 2012). ["Small business advice: When and how to take your company global"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-small-business/post/small-business-advice-when-and-how-to-take-your-company-global/2012/11/02/b6ec0100-2520-11e2-ba29-238a6ac36a08_blog.html). *The Washington Post*. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. Young Entrepreneur Council (11 April 2013). ["Simple Changes Offer Big Solutions In Small Business Lending"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2013/04/11/simple-changes-offer-big-solutions-in-small-business-lending/). *Forbes*. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. Maltby, Emily (18 March 2010). ["When Business Credit Scores Get Murky"](http://colemanreport.com/coleman-small-business-podcast-episode-3-chris-hurn-ceo-and-founder-fountainhead-commercial-capital/). The Coleman Report. Retrieved 23 September 2015.

1. Maltby, Emily (18 March 2010). ["When Business Credit Scores Get Murky"](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704743404575127720760554664). The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. Maltby, Emily (14 May 2009). ["Specialist lenders profit as big banks pull back"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090517221836/http://money.cnn.com/2009/05/13/smallbusiness/specialist_lenders_small_business.smb/index.htm?postversion=2009051414). CNN Money. Archived from [the original](https://money.cnn.com/2009/05/13/smallbusiness/specialist_lenders_small_business.smb/index.htm?postversion=2009051414) on May 17, 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

1. ["Chris Hurn Congressional Testimony"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0ICwAfCRus). Youtube. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2015.

1. ["Chris Hurn - The Entrepreneur's Secret"](http://hosts.blogtalkradio.com/journeytosuccess/2013/04/29/chris-hurn--the-entrepreneurs-secret). *BlogTalkRadio*. Retrieved 10 March 2015.

1. ["Chris Hurn of Fountainhead Commercial Capital Named Real Estate Influencer"](http://www.realestatemarketplace.info/chris-hurn-of-fountainhead-commercial-capital-named-real-estate-influencer/). *PR.com*. Retrieved 2018-08-08.

1. ["Small Business Resources"](https://fitsmallbusiness.com/reviews/lenders/#influencers). *Fit Small Business*. Retrieved 2018-08-08.

1. ["SBA Loan Tips for Coping with Government Shutdown"](https://www.business.com/articles/government-shutdown-sba-loan-tips/). *business.com*. Retrieved 2019-03-01.

1. ["The 504 Loan Program Continues to Tread Water"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151119114750/https://www.sbfi.org/2015/11/06/the-504-loan-program-continues-to-tread-water/). SBFI. 7 November 2015. Archived from [the original](https://www.sbfi.org/2015/11/06/the-504-loan-program-continues-to-tread-water/) on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.

1. ["Should a Company Own Its Own Building? Here's How to Determine When It Makes Sense"](https://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/should-a-company-own-its-own-building-heres-how-to-determine-when-it-makes-sense.html). *Inc.com*. 2018-04-06. Retrieved 2018-09-10.

1. ["Main Street Monday — Fountainhead Commercial Capital Snags $23 Million Series A Funding"](https://colemanreport.com/main-street-monday-fountainhead-commercial-capital-snags-23-million-series-a-funding/). *Coleman Report*. 2016-05-23. Retrieved 2018-09-19.

## External links

- [Fountainhead Commercial Capital official website](http://www.fountainhead504.com/)
- [Huffington Post author page](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-hurn/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Christopher Hurn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Hurn) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Hurn?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.