Bob Easter
Bob Easter - “We’re one of the better kept secrets in Evanston”
Can you tell us more about you and how you got involved in LEND?
“We moved back to Evanston right in the middle of the pandemic in 2020, and I started looking for opportunities to help within my new community. My family and I lived in Georgia for 25 years - my job took us there and my wife’s kept us there. Everyone in my family went to different schools at Northwestern at some point in our lives. I love blending Northwestern students and community opportunities. LEND fits the bill, and I’ve served on the board for about three years.”
What is your role in LEND? Can you explain how the board works?
“Our role as board members is to guide the students, who should be 100% running the club. As an example, maybe we have run into a similar issue before, so sharing the experience we’ve had in resolving it would be helpful to the students. The board tries to stay out of actually operating the club and let the students run the club. And specifically, I serve as Treasurer and work mostly with the VP Finance and President.”
What makes LEND unique?
“The two services that LEND students offer the community are huge: financing and consulting. It’s amazing what a successfully applied $5,000 can do to a business that is growing or is just starting out. And, I love that we’re delivering consulting services as well. Sometimes clients don’t need money - several don’t. Recently, LEND had a prospective client apply for a loan and the loans committee wasn’t convinced that that business had a plan to give it the best chance of success. The LEND consultants helped this client write a business plan, and now the loans committee should be more comfortable recommending that a loan be granted. It’s easy to lend money, but to have someone who’s pleased with the consulting work that the students have done is especially gratifying.”
What is your vision for LEND – where do you see the organization a couple of years down the road?
“There’s such a big opportunity for us to get even more involved within our Evanston community. I envision that LEND students will identify more prospects for our services and deliver more loans and services to them.”