Olivia Swanson
Director of Sales & Client Strategies
Olivia is the connective tissue of Lending Lakes & Co. As Director of Sales & Business Development, she builds and nurtures the relationships that keep the team growing — real estate partners, builders, financial planners, and the community network that sends us the buyers who need us most.
She’s also often the first voice you’ll hear when you reach out: mapping your situation, matching you with the right conversation, and making sure nothing about getting started feels intimidating. If Ashland is the engine of Lending Lakes, Olivia is the one making sure every road leads to it.
Ella Krispin
Loan Officer Assistant
Ella keeps the front half of every loan moving. As Loan Officer Assistant, she supports Ashland and the originating team — preparing pre-approvals, organizing what each buyer needs, and making sure questions never sit unanswered.
For a lot of Lending Lakes clients, Ella is the steady, friendly presence who turns a stressful pile of paperwork into a simple checklist. Nothing falls through the cracks on her watch.
Melissa Smith
Team Processor
Melissa is the reason Lending Lakes files close on time. As Team Processor, she owns everything that happens between “application submitted” and “clear to close” — collecting documents, coordinating with underwriting, chasing down conditions, and keeping every party on the same page.
Processing is where most lenders lose days; Melissa is where this team wins them back. If you’ve ever wondered who actually makes a smooth closing happen behind the scenes, you’re looking at her.
Mikaela Kamish
Marketing Director
Mikaela has been shaping the look, voice, and digital presence of this team since 2022. She leads brand, social, and web design — which means if something from Lending Lakes & Co made you stop scrolling, she probably made it.
Her job is bigger than pretty graphics: it’s making sure every buyer who finds us online gets honest, useful, actually-helpful information — the same standard the loan team holds on the phone.
Molly Stenerson
Marketing Coordinator
Molly runs the day-to-day drumbeat of Lending Lakes marketing — content, campaigns, events, and the social channels where the team answers real buyer questions in public.
A marketing graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato, Molly co-founded the Women in Business club on campus before joining the team — an origin story that fits a team like this one perfectly.
Ashlyn Long
Loan Officer · NMLS #2775645
Ashlyn is a licensed Loan Officer (NMLS #2775645) at the Eden Prairie branch and one of the newest originators on the Lending Lakes & Co team. She works with buyers across Minnesota with a focus on making the first conversation easy — no jargon, no pressure, just a clear picture of what’s possible.
She also runs her own payment-question hub at heyashlynwhatsmypayment.com, where buyers can get a ballpark payment answer before they ever pick up the phone.
Kayla Hillman
Loan Officer · NMLS #2816984
Kayla is the newest licensed Loan Officer (NMLS #2816984) on the Lending Lakes & Co team, serving buyers primarily across western Wisconsin. She joined the team in 2026 with the same first-conversation philosophy the whole crew runs on: plain answers, real numbers, and no pressure to be “ready” before you reach out.
Whether it’s a first home, a lake place, or a move across the river, Kayla walks buyers through what they can afford and what comes next — and stays reachable the whole way through.
