Sundero Hermanos

Inspiration

Millions of Latino newcomers are credit-invisible in the U.S. — and that gap blocks exactly what many of them want next: a small-business loan. Credit history from home doesn't transfer to U.S. bureaus, mainstream products need a score before they'll start a file, and many families get pushed into cash-only dealings or high-cost informal lenders. Yet the trust-based lending tradition they already know — tandas, cundinas, cooperativas — proves lending works in these communities; it just never gets reported. We were inspired by a simple idea: keep the community trust model and add credit reporting, converting social capital into a financial record.

What it does

Sundero Hermanos is a bilingual (English/Spanish) platform for a sponsor organization to run a community credit-builder program. Borrowers apply for $500–$2,500 installment loans with plain-language forms, complete short financial-education modules, and see their terms, schedule and payment history — every on-time payment reported to the credit bureaus. Loan officers review applications, approve or decline with documented reasons, disburse loans and record payments. The program manages two separate pools — a loan fund and a loss reserve — with ledger-based balances and reserve-coverage gates that block new disbursements when coverage runs red. Funders see only aggregate, anonymized impact metrics (borrowers served, share without a prior U.S. file, on-time rates, loss rates), never borrower data.

How we built it

Using Base 44 and Eleven labs.

Challenges we ran into

The hardest design problem was who bears the risk: the concept calls for the sponsor organization to absorb repayment risk through a loss reserve, which meant building the reserve-gating logic so capital providers are protected without ever misreporting the borrower's payment record — a missed payment must still be reported accurately, or the program stops building credible credit. Other challenges: making every rule server-enforced rather than UI-only, keeping funder dashboards truly anonymous while still proving impact, and translating not just words but financial concepts into plain language both languages.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

A complete, working flow from application to first payment: borrower applies → officer approves with a required reason → borrower learns and accepts terms → loan disburses through the fund ledger → payments post to the schedule in order and close the loan automatically. Privacy is built in by design: private income-proof storage, staff-only document access, funder metrics with small-number suppression, and an immutable audit log of every action.

What we learned

The single most important operational requirement isn't the app it's the credit-reporting pathway: payments only build credit if they reach Equifax, Experian and TransUnion in standard format, so a reporting partner that covers all three bureaus (and handles disputes) beats DIY furnishing for a pilot. We also learned that "reserve = expected default rate × loan fund × safety multiple" is a sizing method to test with real pilot data, not an assumption to trust, and that funders need aggregate honesty — even the suppression of small numbers to stay credible.

What's next for Sundero Hermanos

p: the daily delinquency check with borrower reminders, charge-offs at the configured days-past-due threshold, and the monthly credit-reporting export file for the reporting partner. Then lending circles as the second product behind a feature flag, automated ACH payments through a processor, and a graduation pathway — at 12–24 months, referring borrowers to a community bank or credit union partner for secured cards and their first small-business loan, the moment the whole program exists to create