THE TEAM
An evolution born from commercial banking
Knowing that deserving businesses outside of the traditional banking profile were not receiving the capital needed, Jorge Puig and Elliot Smith combined their commercial financing expertise to bridge the gap. Our team comes from banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Texas Capital, Frost, UMB, Lone Star, Amegy, Woodforest and more. At Flatbay Capital, we can be more understanding of where our clients have been, where they are now and more supportive of where they are headed.
Supporting businesses is what we do, but entrepreneurs are our why
Flatbay Capital’s mission is to deliver flexible, relationship‑driven private credit that adapts to each borrower’s unique circumstances, supports meaningful business transitions, and remains accountable throughout the life of the capital.
OUR CORE VALUES
Built for the journey
Support business owners during periods of uncertainty and protect real estate ownership
Disciplined underwriting
Every decision is grounded in credit rigor, collateral clarity and long-term viability
Bridge to bankability
Strengthen bankers relationships and return clients back to traditional financing
REGION
TEAM MEMBER
Elliot started his career in 2005 as a sales associate with Silverhill Financial, a division of Bayview Funding, where he was quickly promoted from underwriting commercial real estate transactions up to $3MM, to overseeing a 4-state territory in the Gulf Region. In 2007, he was recruited by JP Morgan Chase to join its Houston-based commercial lending team, providing commercial loans for real estate, equipment, and working capital. At departure, Elliot ranked top 3% nationally out of 700 bankers for portfolio profitability. In mid-2010, Elliot joined Gulf Coast Business Credit (factoring division of Gulf Coast Bank & Trust) to run the Houston Market. Ranked consistently a top performer, he was ultimately recruited as National Sales Manager for Sallyport Commercial Finance, a startup factoring company he helped build from scratch into a formidable market contender. In 2015, Elliot joined Amerisource Funding as National Sales Manager, where he led a sales turnaround strategy achieving 30%+ annualized YOY growth from 2015 to present and nearly doubled the company’s portfolio.
Jorge began his career in 1996 at Solomon Smith Barney as a Series 7 associate broker before pivoting into commercial lending as a credit analyst at LINC Capital. In 2002, Jorge joined Bayview Financial ($12 Bn in assets) and led a team of underwriters structuring commercial real estate loans. During their peak (2004-2007), the Bayview credit team helped originate $400MM in monthly fundings. After Bayview, Jorge joined the Situs Companies and worked on CBMS platforms for large i-banks, working on deal teams that funded $100MM+ CRE trophy property loans. He was also a founding member of Situs’ Financial Institutions Group (FIG), which during the 2008-2010 economic downturn was engaged by banks, i-banks, private equity firms, and even federal regulators to assess the strength and stability of community and regional banks. In 2010, Bank of America recruited Jorge to grow market share in Houston & Louisiana. He initially served as Market Credit Officer before being promoted to Market Manager, where he recruited and coached a team of bankers that went on to lead the country in growth and production. Jorge helped BofA double the size of Houston’s commercial market share.
Barbara McLaughlin
PARTNER/SVP | HEAD OF OPERATIONS
Barbara brings more than two decades of accounting and operational expertise to her role as Head of Operations at Flatbay. An accountant by training and a natural systems‑builder at heart, she has been instrumental in designing, developing, and scaling Flatbay’s operational infrastructure. Barbara has spent the past twenty years in a wide range of bookkeeping and accounting roles—including Accounting Manager, Staff Accountant, tax professional, and Treasurer for multiple nonprofit organizations. Her experience spans manufacturing, financial services, tax preparation, and professional temp work across diverse industries. Throughout her career, she has intentionally chosen roles that align with her family’s needs while allowing her to pursue meaningful, engaging work.
Scott attended Drury University on a soccer scholarship where he studied business with a focus in sports management. After graduation, Scott returned to San Antonio and began his career in 2007 with International Bank of Commerce, where he worked as a credit analyst and completed the bank's formal credit training program. In 2013, he joined Lone Star National Bank as a Business Relationship Manager, originating and managing commercial banking relationships across the San Antonio market. In mid-2014, Scott shifted focus and took a business development position with Briar Capital, a Texas-based alternative lender specializing in asset-based lending, factoring, and real estate-secured credit solutions. In 2019, Scott joined Flatbay Capital as the company's first team member and Senior Vice President for the Central Texas Region. After successfully building Flatbay’s network across Central Texas, Scott was promoted to National Sales Director in 2024 to lead the firm’s continued growth across the country.
Vivian Thompson
PARTNER | SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT | HOUSTON/PHOENIX
Vivian's career started in the small business community in a administration/accounting role in her father’s business in the late 1990’s. There she quickly gained a broader appreciation for the many financial responsibilities an entrepreneur encounters, which helped catapult her career into finance. She joined Bank of America in 2001, where she was quickly promoted to a Vice President role in consumer banking. By 2005, she acquired her Series 6, Group 1 Insurance, and Series 63 licensing as a licensed banker for JPMorgan Chase. In 2008, she transitioned into the role of a Small Business Banker, supporting entrepreneurs in the start-up to small growth stages of their businesses. In 2010, Vivian was promoted to the commercial relationship team to serve as a financial advisor to business owners. I n addition to providing banking solutions to streamline access to capital, she also provided commercial loans on real estate, equipment, and working capital. After 15 formidable years with JPMorgan Chase Bank, Vivian joined Flatbay Capital as a Business Development Officer where she has been further equipped to provide entrepreneurs commercial real estate lending solutions in hopes of easing some of the financial responsibilities she first noticed in her father’s machine shop many years ago.
Taylor West
SVP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT | CENTRAL TEXAS
Taylor began his banking career with Frost Bank in 2016 as a Business Banking Administration Intern before joining the bank full-time in 2017 as an Associate Relationship Manager. He advanced through several commercial banking roles at Frost, including Relationship Banking Officer, Assistant Vice President, and Vice President. During his time there, Taylor underwrote C&I loan requests for companies with revenues up to $500 million and advised businesses on depository, liquidity, lending, and treasury solutions. In 2023, Taylor joined Comerica Bank as Vice President on the Middle Market Commercial Lending team in San Antonio, where he continued supporting medium to large businesses with complex banking needs. In 2025, Taylor joined Flatbay Capital, bringing experience in commercial credit, relationship banking, treasury solutions, and middle market lending to help business owners structure financing solutions when traditional bank capital is unavailable.
Lili Tafilaj
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT | HOUSTON/DENVER
Lili started her banking career in 2009 and spent over 12 years at some of the nation’s largest banks where she advised many small to medium-sized businesses on depository, liquidity, credit, and treasury solutions. Prior to joining Flatbay Capital, Lili was a Vice President and Business Banking Relationship Manager at Texas Capital Bank where she helped companies up to $25MM in revenue find financing for their operational and investment needs. In addition to Texas Capital, Lili also held various positions at Bank of America and Wells Fargo.
Stephanie Roehm
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT | DALLAS-FORT WORTH
Stephanie started her career in residential real estate sales in 2004. She mentored and coached real estate agents and business owners on how to grow their businesses. She was also a part of the launch teams for two Keller Williams real estate market centers in Ohio. In 2013, She moved to Texas with her family and continued down the path of sales and recruitment. She launched the new market Willow Park office for Rattikin Title, performed real estate coaching for various local brokerages, and most recently, launched a residential mortgage company, ProSource Mortgage.
David Matthews
SVP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT | PHOENIX
David Matthews is a senior business development and relationship management executive bringing more than 20 years of commercial banking experience, including leadership roles as Senior VP at Sunflower Bank and Market President positions at First Western Trust and Bank 34. He has successfully led commercial banking teams, cultivated referral networks, and worked closely with business owners, real estate professionals, and centers of influence to deliver customized lending and capital solutions. David has built a strong reputation for helping businesses across Arizona and the Southwest navigate growth, transition, and complex financing situations.
REAL TERM SHEETS + COMPETITIVE TERMS + NO DSC REQUIREMENTS
