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Levi King

Levi King is the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Nav. Raised on a farm in rural Idaho, King is a self-taught, serial entrepreneur who has started seven different small businesses in the last 20 years. During this time, he had to work to overcome the same issues faced by most small business owners – access to capital, financing, and marketplace credibility. After getting a handle on how business credit works, Levi was able to get business loans and financing more than 30 times.

Prior to starting Nav, he co-founded Lendio, a business financing marketplace that links commercial lenders and small business owners. While at Lendio, Levi saw too many applicants get denied for financing or only get approved for financing they couldn’t afford. He realized someone needed to help business owners become better-qualified applicants, which led him to start Nav.

Levi’s has regular columns in Inc., Entrepreneur and Forbes, and is a frequent conference speaker and source for reporters covering small business, credit, lending and fintech.

Articles by Levi King

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Who Is a Small Business Owner? The Definition Is Broader Than You think

I started my first small business when I was 22 years old. It was an electric sign repair business, and …

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A Fight for Small Business Freedom

In April, I did the unthinkable: I swapped my usual work uniform—T-shirt, sneakers, comfortable pants—for formal business attire. The occasion: …

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To My Hard-Working Dad: A Note of Appreciation

I remember it like it was yesterday. I’m around 5 years old and I’m playing on the front lawn of …

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Why I’m Excited for 2018

One Christmas, driving home from work in the middle of a snowstorm, I saw a guy in a broken down …

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4 Reasons Fear Is Good for Your Business

“Great fear is concealed under daring.” This idea — courtesy of a Roman poet named Marcus Annaeus Lucanus — is one I rejected for years. …

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How to Suck All the Joy Out of Work in 4 Easy Steps

We all pay emotional taxes. They’re our fees for the privilege of living. Heartbreak, disappointment and stress are par for the course. But not …

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How to Use Work as a Motivation to Stay in Shape

I’ve never been a huge fan of exercise. It’s only fun if you’re playing a sport, and I’m not the most …

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A Love Letter to the American Entrepreneur

My oldest daughter is an artist. A talented one. As I write this, we’re separated by about 800 miles, but …

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What You’ll Give Up When You Start a Small Business

“I have never been this tired before,” says one of my colleagues, speaking about the birth of his son. “I never understood …