Growing up in Queens, New York, surrounded by the rhythms of a Dominican household and the unspoken lessons of immigrant grit, Pedro Genao was raised by his parents and grandmother. He learned early what hard work looked like and what financial stability could mean for a family’s future.

At Purdue University in Indiana, he became part of the Chicago-based fraternity Tau Phi Sigma, a brotherhood that introduced him to the Midwest and inspired a move that would later change his life. After college, he returned to New York and began his banking career as a licensed personal banker. Helping people plan their finances often uncovered a deeper need for guidance around homeownership. He later moved into business banking and private client advising, becoming licensed in investments and insurance. But across every role he held, the need for better mortgage guidance kept showing up. “This led to a crossroad,” Genao says, between continuing in private wealth or stepping fully into lending. “My decision to move into my lending career came from realizing that in mortgages, I can help almost everyone,” he continues, “whereas in private wealth management, I was limited to a certain amount of people I could help.”

Today, Genao is a senior mortgage loan officer at Neighborhood Loans with 18 years of experience. He’s licensed in 11 states and works with first-time buyers, veterans, investors and self-employed borrowers. He also leads The Genao Group, mentoring junior loan officers, including his own nephews, and helping pass on the tools of generational wealth.

Genao lives in Chicago with his wife of 10 years and their three sons. A martial arts enthusiast since childhood and devoted vinyl collector, he unwinds by unplugging from screens and letting the music set the tone.