Ep.103 | How Glass Lake Funding Redefined Private Lending in Canada | Mike Forshee

In this Episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, hosts Ryan McNeil and Neal Andreino sit down with Mike Forshee, President of Glass Lake Funding, to explore how the company has skyrocketed from a start-up to over $1 billion AUM in just three years.

Mike shares his 25-year journey from Home Trust to founding Glass Lake, backed by Bayview Asset Management, and dives deep into the company’s hybrid lending model, disciplined underwriting, and commitment to serving Canada’s “missing-middle” borrowers.

Show Notes:

00:00 – Live from the Canadian Mortgage Summit in Toronto

00:40 – Introducing Mike Forshee, President of Glass Lake Funding

02:00 – Mike’s 25-year journey: from Home Trust to founding Glass Lake

05:00 – The Glass Lake model: bridging Canada’s “missing middle” borrowers

07:20 – Why Glass Lake focuses on 3-year terms & 650+ credit scores

10:30 – Surpassing $1B in assets under management in just 3 years

12:00 – Funding a $100M single commercial deal — how it came together

13:45 – Lending across Ontario, BC, Alberta, and Quebec — “secondary, not sh*tty” markets

15:20 – Inside the Wave Makers Program rewarding broker loyalty

17:00 – How social media drives 50% of Glass Lake’s new business

18:45 – Differentiating from other private lenders & maintaining discipline

20:15 – What’s next: auto portfolios, small business loans & new products coming in 2026

22:10 – Mike on market optimism, regulation, and the future of private lending

24:00 – Raising the bar: why education and higher entry standards matter

25:30 – Bonus: Mike’s hockey roots & his thoughts on the Toronto Maple Leafs

Resources:
Keystone Capital Group
CPLP Instagram: @cplpodcast
Keystone Instagram: @keycapgroup

Find Neal On:
Instagram: @neal.andreino
LinkedIn: Neal Andreino

Find Ryan on:
LinkedIn: Ryan MacNeil
E-mail: ryan@keycap.ca