For this week’s episode of the LodeStar Lending Leaders podcast, we were so excited to sit down with the host and founder of Love and Tacos, the indefatigable Dalila Ramos. LodeStar’s Alayna Gardner chatted with Dalila about the mortgage industry, the origins of Love and Tacos, and the importance of DEI.

Before tacos…

Dalila has been in the mortgage industry for 21 years now. She considers herself a “Mortgage G.” If you’re not sure what that means, don’t worry. This won’t be the first time you get the sense Dalila is way cooler than you. She started in the mortgage industry back in 2001 as a receptionist at a Chicago title company and moved up from there.

When did you discover your gifts?

It didn’t happen quickly. Dalila moved through several different jobs throughout the industry. She was an originator, a processor, in title, you name it. Where she really found her groove was in recruiting, but not until after about a decade.

NAMMBA

Dalila is a self-described DEI evangelist. A huge part of this is her collaboration with NAMMBA (the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America) and its legendary founder Tony Thompson. After she moved from Chicago to Orlando, Tony was her boss. (He’s been her boss 3 times, at 3 different companies, starting at PNC.) Before NAMMBA, in 2016–17, Tony and Dalila used to chat about forming an association specifically for mortgage people. Often, Tony was the only person of color or Dalila was the only woman, or the only non-white woman. At the time, there were plenty of spaces for DEI and real estate, but none for mortgage folks.

Listen to the whole episode to hear more about Dalila’s journey, the origins of Taco Tuesday, and more!

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