Chris Hurn is the CEO and Cofounder of Mercantile Capital Corporation, a commercial lender specializing in small business commercial real estate projects. Mercantile is a three-time Inc. 500|5000 company and a two-time SBA Financial Services Champion. Chris' first book, The Entrepreneur's Secret to Creating Wealth, is about how business owners can create wealth for themselves outside the day-to-day operations of the business, and thrive regardless of economic conditions.  Chris has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Franchise Times, the Sacramento Bee and many other national and regional publications; he's appeared on FOX Business news four times as well PBS' Nightly Business Report to discuss what can be done to help small business owners grow and create jobs; and he's testified in person and submitted written testimonies this year to both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives in hopes of improving the credit situation for small businesses.  After graduating from Loyola University Chicago with two magna cum laude bachelor degrees, Chris earned a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Center (formerly at the Wharton School of Business) and briefly pursued a law degree at Georgetown University Law Center (he left after his first year, deciding the world already had enough lawyers). He later worked as a business consultant and financier with GE Capital, and then as CFO for the NAI Realvest group of companies, before cofounding Mercantile Capital Corporation in late 2002.  Chris also serves as the Chairman, CEO, and cofounder of Kennedy's All-American Barber Club, an upscale barbershop franchise with a proprietary Membership model and locations up and down the eastern seaboard.

Named a Top 100 2012 Small Business Influence Champion

Named "One of the Top Twenty Most Influential People" in small business lending

2010 SBA “Financial Services Champion of the Year” for Florida

2009 Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5,000 list (#3,776).

2009 Orlando Business Journal’s “Outstanding Small Business” Award finalist.

Named “Best Place to Work” by the Orlando Business Journal in 2009, 2007, 2006, and 2005.

2008 Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5,000 list (#1,683).

2008 Coleman Publishing’s “Top 20 Most Influential People in SBA Lending”.

2008 Orlando Business Journal’s “Outstanding Small Business” Award.

Named the 2008 Seminole County Regional Chamber of Commerce “Business of the Year”.

2007 Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America (#245).

Voted the Orlando Business Journal’s 2007 “Best Small Company” in Central Florida by their Readers’ Choice Award.

Voted the Orlando Business Journal’s 2007 “Most Respected Executive” in Central Florida by their Readers’ Choice Award.

Named the “Top Ten Most Influential Men to Watch” in 2007 by the Orlando Business Journal.

2006 NADCO “Banker of the Year”.

2007 Coleman Publishing “Marketing Guru of the Year”.

2006 Orlando Business Journal’s “Top Male 40 Under 40”.

2006 SBA “Financial Services Champion of the Year” for Florida and the 12-State Southeast Region (District IV).

CFCRES/CFCAR “Hallmark Award for Top Producer” in Mortgage Lending for 2005 and 2006.