Richards, who has over 35 years of experience in the mortgage industry, brings "expertise and a proven track record of success to oversee all operational aspects at Kind," a post on the mortgage shop's LinkedIn page reads.

Throughout her career, the executive has had stints with notable mortgage lenders and banks. Most recently, she started her own mortgage technology company dubbed Lendarch in 2021.

Prior to launching her own tech centric company, Richards was the chief operating officer at Loandepot from 2019 to 2021. There she was in charge of rolling out the mortgage shop's mello smartloan, an end-to-end digital mortgage.

The mortgage veteran infamously filed a bombshell lawsuit against Loandepot alleging gender discrimination and wrongful termination over her refusal to participate in a scheme to loosen underwriting standards. The case is still pending.

Richards also worked as an executive at Caliber Home Loans for half a decade and at depositories including Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Liberty Bank.

Her exact responsibilities at Kind Lending are unknown, but her interest in technology may put Richards at the forefront of her new employer's technological innovations.

Kind Lending, founded by Glenn Stearns, former CEO of Stearns Lending, was created in 2020. The mortgage shop mainly focuses on wholesale, but also dabbles in retail, and is licensed to operate in over 48 states.

Since its inception, Kind has prioritized developing proprietary technology to help brokers more seamlessly originate loans, Stearns previously said. 

Last year the multichannel lender was developing its portal for brokers called "Kwikie." The mortgage shop was also working on its retail platform for consumers and loan officers, and exploring opportunities to integrate artificial intelligence into underwriting. 

According to the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System, the company sponsors close to 90 loan officers.