While working in the gaming industry for nearly 10 years, Hadley Hornig was making significant contributions to popular, well-known video games, but something was missing. “I found that what I was doing on a daily basis was fun for me, but then I looked inward and said, ‘What am I actually doing here?’”
Hadley wanted to make a difference in people’s lives and started looking for a career that would allow him to do that. “My father and his father before him were real estate investors for many years, and so growing up, I learned a lot about it,” he says.
As adults, he, his brother, and his sister bought a few multifamily properties in the Minneapolis area. “I had all that background, and I also had a background in sales and marketing from my career in gaming,” says Hadley. “So, when my high school defensive hockey teammate happened to be looking for a loan officer for his private lending business, I applied for the job.”
Hadley stayed there for four years, adding to his repertoire of knowledge. Then, in 2023, he was ready to go out on his own and founded Karma Lending LLC.
“I cannot tell you the dichotomy between what I was doing before with gaming and now the community boosting that I do through my remodeling financing business right here in Minnesota,” he says. “I'm able to empower an entrepreneur, who can then empower subcontractors, and all these people are able to make a living.”
His primary goal is to bring decrepit houses back into the market as turnkey properties that families can actually afford. “It's just this beautiful change of purpose for me,” says Hadley. “Up until that point, investing in multifamily homes was really a passive investment for me, but I had this itch to do more and foster my internal entrepreneurial spirit.”
Karma’s private loan application process, he explains, is pretty straightforward. “I will get a call, or I will seek out clients. I need to find the best of the best or the people who want to become the best. There's a standard one-time only application process where I'll do a background check, look at their business documentation, tax returns, and if they’re approved, they're essentially approved for life. From there my hope is that we grow our businesses together."
The clients who work with him prefer private lending for many reasons. There's less red tape, closings are quicker, and oftentimes, there are no monthly payments.
“When they find a deal, I do the underwriting, making sure that the deal makes sense. From there, we start moving them on their way to building their legacy wealth while at the same time producing more usable and affordable housing in the community.”
Right now, Karma Lending has 13 clients, and Hadley is always looking for more. “During 2026 and beyond, my business will be actively looking to raise capital and grow. I certainly have more demand for funds than supply at the moment.”
He believes there will continue to be a supply of houses in need of renovation in the area. “Almost all of our properties are in the affordable housing arena, except for the Drew Avenue home in Minnesota. I’d love to give a shout out to my client, Reflexivity, LLC. They just did a phenomenal job on that house, and it's one of the most beautiful renovations I've seen.”
Karma’s mission statement reflects Hadley’s commitment to not only his clients, but to his employees and their families as well. For this, he credits his father, Steven Hornig. “He worked as an attorney for over 40 years, but he never missed one of my hockey games,” he says. “I always appreciated that he was there and cheering me on, and I think his dad did something similar, making sure he made it to my dad’s games.”
Hadley, a Wayzata native who now lives there with his wife, JJ, and one-year-old daughter, Pepper, is a real family man himself. “I have an absolutely phenomenal wife and so admire her hustle. I find it truly inspiring. We're both entrepreneurs trying to build up our businesses, which we really enjoy doing together. (JJ manages a portfolio of multifamily and short-term rentals around the Twin Cities.)
He and JJ named their management company, Roxy Rentals, after their dog, Roxy. “JJ and I got married in 2019, and Roxy's been a part of our life ever since. And Pepper is an absolute joy. When I was young, and people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, instead of saying an astronaut or firefighter, I would say I wanted to be a dad.”
To find out how you can become a part of Hadley’s vision, go to KarmaPrivateLending.com.