From Corporate Climber to Successful Entrepreneur

As the founder and managing partner of Equiquest, a private hard-money lending company based on Long Island, Michael DeAngelis (B.S. ’89) has been living out a dream he’s had ever since he graduated from New York Institute of Technology.

After climbing the corporate ladder to become vice president of sales at a major company, DeAngelis set out on his own as an entrepreneur, launching Equiquest in 2020. Along with decades of experience and a fine-tuned business acumen, DeAngelis had the capital to invest in his own startup—and is now following a path he has forged for himself.

Learn more about DeAngelis and his drive to build a successful career—and his motivation to help others do the same.

What is Equiquest?

We’re a private, Long Island–focused hard-money real estate lender. The primary thing we do is securely fund real estate investors, for example, home flippers. We also have a commercial real estate division that invests in multifamily real estate. Additionally, we are working on exciting new business ventures with our partners and investors.

Equiquest isn’t a marketing company, so how does your marketing degree from New York Tech help you in your work?

During my college years, I fell in love with sales and marketing. I was very motivated to make money in that capacity and to create my own destiny. Most CEOs come from a sales and marketing background. It’s part of our DNA—we want to expand, create revenue, and invest. That’s in my DNA, and that’s why I went down that path.

What made you want to pursue entrepreneurship?

One of my older brothers was a serial entrepreneur. That’s how I was exposed. While pursuing my marketing degree at New York Tech, I supported him with sales and marketing.

I wanted the life of an entrepreneur—an abundance of time to do what I wanted to do and to be surrounded by great people, creating an environment to interact with a select group of like-minded people. In corporate America, there are lots of egos; I’m thankful for that experience, but at the end of the day, an entrepreneur gets to choose who they spend time with and who they do business with. New York Tech gave me the ability to think like a visionary, not just to be the head of a division, or to run a sales team, or to lead business development. You get to create a vision of whatever you want and go after it. You get to do things the way you want to do them. That’s the fun for me.

You’re involved in the New York Tech Alumni Mentorship Program. Why did you want to become an alumni mentor?

I’ve been reflecting on this. I’m a first-generation college student, and so many times, I thought things were completely out of reach; they were for someone else. But I still had the courage to go for it. That’s why I’m an alumni mentor—I want other people to feel that confidence and have courage.

I found mentors within the corporations I worked for, but I was there for 20 years before I found them. People are willing to help, but without a formal program, it takes a lot of time for the connection to be made. That’s why I am an alumni mentor. I can share my knowledge, have an impact, and speed up the process for the New York Tech student. If I can inspire a couple of people for the rest of my life, that would make me a happy person.

This interview has been edited.

By Ashley Festa