OUR TEAM

Gerald Smith is the Founding Partner and CEO of VIS Capital Venture and is responsible for overseeing the structuring and origination of all VIS’s investment and lending activities as well as portfolio management. Under his leadership VIS Capital Venture has evolved from a family office and regional player to a national lender and investor across a broad range of industries.

Mr. Smith has been a leader in business lending, investment and ownership across sectors including residential and commercial real estate, oil & gas, healthcare, cannabis, merchant banking and more. He began his career in a family office focused on residential and commercial real estate lending and acquisition.

Gerald has invested directly, or through syndication, with hedge funds, family offices, private equity firms, credit funds, UHNW individuals and traditional financial institutions.

An active philanthropist, Gerald shares his time and expertise with a variety of organizations. He served as Trustee for Cayuga Centers, one of New York’s oldest and largest nonprofits, which provides support for foster children throughout the United States.

Utilizing his scholastic background and degree in psychology from Hofstra University, Mr. Smith has invested in, owned and operated a drug rehabilitation center helping young adults struggling with drug dependency. This background has helped to shape Mr. Smith’s philosophical approach to business: That success should not be something that you just strive for personally, it is something that you should share with your clients and colleagues. This founding principal is key to VIS Capital Venture’s success.

Rachel Ploski is the Managing Partner & COO of VIS Capital Venture. She brings a wealth of experience in operations, technology, implementation, underwriting, management, administration, human resources, compliance, data analytics, marketing and finance.

Formerly Ms. Ploski was Co-Founder and Managing Director of a group of companies providing commercial and residential mortgage, real estate, financial consulting, capital placement and other related services to businesses and home owners. She designed and implemented the technological and operational infrastructure upon which the companies ran.

Rachel sits on the board of a nonprofit which provides online safety and privacy tools to families, individuals and businesses.

Previously, Ms. Ploski served as the CIO/CTO for a multinational group of financial services companies. Her responsibilities included the design and oversight of the technology branch of the company including building and managing the MIS/IT, programming and design teams. She was responsible for all budgeting and staffing decisions, management of all product and project development cycles from conception through deployment, contract negotiations and managing strategic relationships as well as serving as chief architect of all development projects.

Ms. Ploski was an independent Operations and Technology Consultant with offices in New York and San Francisco.

Alvin Joseph is a Partner at VIS Capital Venture with a focus on strategic and client relationships as well as transaction structuring. A former investment banker who has held Series 3, 7 and 63 licenses, Mr. Joseph brings a wealth of knowledge across a broad spectrum of sectors which he utilizes to find the very best fit for VIS clients.

Mr. Joseph has held senior level management positions across industries ranging from real property to internet marketing. Prior to joining VIS, Alvin was a co-founder and Director of Sales, Marketing and Business Development for an internet marketing firm and has sat on the board of directors for several private and nonprofit organizations.

A lifelong philanthropist, Mr. Joseph helped launched a nonprofit health and wellness organization that focused on assisting victims suffering from PTSD.

A seasoned real estate professional, Mr. Joseph has been involved, as a principal, investor and lender, in real property development and financing totaling several billion dollars. He has also helped to secure both debt and equity capital for firms across multiple sectors.

With a diverse professional background that bridges design, construction, and real estate investment, Tiffany Fong brings a multifaceted perspective to her role as Director of Business Development at VIS Capital Venture. Her career began at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. This early experience taught Tiffany the importance of client-focused solutions and attention to detail.

Tiffany’s career evolved into project management, where she excelled at overseeing ground-up construction projects for a leading general contractor. She managed high-end projects for discerning clients, handled payroll, budgets, material procurement, and ensured projects were completed on time and within scope.

Tiffany has successfully undertaken her own real estate projects, including ground-up construction, historical property renovations, fix-and-flip ventures, and managing rental portfolios. These endeavors have given her insight into the challenges and opportunities that real estate investors face, enhancing her ability to connect with borrowers and structure meaningful financing solutions.

Tiffany also has a background in commercial underwriting. Her analytical approach and keen understanding of market trends enable her to assess projects with precision.

At VIS Capital Venture, Tiffany combines her deep knowledge and client-first philosophy to deliver strategies that align with borrowers' goals. Her ability to build trust, customize solutions, and navigate complex lending scenarios makes her a key player in helping real estate investors turn ambitious projects into reality.