Art Gilberg, Founding Broker & Owner of Equity Bridge Capital, didn’t set out to be a private lender. His family was in the department store business near Toledo, Ohio, where he grew up, so Art tried that first after college. He joined the executive training program at Emporium Capwell, San Francisco’s long-time retail institution, but it wasn’t long before he headed to law school at University of San Francisco instead.
Armed with his law degree, Art entered the real estate business with his brother-in-law, longtime Hebrew Free Loan supporter and Past President Steve Zimmerman. The two managed and marketed rental properties, then began buying and renovating distressed buildings. When Steve returned to the restaurant industry, Art continued in real estate, first buying properties with investors, and later shifting his focus to finance and lending.
As a broker and private lender, Art has discovered something that lights him up far more than owning or renovating buildings ever did: helping other people succeed with their properties. Since 2011, Equity Bridge Capital has specialized in fast, flexible financing for real estate investments throughout California. The funding fills in the gaps for borrowers who need short-term capital and don’t want to wait on traditional banks.
Art thrives on solving problems, and he loves being a second set of eyes and ears for his clients as they assess new opportunities. He’s in his element when he’s working with clients to visit job sites, evaluate properties, and think through renovation ideas for their residential or commercial investments, and then put together the financing to make the projects happen.
While Art and Steve are no longer in business together, Art is grateful to his brother-in-law for introducing him to Hebrew Free Loan and bringing him to our annual Business Circle Luncheon in September 2024. The mission resonated with him, especially given the focus of his own work on helping people get access to funding for their projects. Art joined our Business Circle soon after.
“What I appreciate most about Hebrew Free Loan’s Business Circle is the shared sense of purpose. There’s a real Jewish spirit of community — of lifting each other up and doing good while doing business. It feels like I’m part of something bigger than just a networking group.”
Equity Bridge Capital is always ready to welcome new investors interested in backing quality real estate deals. Many of those who fund projects are individuals or families drawn to the company’s hands-on, relationship-based approach to investing.
Art lives in Marin County and is the proud father of a 23-year-old son, Max, who left college in his sophomore year to build Major, a thriving social media business in Los Angeles. Like his dad, Max is charting his own course, driven by curiosity, hard work, and a desire to create something of his own. We look forward to seeing how he builds on his father’s legacy of doing well in business while helping to make the world a better place.
