Groundbreakers

In this episode of Groundbreakers, we are joined by Jeff Axley, founder and managing principal of Ridgeline Capital Partners, a Dallas-based private equity firm focused exclusively on healthcare real estate, including medical office buildings, ambulatory surgery centers, and behavioral health facilities across Texas and the Sun Belt. Jeff brings a rare combination of institutional training and ent...

In this episode of Groundbreakers , we’re joined by Ben Wright , Chief Growth Officer at Pacific Workplaces , one of the West Coast’s most established flexible workspace platforms. While many investors wrote off office after the WeWork collapse and the rise of remote work, Ben shares why the real story is just beginning. Pacific has quietly built 16 profitable locations over 23 years , with a diff...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Sterling Anderson, Founder and CEO of Aria Residential Group, a real estate investment and development firm focused on build-to-rent communities, multifamily acquisitions, and luxury residential projects. Sterling’s journey into real estate began after leaving his job at a bank in 2013 and deciding to pursue investing full time. St...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Jordan McNeely, founder of Grace Capital Partners, a multifamily investment firm focused on disciplined underwriting and protecting investor capital. Before entering real estate, Jordan spent more than a decade working in the nuclear energy industry as an engineer responsible for the design and operation of commercial nuclear power...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Mustafa Ladha, Co Founder of Realty Mercato, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations at Veloci Capital, and the mind behind MyFin Journey, a financial education platform focused on helping people build long term wealth with intention. Mustafa’s path into real estate was anything but traditional. After studying genetics and atte...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Jake Gallagher, Founder and CEO of V2 Markets, a venture secondary platform helping accredited investors access late-stage private tech companies before they go public. Jake breaks down how secondary transactions actually work, why IPO timelines have stretched from under 10 years to 14 to 15 years on average, and how that delay has...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by RJ Fishman, Chief Strategy Officer at Artanis Capital, a firm operating at the intersection of real estate, government infrastructure, and housing resilience. What started as a focus on manufactured and modular housing evolved into something much bigger. After the LA fires and Hurricane Helene, Artanis began building a privatized,...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , we’re joined by Greg Guido and DJ Van Keuren, Co Managing Members of Evergreen Property Partners, for a deep, operator level conversation on development, execution risk, and why modular housing has become the foundation of their strategy. Greg and DJ break down why traditional multifamily development often fails after the raise, not in underwriti...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , we’re joined by Greg Talcott, Managing Director at Rastegar Capital, for a deep dive into development risk, execution, and why modular housing has become a core part of their strategy. Greg breaks down how Rastegar thinks about development differently. Not as a speculative bet, but as an engineering problem. We talk through why traditional ground...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Chris Lawrence , CEO of OFL Group , a real estate development company reshaping urban environments through data-driven, human-centered design. Chris is a registered architect turned developer who has spent over a decade revitalizing downtown districts through mixed-use, multifamily, retail, and hospitality projects. Rather than cha...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we sit down with Jinil Patel , Founder of Rising Capital , to unpack one of the most aggressive real estate scaling stories we’ve featured on the show. With just one single-family rental under his belt, Jinil took a leap most investors only talk about and acquired a 48-unit apartment complex as a solo GP . From there, he didn’t slow down. Within m...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Jake Heller , Co-Founder of AI for CRE Collective . Jake is a third-generation real estate operator who works at the intersection of development, underwriting, and applied artificial intelligence. While most conversations around AI in commercial real estate focus on hype, Jake brings the discussion back to reality. This episode bre...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Anthony Carlton , Founder and CEO of CRE Digital . Anthony works with real estate sponsors across multifamily, industrial, and commercial assets who are trying to raise capital beyond friends and family but keep running into the same problem. No one knows who they are. Anthony shares how he went from finance and private equity into...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Hayato Hori, Managing Partner of Red Brick Equity. Hayato’s journey into real estate began in college, where he bought his first rental property from his roommate. What started as a single $70K rental quickly turned into a deeper realization about scale, compounding, and the long term power of multifamily investing. Before launchin...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we sit down with Nolan Ausan, cofounder of Rovo Industries Group. Nolan blends three worlds that rarely overlap — construction, manufacturing automation, and tech — to build a modular housing system designed to cut construction timelines in half and make development more efficient for builders across the country. Nolan shares how he grew up as a t...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we sit down with Emanuel Stafilidis, founder of Capable Capital, who has quietly built a 200 property portfolio by doing something most investors never even consider. Instead of chasing value add rentals or the Burr method, Emanuel buys low priced homes in landlord friendly markets, then resells them through long term seller financing to working f...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Jarom and Justin Pratt, the father-son duo behind EagleCap Legacy Wealth Partners. Their story starts in high school, where Jarom was flipping houses before he could vote—backed by his dad as the first investor. What began as a side hustle turned into a full-time partnership focused on multifamily real estate, legacy building, and...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Shannon Robnett , founder of Shannon Robnett Industries, shares how he went from building police stations and firehouses to managing over $150 million in real estate assets across multifamily and industrial deals. With over 30 years in commercial construction and development, Shannon breaks down his transition from being fully funded by a single f...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Thomas St. John , founder of North Corp Capital and a full-time firefighter, shares how he built a 300-unit multifamily portfolio from the ground up while serving his community. Starting with single-family rentals in 2006, Thomas’s journey is a testament to grit, discipline, and learning through experience. He opens up about the creative financing...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Jonah Platovsky, founder of The Coliving Concierge, shares how he’s helping real estate investors unlock 15 to 30 percent cash-on-cash returns by converting traditional properties into co living spaces. Jonah walks us through his journey from Wall Street and crypto to real estate, and explains why he believes co living is the most underpriced and...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Danny Flores, Principal at Prime Capital Investments and host of the Orange County Power Players podcast, shares how he built an 18-deal track record across multiple market cycles. From his early days in construction to becoming a banker and eventually a multifamily operator, Danny’s journey shows how discipline, systems, and long-term focus can...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Charles Rossano, Co-Founder and CEO of Cohaven Capital, shares how he’s scaling a high-performing co-living model that delivers both impact and returns. With a background in building and exiting multiple companies, Charles brings an operational mindset to real estate—turning outdated single-family homes into high-density co-living spaces with 90%...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Vibha Salgamay, founder of Relik Capital Group, shares her journey from product design to building a real estate investment firm focused on senior living communities. Vibha dives into how she transitioned into syndication, why she’s passionate about solving America’s growing senior housing shortage, and how first-time operators can successfully r...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Jake Whitney, co-founder of Onarock Investments, shares his journey from the marketing tech world to building a purpose-driven real estate firm with a $100M vision. Jake discusses how his grandfather’s rental portfolio inspired him to take the leap from passive investing to full-time syndication, and how he and his team are scaling Onarock deal by...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Matthew Teifke, founder of TR3 Capital and Teifke Real Estate, shares how he built a $127M portfolio across multifamily, laundromats, RV parks, and more—while teaching others to underwrite, cold call, and close deals. Matthew’s not your typical investor. He started real estate at 17, worked at a grocery store while closing deals, and built his bro...