Groundbreakers

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Katie Claxton, founder of Claxton Capital Group, shares how she transitioned from teaching middle school science to closing two multifamily deals in her first 90 days as a sponsor. Katie discusses how she and her team raised over $2.5 million as part of a women-led investment group, and how she balances raising two kids with raising capital. Her s...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Brennor Downs and Mitchell Rice, co-founders of Haven Capital, share how they’re building a mission-driven real estate fund focused on high-quality Section 8 housing. Starting with one 4-unit deal in Little Rock, they’ve now launched a 39-unit fund and manage a growing portfolio valued at over $5 million. The duo breaks down why they believe Sect...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Michael Mendoza, founder of APEX Real Estate Contracting, shares how he’s using Opportunity Zones and modular construction to rebuild fire-impacted communities and deliver smarter, faster housing. A former U.S. Marine and MBA graduate, Michael brings a mission-driven lens to development, blending public-private partnerships, sustainability, and i...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , René Bello, founder of Atelier, shares how he’s combining AI, design, and wellness to reshape the short-term rental experience. Drawing from a background in boutique hospitality and $100M+ in real estate development, René is on a mission to create branded, owner-friendly short-term rental condos that merge luxury living with curated wellness. He...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Steven Johnson, founder of JS Summit Global, shares how he walked away from landlord headaches to build a passive income empire through mortgage note investing. With a background in mobile home parks and single-family rentals, Steve explains why he pivoted to buying debt—and how the shift gave him more time, more control, and less stress. Steven a...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Troy Evans, founder of the Luxury Residence Vacation Portfolio (LRVP), shares how he’s building a luxury short-term rental fund that blends real estate, hospitality, and social impact. With a background in nonprofit leadership and corporate marketing, Troy breaks down how his experience shaped a unique approach to fund management—prioritizing inv...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Chad Freeman, founder of MHPinvestors and a full-time airline pilot, shares his remarkable journey from buying a $200 crash pad to building a 200-pad mobile home park portfolio. Chad opens up about how he and his wife started with small rentals and house hacks, and gradually scaled into mobile home parks to create generational wealth—without leavi...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, John Casmon, founder of Casmon Capital Group, shares his journey from leading marketing campaigns at General Motors to building a $145M multifamily portfolio. John walks us through how he leveraged his corporate skill set, navigated early rejections, and built lasting investor relationships by focusing on education and trust. Key Points Discussed...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Radhika Rastogi, founder of Relik Capital Group, shares her inspiring journey from a career at a Fortune 20 company to building a $15M senior living real estate portfolio. Radhika opens up about how she balances her corporate job, motherhood, and scaling her syndication business — all while focusing on an overlooked but rewarding niche in senior l...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Jeff Hayton, Co-Founder & CIO of Luxe Living Homes, shares his unconventional journey from fishing boats in Alaska to building net-zero, investor-friendly real estate communities. Jeff discusses how his early experiences in startups and grit-heavy jobs shaped his approach to real estate — and why prioritizing both people and energy efficiency...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Brock Mogenson, Managing Partner at Smart Asset Capital, shares his journey from house hacking his first duplex to managing a $50M industrial real estate fund. Brock discusses how he identified his niche in industrial and retail properties, built strong partnerships, and created a vertically integrated operation to scale efficiently. His experienc...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Georgy Marrero, founder of Equis Capital, shares his bold journey from earning $800k a year at Meta to building a $28M real estate portfolio. Georgy discusses how he walked away from a lucrative tech career to create a life of financial freedom and impact through multifamily syndications. His story highlights the power of courage, discipline, and...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Lee Yoder, founder of Threefold Real Estate Investing, shares how he left his career as a physical therapist to build a real estate portfolio that now manages over $75 million in assets. Lee walks through the early steps of learning syndications, scaling his team, and how focusing on core markets in the Midwest helped him grow efficiently while ke...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Ben Bowerman, VP of Capital Markets at HPP Equity, shares how he scaled from managing 450+ single-family rentals to overseeing a diversified real estate portfolio with over $150M in assets under management. Ben breaks down the strategy behind HPP’s transition into student housing, multifamily, and build-to-rent—and why he believes in holding asse...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Sean Graham, founder of Maven Cost Segregation, breaks down the most overlooked wealth-building tool in real estate: cost seg. After getting laid off in 2020, Sean transitioned into real estate full-time—starting with his own deals before launching a firm that now saves investors millions in taxes every year. He shares how one property generated $...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Andrea Foley, Director at Generational Wealth Capital, shares how she went from flipping homes in Kansas City to launching a real estate fund focused on hotel-to-multifamily conversions. Along the way, she’s tackled everything from diaper cleaning to owning car wash franchises—proving that building generational wealth takes hustle, grit, and the a...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers, Joey Schneider—CEO of Trinity Peak Partners and Head of Investor Relations at Ironton Capital—shares his unconventional path from medical sales to real estate investing. After climbing the corporate ladder and managing a large sales team, Joey realized he wanted more than a high-paying job—he wanted freedom. That shift led him to real estate, wher...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Jaideep Balekar, Principal at Prosper Capital, shares how he scaled from a full-time role at Deloitte to building a 550+ unit portfolio, and why he chose to vertically integrate along the way. Jaideep walks through the early days of his investing journey, including what drew him to value-add multifamily, how he found his first deals, and the less...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Ian Noble, founding partner at RunSteady Investments, shares his journey from building a 15-location dry cleaning business to walking away from it entirely. After spending years managing 90 employees and growing a successful company, Ian realized the business was running him, not the other way around. Burned out and missing time with his family,...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Douglas Escobar, CEO of ESCFreedom Investments, shares how repeated corporate layoffs pushed him to take control of his financial future through real estate. After a long career in insurance and mortgage underwriting, Doug began investing in single-family rentals, exited before the 2008 crash, and later transitioned into multifamily. Today, he is...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Cody Wiseman, founder of Wiseman Capital, shares his journey from earning $300K a year in tech sales to going all-in on real estate investing. After building a two-year financial runway, Cody left his W2 job to focus on multifamily, hotel-to-apartment conversions, and creating one of the largest multifamily meetups in the Midwest. His story is a...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Gregory Laskody, founder of MasterCRE, shares his journey from struggling college student to leading over $3B in commercial real estate transactions. After three decades in the industry, Greg has seen firsthand how difficult it can be for new investors and professionals to break into commercial real estate. Now, through MasterCRE, he’s focused on...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Mathew Owens, founder of OCG Properties, shares his journey from CPA to full-time real estate investor. After flipping over 1,000 homes, Mat was hit hard by the 2008 crash—losing everything but choosing to pay back investors out of pocket. That decision earned him a reputation for integrity and became the foundation for a career that’s since rais...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Mitchell Rice, founder of Elkstone Capital, shares how he went from a sales intern to raising $7M for a $27M multifamily deal—before he ever quit his W2. Mitch walks through how that first deal gave him a seat at the table, what he learned working inside the LDS Church’s real estate investment division, and how he now approaches hotel-to-multifam...

Episode Summary In this episode of Groundbreakers , Zach Bagby and Courtney Erickson, co-founders of ZB3 Real Estate, share how they’ve built a $5M+ real estate portfolio across Colorado and the Midwest—all while working full-time in tech. Zach works at Medley. Courtney is at Visa. And together, they’re scaling ZB3 through careful underwriting, creative deal structuring, and a long-term thesis tha...