Team

Rishi has spent the last ten years focused on residential real estate, primarily in the luxury sector with a strong background in sales & marketing, prior to focusing on sponsoring development. Upon founding Location Ventures, he set out to create awesome living experiences in premium locations centered around nature and technology. To date, Rishi is responsible for leading the development of a $400M portfolio including: high-end, custom single-family homes; rehabilitation of multi-family properties; development of boutique condominiums; and is the Managing Partner of URBIN, a company dedicated to co-living, co-working and wellness.

Rishi first and foremost takes great pride in fostering close relationships with the company’s partners & team. His day-to-day role centers around identifying unique opportunities, capital formation and setting the product vision for our projects while working closely with the development team on proper execution. He received business degrees in Finance, Marketing & Management from the University of Miami, and is also a non-practicing attorney, having graduated from UM Law. Rishi comes from a real estate family that has developed & invested in hotels, SFHs, and offices throughout the Southeast United States and New Delhi, India over the last 40 years.

Daniel is responsible for the day-to-day financial management, capital formation, and acquisitions / dispositions for Location Ventures and its projects. Prior to joining our firm, his investments in real estate include renovating and renting units in Coral Gables, FL, renovating and renting multi-family properties in Waltham, MA, as well as the development and sale of single-family homes in Waltham, MA.

Previously an employee of LNR, he managed assets of all types across the US, underwrote and acquired loan pools or performing and non-performing loans, and helped create a lending platform for customers to borrow funds to purchase properties on Auction.com. As employee of BF Group, LLC, Daniel lead the acquisitions team and managed property development and redevelopment deals focusing on SFR and TH development, condo conversions, and other opportunistic deals. Daniel received a business degree in Accounting & Finance from the University of Miami.

Claudia Mezerhane is Chief Operations Officer of Location Ventures. As the mastermind of the day-to-day operations of our company and our developments, Claudia is directly involved with our single-family home developments. She coordinates with our partners and ensures projects are on schedule and on budget. She holds a MBA from the University of Miami and is bilingual in Spanish and English.

Chief Development Officer Vivian Bonet is responsible for leading the company’s design & construction efforts. With more than two decades of experience as an architect before focusing on development management, she is well-versed in the full lifecycle of a project from design to groundbreaking through completion. Vivian is responsible for GC management, consultant coordination, permitting, product specifications, contract documents and construction administration for the company’s projects.

Prior to joining Location Ventures, Vivian worked for Ocean Land Investments, The Y Group and CM Consulting Group. She has designed and developed more than 20 complex projects throughout her career, including a variety of luxury residential buildings, commercial projects and educational facilities. With residential development credits including AquaVita, AquaLuna, AquaMar, AquaBlu, Infinity at Brickell, the W Fort Lauderdale Hotel and Residences, and Ocean House, Vivian has a strong understanding of what drives buyers to South Florida’s luxury market. Vivian earned her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Miami. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Chief Marketing Officer Joanna Davila leads all marketing and brand strategy and initiatives for the company and projects. With over 12 years of sales and marketing experience in the luxury and lifestyle sector, she ensures that our development vision resonates with the public. She has managed multi-million dollar businesses and has overseen global marketing campaigns for global luxury brands. Joanna is active in the Miami cultural scene and is working on several projects meant to engage local community. She is a graduate of the University of Miami and holds a B.A. in Journalism with a minor in Anthropology.

Our Chief Technology Officer, Raymond Gonzalez has over 15 years of in the tech field with a focus on web development and digital marketing. As a full-stack web developer and web system administrator, he has worked on over 100 websites for small businesses to multi-million dollar corporations. Ray’s current work also includes developing immersive 360-degree virtual experiences for our developments. He is also well-versed in digital marketing, using modern analytics to make data driven marketing decisions with continuous optimization. At the age of 13, Ray built his first computer and at 15, was the youngest person in the state of Florida to be Oracle PL/SQL certified. He is continually learning new programming frameworks, cryptocurrencies, machine learning, electronics and microcontroller programming.

Angel Garcia leads the underwriting, acquisitions, market research and project management for Location Ventures. With an eye on company growth objectives, Angel works closely with company leadership to establish Location Venture's expansion strategies. Prior to joining our firm, Angel was a Senior Acquisitions Associate for BH3, a South Florida and New York City development firm. During his tenure, he underwrote over $500 million in transactions. As an employee of LNR Property (now Starwood Capital), he was an Asset Manager responsible for managing a portfolio of distressed assets along with underwriting note pools of non-performing notes. Angel has over 15 years of commercial real estate experience and earned a Master of Science in Real Estate from Florida International University.

Romy K. Kapoor is our active general counsel and go-to for all things legal. Romy is a founding partner of Kapoor Luther & Loftman Immigration Partners and has practiced U.S. immigration and nationality law since 1992. He received his B.S. degree in management from Georgia Tech, and shortly after earned his J.D. attending Georgia State University College of Law and the Atlanta Law School. He is listed as a Leading Business Immigration Lawyer in Chambers USA, Who’s Who Legal of Corporate Immigration Lawyers, and The Best Lawyers in America. He has been honored in Georgia Super Lawyers each year since 2006.

Frank Astor is the Division Head for the Single Family Home Division. He is responsible for leading and growing a portfolio of luxury custom homes and wellness communities for Location Development. Frank holds an MBA from Texas A&M Mays Business School and is PMP certified. Before arriving at Location Ventures, Frank gathered over 15 years of management and operational experience in leadership roles at multinational and mid-sized corporations.

Leonard Roberts, Vice President of Development, is responsible for ensuring Location Ventures’ projects obtain the municipal entitlements necessary to achieve the highest and best use. Starting his career as a CPA for the "Big 4", he brings over 20 years’ experience in real estate and government relations. Leonard works closely with government officials and staff in helping them understand Location Ventures’ projects and in some cases creating Public Private Partnerships (P3) to help impact and create opportunities in our communities. His combined experience features specialties in financial analysis for Florida’s largest landholder and commercial real estate developer; negotiating real estate transactions on behalf of different government entities; and drafting 100’s of legislative actions. Leonard has a Master of Accounting with a minor in Finance from FIU and Bachelor of Business Administration from University of Miami.

As Vice President of Operations, Josh focuses on the overall success of developments from inception to completion with a concentration placed on ventures located outside of Florida. He is also integral to operational process design and the facilitation of organizational scaling as Location Ventures continues to grow and evolve. Prior to joining the company, Josh held various leadership roles within the construction and retail sectors and over a decade of cross- functional experience within operations, business development and real estate. Josh attained an MBA from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and holds a BA in Management and Business Organization from the University of Miami, FL.

As Vice President of Operations, Jon focuses on the overall success of developments from inception to completion in the Florida market. With almost two decades of experience in the development and construction industry, he is well versed in all aspects of the development cycle. Jonathan began his career as a Structural Engineer, designing all types of structures including high-rise residential, port terminals, hospitals, schools, and high-end single family homes. He has worked in the public sector, as a structural plans examiner for a local municipality, as well as Principal Engineer for a multi-family residential developer. His work in both the private and public sector and as both a design professional and developer give him a unique understanding of the complexities of the development process. Jonathan graduated from the University of Miami with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, a B.S. in Architectural Engineering, and a M.S. in Civil Engineering. He is also a licensed Structural Engineer and licensed Special Inspector in the State of Florida.

Selena Venizelos leads the Asset Management department for Location Ventures. She is responsible for financial management, underwriting, and acquisition/disposition of assets and much of the day-to-day operations of our properties to ensure functionality and to maximize profitability. Prior to joining our team, Selena spent six years working in Asset Management for Starwood Property Trust in Miami Beach. She holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from George Washington University.

Serving as Controller for Location Ventures, Jorge Chirinos is responsible for the day-to-day operations of our Accounting and Finance department. He brings over 15 years of construction finance experience to his role, with an extensive work history at established development firms across South Florida. From single-family to luxury condos, Jorge has experience working with companies representing an owner, buyer, and broker, giving him a well-rounded perspective. Jorge holds a Master of Taxation Degree from Florida International University and is bilingual in Spanish and English.

Natalie Diaz is the company’s real estate industry insider with over 5 years of experience as a realtor. Prior to joining our team, Natalie worked as a realtor associate for several of Miami’s top producing agents, where her hard work and dedication to the business increased sales and productivity. She continues to be affiliated with the One Sotheby’s International brokerage firm. Natalie is bilingual in Spanish and English.

With over 10 years of team leadership and operational management experience, Nizar Alawamleh joined Location Ventures as a Project Manager in 2019, working closely with the Chief Development Officer on development for URBIN and the Luxury Condo Division. Nizar served in the military and worked internationally, obtaining his Project Management Professional certification and successfully managing projects worth upwards of $20 million dollars in Qatar and Dubai.

Rawan Abuljebain, born in Jordan and raised in Dubai, graduated from the Canadian University Dubai in 2014, with a Bachelor of Architecture (Cum Laude). Since graduating, she has been a part of multiple residential, commercial and hospitality design projects as a conceptual designer. Multi-faceted and multi-talented, Rawan supports the Single-Family Home and Development Divisions as Architecture and Design Associate.

With over 11 years of commercial real estate experience, David Ervolina works closely with the Chief Investment Officer on business development initiatives to identify new projects across the state of Florida. David spent more than a decade working in Commercial Brokerage while in New York City most recently spending over 8 years at Colliers International overseeing more than 1.5 million square feet of office and retail space with aggregate rentals exceeding $2 billion. He holds a Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED) from New York University and a B.A in Accounting from Miami University.

Jesus Martinez, a Miami native, works alongside our Chief Investment Officer on the Financing team on underwriting, market research, and acquisitions. Before joining Location Ventures, Jesus worked as a Financial Analyst for Coastal Construction and The Atex Group. He has extensive experience in Financial Modeling including asset types such as retail, office, industrial, and multifamily. Jesus excelled at Florida International University while earning a bachelor’s degree in finance and a Master of Science in Real Estate.

Steffi Barreda serves as Contract Coordinator for our luxury boutique residential development, Villa Valencia. Prior to joining Location Ventures, Steffi had over six years of experience working with One Sotheby’s International Realty’s luxury pre-construction development throughout South Florida. She now oversees Villa Valencia’s contracts and escrow management for buyers. Steffi is trilingual in Portuguese, English, and Spanish.

Xabier Reyes, Miami native and Location Ventures’ Marketing Specialist, is responsible for developing and expanding the company's digital presence through social media, email, web advertising, and other online sources. He graduated from the University of Miami and has also worked in the creative field as a photographer.

Serving as Technology Associate, Yonel Mesa has over five years experience as a Full Stack Web Developer and IT Professional. As a Web Developer he designed, coded and implemented digital marketing strategies in multiple sites from small businesses to large known corporations. As a cyber security professional, he has worked as a Penetration Tester for several companies and sites finding vulnerabilities and bugs that could affect the security of their overall network. Some of his other skills and hobbies include AR Development, Animation, Video Editing, Game Development and cryptocurrencies. With a focus on growing and expanding his skills he is continuously learning about the latest technologies and advancements in the tech field.

Nicolas joined Location Ventures as Marketing Coordinator supporting the marketing department with day-to-day responsibilities and special projects. He has strong organizational and project management skills, as well as great attention to detail. Nico graduated from Boston University with a Degree in Psychology and is bilingual in Spanish and English.

Enmanuel Ortega is Location Ventures' leasing manager responsible for long and short-term residential leasing. He has a hospitality background with eight years in the industry working from extended stay hotels to luxury resorts, always with a focus of providing the highest level of customer service. Enmanuel currently oversees two multi-family real estate properties for Location Ventures, working across all aspects of the building's operation, from coordinating maintenance requests to contract creation and lead acquisition. He holds a Hospitality degree from Florida International University.

Rosa Elera serves as Community Associate at FORUM supporting the Community Director with the highest quality operations in addition to assisting members with everyday tasks. She has background as a Communications Associate and Social Media Specialist for several local campaigns and small businesses in Miami-Dade County. She also currently volunteers as Community Outreach Chair for the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Miami-Dade County. Rosa holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and a Global Media Communications Certificate from Florida International University.