John Pritzker

Founding Partner and Director

John Pritzker is Founding Partner and Director of Geolo Capital, where he oversees all sectors of the San Francisco-based private equity and investment firm. John began his career at Hyatt Hotels Corporation in 1972, and in 1984 became Managing Director and Divisional Vice President of Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. He was a founding board member of Ticketmaster, Inc. and Chemdex/Ventro Corporation.

Most recently, John orchestrated the merger of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Thompson Hotels and Alila Hotels to form Commune Hotels Resorts. In January 2016, Commune Hotels and Destination Hotels merged, creating Two Roads Hospitality. The newly formed company spanned seven countries, with five hospitality brands and over 97 hotels. In December 2018, Hyatt Hotels Corp. agreed to acquire Two Roads Hospitality. Additionally, John has served as Chairman and CEO of a number of businesses in the hospitality industry, including Red Sail Sports, Mandara Spa, and The Odyssey Club (now Exclusive Resorts).

John is Chairman of the John Pritzker Family Fund; whose mission is to help people lead fulfilling and healthy lives in vibrant communities. John serves on the Executive Council of UCSF Health and the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he chairs the Visiting Committee on Modern and Contemporary Art. He is also a board member of the Bernard Osher Foundation, a member of the Emeritus Board of Tipping Point Community, and a past president of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation.

Hector Calderon

CEO & Partner

Hector Calderon is the Chief Executive Officer and Partner at Geolo Capital. Calderon oversees the acquisitions team and overall investment strategy for Geolo.

Previously, Calderon was Managing Director and a member of the Investment Committee at Encore Capital Management. While at Encore he led an investment team focused on real estate investments in the Western US. The portfolio consisted of 30 multi-family, single-family and mixed used developments in Portland, Sacramento, Arizona, the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California, representing $500M in asset value and 3,700+ housing units.

Prior to joining Encore, Calderon ran the Homebuilding Investment Banking group of JMP Securities where he served as an advisor in homebuilding mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions. Previously, Calderon worked as a consultant to Pacific Gas and Electric through its Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Calderon started his career as an investment banker in the Mergers and Acquisitions group at Thomas Weisel Partners. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and serves on ULI's Multi-Family Council.

Calderon holds an AB in economics from Stanford University and is a member of the Stanford Real Estate Council.

Omar Palacios

Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Partner.

Omar Palacios joined Geolo Capital in July 2015 and is Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Partner where he oversees Geolo's strategic, organizational, asset management, and finance activities. Palacios is also a member of Geolo's Investment Committee.

With years of domestic and international financial planning, investment, operations, and transactions experience, including nearly 25 years in the real estate sector, Palacios has served in a broad range of leadership functions in finance, treasury, accounting, and corporate development roles. Palacios oversees Geolo's financial planning, operations, compensation, and analysis processes and forecasting of viable cross-market investment opportunities.

Palacios has played a key role in Geolo's strategy to diversify the firm's concentrated emphasis in the hotel development, operating and asset management segments to a broader exposure in real estate strategies such as credit, multifamily and mixed-use investments. Palacios was integrally involved in the growth and sale of the firm's hospitality management company in 2018 along with the overall growth of the firm's investments and value creation initiatives in the various segments outlined above.

Prior to joining Geolo, Palacios served as Chief Financial Officer for Playa Hotels & Resorts where he led the company's refinancing and recapitalization efforts in 2013. Additionally, he served as Chief Financial Officer for One&Only Resorts and held various key titles within the finance, treasury, and investor relations sectors at One&Only's parent company Kerzner International, where he led the company's capital financing initiatives in a $3.6 billion public-to-private transaction in 2006.

Palacios is a member of the University of Miami's President Council and the Dean's Advisory Board of Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the university of Central Florida. Additionally, he is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and serves on ULI's Hotel Development Council.

Palacios graduated cum laude from the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Jeffrey Reinstein

Principal

Jeffrey brings a wealth of development experience - especially in the boutique and lifestyle hotel spaces - to his Principal role on the acquisitions and development team. His responsibilities include overseeing and originating new investments in hospitality, multi-family and real estate technology sectors. Prior to joining Geolo, Reinstein held several positions at Geolo's legacy hospitality business, which was sold to Hyatt in 2018: Two Roads Hospitality, previously known as Commune Hotels + Resorts. While at Commune, Reinstein served as the Senior Director of Acquisitions and Development where his primary responsibilities included sourcing, acquiring and negotiating management contracts and investment opportunities for each of Commune's unique hotel brands.

Previously, Reinstein worked with Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants on the Acquisitions and Development team, evaluating new opportunities for private equity real estate funds and third-party management agreements.

Reinstein graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. from the School of Hotel Administration.

Ben Gottlieb

Principal

Ben Gottlieb is Geolo Capital's Head of Asset Management and Credit. His responsibilities include overseeing asset management and capital market activities for Geolo Capital's portfolio of equity investments in hospitality real estate and originating new debt and preferred equity investments.

Prior to joining Geolo Capital, Ben was the Vice President of Acquisitions at AJ Capital Partners and one of the founders of Graduate Hotels®. While at AJ Capital, Ben was responsible for the acquisition, financing and redevelopment of 10 hotels across the country. Ben began his career in Tokyo with Morgan Stanley Real Estate where he covered the firm's private equity real estate investments in Asia Pacific and Europe.

Ben received an MBA from Cornell University's Johnson School and holds a BA from the University of Michigan.

Erik Pampel

SVP of Development & Construction

Erik Pampel is a full-solution real estate professional with over 20 years of experience in an array of real estate development properties, lease negotiations, and construction management across North America. Prior to joining Geolo, Pampel was a Real Estate Team Leader for Oracle where he oversaw the development, design and construction of multiple office, lab and data center sites, including Oracle's award winning, state-of-the art campus in Austin, Texas. Previously, Pampel served as Vice President of Development at Mesirow Financial Real Estate where he managed due diligence and design on new sites as well as design, development, program management and construction of a diverse portfolio of office, restaurant and retail assets.

Pampel brings a broad background in project management and construction to Geolo, having spent seven years with Rudolph & Sletten in San Francisco, CA and one with Pepper Construction in Chicago, IL. He holds a degree in Civil Engineering and a degree in Meteorology from Valparaiso University.

John Greene

Controller

As Controller of Geolo and the related family office since 2008, John works closely with the management team on overall financial management and budgeting, facilitates information flow with lenders and portfolio investments. He also oversees the general accounting function. Before joining Geolo, John worked as Controller in the multi-family office at Seiler LLP, and prior to that, as an Assistant Controller of the family office at the Fremont Group. His experience also includes accounting and finance positions at United Parcel Service.

Greene graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.S. in Business Administration (with a Concentration in Accounting) and he holds an M.S. in Finance from Golden Gate University.

Jeanie Lu-Nakamoto

Assistant Controller

As Assistant Controller of Geolo Capital, Jeanie Lu-Nakamoto works closely with the management team on overall financial management and budgeting, facilitates information flow with lenders and portfolio investments. Prior to joining Geolo Capital, Jeanie served as the Controller at Ballast Investments where she oversaw financial reporting and accounting for its multifamily portfolios. She has held various roles at JMP Securities, BPM LLP, and Novogradac & Company LLP.

Jeanie graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.S. in Business Administration and a master's in accountancy from Golden Gate University.

Jennifer Lande

EA/Office Manager

Jennifer Lande joined Geolo Capital in 2011 as Office Manager and Executive Assistant. She brings her diverse experience in Office Management, Human Resources and Hospitality to Geolo Capital. She assists in the development of firm policies and procedures; manages and oversees the administration of HR policies, programs and practices within the firm, and provides day-to-day support to the team. Prior to Geolo Capital, Lande was with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts for 11 years, and was the Director of Food & Beverage at the Four Seasons San Francisco. In addition to her hotel operations experience, she managed several independent restaurants. Lande studied Hospitality Management at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Jake Michaels

Vice President

Jake Michaels holds the position of Vice President at Geolo, focused on new multi-family, hospitality, and real estate technology investment opportunities across Geolo's acquisitions and development platform along with strategic, firm-level financial analysis and forecasting. Michaels joined Geolo from the Real Estate Syndicated Finance Team at Wells Fargo Securities, where he worked as an Investment Banking Associate and closed approximately 110 transactions, representing $33 billion in volume across all real estate asset classes over four years at the bank. Prior to his tenure at Wells Fargo, Michaels gained internship experience in hotel acquisitions, development, and operations with premier hospitality firms, such as The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

Michaels graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. from the School of Hotel Administration.

Cindy Zhou

Vice President

Cindy Zhou holds the position of Vice President at Geolo, and is primarily focused on asset managing Geolo's real estate investment portfolio. Zhou joined Geolo from AJ Capital Partners, where she worked as an Asset Management Associate on AJ Capital's legacy hotel portfolio, as well as on the Graduate Hotels platform. Prior to her tenure at AJ Capital, Zhou spent three years as an Analyst at LaSalle Hotel Properties, where she worked on both asset management and acquisitions for a portfolio of 47 hotels. She has also worked as an intern for Thayer Lodging Group and RLJ Lodging Trust.

Zhou graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. from the School of Hotel Administration.

Jeremy Blaustein

Associate

Jeremy Blaustein is an Associate on Geolo Capital's Acquisition and Development Team. In this role Blaustein focuses on equity and credit investment opportunities across Geolo's many areas of expertise, while assisting with firm-level financial, strategic, and forecasting initiatives. Blaustein joined Geolo Capital from JMP Securities, where he was an Investment Banking Senior Analyst in their Real Estate & Financial Services Group. At JMP Securities Blaustein helped execute numerous M&A transactions and completed over 30 capital raises, in both the public and private sectors. Prior to his time at JMP, Blaustein completed internships in private equity and asset management with Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors and Raymond James Financial.

Blaustein graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Business Administration from the Marshall School of Business.

Jackson Wegener

Associate

Jackson Wegener is an Associate on Geolo Capital's Acquisition and Development Team. In this role, Wegener focuses on equity and credit investment opportunities across Geolo's many areas of expertise, while assisting with firm-level financial, strategic, and forecasting initiatives. Wegener joined Geolo Capital from Wells Fargo Securities, where he was an Analyst on the CMBS Securitization & Capital Markets team. Prior to his time at Wells Fargo, Wegener completed internships in investment banking and wealth management with BTIG and Morgan Stanley.

Wegener graduated from the University of Wisconsin -Madison with B.B.A. degrees in Finance and Real Estate from the Wisconsin School of Business.

Jack Piegza

Associate

Jack Piegza is an Associate on Geolo Capital's Asset Management Team. In this role Piegza focuses on asset management of Geolo Capital's real estate investment portfolio, while assisting with firm-level financial, strategic, and forecasting initiatives. Piegza joined Geolo Capital from Jones Lang LaSalle, where he worked as a Debt and Structured Finance Analyst in their Capital Markets group. While at JLL, Piegza helped raise in excess of $2 billion in debt and equity for transactions across all property types. Additionally Piegza has experience in hotel operations at multiple independent hotels.

Piegza graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. from the School of Hotel Administration.

Tom Gottlieb

Managing General Partner

Tom Gottlieb is the Co-Founder and Emeritus Managing General Partner of Geolo Capital, the San Francisco-based private equity and investment firm. With more than 30 years of investment banking, real estate development and hospitality experience, Gottlieb directs Geolo's private equity investments, real estate projects and hospitality operations.

After graduating from the University of Michigan and Stanford University, Gottlieb began his career in investment banking and finance in Chicago, New York and Hong Kong. He subsequently became involved in hospitality real estate development in the US and in Asia. Prior to joining Geolo Capital, he served as a founding partner and Chief Investment Officer for the InterPacific Group, a leading international investment and real estate development firm. He also co-founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Mandara Spa, which grew under his leadership to become the leading international luxury spa operator with over 70 spas throughout the world.

Gottlieb currently serves on the board of Sonoma Gourmet, Fra-Mani and Exclusive Resorts. He is a former trustee of the Nature Conservancy in Hawaii.