Ali Semir with James River Housing Partners
Title: Principal with James River Housing Partners, which owns about 250 apartment units representing $40 million in assets under management. It also is involved in three properties under development.
Born: 1983 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Education: bachelor’s in business, concentration in real estate, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009; master’s in commercial real estate finance, Georgetown University, 2011
Career: HSBC Finance, 2006-08; Thomas Reuters Property Tax, 2009-11; Freddie Mac Multifamily, 2011-14; Walker & Dunlop, 2014-17; Hunt Real Estate Capital 2017-19; Capital One Multifamily Finance, 2019-March 2021; and James River Housing Partners, November 2017-present
Best business decision: “In 2017, I made the decision to take what I learned about debt placement through various jobs and equity underwriting from grad school to purchase a small multifamily building in Shockoe Bottom. The first purchase served as the catalyst to a series of smart purchases in core locations throughout the city, as well as meaningful partnerships with people in similar and complementary roles.”
Worst business decision: “The worst business decision is dwelling on past mistakes. Hindsight is always 20/20. Hone your craft and look forward.”