Profile

As a vertically integrated real estate platform, Ascendant is led by a managing partnership comprised of CEO Russell Gimelstob, Co-President & CIO Alex Halpern, and Co-President & COO Eric Calder, which has collectively acquired and developed more than $20 billion of real estate assets. Founded on the basis of creating a more investor-friendly and specialized format of real estate investing, the firm has built a team of sector-level specialists across its three operating verticals, and relies on continuous, cross-pollenating dialogue with its limited partners.

Russell Gimelstob
Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Prior to founding Ascendant Capital Partners, Russell Gimelstob was Head of Acquisitions, Partner, Managing Director and Member of the Investment Committee of Dune Real Estate Partners, a manager of real estate private equity funds. Russell previously represented Ascendant on the board of Watermark Lodging Trust.

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Alex Halpern
Co-Founder, Co-President, and Chief Investment Officer

Alex Halpern is responsible for the oversight of Ascendant's investment activities, as well as the day-to-day management of the platform's hospitality, and select residential investments. Alex represented Ascendant on the board of Watermark Lodging Trust, is an active board member of Sentral, and is a board observer of DC Blox.

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Eric Calder
Partner, Co-President, and Chief Operating Officer

Prior to joining Ascendant Capital Partners, Eric Calder was the Co-Chief Investment Officer of Dune Real Estate Partners, a New York City-based real estate investment firm. At Dune, he was a member of the firm’s Investment Committee and led over $6 billion in transactions across the residential, retail, industrial, office and hospitality sectors.

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Ascendant has put together a world-class team of diverse individuals, each with an impressive background and knowledge base. Through close collaboration, we are able to continue to expand our services into new markets and locations across the globe.

Jason Goldberg

Chief Financial Officer

Lara Kiefer

Vice President

Zach Gallin

Chief of Staff, Investor Relations

Dajana Cvijanovic

Executive Assistant

Andrew Niple
Director

Prior to joining Ascendant Capital Partners, Mr. Andrew Niple served as a Vice President for Raith Capital Partners, a New York based real estate private equity firm. As leader of the acquisitions team, Mr. Niple’s responsibilities during his tenure with Raith included the evaluation, execution, and oversight of the firm’s acquisition and disposition activity. He was responsible for acquiring two large portfolios of hospitality and industrial assets worth over $300 million and overseeing the disposition of $250 million worth of multifamily assets.

Prior to joining Raith Capital Partners, Mr. Niple was a Vice President with Kennedy Wilson, a California based real estate investment company with $18 billion in assets under management. At Kennedy Wilson, he primarily focused on sourcing and underwriting value-add commercial opportunities in major west coast markets.

Before joining Kennedy Wilson, Mr. Niple was a Vice President with Rockpoint Group, a Boston based real estate private equity firm that has raised over $14 billion in capital commitments. In his role at Rockpoint Group, Andrew primarily focused on underwriting and managing opportunistic and core-plus investments with primary market coverage responsibilities in southeast Florida. During his six-year tenure, he executed in excess of $4 billion worth of investments across the multifamily, hospitality, office, and retail asset classes.

Mr. Niple began his career in the real estate investment banking division of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions advisory work and equity financing on behalf of corporate real estate clients. Mr. Niple graduated magna cum laude from The George Washington University's School of Business.