Firm Ridge Team

Michael Belasco is a commercial real estate professional with over a decade of experience working in various capacities on more than $7 billion of real estate transactions. In addition to Firm Ridge, Michael is also the founder and managing partner of A.CRE Consulting, a real estate advisory firm that has provided services to CRE projects totaling more than $3 billion to date.
 
Previously, Belasco was a founding member and COO at Stablewood Properties, an institutionally backed, data-infused multi-strategy real estate investment company, where he set up the company operations, and oversaw the closing and management of 27 STNL properties across the United States. Prior to Stablewood, Michael was at Hines in San Francisco, working on high-rise, mixed-use development projects totaling more than 2 million sq. ft.
 
Michael is also the co-founder of AdventuresInCRE.com, serving over two million annual readers who come to the site to learn about CRE financial modeling, education, and careers. Michael has authored dozens of articles for the site on various topics. He also co-instructs The A.CRE Accelerator that has trained more than 6,000 people and partners with some of the most respected universities and institutions in the world.
 
Michael holds an MBA and Master in Real Estate from Cornell University and a Bachelor’s degree from Goddard College. He lives with his wife and two sons in Newtown, PA.

John Carlson brings over 45 years of project management experience on over 500 projects, ranging from residential land development to specialized agricultural and industrial projects.

As a development manager and general contractor, Mr. Carlson has successfully delivered five residential subdivisions totaling 135 lots and has also overseen the development of a 128-lot single family home subdivision in Panama. He has built three homes from the ground up and bought and rehabbed 5 single family homes and 4 multi-unit properties.

Prior to his career in residential land and home development, John founded a successful specialty development shop, Triangle Bar Mfg. Inc., in 1977, focused on construction and development projects for the agricultural industry. John managed the build out of more than 200 projects across the western U.S.. After 10 years, John joined New Jersey-based Stonhard, a highly specialized commercial and industrial flooring company, serving as engineer and project manager for approximately 375 projects across the West. These included highly specialized and sophisticated fit out projects in factories and warehouses spanning numerous industries. Top clients included the U.S. Government, Intel, and Boeing.

John currently lives with his wife on the Olympic peninsula. They have raised eight children and now have 33 grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, skiing, and scuba diving.

Sayda Chavez has been the Administrative Manager of Firm Ridge Real Estate since 2022. She plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the day-to-day operations of the company. With a keen eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Sayda ensures that all administrative tasks are handled efficiently and effectively, supporting the team in achieving their strategic goals. Her expertise in organization, coupled with her ability to seamlessly manage multiple projects, makes her an invaluable asset to the Firm Ridge team. Sayda's collaborative approach and dedication to fostering a positive work environment have been instrumental in enhancing the company's productivity and overall success.

Kyle has worked in the real estate industry for nearly a decade. He began in a construction management role with a residential home builder and, following military service and graduate school, transitioned to the commercial real estate industry as an Investment Associate with a $60 billion institutional investor. There he led the internal due diligence and approval process of over 100 real estate debt and equity investments valued over $6 billion across the United States in all major asset classes. This also included multiple MHC and RV park deals valued over $200 million. Most recently, Kyle has been the COO of A.CRE, managing the operations and building a multidisciplinary team for the commercial real estate training, education and recruiting site.

Prior to transitioning back to the industry, Kyle was a linguist in the U.S. Navy, serving in a subsurface direct support role. Kyle holds an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a BA from Brigham Young University.

Joe Prendergast joined Firm Ridge in 2024 as Director and is specializing in both investor relations and development management. Prior to joining Firm Ridge, Joe spent the last eight years raising capital for KBS Capital Markets Group and TwinRock Partners. Joe also spent two-and-a-half years working at Bullpen, a talent network for the CRE industry, building out their sales infrastructure.

In addition to Firm Ridge, Joe is also a partner at A.CRE Consulting, www.AdventuresinCRE.com’s consulting arm, where he heads business development and strategy.

Joe holds a BS from Cornell University in Industrial and Labor Relations with minors in both Business and Real Estate.