About Us

Mr. Fernandez is President and Chief Executive Officer of 1031 Crowdfunding. Before founding the Company, he was Senior Vice President of Healthcare Real Estate Group in Irvine, California. Since January 2001, Mr. Fernandez has been responsible for researching and compiling accurately verifiable documentation across various industries, including assembling compelling content for marketing materials related to the purchase and acquisition of various real estate holdings.

Mr. Fernandez has over 20 years of inside and outside sales experience. He is personally involved in raising over $850 million of equity from individual and institutional investors through private and public real estate offerings. He hired and trained a national internal wholesaler and external wholesaler sales force.

Mr. Fernandez is highly skilled in the simplification of highly complex strategies and sophisticated investments. He is results-oriented, able to balance multiple responsibilities, and consistently delivers results on time.

Mr. Fernandez holds FINRA Series 6, 7, 24, and 63 licenses.

Mrs. Fernandez currently serves as our Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the Human Resources and Office Management departments. She brings a spirit of excellence to 1031 Crowdfunding and is the foundation behind our efficient processes and procedures. Ruth’s gifting is building infrastructure for businesses and coaching/mentoring individuals.

Prior to joining 1031 Crowdfunding, Mrs. Fernandez held management and accounting positions in the Law, Title, and Import-Export industries. She then founded a nationwide Notary service company employing over 400 notaries and 120 contract attorneys. Mrs. Fernandez’s experience in these various industries provided her with a strong foundation in managing people and structures.

While not at 1031 Crowdfunding, Ruth is an author, speaker, and consultant to several startups and Fortune 500 companies.

Mr. Curtis currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of 1031 Crowdfunding LLC, where he leads our finance and accounting teams. Mr. Curtis has over 12 years of experience in the Financial Services, Commercial Real Estate, and Securities industries. 

Mr. Curtis began his career researching dark matter phenomena at the University of California, Irvine’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. His research collaborations used observation data from the Keck Telescope and a Monte Carlo Markov chain technique to explore the mass distributions of distant galaxies.

Mr. Curtis has previous experience in healthcare real estate and financing as Senior Capital Markets Analyst with Healthcare Real Estate Group in Irvine, California. In this role, Mr. Curtis was involved in the creation and syndication of healthcare real estate private equity funds through a registered broker-dealer. Mr. Curtis also worked directly with the CEO and 3rd party law firms to develop corporate strategies for taking private equity funds through the investment banking cycle, including planning for an IPO. This experience developed excellent proficiencies with securities offerings, capital and corporate structuring, business plan development, and detailed balance sheet & income statement prediction modeling. Additionally, Mr. Curtis has previous experience with EB-5 international fundraising, commercial real estate construction modeling, and real estate acquisition underwriting.

Mr. Curtis earned a Master of Business Administration from Biola University’s Crowell School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Physics, with an emphasis in Astrophysics from the University of California, Irvine.

Mr. Elwell currently serves as our Chief Investment Officer, leading the sourcing, acquisition, and asset management of real estate. For over 20 years, Mr. Elwell has held various financial executive leadership and finance positions with companies of various sizes and in various industries. Prior to joining the Company, he served as the Chief Investment Officer of a publicly registered, non-traded healthcare REIT, where he purchased and managed senior housing real estate.

Mr. Elwell has previous experience serving in several financial management-related functions at PRIMEDIA, INC., a company managed by KKR focused on media-related assets. At PRIMEDIA, he worked on the company’s mergers and acquisitions team, served as the CFO of the Company’s Automotive Digital business, and financially integrated the acquisition of a $100 million online business. He began his career as an auditor with The Walt Disney Company and KPMG LLP.

Mr. Elwell earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts. Peter is a Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Public Accountant (Inactive) licensed in the state of California.

Mr. Roussel is our President of Marketing, overseeing the marketing department, all marketing initiatives, and materials for 1031 Crowdfunding. He has over 13 years of diverse financial services marketing and real estate experience.

Prior to joining the Company, he was Marketing Manager for Healthcare Real Estate Group, supporting a publicly registered, non-traded REIT and other real estate investment funds. In this position, he worked closely with Mr. Fernandez to create marketing collateral and presentation materials for various real estate investment products.

Mr. Roussel has previous real estate experience working for the advisor to two publicly registered, non-traded REITs. He worked with the real estate team participating in acquisitions, asset management, and property management roles for their two multi-tenant industrial portfolios. Mr. Roussel’s marketing background in the securities space, combined with his real estate experience, gives him a unique understanding of this highly regulated industry.

Mr. Roussel earned a B.A. degree in Marketing from Vanguard University of Southern California. When not at 1031 Crowdfunding, Thomas enjoys surfing, hockey, and spending time with his wife and daughter.

Mr. Carrington is our Senior Vice President of Sales. Prior to 1031 Crowdfunding, he has been Vice President of Healthcare Real Estate Group in Irvine, California. Since January 2006, Mr. Carrington has been responsible for wholesaling, account management, business development, sales management, product, strategic marketing, of various real estate holdings.

Mr. Carrington has a rich background in inside and outside sales experience and specializes in the fractional real estate investment, 1031 exchange and DST property marketplace. He is driven by his passion for providing superior client service, identifying clients’ needs, goals and objectives.

Mr. Carrington holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.

Sue Reilly currently serves as the Corporate Controller-Treasurer at 1031 Crowdfunding.  She leads the Accounting Department.

Prior to joining 1031 Crowdfunding, Ms. Reilly has served as the CFO or Treasurer to numerous banks and financial services firms including East West Bank, Western Bancorp a Ministry Partners Investment Company and Ministry Partners Securities.   She has also served as Treasurer for an $800 million E-Commerce company, a national restaurant chain and Controller for a large private leasing company. She has also been a strategic consultant to numerous Fortune 500 companies, including Honda Finance and Valeant Pharmaceuticals.  

Ms. Reilly has significant treasury, accounting, investment, Asset Liability Management, FP&A, broker dealer, FX, securitization, hedging, risk management and consulting experience.    She has leveraged assets from $275M to over $10B across many industries with extensive federal regulatory and SEC reporting responsibilities.

Her diverse background encompasses experience in a variety of industries over the past 30 years including Financial Services, E-Commerce, Big Box Retail, National Restaurant chain, Manufacturing and Real Estate Development.  While at various companies, she was responsible for managing bank Debt Covenants and banking relationships.

During her tenure in banking, she managed a $2 billion investment portfolio, securitized various asset classes and implemented various hedging strategies.  She chaired or was a member of the Asset Liability, Investment and Loan Committee.  She has invested in various asset classes including, but not limited to MBS, Bonds and Treasuries. Further, she has implemented various Asset Liability Management software such as Sendero and BankWare which are utilized to manage IRR and EVE/Fair Value of assets.

Her drive for strategic, quantifiable results as well as her penchant for identifying cost-saving opportunities is unrivaled. Ms. Reilly is passionately driven by growth, a strong team-oriented strategy, and service as a community and organizational leader. Her unparalleled leadership experience includes board service in conjunction with several positions in the C-Suite supporting senior executives and board members. She has served as President of the Financial Executives International, Orange County Chapter and has been a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Ms. Reilly earned a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of California at Riverside. Her post-graduate experience includes completion of East West Bank’s Executive Leadership Program at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business in 2006 and several post-graduate classes in finance from California State University at Fullerton. Professional certifications include passing the FINRA Series 7, 24, 27, and 65 licenses as well as currently holding a California Health and Life Insurance license. She also holds her CTP (Certified Treasury Professional) certification.

Mr. Olds serves as our Senior Marketing Manager, responsible for designing, producing, and implementing marketing materials for 1031 Crowdfunding.

Mr. Olds brings seven years of diverse marketing experience in the real estate, entertainment, and hospitality industries. His expertise in management, web design, photography, video production, and drone piloting brings a breadth of creative skills to the team.

Kevin earned a B.A. degree in Media and Advertising from Indiana University Bloomington. While not at 1031 Crowdfunding, he enjoys snorkeling, drone photography, and traveling.

Ms. Curtis is the HR Manager for 1031 Crowdfunding. With this role, she ensures that the office is running smoothly by managing daily administrative responsibilities. She also provides support and expertise to manage employee relations.

When Ms. Curtis joined our company, she brought in a range of skills that she had gained from working in sectors ranging from hospitality to education. Her time working in the hotel sector in New Zealand brought in diverse skills and viewpoints that have contributed tremendously to our company.

Ms. Curtis received her Bachelor of International Hospitality Management with a double major in Human Resources and Event Management from Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.

Mr. Garcia is our Digital Marketing Manager, responsible for the strategy, implementation, and management of all digital marketing efforts for 1031 Crowdfunding.

He brings a range of expertise to 1031 Crowdfunding’s marketing portfolio from search engine marketing, social media advertising, and search engine optimization. Prior to joining the team, Mr. Garcia had over three years of digital marketing experience in the real estate, healthcare, and eCommerce industries.

Mr. Garcia earned a B.A. degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from California State University, Fullerton.

Ms. Schiappa serves as our Investor Relations Manager, processing and facilitating all closings for 1031 Crowdfunding. Ms. Schiappa ensures that each client is given the proper attention and care required for a successful closing experience.

Ms. Schiappa comes from a Real Estate background, being the third generation involved with her family’s Development Company. With 7 years of Administration and Human Resources experience, she came to 1031 with prior knowledge of the Real Estate industry, as well as administrative and communication skills that help ensure a smooth closing process for every 1031 Crowdfunding client. Prior to joining the company, she worked as a Public Relations professional at a media consulting firm where she helped navigate the needs of the clients, and created custom campaigns to suit their goals.

Ms. Schiappa graduated with a B.A. in Public Relations from Biola University. Her studies had an emphasis in nonprofit organizations.

Mr. Paine serves as a Real Estate Analyst for 1031 Crowdfunding’s Commercial Real Estate and Accounting Teams.

His skills in data analytics and numeric analysis make him a versatile component in the company’s Due Diligence, Asset Management, Underwriting, and Accounting functions. He brings excellence, determination and teamwork to all areas of his work.

He holds a B.S. degree in Mathematics from the University of California at Irvine. In his free time, you can find Mr. Paine on the golf course or watching the latest movies.

Mr. Alcantar serves as our technical support, technology consultant, and cybersecurity officer responsible for implementing cutting-edge technology for 1031 Crowdfunding.

Before joining the 1031 Crowdfunding team, Mr. Alcantar worked for a renowned IT MSP, providing technical support to hundreds of companies worldwide. This role further developed his IT skills, patience, critical thinking, and adaptability to any technical issues.

Mr. Alcantar is currently studying for his Azure certification with the goal of becoming Chief Technology Officer. In his free time, Mr. Alcantar enjoys competing in PC Overclocking events, building gaming computers, and riding dirt bikes with his family and friends.

Tebby Alvarado serves as the Senior Accountant here at 1031 Crowdfunding.

Her responsibilities include general accounting operations and analyzing financial reports. Her accounting career began in Kenya, where she studied Technical and Certified Public Accounting. Before joining 1031 Crowdfunding, Tebby worked in various business industries as an administrator and accountant.

She holds a B.A. in Business Administration-Accounting Degree from Mihaylo College of Business, California State University, Fullerton. When not at 1031 Crowdfunding, Tebby loves to volunteer at different community projects to better people’s lives, including mentoring children. She also loves music, art, and fashion.

Jessica Dean serves as a Senior Accountant at 1031 Crowdfunding.

Ms. Dean is responsible for assisting in the preparation and analysis of financial reports as well as general day-to-day accounting operations.

Before joining the 1031 Crowdfunding team, Ms. Dean worked as a Senior Auditor at the CPA firm WithumSmith+Brown. While at Withum, she led several audit engagements in a variety of industries ensuring that the financial reporting standards were met and in compliance with GAAP and other regulatory requirements. Her time as an auditor allowed her to work with a diverse group of clients with different challenges and goals. As a result, she has developed extensive problem-solving and interpersonal skills allowing her to build strong relationships with a wide network of people.

Ms. Dean graduated from Azusa Pacific University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. In her free time, Ms. Dean enjoys baking, traveling, and going to comedy shows.

Mr. VandeSteeg serves as a Senior Sales Associate here at 1031 Crowdfunding. He is involved in day-to-day sales communication and has a mission to provide top customer service.

Previous to joining 1031 Crowdfunding, Mr. VandeSteeg has a range of experience in the hospitality industry, identifying and meeting customer needs. He is passionate about people and providing creative solutions.

Mr. VandeSteeg holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.

Mr. Coughlin serves as a Sales Associate here at 1031 Crowdfunding.

Before joining 1031 Crowdfunding, Mr. Coughlin worked in various roles in the dental industry, most recently distributing intraoral scanners, presenting for doctors across Orange County. Mr. Coughlin’s solution-oriented approach and his excellent communication skills naturally make him a great fit with the 1031 Crowdfunding team.

Mr. Coughlin holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.

Mr. Shelley serves as a Sales Associate here at 1031 Crowdfunding. Before joining 1031 Crowdfunding, Mr. Shelley was previously involved in the stock brokerage industry. Assisting clients to discover investment solutions to help achieve financial and retirement objectives.

Mr. Shelley has been an active securities investor since 2017. With a passion for wealth management, he continues to help clients realize financial security and establish generational wealth. In his free time, you can find Mr. Shelley volunteering at his local dog shelter.

Mr. Shelley holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.

Mr. Fernandez serves as a Sales Associate here at 1031 Crowdfunding.

Before joining our company, Mr. Fernandez held a Head of Marketing position in the retail industry. Through this work experience, he learned how to find creative solutions to promote store products and, in turn, increase revenue. In addition, his former employer emphasized customer service allowing him to develop exceptional communication skills, which he has brought to the 1031 Crowdfunding team. While not at 1031 Crowdfunding, he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, watching movies, and cheering on his favorite sports teams. (Packers, Red Sox, and Lakers)

Mr. Fernandez holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.

Mr. Fernandez is currently training as a Sales Associate.

Before joining our company, Mr. Fernandez attended Southern Utah University, where he studied Business and Finance while playing football in their Division 1 program.

Mr. Fernandez is currently studying for his FINRA Series 7 exam.

Ms. Fernandez is currently training as a Sales Associate and studying for her Securities Industry Essentials® (SIE®) Exam.

While not at 1031 Crowdfunding, Ms. Fernandez is studying at Saddleback College with a focus on Business and Finance. She plans to pursue an education in Law.

Ms. Esquivel is currently training as a Sales Associate and studying for her Securities Industry Essentials® (SIE®) Exam.

Previous to joining 1031 Crowdfunding, Ms. Esquivel worked in the Medical Insurance Industry, serving as the youngest Operations and New Business Submissions Administrator at a U.S. Leading Insurance Technology Company. Keeping direct contact with agents, business associates, and multiple insurance carriers to ensure all new business is properly handled, accounted for, and timely effective/enforced.

Ms. Esquivel has a broad spectrum of knowledge in multiple phases of business generation, marketing, and business retention and diligently followed compliance guidelines. Her work ethic and integrity have paid off by getting yearly recognitions, awards, and direct manager acknowledgments for her outstanding performance. Ms. Esquivel is currently CMS, and HIPAA certified in 48 states.

She is fluent in Spanish, allowing her to efficiently handle and deal with international relations.

In her free time, she loves mental stimulation, reading, and solving puzzles. She also focuses on physical health and fitness, such as weightlifting and running.

Ms. Alarcon serves as one of our Investor Relations Assistant, aiding in the processing and facilitating of closings for 1031 Crowdfunding.

Before joining 1031 Crowdfunding, Ms. Alarcon worked in the music industry as an administrator, teacher, and performer. She has global experience in donor relations, grant writing, event planning, teaching students of all ages, and singing on various stages. Through this experience, Ms. Alarcon has built a strong foundation in communication and attention to detail, making her a vital asset to the Investor Relations team. Kaitlyn strives for excellence in customer service and has a warm demeanor that helps clients feel confident and cared for as she assists in the closing process.

Ms. Alarcon recently completed her Master of Music Performance in Voice at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL. She also holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and a Minor in Biblical Studies from Biola University. When not at 1031 Crowdfunding, Kaitlyn can be found singing in local opera productions, hiking, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Ms. Carbajal serves as an Investor Relations Assistant, facilitating and processing closings for 1031 Crowdfunding.

Before joining the team, Hefziba worked for a non-profit helping people achieve their high school equivalency. She served the community as a supervisor and instructor, managing the campus while hosting mathematics classes. She has developed strong communication and customer service skills through her work with a diverse population of students. Additionally, her background in mathematics has sharpened her detail-oriented nature and strengthened her love for numbers. 

Hefziba received her Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is currently studying data analytics. In her free time, you can find her reading a book or spending time with friends.

Brenda serves as an Investor Relations Assistant, facilitating and processing closings for 1031 Crowdfunding.

Before joining 1031 Crowdfunding, Ms. Gollaz worked as a Client Services Coordinator in the real estate industry, which included maintaining customer relationship management systems, web design, and social media marketing. She has excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with over ten years of experience in customer service and building relationships with valued clients. In addition, she has traveled to several countries, participating in missionary work with the youth at Calvary Chapel Golden Springs and serving as a youth leader in the high school ministry.

Brenda received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, with a major in Marketing Management and a minor in Apparel Merchandising & Management. Additionally, she is currently studying to obtain her real estate license.

When not at 1031 Crowdfunding, Brenda loves spending her free time at the beach, trying new local coffee shops, and serving in the young adult ministry at the Christian church she attends.

Mr. Ewing serves as a business analyst here at 1031 Crowdfunding. His role is to assess and optimize current business processes and help bridge the gap between the business and modern I.T. solutions. He started his career in the financial sector by designing and administering retirement plans for small businesses.

He graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration – Management Information Systems from California State University, Long Beach. He can be found gardening, cooking, or playing casual chess in his free time.

Mr. Tolman is currently training as a Junior Real Estate Analyst. Before joining 1031 Crowdfunding, Mr. Tolman attended California Baptist University, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and a Master’s Business Administration Degree with a concentration in Business Analytics.

Mr. Tolman swam in the 2016 and 2021 Olympic Trials representing the United States of America. Continuing his success at the collegiate level, he was a 5-time All-American with 5-time All-American Honors. Additionally, Mr. Tolman became California Baptist University’s first NCAA champion in their swim program’s history.

Mrs. Harvey serves as the Office Receptionist.

Before joining 1031 Crowdfunding, Mrs. Harvey had worked with nonprofit organizations serving adults & children with disabilities. Mrs. Harvey is eager to learn and grow with 1031 Crowdfunding. In addition, she is excited to expand her current skill sets.

In her free time, she loves spending time with family and friends.