About Us

Paul Levinsohn is the Co-Founder and Managing Principal of the firm. He is an attorney and entrepreneur with experience in a broad mix of real estate, infrastructure, and community development transactions over the past thirty years. Since 2009, Mr. Levinsohn has helped oversee the investment of approximately $2 billion of funding into fifty-six impactful projects across New York City. This capital has spurred the construction of over 7.2 million square feet of new development and renovation in underserved neighborhoods throughout the city.

In addition to his background in construction and community financing, Mr. Levinsohn has invested in and overseen various private equity transactions. In 2004, he and other investors acquired and privatized one of the largest convenience store and gas station chains in the northeast. In 2008, he purchased the assets of a nutritional supplement company with nationwide distribution at retailers such as Costco and Wal-Mart. In 2015, Mr. Levinsohn sold the company’s assets.

Mr. Levinsohn’s career also includes public service. In 2002, he was appointed Chief Counsel to Governor James McGreevey of New Jersey. From 1995 to 1997, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Anne Thompson, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Prior to entering law school, Mr. Levinsohn was a charter corps member of Teach for America, a national teacher corps program that places teachers in rural and inner-city school districts. While participating in the program, he taught American History in a public high school in Warren County, North Carolina.

Mr. Levinsohn received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and was a member of the varsity baseball team. He received a master’s degree in Political Science from Duke University Graduate School and received his JD from Duke University School of Law. While in law school, Mr. Levinsohn was a member of the school’s Law Review, the Duke Law Journal.

Mr. Levinsohn previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees for Duke University. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of The Quad Preparatory School where he serves as Chair of the Development Committee. Mr. Levinsohn is also a member of the Board of Directors of Manhattan Youth, a non-profit that provides quality childcare as well as academic and recreational activities for families in Lower Manhattan. Mr. Levinsohn is an active supporter of many organizations with a focus on funding non-profits assisting low-income New Yorkers.

George Olsen is the Co-Founder and Managing Principal of the firm. Since 2009, he has helped oversee the investment of approximately $2 billion of funding into fifty-six impactful projects across New York City. This capital has spurred the construction of over 7.2 million square feet of new development and renovation in underserved neighborhoods throughout the city.

Mr. Olsen previously worked as a real estate attorney in New York City for over twenty-five years where he represented developers in all aspects of the development process. In addition to his law practice, Mr. Olsen developed numerous properties in Lower Manhattan, including the conversion of the 130,000 square foot Atalanta warehouse building on North Moore Street in TriBeCa as well as other former manufacturing buildings into residential condominiums.

Mr. Olsen’s career also includes public service. Prior to becoming an attorney, he worked as the Minority Business Representative for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) as well as an analyst in the research division of the Orange County (California) Planning Department. Mr. Olsen previously served on Manhattan’s Community Board One and was a representative on the World Trade Center Community Advisory Committee. He served as President of the PS 234 PTA from July 2001 through June 2003 and was instrumental in guiding the elementary school located a few blocks from Ground Zero through the difficult aftermath of the events of September 11th.

Mr. Olsen served with the United States Marine Corps from January 1967 to March 1970 and completed a tour of duty as an infantry platoon and company commander in Vietnam from November 1967 to December 1968. Mr. Olsen was honorably discharged at the rank of Captain. He is the recipient of the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V for his service in Vietnam.
Mr. Olsen earned his JD from Fordham University Law School, an MA in Urban Studies from Cal State Fullerton University, and a BBA in Economics from Kent State University.

Mr. Olsen is active in philanthropy. He founded two scholarship funds at Fordham University Law School (the “Barth-Olsen Diversity Scholarship Fund” and the “Olsen Scholars Program”) to support both first-generation and minority law students. Mr. Olsen also established two scholarship funds at Kent State University. One scholarship supports veterans and their family members pursuing an MBA and one assists undergraduate students enrolled in the ROTC program.

Mr. Olsen was born and raised in Brooklyn and currently resides in Manhattan with his family.

Lin Wu is the firm’s Chief Operating Officer. She has been with the company since 2010. Prior to joining the company, Ms. Wu was a senior business development associate at the Manhattan office of the international law firm Cleary Gottlieb. She previously also worked as a marketing consultant for various start-up businesses in the New York metropolitan area. Ms. Wu graduated with a BS in Marketing and Finance from the New York University Stern School of Business. She is fluent in both Chinese and English.

Gladys DeRienzo is the firm’s Chief Financial Officer. She has been with the company since 2010. Ms. DeRienzo has over twenty-five years of accounting experience in the manufacturing, retail, and financial sectors. She graduated from the University National in Bogotá, Colombia, SA with a BS Degree in Accounting. She is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Emma Tang is the firm’s Director of Investor Relations. She has been with the company since 2014. Ms. Tang obtained a BA from East China Normal University and a MA in Language from New York University. She is fluent in both English and Chinese.

Gregg Hayden serves as the firm’s Director of Global Marketing. He has been with the company since 2009. Mr. Hayden has over thirty years of experience as an investment banker with a focus on international real estate financing and development. His expertise is in international structured finance involving debt and equity placement for owners and developers of real estate, private and institutional lenders, and investors.

In 2002, Mr. Hayden joined in founding an international real estate investment banking and trust services firm specializing in cross border banking transactions. In 2005, Mr. Hayden and his partners established a European debt fund focusing on small to medium size real estate owners and developers in continental Europe. The fund provides higher levels of liquidity for the acquisition and redevelopment of real property. This effort grew to include the formation of banking entities in New York, Europe, Hong Kong and Japan.

Mr. Hayden has also overseen the successful joint venture of a New York and European residential development firm. The partnership acquired, developed, and sold two residential condominium properties in midtown Manhattan.

Mr. Hayden graduated from Boston College with degrees in Economics and Marketing.