Proudly Owned By a Military Veteran
Proudly Owned By A Military Veteran
Team
Brian Walter is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Fairbridge. He is responsible for Portfolio Management, Finance, and Operations and is a member of the Credit Committee. He previously served as Chief Investment Officer for the Tannenbaum Family Office LLC, where he analyzed and invested in multiple asset classes, including private equity, real estate, real estate debt, credit, preferred stock, equity, structured products, tax liens and litigation claims. Prior to the family office, Mr. Walter was Managing Director, Head of Institutional Products at Fifth Street Asset Management – a $5 billion public asset manager.
John Lettera is Co-Founder and Partner at Fairbridge. He is head of legal and compliance and is a member of the firm’s Credit Committee. John has more than 20 years of legal experience and has spent more than 25 years in real estate debt originations, acquisitions and equity investing. He also founded and managed two successful real estate finance funds that together invested in excess of $400 million. John is an adjunct professor and member of the Board of Visitors at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and licensed to practice law in the State of New York. He is a combat veteran having served in the U.S. Marine Corps, including during the Gulf War.
Steven Wissak is Co-Founder and Partner at Fairbridge. He is Head of Underwriting and is a member of the Credit Committee. Steve focuses on alternative lending and bridge financing for real estate-secured deals and has been been involved in the real estate industry for over 30 years in various capacities. Steve was a principal in several real estate companies that acquired multifamily apartment buildings in the New York City area as well as rehabilitating close to 5,000 units of work force housing in New York City and its boroughs. Mr. Wissak received his B.A. in Political Science and Economics at the State University of New York at Binghamton and J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law.
Anthony Balbo is responsible for the secondary business. He has been involved in the real estate industry for more than 14 years. During his tenure at Fairbridge, which began in 2018, Anthony has helped originate, underwrite, and close real estate backed bridge loan ranging in size and spread across various asset classes and geographies. Prior to joining Fairbridge, he was Director of Operations for a New York-based real estate investment firm where he oversaw the commercial leasing, financing, and day-to-day operations of a portfolio of properties that included office space, warehousing, mixed-use buildings and residential units. Anthony received his B.A. in Economics from Hamilton College and his Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law.
Sasha Sparacino is an analyst at Fairbridge Asset Management LLC where he works with the deal team principals on all aspects of deal underwriting. Prior to Fairbridge he attended Loyola University Maryland where he was a student athlete playing for the golf team. At Loyola, he received a Bachelor of Business Administration in both finance and information systems and graduated Summa Cum Laude. Sasha is attending Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business where he is working on his M.S. in Real Estate.
Michelle Iaccarino joined Fairbridge full-time in February 2022. Michelle works with the Head of Finance on all aspects of corporate, fund and loan administration. Michelle oversees all banking and loan servicing responsibilities and assists with fund administration, the monthly NAV and portfolio management. Michelle also interfaces with our leverage providers to help administer those relationships. Prior to joining Fairbridge, Michelle worked in the finance department of a licensed mortgage bank where she gained experience in banking, accounts payable and receivable and finance. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from SUNY Oneonta, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Alexis DiGirolamo is an In-House Counsel at Fairbridge Asset Management LLC. Prior to Fairbridge she was a legal extern at Jaguar Land Rover North America as well as a student attorney at John Jay Legal Services Food and Beverage Law Clinic. Ms. DiGirolamo attended St. Thomas Aquinas College graduating with a Bachelors of Science and Social Science. Following this she received her law degree from Pace University.
Max Kingman is a financial analyst at Fairbridge Asset Management LLC, Mr. Kingman’s strong proficiency in underwriting combined with his background of evaluation and sales of investment properties, allows him to fully support the loan officers in all aspects relating to the credit analysis and underwriting process, including identifying the best debt structure to ensure that each client receives the most favorable options available. Max graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the president’s list at Quinnipiac University with a finance major and is certified with the Real Estate Financial Modeling Certification (REFM) and the Real Estate Financing Analysis Investment Certification (REFAI).
Biagio joined Fairbridge in August of 2022 as Managing Director. He oversees originations for a range of investment property non-QM and commercial loan products, including fix and flip loans, debt-service coverage ratio (DSCR) loans, and other business purpose and commercial loans, including bridge financing options. Prior to joining Fairbridge, Biagio held senior sales leadership positions at various mortgage banks. He is well-versed in all home financing solutions, including jumbo financing, condo/co-op, new construction, first-time homebuyer, renovation, foreign national, commercial, bridge financing/hard money, fix-and-flip, cross collateralization, and FHA/VA loans.
Harley has over 25-years’ experience in working closely with Family Offices. Prior to joining Fairbridge, Harley worked at Rotor Capital – a private equity partnership. Harley worked for 18 years at TIGER 21 – the premier-peer community for wealthy private investors. Working closely with TIGER 21’s founder, Harley was instrumental in establishing Tiger’s presence during its ascendancy - building out and supporting new groups and helping Members generate value from the broader investor community. Prior to TIGER 21, he led investor relations and marketing for EMMES and Company – a $1B+ boutique real estate investment company. Prior work experience includes senior positions in direct sales, advertising and real estate. Harley received his BA from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Amanda Esteves joined Fairbridge full-time in August 2023. Amanda works alongside the finance department with banking, accounting, as well as assists with the monthly NAV and portfolio management. She performs a variety of routine administrative duties pertaining to loan servicing. Prior to joining Fairbridge, Amanda worked in the education field as a high school mathematics teacher. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of South Florida, and is currently earning a second Bachelor degree in Accounting.
Erin O’Keefe is an analyst on the underwriting team at Fairbridge Asset Management LLC. Before working at Fairbridge, Erin graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Connecticut in May 2023. At UConn, Erin studied finance with a concentration in valuations/portfolio management and minored in real estate.
Dustin Hart is a financial analyst at Fairbridge Asset Management LLC. Prior to joining the Fairbridge team, Dustin graduated from Lehigh University with a major in finance in May of 2019. After graduating, Dustin worked for The Madison Square Garden Company (MSGC) as a financial analyst where he helped allocate the assets for the spin-off of MSG Sports (MSGS) and MSG Entertainment (MSGE) from MSGC. Dustin then pivoted to the retail sector becoming the VP of Operations for Hart Retail Group (HRG), where he opened and operated two Jersey Mike locations and a Buff City Soap shop. His experience at HRG provided his first introduction to real estate. Dustin’s background allows him to support the underwriting department in providing the best service possible to each client.
Stacy Spears is the Managing Director of Underwriting. She is responsible for assisting in originations, underwriting, and portfolio management. Stacy holds over 15 years of experience in commercial real estate finance and has underwritten over $1 billion of CMBS loans of all property types ranging in size and spread across various asset classes and geographies. Additional experience includes CMBS securitization due diligence, asset management for a multi-billion dollar agency portfolio and hospitality bridge lending. Prior to joining Fairbridge, Stacy spent 9 years in the real estate capital markets group of a large regional bank, as well as worked for a hospitality bridge lender and a third-party financial services provider. Stacy received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Mississippi.
Ryan Attenson is a Managing Director of Originations at Fairbridge Asset Management; a leading provider of bridge loans for commercial real estate. He is responsible for evaluating, originating, and structuring bridge loans in the commercial and non-owner occupied residential real estate space. Given his experience in originations, underwriting, and lending, he can break down the most complex of transactions, such as acquisitions, refinances and distressed asset repositioning, to its simplest form while providing a workable lending solution that benefits all parties involved. Ryan has originated and closed over $1 billion dollars' worth of commercial and residential mortgages throughout his career. Prior to joining Fairbridge, he worked on "Wall Street" at a large investment bank, trading and securitizing all types of mortgage-backed and government securities and has owned a successful mortgage banking firm.
Michael Hansen is Managing Director at Fairbridge leading project
management oversight. He has over 30 years of construction experience, from
home remodeling to high-rise projects in Manhattan. A 25-year member of the
Ironworkers International, he spent 20 years as a foreman, leading teams and
ensuring projects were completed on time and within budget. He was part of the
teams that built Central Park Tower, the Bloomberg Building, JFK Tower 1, the
Ritz-Carlton, and White Plains. Skilled in reading architectural and structural
drawings, he excels in project management and team development. Known for his
leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork, Michael has a proven track record of
delivering successful projects. His commitment to excellence, efficiency, and
integrity continues to drive his success in the construction industry.
Anthony Balbo is head of underwriting. He has been involved in the real estate industry for more than 14 years. During his tenure at Fairbridge, which began in 2018, Anthony has helped originate, underwrite, and close real estate backed bridge loan ranging in size and spread across various asset classes and geographies. Prior to joining Fairbridge, he was Director of Operations for a New York-based real estate investment firm where he oversaw the commercial leasing, financing, and day-to-day operations of a portfolio of properties that included office space, warehousing, mixed-use buildings and residential units. Anthony received his B.A. in Economics from Hamilton College and his Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law.
John Lettera is Co-Founder and Partner at Fairbridge. He is head of asset management, legal and compliance and is a member of the firm’s Credit Committee. John has more than 20 years of legal experience and has spent more than 25 years in real estate debt originations, acquisitions and equity investing. He also founded and managed two successful real estate finance funds that together invested in excess of $400 million. John is an adjunct professor and member of the Board of Visitors at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and licensed to practice law in the State of New York. He is a combat veteran having served in the U.S. Marine Corps, including during the Gulf War.
Max Wamp is an analyst on the originations team at Fairbridge Asset Management LLC. He joined the Fairbridge team full-time after interning during the academic year and the summer of 2024. Max graduated Cum Laude from Fairfield University in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in both Finance and Business Analytics. Max also holds both the Real Estate Financial Modeling (REFM) Certification and the Real Estate Financing Analysis Investment (REFAI) Certification.
Steven Wissak is Co-Founder and Partner at Fairbridge. He is head of origination and is a member of the Credit Committee. Steve focuses on alternative lending and bridge financing for real estate-secured deals and has been been involved in the real estate industry for over 30 years in various capacities. Steve was a principal in several real estate companies that acquired multifamily apartment buildings in the New York City area as well as rehabilitating close to 5,000 units of work force housing in New York City and its boroughs. Mr. Wissak received his B.A. in Political Science and Economics at the State University of New York at Binghamton and J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law.
Kristin Bertram is Managing Director, Originations with Fairbridge Asset Management. She has over 20 years of investment experience across the capital stack with a focus on special situations. She has been directly involved in over $1B of real estate transactions in various capacities including originations, acquisitions, asset management, recapitalizations and dispositions. Ms. Bertram has held various roles with E2M Ventures, iBorrow, Hillcrest Finance, Hudson Advisors and Walton Street Capital. Kristin was a double major in Real Estate and Finance at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Avi Zukerman is Managing Director of Originations at Fairbridge Asset Management, responsible for sourcing and structuring bridge and construction loans nationwide. He has over 18 years of real estate finance experience spanning origination, securitization, and capital markets. Prior to joining Fairbridge, Avi served as Director of Originations at Rok Lending, where he expanded institutional capital relationships and closed over $200 million in real estate financings. Earlier in his career, he was an investment banker in Credit Suisse’s Real Estate Finance & Securitization Group, where he was involved in the execution of more than $2.5 billion in CMBS transactions.
Avi holds a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA in Finance from California State University, Northridge.
Tom Miller is a Managing Director of Originations, with expertise in sourcing, evaluating, structuring and executing commercial real estate transactions. With nearly 20 years of experience in navigating multiple credit cycles, Tom has overseen the acquisition, financing, asset management and disposition of commercial properties across diverse asset classes with a total dollar value exceeding $2.6 billion. Prior to joining Fairbridge, he spent 10 years with Streamline Realty Funding, a national bridge lending firm that provides funding for transitional properties, special situations, construction and predevelopment. Tom began his post-graduate career in the Investment Banking Department at Bear, Stearns & Co. He received his BA in Political Science from Brown University, an MS degree in Real Estate from the NYU Schack Institute, and an MBA in Finance and Strategic Management from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Andrew Bekkevold is a Managing Director of Underwriting with nearly 15 years of experience executing complex commercial real estate credit and equity transactions, as well as leading strategic initiatives across capital markets, corporate finance, and ground-up real estate development.
Before joining Fairbridge, Andrew held senior real estate investment and development roles at Bayshore Grove Capital in Miami, FL, and Skanska USA Commercial Development in Washington, D.C. He also served as Vice President of Corporate Finance at SL Green Realty Corp. and began his career in investment banking with Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Financial Institutions Group in New York City, NY.
Andrew holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BS from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.
REAL ESTATE PRIVATE CREADIT READY FOR TAKE-OFF
We are in the beginning stages of a dramatic shift in how real estate acquisition, rehab, and development is financed in the U.S.
Historically, banks have provided over 50% of commercial real estate financing, but that is changing quickly. Why?
Brian will share an in-depth analysis of the macro banking factors impacting the industry and its ability to provide CRE financing, and discuss how this is creating an historic opportunity for real estate private credit lenders and alternative asset investors.
