Capital
Jack Landau
Founder & Partner
Chief Financial Officer
Jack is the visionary leader of Firebrook Capital, bringing over 10 years of experience in the real estate development industry. Under their guidance, the company has successfully launched numerous high-impact projects that prioritize sustainability, innovation, and community enhancement.
With a background in real estate development and construction management, Jack combines strategic foresight with a hands-on approach to project management. Their expertise spans various sectors, including residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments, allowing Firebrook Capital to adapt to market trends and client needs effectively.
Jack is passionate about fostering strong relationships with stakeholders, investors, and communities, ensuring that every project aligns with the values and goals of those involved. Their leadership style emphasizes collaboration and transparency, creating a culture of trust and accountability within the organization.
In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations, Jack actively advocates for sustainable development practices, championing initiatives that reduce environmental impact and promote social responsibility.
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Joel Mhel
Chief Operating Officer
Co Founder
As Chief Operating Officer, Joel oversees all transactions and advisory engagements, and is responsible for managing the Ridgewood Capital organization. Joel specializes in strategy, financing, and structuring, and has overseen the execution of over $1 billion in real estate initiatives.
Prior to co-founding Ridgebrook, Joel was Vice President for Real Estate at Northwell Health and was responsible for real estate strategy, negotiation, and transaction execution. Joel led the acquisition and financing of 2.5 million square feet of real estate, including a new corporate headquarters and new ambulatory clinical campus. Prior to joining Northwell, Joel was a consultant with K. Backus & Associates (now U3 Advisors), a boutique real estate consultancy focused on not-for-profits and universities, where he worked with clients including Columbia University, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, and the YMCA of Greater New York. His work involved real estate strategy, transaction structuring, and developer partnerships. With Phil Silverman, Joel was responsible for assembling properties for Columbia University, clearing the way for development of the Manhattanville campus
Lori Shwartz
Senior Vice President
Lori is a founding partner and oversees advisory engagements. She has over two decades of experience working for and within not-for-profit and public institutions on real estate and financial analysis, strategy, and planning. As advisor and project manager, she partners with clients to understand and diagnose needs, identify and assess options, and develop and execute actionable plans.
Lori currently leads several advisory engagements with Northwell Health, New York State’s largest healthcare system, including development of a major new healthcare facility and multiple system-wide real estate optimization initiatives. She has also overseen advisory engagements with Barnard College, Columbia University, and Marymount Manhattan College, related to critical housing and real estate objectives. Previously, Lori served as part of Northwell Health’s Real Estate Strategy team and was responsible for developing real estate strategic plans to support the system’s hospitals and portfolio-wide analysis and optimization. Prior to that, Lori was a consultant with K. Backus & Associates (now U3 Advisors), a boutique real estate consultancy focused on not-for-profits and universities and led multiple engagements with institutions including Brooklyn Public Library, New York University, and Princeton University. Lori began her career as a City Planner for the City of San Mateo, California.
Irwin Stein
Senior Vice President
Irwin oversees design, construction, and management of physical assets, interfacing with clients and their design professionals on all phases of project development.
Prior to joining Ridgebrook, Irwin worked in construction administration and development for Array Architects, a healthcare architectural firm with seven offices in North America and 140 employees. In his role, Irwin managed clients in the healthcare sector including NYU Langone Health and Mount Sinai Health System.
Previously, Irwin served as Senior Director of Construction and Facilities for The Carlyle Group – Nature’s Bounty, a vitamin and nutritional supplement company. For twelve years, he led the budget, planning, design, and construction for over 3 million square feet of corporate office, manufacturing, and warehousing facilities across North America. During his tenure, Nature's Bounty received the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership (NEEP) award, which recognizes business leaders for energy efficiency.
Irwin is a registered architect in New York, has a BA in Architecture from New York Institute of Technology and a Certificate in Architecture from Milano Polytechnico in Milan, Italy.