NOVA CAPITAL - Key Persons
Chris is an Analyst at Nova Capital where he focuses on underwriting, financing memoranda preparation and due diligence for debt and equity transactions.
Prior to joining Nova Capital, Chris worked at a privately held management company where his primary duties included property management, leasing, and market research. Chris holds a B.S. in Finance from California State University, Northridge.
Ilana is a Vice President at Nova Capital where she is focused on the coordination of due diligence materials, underwriting analysis and managing the closing of real estate debt and equity assignments. Prior to joining Nova Capital, she was responsible for the day-to-day operations and marketing at a Beverly Hills based real estate brokerage and investment firm which specialized in the acquisition and disposition of REOs.
She holds a B.A. in International Studies from University of California, Berkeley, and has been actively involved in health philanthropy and in the non-profit sector. She has volunteered in a development capacity at the American Cancer Society and has garnered a coveted summer clerkship at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles working in the Victims of Trafficking Unit under the supervision of Staff Attorney Daliah Setareh helping secure T-Visas for domestic abuse victims.
Jason Yazdani is a Vice President at Nova Capital where he is focused on underwriting analysis and origination, as well as maintaining client and capital provider relationships. He has been active in the capital markets since 2012 and brings a unique perspective to commercial real estate finance with a background in real estate development. Prior to joining Nova Capital, Jason was an associate at a Beverly Hills based commercial real estate finance advisory firm focusing on origination and business development.
Jason earned a B.S. in Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the Jewish Federation Real Estate and Construction division.
Luis A. Rodriguez is a Director at Nova Capital where he's focused on raising debt and equity financing. Luis has nearly 20 years of capital markets and investment banking experience. He has spent his career originating and structuring loans, bonds and equity offerings. He has completed over one hundred transactions as a global banker at Banco Santander and as an issuer at Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX).
Luis was an Executive Director in the Debt and Equity Capital Markets team at Santander Global Banking & Markets in Mexico from 2006 to 2015. Prior to joining Santander, he worked for PEMEX from 1999 to 2006 where he was responsible for capital markets structuring and execution. During his time at Santander he led a team responsible for originating, structuring and executing international and local capital markets transactions for Mexican, European and Latin American corporate clients from a broad range of industries. He has been particularly active in the real estate, infrastructure and energy sectors. His team became one of the top 10 underwriters of debt securities in Latin America.
Mr. Rodriguez has led numerous innovative capital market transactions including the first wind farm project bond in Latin America for Acciona Renovables (US$300mm), the first global bond for a Mexican REIT for Fibra Uno (US$1.0 billion) and the first global MXN notes for Mexican toll road operator Red de Carreteras de Occidente (Mx$7.5 billion). He has also advised global private equity funds in raising capital from institutional investors.
Luis Rodriguez has been a frequent speaker at the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) and at the Mexican Association of Private Equity Funds (Amexcap). Mr. Rodriguez has been a guest lecturer at the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM). Mr. Rodriguez holds an MBA in International Business from the University of Bristol in the UK and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM). Mr. Rodriguez is fluent in Spanish and English.
Steven Yazdani - Founder, Managing Director
Steven Yazdani is Managing Director and Founder of Nova Capital where he is focused on raising equity and debt for investors and developers. He has spent the last 15 years working in a real estate capital advisory role and has placed more than $3 billion in debt and equity financing for investors and developers throughout the United States and Mexico.
Prior to founding Nova Capital, he was a founding partner of Lucent Capital. Previously, Steven opened and co-headed the Los Angeles office for the Carlton Group, a New York based real estate investment banking firm. Earlier, he served as a Senior Vice President at Los Angeles based George Smith Partners, where he was active in raising debt and equity financing on behalf of institutional clients and executing both performing and non-performing note sales on behalf of financial institutions.
Steven holds joint Juris Doctorate and Master of Real Estate Development degrees from the University of Southern California. He earned his B.S. in Finance from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business.