Advisory Board

Glyn Aeppel, founder, president, CEO, Glencove Capital. Founded in 2010, Glencove Capital is the only woman-owned and operated hospitality investment firm in the U.S. With over 35 years of senior global experience in developing hotel brands, Aeppel has sourced, closed and financed real estate investments of over $3 billion. She was previously CIO of Andre Balazs Properties. She is also chairman of the Advisory Board of 1843 Capital, an early-stage female-founded technology venture firm.

Maki Nakamura Bara, president, co-founder, The Chartres Lodging Group. Bara is an expert in redeveloping and repositioning luxury resorts, urban hotels, convention hotels and conference centers. She has been involved in more than $1 billion of renovation initiatives with Chartres. She previously participated in the formation and growth of the lodging activities of Lend Lease Real Estate and Strategic Hotel Capital. She has also worked at Oxford Capital Partners and PwC.

Adi Bhoopathy, managing principal, head of Capital Markets, Noble Investment Group. Bhoopathy is responsible for debt relationships, asset dispositions, and transaction management. He also leads contract documentation and closings related to new acquisitions, development, and financing. He has more than 25 years of hospitality industry experience and has participated in more than $4.5 billion worth of real estate transactions for Noble since joining the firm in 1999. He became a partner in 2006.

Cody Bradshaw, group CEO, L+R Hotels. Responsible for global strategy, growth, asset management and performance, Bradshaw has 25 years of hospitality real estate investing experience across five continents. At Starwood Capital Group for more than 13 years, he served on the firm’s Investment Committee and led the global hotel team as the firm grew from $20B AUM to $120B AUM. Prior, he helped develop Pebblebrook Hotel Trust following its “blind pool” IPO in 2009.

David Duncan, president and CEO, First Hospitality. Duncan has over 25 years of global operating experience. He coordinated over $10 billion of real estate and capital market transactions across multiple geographies and currencies. His experience ranges from fee-simple equity transactions to mortgage and mezzanine lending and complex joint venture and structured transactions. Previously, Duncan served in executive roles at JC Resorts and Denihan Hospitality.

Sean Hehir, managing partner, Trinity Investments. Hehir is also president and CEO of Trinity Investments and Trinity Fund Advisors LLC. He oversees the firms’ investment activities, including sourcing and executing investment opportunities, formulating investment strategies, and structuring acquisitions and dispositions. As of June 2025, the firm has over $6.6 billion of assets under management. Prior to joining Trinity, he worked for HVS International.

Eric Jacobs, chief global growth officer, Aimbridge Hospitality. Jacobs recently spent 19 years with Marriott International in development and global brand leadership roles. His career includes 35 years in hospitality and restaurant businesses with expertise in hotel branding and franchising, acquisitions and development, market planning, and business development. Jacobs has worked for Hilton International, InterContinental Hotels Group, Stouffer Hotels and Resorts, and Tarsadia Hotels.

Philip “Flip” Maritz, managing director Broadreach Capital Partners, co-founder, Maritz, Wolff & Co. Maritz has 35-plus years of experience in the real estate business. He has chaired or co-chaired several owned hotel management companies (Rosewood, Fairmont, and Dolce Hotels) and developed or redeveloped numerous iconic properties, including The Carlyle, The Mansion on Turtle Creek, The Park Hyatt Sydney and some 25 others. Maritz has more recently developed new hotel brands (The Ameswell) and properties (Sundance Mountain Resort) as well as hotel technology platforms (Skipper Hospitality).

David McCaslin, co-founder, CapStar Advisors. After starting in operations with Westin hotels, McCaslin in 1987 helped found what became CapStar hotels. He became COO and a member of the board of both CapStar Hotel Co. and MeriStar Hotels and Resorts. In 2002, he was a founding partner of the re-formed HEI Hotels & Resorts and served as the president. In 2007, McCaslin formed EAC Hospitality and eventually left to become president of one of his clients, Northwood Hospitality. In 2015, he joined HHM as chief development officer, growing it to 235 hotels and helped complete the private equity deal.

Mehul Patel, managing partner, NewcrestImage. Patel drives strategic growth, leading to acquisitions of over 90 hotels and reinforcing the company’s industry leadership. His market adaptability and decision-making have fueled NewcrestImage’s expansion. He also serves on the Board of Summit Hotel Properties and is a thought leader in hospitality.

Tracy Prigmore, founder, TLTsolutions.  TLTsolutions creates opportunities to obtain passive income by investing in residential, multifamily and hotel projects. The firm in November 2025 was constructing a 90-room Tru by Hilton in California and developing a 60-room boutique hotel in Georgia. Prigmore is also the creator of She Has a Deal, an EdTech platform, real estate investment accelerator and ecosystem that creates pathways to commercial real estate ownership and development for women.

Ben Rafter, CEO, Hotel Equities. Formerly president and CEO of Springboard Hospitality, Rafter assumed leadership of the newly merged Hotel Equities and Springboard Hospitality on May 1, 2025.He led Springboard from a 16-property firm (formerly OLS Hotels & Resorts) into a third-party management company with nearly 50 properties. Previously, Rafter served as president and CEO of Aqua Hospitality and president of Aston Hotels & Resorts, overseeing 56 properties and nearly 11,000 rooms.

Carlos Rodriguez, Jr., CEO, Driftwood Capital. The firm manages approximately $4 billion in hospitality AUM and owns and/or manages 86 hotels, as well as directly and/or through its affiliates, has more than $1 billion of development projects underway and has participated in over $2 billion in loan originations (as of September 2025).