Karen Kennedy leads National Asset Services’ asset management team, which helps owners turn around underperforming properties nationally. Her company has added over 200 investors from a dozen properties in just the last 12 months. (One of its latest involved an underperforming Class-A property in St. Louis that had the burden of unfavorable financing terms caused, in part, by an outdated TIC structure; NAS' guidance resulted in a new ownership structure and the favorable refi of a $45M loan, avoiding maturity default.) Her 33-year industry career was heavily influenced by her developer grandfather and GC father; after receiving her BA from the University of the Pacific and working on her MA in journalism at USC, she developed and managed properties on behalf of asset management firms like The Festival Cos, The Patrician Group, The Meadows Group, G/K Development and Kesco. Prior to founding NAS, she was COO and Chief Portfolio Officer for SCI Real Estate Investments. Her advice: “Don’t let traditional roles define you as a person or as a professional,” she says. And don’t be afraid of failure. “Always strive to improve your life and find the time to help others to improve theirs.” The wife, mother and grandmother thrives on family time.