

Tangent 💚 Proptech
Edward Cohen, Jeff Berman & Zach Aarons
A podcast community for Proptech and Real Estate leaders, investors, operators and innovators.
A new era is upon us. Tangent💚Proptech unites Proptech founders💡, Real Estate investors and operators🏢, Venture Capital investors, urban leaders🏙 and passionate creators🌎 who are improving our communities and cities. Join us to learn how we can solve present day challenges with innovative technology and greater collaboration.
Join VC investors Jeffrey Berman and Zach Aarons, and Proptech entrepreneur Edward Cohen, to learn about housing innovation, the future of work and climate tech. We examine these themes through interviews and conversations with Proptech CEO's, real estate owners and operators, and venture investors, and how we can leverage tech and collaboration to help solve the housing crisis, figure out the future of work and how to decarbonize the built environment.
If you would like to get your company’s or organization’s mission featured on Tangent, email us at community@tangentproptech.com.
Stay curious and always be learning! 🤓
A new era is upon us. Tangent💚Proptech unites Proptech founders💡, Real Estate investors and operators🏢, Venture Capital investors, urban leaders🏙 and passionate creators🌎 who are improving our communities and cities. Join us to learn how we can solve present day challenges with innovative technology and greater collaboration.
Join VC investors Jeffrey Berman and Zach Aarons, and Proptech entrepreneur Edward Cohen, to learn about housing innovation, the future of work and climate tech. We examine these themes through interviews and conversations with Proptech CEO's, real estate owners and operators, and venture investors, and how we can leverage tech and collaboration to help solve the housing crisis, figure out the future of work and how to decarbonize the built environment.
If you would like to get your company’s or organization’s mission featured on Tangent, email us at community@tangentproptech.com.
Stay curious and always be learning! 🤓
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 29, 2024 • 27min
Climate Tech | Fifth Wall CEO Brendan Wallace on Building Real Estate's Tesla & US Elections Impact on Climate Tech Investment
Brendan Wallace is CEO & CIO at Fifth Wall, where he guides the firm’s strategic vision. Fifth Wall is the largest venture capital firm focused on technologies for the global real estate industry, including those which decarbonize the sector. Wallace has described the impact of the real estate industry on the environment as "the single-biggest lever we can turn on to mitigate climate change.” Prior to founding Fifth Wall in 2016, Brendan co-founded Identified, a workforce optimization data and analytics company that raised $33 million of venture funding and was acquired by Workday (NYSE: WKDY) in 2014. He also co-founded Cabify, the largest ridesharing service in Latin America, and has been an active investor, leading more than 60 angel investments including Lyft, SpaceX, Dollar Shave Club, Bonobos, Philz Coffee, and TriNet Zenefits.(1:28) - Why Fifth Wall built a dedicated team for Climate Tech investing(6:22) - Feature - Blueprint: The Future of Real Estate(7:10) - Selling software vs. Climate Tech to Real Estate LP's(9:10) - Proptech investing & adoption across different markets(13:15) - US presidential election impact on Climate Tech(16:10) - Fifth Wall's role and legacy in Climate Tech(20:27) - What would Brendan do if he was a founder today(25:00) - Collaboration Superpower: Sam Zell (Wiki)💚 Learn more:➡️ Fifth Wall's site➡️ Brendan Wallace on LinkedIn➡️ Am I Being Too Subtle - Sam Zell's Book➡️ Cherry Lawn Capital White Paper - Transitional Finance: A New Credit Model for High-Growth Real Estate Businesses 💚 Feature:➡️ Blueprint Vegas 2025 - Register for 2025: The Premier Event for Industry Executives, Real Estate & Construction Tech Startups and VCs, at The Venetian, Las Vegas on September 16th-18th, 2025.💚 Connect with Tangent:➡️ Edward Cohen on LinkedIn➡️ Jeff Berman on LinkedIn➡️ Zach Aarons on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on LinkedInClarification: The number cited at the beginning of the episode $3.2 Billion refers to the amount raised, not deployed, but the VC firms.Disclaimer: Tangent podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advise. Nothing contained on our program constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by Tangent, Camber Creek, MetaProp, or any third party guest to buy or sell any securities, public or private, other financial instruments or funds.

Oct 22, 2024 • 39min
Housing | The Easiest Way to Integrate with Multifamily Property Management, with Propexo CEO Remen Okoruwa
Remen Okoruwa is a former strategy consultant and product manager, and now Co-founder and CEO at Propexo. His company helps property owners, operators, and proptech companies deliver better resident experiences through the power of data. Propexo provides tools for connecting property management software with other technology in a streamlined way. Propexo is a customer-centric organization that focuses on data strategies that delight residents, improve NOI, and make Multifamily real estate a better place for everyone.(2:06) - Remen's & Propexo's origin story(4:47) - Building the Plaid for Proptech(8:32) - State of Propexo today(12:02) - Propexo's model & ROI in Multifamily(16:04) - Serving diverse use cases & customer base(17:22) - Feature | Berkadia's BeEngaged - Learn more: Ecosystem of founders, industry professionals, and capital providers dedicated to redefining the Commercial Real Estate space.(18:59) - How Proptech VC looks at integratability(24:26) - Building a collaborative & customer-centric product road map(26:54) - RealPage v. US Justice Department(29:27) - Feature | CREtech NY Conference & Expo - Sign Up: Tangent listeners get a 20% discount using code PARTNERTANGENT20 at checkout.(33:42) - Collaboration Superpower: Cyrus the Great (Wiki)💚 Learn more:➡️ Propexo's site➡️ Remen Okoruwa on LinkedIn💚 Feature:➡️ Berkadia's BeEngaged - Learn more: Ecosystem of founders, industry professionals, and capital providers dedicated to redefining the commercial real estate space.➡️ CREtech NY Conference & Expo - Register now: Tangent listeners get a 20% discount using code PARTNERTANGENT20 at checkout💚 Connect with Tangent:➡️ Edward Cohen on LinkedIn➡️ Jeff Berman on LinkedIn➡️ Zach Aarons on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on LinkedInDisclaimer: Tangent podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advise. Nothing contained on our program constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by Tangent, Camber Creek, MetaProp, or any third party guest to buy or sell any securities, public or private, other financial instruments or funds.

Oct 8, 2024 • 32min
How Berkadia's BeEngaged Helps Proptech Startups Redefine Commercial Real Estate, with Berkadia's VP Bryce Nyberg
Bryce Nyberg is the VP, Corporate Development at Berkadia and the Head of BeEngaged. Bryce focuses on advancing innovation in our industry through BeEngaged, partnerships, investments, and acquisitions. His influence in and out of Berkadia, business acumen, and effective program leadership skills lead to remarkable outcomes for the organizations he works with. Startups that have gone through BeEngaged include Esusu, Propexo, Rabbet, Market Stadium, Symmetre, Reffie and Embue.(2:00) - What is Berkadia's BeEngaged(6:58) - What startups are ideal candidates for the program(11:13) - Real Estate no longer a tech laggard?(14:56) - Feature | Berkadia's BeEngaged - Learn more: Ecosystem of founders, industry professionals, and capital providers dedicated to redefining the commercial real estate space.(16:33) - Berkadia's BeEngaged's case studies(21:12) - Feature | CREtech NY Conference & Expo - Learn more: Tangent listeners get a 20% discount using code PARTNERTANGENT20 at checkout.(22:45) - Role of collaboration & integration in the Proptech ecosystem(28:16) - Collaboration Superpower: Warren Buffett (Chairperson of Berkshire Hathaway) 💚 Learn more:➡️ Berkadia's BeEngaged site➡️ Bryce Nyberg on LinkedIn💚 Feature:➡️ Berkadia's BeEngaged - Learn more: Ecosystem of founders, industry professionals, and capital providers dedicated to redefining the commercial real estate space. ➡️ CREtech NY Conference & Expo - Register now: Tangent listeners get a 20% discount using code PARTNERTANGENT20 at checkout💚 Connect with Tangent:➡️ Edward Cohen on LinkedIn➡️ Jeff Berman on LinkedIn➡️ Zach Aarons on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on LinkedInDisclaimer: Tangent podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advise. Nothing contained on our program constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by Tangent, Camber Creek, MetaProp, or any third party guest to buy or sell any securities, public or private, other financial instruments or funds.

Sep 11, 2024 • 50min
Future of CRE | Rudin Co-CEO Michael Rudin on CRE Amenities for Today's Workforce, Profitable Ops & Proptech's Dirty Little Secrets
Michael Rudin joined Rudin in 2008 and, together with his sister Samantha, represents the fourth generation to work at the family business founded in 1925. Michael focuses on new developments, capital markets, commercial leasing, sustainability and technology. He also helps lead the family’s alternative investing business, Rudin Ventures, where they've invested in companies like Bilt, Jones, VTS and Nantum OS. Rudin Management oversees the daily operations of 32 properties in New York City. The portfolio is comprised of 17 residential buildings totaling 4.7 million square feet and 14 commercial office buildings totaling approximately 9 million square feet.(1:19) - Amenities for today's workforce(9:50) - Feature: Blueprint Vegas 2024(10:50) - Making buildings profitable(14:19) - 3 Times Square case study(18:42) - CRE leasing & financing(22:34) - CRE Ops & risk mitigation(29:50) - Proptech's dirty little secret(37:45) - Lessons from Latch / Door.com(42:43) - Bilt Rewards: Fintech's hottest Proptech(47:20) - Collaboration Superpower: Michael's cousin Carlton💚 Learn more:➡️ Rudin's site➡️ Rudin Ventures' site➡️ Michael Rudin on LinkedIn➡️ Proptech 101 (book) - Turning Chaos Into Cash Through Real Estate Innovation by Zach Aarons & Aaron Block➡️ ProSentry's site - Smart building monitoring platform for CRE & Condos, including water leak detection recommended by insurance.💚 Feature:➡️ Blueprint Vegas 2024 - Tangent listeners get a $300 discount at BlueprintVegas.com/Tangent💚 Connect with Tangent:➡️ Edward Cohen on LinkedIn➡️ Jeff Berman on LinkedIn➡️ Zach Aarons on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on LinkedInDisclaimer: Tangent podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advise. Nothing contained on our program constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by Tangent, Camber Creek, MetaProp, or any third party guest to buy or sell any securities, public or private, other financial instruments or funds.

Jul 17, 2024 • 50min
Housing Crisis | Revolutionizing Build-to-Rent Development, with a16z-backed Mosaic CEO Salman Ahmad
Salman Ahmad is the CEO and Co-founder of a16z-backed Mosaic, a construction technology company that builds software that makes homebuilding more scalable and efficient. Mosaic was founded in 2017 by Salman and Sep Kamvar, whom were two computer scientists working together at MIT and Stanford developing machine learning algorithms applied in the real world. Together, they developed a bold vision for the home building industry: construction as code. Mosaic uses their software themselves to manage construction on behalf of homebuilders, enabling them to build more homes. Salman has 20 technical publications and patents in the areas of software systems, programming languages, machine learning, human-computer interaction, and sensor hardware. He also worked with Microsoft developing virtualized datacenter solutions. (3:33) - Mosaic's & Salman's origin story(8:35) - Feature: Blueprint Vegas 2024 - Tangent listeners get a $300 discount at BlueprintVegas.com/Tangent(9:30) - Housing construction pain points(12:40) - Construction productivity issues(15:12) - Mosaic's business model (23:26) - Aligning Contech with VC timelines & incentives(30:37) - Mosaic's biggest challenges(35:26) - Macro & micro factors of construction labor shortage (43:19) - Collaboration Superpower: Christopher Alexander (Co-author of A Pattern Language)💚 Learn more:➡️ Mosaic's site➡️ Salman Ahmad on LinkedIn💚 Feature:➡️ Blueprint Vegas 2024 - Tangent listeners get a $300 discount at BlueprintVegas.com/Tangent💚 Connect with Tangent:➡️ Edward Cohen on LinkedIn➡️ Edward Cohen on X➡️ Jeff Berman on LinkedIn➡️ Jeff Berman on X➡️ Zach Aarons on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on XDisclaimer: Tangent podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advise. Nothing contained on our program constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by Tangent, Camber Creek, MetaProp, or any third party guest to buy or sell any securities, public or private, other financial instruments or funds.

Jun 18, 2024 • 38min
Housing Crisis | The Rise of Home Equity Investments, with Point Co-founder Eoin Matthews
Eoin Matthews is the Co-founder at Point, a home equity investment company making home equity wealth accessible to homeowners without creating a monthly debt obligation. Homeowners get upfront funds from Point in return for a portion of your home’s future appreciation. Point recently announced an oversubscribed $141M securitization, which marked it's second rated securitization and third overall, with its collaboration with Atalaya Capital Management. Eoin previously served as the VP of Business Development at Rakuten and has an extensive background in education.(2:20) - Point's & Eoin's origin story(5:43) - Potential HEI benefits for investors(9:20) - Point's securitizations strategy(11:42) - Capital stack evolution(14:17) - M&A activity in Housing tech companies(17:00) - Feature: Blueprint Vegas 2024(17:54) - State of the Housing Market(24:07) - Affordability of owning vs. renting a home(29:47) - Underwriting Proptech in the current rate environment(32:28) - Collaboration Superpower: Steve Wozniak (Apple Co-founder)💚 Learn more:➡️ Point's site➡️ Eoin Matthews on LinkedIn💚 Feature:➡️ Blueprint Vegas 2024 - Tangent listeners get a $300 discount at BlueprintVegas.com/Tangent 💚 Connect with Tangent:➡️ Edward Cohen on LinkedIn➡️ Edward Cohen on X➡️ Jeff Berman on LinkedIn➡️ Jeff Berman on X➡️ Zach Aarons on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on XDisclaimer: Tangent podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advise. Nothing contained on our program constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by Tangent, Camber Creek, MetaProp, or any third party guest to buy or sell any securities, public or private, other financial instruments or funds.

May 7, 2024 • 35min
Climate Tech | Sustainability & Economic Benefits From Decarbonizing Real Estate, with Cortex CRO Lisa Rockefeller
Lisa Rockefeller is the Chief Revenue Officer at Cortex Sustainability Intelligence, the decarbonization platform built for commercial real estate, where she's driving the go-to market strategy. Cortex's advanced AI helps CRE teams amplify operational effectiveness, make informed decisions about capital investments, and tactically address regulation risks. Lisa has spent over 15 years in the regulated and unregulated Climate Tech space, including at EnerNOC's, a leading provider of cloud-based energy intelligence software, and at Palmetto Solar. (0:25) - Lisa's origin story(1:18) - Quantifying the real estate decarbonization problem(5:40) - Defining sustainability goals for CRE players(10:25) - Cortex's data stack(13:23) - Types of asset classes & building sizes working with Cortex(20:11) - Feature: Blueprint Vegas - The Future of Real Estate Is Here. Tangent listeners get a $300 discount at BlueprintVegas.com/Tangent(21:02) - Driving Cortex's adoption & estimating ROI(23:33) - Has Real Estate done enough to cut carbon emissions? (32:04) - Collaboration Superpower: Neil deGrasse Tyson (Wiki)💚 Learn more:➡️ Cortex Sustainability Intelligence's site➡️ Lisa Rockefeller on LinkedIn💚 Feature:➡️ Blueprint Vegas 2024 - Tangent listeners get a $300 discount at BlueprintVegas.com/Tangent💚 Connect with Tangent:➡️ Edward Cohen on LinkedIn➡️ Edward Cohen on X➡️ Jeff Berman on LinkedIn➡️ Jeff Berman on X➡️ Zach Aarons on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on XDisclaimer: Tangent podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advise. Nothing contained on our program constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by Tangent, Camber Creek, MetaProp, or any third party guest to buy or sell any securities, public or private, other financial instruments or funds.

Apr 11, 2024 • 44min
The New Generation of Real Estate Tech Venture Capital, with RE Angels GP & Founder Alon Gorbonos
Alon is the Founder and General Partner of RE Angels, a real estate technology angel fund solely composed of real estate experts with deep and diverse industry expertise focused on early stage startups. Alon also owns and manages several multifamily portfolios throughout the southeast (FL, NC & VA). Alon was the co-founder and managing partner of DTI Holdings, a vertically-integrated private equity real estate fund, which was established in early 2017 and successfully divested in 2021 - achieving 20% IRR. Previously, as a senior investment manager at MIO Partners, McKinsey & Company’s Investment Office. Prior to MIO Partners, Alon worked as a strategic consultant for McKinsey & Company, managing private equity client engagements.(0:32) - RE Angels & Alon's origin story(2:27) - Is Real Estate slow to adopt tech(4:49) - Early-stage Proptech VC criteria(10:02) - Proptech VC challenges(13:25) - RE Angels investment criteria(17:49) - Feature: Housing Trust Silicon Valley(19:00) - RE Angels Real Estate Tech framework(25:00) - Driving behavioral change through innovation(30:24) - Feature: Blueprint Vegas - The Future of Real Estate Is Here. Tangent listeners get a $300 discount at BlueprintVegas.com/Tangent(31:16) - RE Angels PortCo's: Paraspot.AI (AI-powered inspections for real estate) & Waltz (Enabling foreign investors to invest in US Real Estate) (39:08) - Collaboration Superpower: Warren Buffett💚 Learn more:➡️ RE Angels' site➡️ Alon Gorbonos on LinkedIn💚 Feature:➡️ Blueprint Vegas 2024 - Tangent listeners get a $300 discount at BlueprintVegas.com/Tangent ➡️ Housing Trust Silicon Valley's site - Housing finance & public-private partnerships to create more equitable & affordable communities.💚 Connect with Tangent:➡️ Edward Cohen on LinkedIn➡️ Edward Cohen on X➡️ Jeff Berman on LinkedIn➡️ Jeff Berman on X➡️ Zach Aarons on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on XDisclaimer: Tangent podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advise. Nothing contained on our program constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by Tangent, Camber Creek, MetaProp, or any third party guest to buy or sell any securities, public or private, other financial instruments or funds.

Mar 26, 2024 • 36min
Future of Office | Coworking is Dead, Long Live Coworking: The New Flex Office Generation, with a16z-backed Codi CEO Christelle Rohaut
Christelle Rohaut is the Founder and CEO of Codi (backed by a16z), where she's building the walk-to-work revolution. Codi offers turnkey, private office spaces with the most flexible terms on the market. In a matter of days, any company can find a space for their team, with full and part-time options, outsourced office management, and flexible leases. Codi has also created a Relief Fund to help businesses impacted by WeWork's struggles. Christelle is an Urban Planner who aspires to achieve positive social and natural impacts for happier livelihoods. She seeks to innovatively rethink urban systems to help cities be a happier place for all.(2:11) - State of Office market(13:58) - Feature: Housing Trust Silicon Valley(15:10) - What's wrong with traditional Coworking(21:43) - Types of buildings partnering with Codi(23:56) - Codi's WeWon't marketing campaign(29:34) - Collaboration Superpower: Brian Chesky (Airbnb CEO & Co-founder) & Conchita Martinez (Spanish tennis champion & coach)💚 Learn more:➡️ Codi's site➡️ Christelle Rohaut on LinkedIn💚 Feature:➡️ Housing Trust Silicon Valley's site - Housing finance & public-private partnerships to create more equitable & affordable communities.💚 Connect with Tangent:➡️ Edward Cohen on LinkedIn➡️ Edward Cohen on X➡️ Jeff Berman on LinkedIn➡️ Jeff Berman on X➡️ Zach Aarons on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on XDisclaimer: Tangent podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advise. Nothing contained on our program constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by Tangent, Camber Creek, MetaProp, or any third party guest to buy or sell any securities, public or private, other financial instruments or funds.

Mar 13, 2024 • 41min
A New Way to Finance Tech-Enabled Real Estate Co's & Lessons from the Proptech Boom Cycle, with Cherry Lawn Capital Managing Partner Robert McDonald
Robert McDonald is the Managing Partner at Cherry Lawn Capital, on a mission to provide businesses with the real estate capital necessary to scale and the operational capital needed for a successful next venture round. Robert joins Edward, Jeff and Zach to also discuss lessons and takeaways from the previous Proptech boom cycle, and how should founders and investors think about structuring, financing and scaling tech-enabled and data-driven Real Estate business in the post-ZIRP era. (1:19) - State of Proptech VC(9:56) - Proptech finance incentives (14:24) - Feature: Housing Trust Silicon Valley(15:36) - Cherry Lawn Capital's & Robert McDonald's origin story(20:04) - Cherry Lawn solution(31:38) - 'The Great Transition' for Proptech valuations(36:01) - Collaboration Superpower: David F. Swensen's wiki & Paul Annacone's wiki💚 Learn more:➡️ Cherry Lawn Capital's site➡️ Robert McDonald on LinkedIn💚 Feature:➡️ Housing Trust Silicon Valley's site - Housing finance & public-private partnerships to create more equitable & affordable communities.💚 Connect with Tangent:➡️ Edward Cohen on LinkedIn➡️ Edward Cohen on X➡️ Jeff Berman on LinkedIn➡️ Jeff Berman on X➡️ Zach Aarons on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on LinkedIn➡️ Tangent on XDisclaimer: Tangent podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advise. Nothing contained on our program constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by Tangent, Camber Creek, MetaProp, or any third party guest to buy or sell any securities, public or private, other financial instruments or funds.


