#392 - Jason Baxter - Co-Founder @ Fostr AI - What Elite CEOs Know About AI That Others Don’t
My Co-Founder, Jason Baxter, joins me once again to discuss the growth at FOSTR and how our team is thinking about the future of AI inside companies.
Since our last conversation, Jason has sharpened his perspective on where the real value lies for businesses—moving beyond surface-level AI use cases to building the infrastructure that allows organizations to actually compound knowledge over time. We dig into how FOSTR is solving the data problem, why knowledge graphs are critical, and what it means for the next wave of AI adoption in business.
We discuss:
Why messy data is the biggest barrier for companies adopting AI
The role of knowledge graphs in creating context and compounding company knowledge
Why CEOs need to think about AI as infrastructure, not just a tool
What’s next for FOSTR as it rolls out to more companies
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:03:52) - How FOSTR has evolved since the last time Jason was on the show
(00:10:02) - FOSTR’s infrastructure stack
(00:21:51) - The importance of clean data
(00:28:03) - FOSTR’s Knowledge graph
(00:44:00) - How FOSTR would work in a Real Estate Brokerage firm
(00:49:34) - Who owns the data?
(00:57:34) - What’s coming from FOSTR in the next 45-60 days
Links:
Request early access to FOSTR - https://fostrai.com/
Reach out to [email protected] for notifications on the Slack Community Launch
Chris on Social Media:
Chris on X: https://x.com/fortworthchris
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#391 - Chad Lavender - President of Capital Markets, North America @ Newmark
Chad Lavender is the President of Capital Markets - North America @ Newmark.
In this episode we talk about his journey through commercial real estate, from starting out in development during the 2008 financial crisis to building one of the leading senior housing brokerage and advisory practices in the country. We cover how he navigated tough markets early in his career, the lessons he learned from cold calling legends of the industry, and the growth of alternative asset classes like senior housing, medical office, and data centers. Chad also shares his perspective on current real estate markets, from multifamily and industrial to the resurgence of office and the expansion of build-to-rent housing.
We discuss:
Starting in high-rise development in 2008 and learning through the downturn
Building a senior housing brokerage business from scratch and winning early deals with Starwood and Carlisle
Moving from ARA to HFF to Newmark and helping create the alternative assets platform
How recruiting, persistence, and long-term relationships drive success in brokerage
Current insights on data centers, senior housing, office recovery, build-to-rent, and industrial demand
Links:
Newmark - https://www.nmrk.com/
Chad on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-lavender-03551bb/
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:04:22) - Chad’s career and background
(00:06:39) - The rise of Alabama in real estate
(00:09:24) - Breaking into the multifamily market
(00:11:42) - Building a seniors housing brokerage team
(00:20:13) - The evolution of senior housing
(00:27:27) - Joining Newmark and leading alternative assets
(00:34:35) - The power of passion and persistence
(00:37:49) - Winning business
(00:40:36) - Data centers and infrastructure
(00:46:37) - The office market rebound
(00:51:45) - Build-to-rent trends and challenges
(00:57:46) - Capital markets and future outlook
(01:05:04) - Final thoughts
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1:05:56
#390 - Barrett Linburg - Founder @ Savoy Equity Partners - Big Beautiful Opportunity Zones
We welcome back Barrett Linburg to the podcast for a deep dive into the evolution of Opportunity Zones and also his firm, Savoy. Barrett shares how his focus on Opportunity Zone projects has shaped Savoy, why these tax-incentivized investments are so compelling for long-term real estate strategies, and how his team has expanded into property management, construction, and development. The discussion also highlights the transformation of Dallas neighborhoods, navigating legislation, and lessons learned from working with contractors and city partnerships.
We discuss:
How Barrett discovered opportunity zones and built a firm around them
The redevelopment of Bishop Ridge in Dallas and the strategy behind choosing locations
Key changes from Opportunity Zone 1.0 to 2.0 and what they mean for investors
Building out complementary businesses in property management, renovations, and construction
Combining opportunity zones with PFC structures to maximize returns and affordability
Links
Barrett on X - https://x.com/DallasAptGP
Barrett on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrett-linburg-32070310/
Savoy Equity Partners - https://savoyequity.com/
Barrett’s first appearance on the show - https://youtu.be/6WkWK3BldgI
Topics
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:05:52) - Barrett's real estate journey
(00:07:12) - Opportunity zones in practice
(00:21:08) - Case study: Bishop Ridge
(00:26:21) - Future of opportunity zones
(00:34:51) - Understanding OZ tax benefits
(00:35:16) - Clarifying misconceptions about OZ investments
(00:36:55) - Step up in basis explained
(00:38:46) - Investing in opportunity zone businesses
(00:43:47) - Challenges with general contractors
(00:48:42) - Expanding Savoy Equity Partners
(00:58:31) - Navigating PFC and OZ deals
(01:04:33) - Conclusion and contact information
Support our Sponsors
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POWERS is produced by https://www.johnnypodcasts.com/
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1:05:33
#389 - Imran Khan - Founder @ Proem Asset Mgmt - Investing In The Fourth Industrial Revolution
Imran Khan is the Founder at Proem Asset Management. In this episode we explore the arc of his remarkable career—from his early days as one of Wall Street’s top-ranked analysts to leading global IPOs and eventually launching his own hedge fund.
We discuss:
- Why gross margins are a critical indicator of fundamental shifts in a business
- How he met Joe Tsai and helped lead Alibaba’s record-setting IPO
- The vision Evan Spiegel had that made Snap a generational product
- His criteria for identifying high-quality public companies and warning signs to avoid
- How private market hype has skewed investor incentives—and why that might be changing
Links:
Proem Asset Management - https://www.proemasset.com/
Imran on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dotkhan/
Imran on X - https://x.com/dottkhan
Support our Sponsors:
Ramp: https://ramp.com/fort
Vesto: https://www.vesto.com/fort
BetterPitch: https://bit.ly/42d9L0I
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:03:17) - Becoming a great research analyst
(00:06:44) - The difficulty in controlling gross margins
(00:08:25) - How to research companies to invest in
(00:12:53) - Are there similarities today in technology to the 2001 tech bubble?
(00:17:11) - The state of AI investing
(00:20:04) - The America/China AI race
(00:23:26) - Imran’s experience with Alibaba
(00:26:26) - The state of China’s inevitability
(00:31:11) - Imran’s experience working at Snap
(00:39:09) - Leaving Snap
(00:40:26) - Imran’s fund structure
(00:43:00) - Being drawn to bias
(00:45:05) - Mercenaries vs. missionaries
(00:47:07) - The market likes to fool the greatest number of people
(00:50:18) - The pendulum of private and public market investing
Chris on Social Media:
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#388 - Mark Toro - CVO @ Toro Development Co. - Developing Generational Mixed Use "Fortresses"
Today’s guest is Mark Toro, Chief Vision Officer @ Toro Development Co, based in Atlanta, GA.
Mark unpacks the philosophy, economics, and human-centered detail behind some of the most successful mixed-use developments in the country. We talk through his journey from building suburban power centers to pioneering immersive experiences like Avalon, Colony Square, and the upcoming Medley.
Mark shares how the 2008 financial crisis sparked his rethinking of real estate as a service business rather than just a physical asset—and how ideas like hospitality, branding, and community integration became central to his playbook.
This episode is packed with specific examples, war stories, and lessons on what it really takes to develop places people never want to leave.
We discuss:
- Why demographics and household income drive everything in site selection
- How do vertically integrated, mixed-use developments function financially and operationally
- The importance of patios, music, and concierge-level service in creating “third places”
- Why tenant selection is both science and art—and what betting on the right jockey really means
- How a bottle of tequila became a company tradition symbolizing intentionality and pride in execution
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:03:43) - Mark’s career and background
(00:08:03) - The gutted middle in retail
(00:09:38) - Site selection criteria for a “fortress”
(00:18:45) - Seamless integration
(00:26:27) - The art of pitching tenants
(00:31:42) - Mark’s approach to “opening” dates
(00:33:28) - Betting the farm on tenants
(00:35:46) - Office
(00:40:18) - Parking strategies
(00:41:51) - Hospitality vs. real estate
(00:45:23) - Being Disney-esque
(00:49:22) - Low-hanging fruit that properties can implement today
(00:54:17) - Marketing funds
(00:57:55) - Equity partners
(00:58:56) - Why isn’t this model scalable?
(01:04:10) - How much more profitable can a fortress be than other mixed-use areas
(01:07:12) - Eric Weatherholtz & extending patio season
(01:10:49) - The tequila story
Support our Sponsors:
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Links:
Mark Toro on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktoro/
Toro Development Co. - https://torodevco.com/
Chris on Social Media:
The Fort Podcast on Twitter/X: https://x.com/theFORTpodcast
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POWERS brings you inside the minds of world-class leaders who have built, battled, and succeeded at the highest levels.
POWERS digs beyond the surface with questions driven by curiosity, uncovering stories and insights rarely shared publicly. Each episode delivers timeless wisdom and hard-earned lessons that apply across business and life.
The show has earned a reputation for asking the right questions at the right moment. The focus is on timeless principles, proven through years of discipline and risk, not on shortcuts. Each conversation is direct, deliberate, and designed to leave listeners sharper than when they arrived. The aim is simple: to deliver insights that matter and can be carried into business and life.
Since its launch, POWERS has drawn a high-caliber audience of builders, investors, and decision makers. Past guests have represented companies such as Starwood Capital, JLL, Hillwood Capital, Chick-fil-A, Morning Brew, Founders Podcast, Tiny Capital, Permanent Equity, Fort, Matthews REIS, Bonobos, and ConvertKit.
At its core, POWERS is a celebration of leadership, of work that matters, and of the American spirit that makes it possible.
Brasil