Led by a diverse team of experts with extensive real estate private equity, development and operating expertise across all major asset classes and geographies, Metro Edge builds technology-oriented real estate developments to position mid- to large-scale organizations to create operational efficiencies, integrate systems, optimize profitability and drive change through local social impact programs.
Craig Huffman
Craig K. Huffman is a veteran of real estate private equity with nearly two decades of experience as an entrepreneur. Most recently, he served as Co-Founder and Principal of Ascendance Partners, a Chicago-based real estate private equity firm established in 2006 and focused on commercial real estate investments in metropolitan Chicago. Ascendance was an early sponsor of institutional investment funds that acquired real estate in economically underserved communities of Chicago and has sponsored real estate funds for foundations, endowments, pension funds, family offices and high net worth individuals. Notable Ascendance investors have included Bank of America, PNC Community Development Company, LLC, the Retirement Plan for Chicago Transit Authority Employees’ Trust and the University of Notre Dame. Prior to Ascendance, Huffman worked in diverse senior management roles in the sectors of entrepreneurship, education, non-profit and politics. Huffman serves on numerous philanthropic boards and is an advisor and investor for several emerging minority entrepreneurs. He holds a B.A. from Morehouse College and a master’s degree and MBA from the University of Chicago.
Bradley Beile
Brad Beile has a 30-year career managing the operations and finances of established real estate firms, global technology and service startups, growth companies, federal businesses and turnaround situations. He has been a trusted senior advisor to CEOs, board members and investors with an established track record of managing a wide range of teams, raising $4B of capital across 18 private equity funds and overseeing complex financial transactions, including IPOs, M&As, CDOs and privatizations. Beile was most recently the COO of Sterling Bay, a national real estate investment company, where he oversaw corporate operations and investor relations. Prior to joining Sterling Bay in 2017, he was the COO and CFO of Prescient, a global technology and intelligence company; the CFO of The John Buck Company; Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets at Transwestern Investment Company; Vice President–Investment Officer at Heller Financial; and Asset Manager at VMS Realty Partners. He is an active member of several philanthropic organizations and was a long-serving board member of the Oak Park Residence Corporation, an affordable housing nonprofit organization. Beile holds a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Iowa and an M.B.A. from Loyola University of Chicago.
Luke McNiff
Luke McNiff is responsible for underwriting new investment opportunities, financial modeling and creating investment memos. Most recently, McNiff worked as a real estate private equity associate at Ascendance Partners, where he analyzed new acquisitions and existing investments while co-leading execution of portfolio strategy for two funds comprising more than $50M AUM. Previously, McNiff worked for McNiff Builders and Deutsche Bank’s Investment Banking Division where he advised corporations on financial transactions including M&A, corporate refinancing, public and private offerings of debt and equity, and leveraged buyouts. McNiff holds a B.B.A. from The University of Notre Dame.