withco Hires Founder & Former CTO of VTS Karl Baum and Former CFO of CBRE Leah Stearns

NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- withco, the first commercial property ownership platform for small businesses, has hired two commercial real estate veterans to join its team. Karl Baum, the Founder & Former CTO of VTS has joined as an engineer. Leah Stearns, the Former CFO of CBRE and American Tower's US division, has joined as interim CFO. These key hires come after withco announced raising $30M+ in equity funding last week.

Karl joins withco with extensive experience in the PropTech industry, responsible for building out VTS's platform which changed how landlords and brokers manage CRE transactions and market data. At withco, he will help lead the evolution of withco's platform, driving even more efficiency in programmatically purchasing commercial properties in partnership with the nation's leading small business owners. withco is already providing property sellers and brokers faster offer-to-closing transaction cycles than the market.

"We are investing in our platform to drive the efficiency needed to dramatically scale beyond the 100 deals we plan to close by year end. Karl's leadership and expertise in CRE technology and data make him a mission-critical part of that effort," said Founder & CEO Kevin Song.

Karl noted, "It's exciting to join a company at the intersection of commercial real estate, technology, and social impact. I was excited to hear about withco's pioneering financial product and technology platform that enable it to provide property sellers, their brokers, and small business owners a simpler, faster, and more rewarding experience across the full property lifecycle. I'm excited to bring my experiences to withco to scale our impact."

Kevin continued, "In addition to Karl, we are thrilled to have Leah Stearns join us as interim CFO. Leah comes with a wealth of industry knowledge, strategic finance expertise, and the rolodex to navigate the complexities of the CRE space. She's building us into a true institutional investor with the finance muscle and capital needed to support thousands of small businesses."

While Leah was originally planning to take some time off between CBRE and her next role, she joined withco as an investor in the last round and decided to bring her expertise to the table to advance withco's mission to make property ownership accessible to small business owners.

"I met Kevin and was immediately excited to help small businesses build equity in their communities. Having grown up in the Hudson Valley, I know how important our local small businesses were, and how important they are to each community they serve," Leah said. "I'm eager to work with and educate institutional capital partners about the size, scale, and potential of the previously underdeveloped small business commercial property market."

withco plans to close 100 deals by the end of the year across the country focusing on the Southeast, Midwest, and Texas. Apart from Karl and Leah, withco also recently hired a Head of Marketing (Mel Hahn), Head of Sales (Phil Aroian), and Head of Partnerships (Nikki Kirk). The company is actively hiring for over 20 roles based in New York.

About withco
withco is the commercial property ownership platform for small businesses in the nation. The company offers small business owners a lease-to-own product and uses data to programmatically purchase properties. Backed by Canaan, Founders Fund, Initialized Capital, NFX, and others, withco is headquartered in New York and operates nationwide. For more information, please visit www.with.co or contact [email protected].

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SOURCE withco