In real estate, where profits often dominate, one investor is challenging the norm.
Combining engineering expertise with a strong commitment to social impact, Someshwar Devaraja Gowda has revitalized distressed properties and reshaped the future of affordable housing.
With over $1 million in investments and a proven track record of transforming underutilized properties into thriving communities, Someshwar shows that real estate investment can be a tool for lasting change. His approach doesn’t just build houses—it builds sustainable communities and equitable opportunities for those who need them most.
Someshwar’s drive to positively impact communities began early in his career, when he recognized that affordable housing was not just a market opportunity but a vital pathway to social equity—one that could transform lives and neighborhoods beyond financial returns. Shaped by his upbringing and education, this vision became the foundation of his future in real estate.
Building Purpose from the Ground Up: The Roots of Someshwar’s Journey
Born into a middle-class family in India, Someshwar’s early life was shaped by his father, an engineer whose problem-solving mindset influenced Someshwar’s approach to challenges. This foundation instilled in him the belief that engineering skills could solve real-world problems, particularly in affordable housing.
Someshwar earned a Civil Engineering degree with a Minor in Management from IIT Madras, followed by a Master’s in Civil & Environmental Engineering focusing on Sustainable Design and Construction at Stanford University. His education exposed him to cutting-edge research in building practices and affordable housing solutions, solidifying his vision for the future of real estate.
At 23, Someshwar purchased his first property—an apartment in Long Beach, California—after aggressively saving for the down payment in his first full-time job. Renting part of the apartment to tenants facing affordability challenges further ignited his passion for affordable housing, setting the stage for his career in real estate.
Pioneering Change in Real Estate: Key Milestones of an Industry Innovator
Someshwar’s career trajectory is defined by bold decisions and significant achievements that combine technical skills with an unwavering commitment to social responsibility. According to Zachary Zelisko, Executive Vice President at Schulte Hospitality Group and a veteran real estate investor with over $5.7 billion in acquisitions, “Mr. Gowda’s deal experience spanned purchases, takeovers, dispositions, and refinancing. He underwrote over $400 million in deal volume and enhanced company-wide efficiency with tools that doubled our output.”
Zelisko notes that even at an early career stage, Someshwar's institutional impact was outsized, particularly in scaling financial analysis and asset optimization systems.
$1 Million+ in Affordable Housing Investments
Since 2019, Someshwar has invested over $1 million in affordable housing. These investments target distressed properties, revitalize neglected spaces, and offer stable homes for low-income families, including Section 8 recipients. His projects are carefully planned and environmentally and economically sustainable, helping bridge the housing gap for underserved communities.
14-Unit Acquisition in Louisville, KY
One of Someshwar’s most notable achievements is acquiring and rehabilitating a 14-unit multifamily property in Louisville, Kentucky. Completed in collaboration with the Louisville Metro Housing Authority, the project demonstrates his ability to turn underperforming properties into affordable, community-centered housing.
Himani Patel, a real estate developer and data analyst who co-founded Purple Plate LLC with Someshwar and invested over $100,000 into the venture, described the initiative as transformative.
“This wasn’t just a remodel—it was a reinvention,” said Ms. Patel,
“Someshwar led the charge with sustainable design, efficient appliances, and thoughtful rent structures. Projects like this—impact-driven yet financially sound—are incredibly rare in the affordable housing sector.
$1.1 Billion Colony Hotel Portfolio Acquisition
Someshwar’s expertise extends beyond affordable housing to include high-value transactions. As an Investment Associate at Schulte Hospitality Group, he collaborated with KKR on the $1.1 billion acquisition of the Colony Hotel Portfolio.
His involvement in due diligence, underwriting, and asset repositioning on this deal helped expand his expertise in complex, high-stakes transactions, refining his ability to identify and capitalize on investment opportunities.
Senior Associate at Excel Group LLC
Someshwar is now a senior associate at Excel Group LLC and a leading hospitality investor. He leads equity and credit investments for real estate transactions in the $15 million+ range, demonstrating his continued success in the hospitality and real estate sectors.
His role also includes managing asset performance, providing financial reports, and nurturing relationships with investors and stakeholders, highlighting his versatile skill set in diverse real estate aspects.
Overcoming the Odds: Challenges and Triumphs in Real Estate Rehabilitation
The transition from engineering to real estate posed hurdles, but Someshwar’s analytical background became a distinct advantage in high-stakes transactions and portfolio management.
“Mr. Gowda demonstrated exceptional analytical rigor, automating portfolio reporting and leading due diligence on transactions like the $1.1 billion Colony Inland Portfolio acquisition,” said Mr. Zelisko.
“His work advanced internal performance tracking and dramatically reduced reporting timelines across a 150-property portfolio. These are not just technical wins but system-level efficiencies that translated into stronger returns and better project outcomes.”
This operational expertise laid the foundation for his later success in affordable housing. One particularly complex challenge involved revitalizing severely distressed properties in areas with high vacancy and low demand. Through his company, Purple Plate LLC, Someshwar transformed assets like a 14-unit multifamily building in Louisville, Kentucky, into safe, affordable housing, ensuring that his rehabilitations delivered shelter and social value.
Innovations in Housing: The Housing Enabler Tool
One of Someshwar’s standout innovations is the Housing Enabler tool, a platform designed to align tenant needs with available housing, making the rehabilitation process more targeted and efficient.
Justine Murphy, Director of Development and Acquisitions at Magna Hospitality and a former M&A Vice President with over 15 years in financial services, emphasized that the analytical and automation tools Someshwar developed in his institutional work led to faster insights, measurable cost savings, and improved asset performance.
She noted that these same capabilities, particularly in streamlining portfolio analysis, directly apply to affordable housing challenges, enabling more efficient placements and better operational outcomes across properties.
“Tools like the Housing Enabler,” Ms. Murphy added, “take that same rigor and apply it to markets that have historically been left behind. It’s about aligning data, tenant need, and operational scale—all in real time.”
Mentorship & Industry Impact: Leading by Example
Someshwar’s contributions to the real estate field extend far beyond his investments. Through transparent knowledge-sharing and scalable methodologies, he is helping redefine how distressed properties are rehabilitated and how housing needs are addressed.
Darryl Law, Principal at Khana Capital Partners and a Certified Hotel Asset Manager with over 20 years of experience in hotel investment and private equity advisory, worked with Someshwar for three years at Schulte Hospitality.
“Somu supported our asset management and investor relations teams with deep financial insight,” Law said.
“He created and managed complex tracking systems for 80+ hotels and portfolios managed by firms like Starwood Capital Group, KKR, and Dune Real Estate. His understanding of the investment process—especially when aligned with a mission like affordable housing—is rare and extremely valuable.”
As Someshwar continues mentoring aspiring investors and building case studies from his work, he contributes to a more informed and inclusive ecosystem of real estate practitioners.
Current Projects & Future Aspirations: A Vision for Affordable Housing Expansion
Someshwar’s next chapter focuses on expanding his affordable housing portfolio to create more homes for those in need. His portfolio now includes 16 units across three states, serving as a testing ground for his broader methodology of revitalizing underutilized housing stock.
His ongoing work with the Louisville Metro Housing Authority and other stakeholders is shaping new, scalable models for affordable housing.
“His skillset — from stakeholder coordination to market research and scaled process automation — is exactly what’s needed to address the housing shortage in high-demand areas like New York City,” said Ms. Murphy.
“Having seen his capabilities firsthand in institutional real estate, I’m confident Mr. Someshwar can drive systemic change in the affordable housing space.”
Mr. Law underscored the broader national context:
“Somu is pursuing this challenge head-on by investing personal capital into projects that directly improve communities,” he said.
“His approach is grounded in data, aligned with public need, and built for scale. That kind of leadership is exactly what the sector needs.”
Looking ahead, Someshwar envisions a future where homelessness is no longer an inevitability but a solvable challenge. His ultimate goal is to ensure everyone has access to secure, dignified housing through private ownership or community support.
A Vision with National Impact
The scale and systemic importance of Someshwar’s work have also been the subject of expert evaluation by leaders in housing economics and real estate. One of the most notable assessments comes from Dr. Jeffrey Robert, a Collegiate Assistant Professor at the Blackwood Department of Real Estate at Virginia Tech, and an award-winning scholar with over a decade of experience spanning academia, development, and financial policy.
In his evaluation, Dr. Robert highlighted the broader implications of Someshwar’s long-term housing strategy:“Mr. Gowda’s plan to rehabilitate 10,000 housing units could be transformational,” stated Dr. Robert.
“It targets the nation’s affordable housing shortage, creating over 10,000 jobs and adding $18 million annually in tax revenue. These are scalable, systemic benefits we can’t afford to ignore.”
Beyond these economic indicators, Dr. Robert emphasized that Mr. Gowda’s initiative includes publishing real estate case studies, investment analytics, and operational research — all intended to be freely accessible to other professionals in the field. This commitment to open-source knowledge sharing distinguishes Someshwar as more than an investor; it positions him as a contributor to systemic innovation.
“This kind of dissemination of expertise supports innovation across the sector and aligns directly with national public policy objectives,” Dr. Robert added.
“Mr. Gowda’s work benefits underserved communities, stimulates economic mobility, and supports infrastructure development goals at a national level.”
Citing Mr. Gowda’s engineering background, institutional investment experience, and proven ability to deliver scalable, impact-driven results, Dr. Robert concluded that the endeavor is not only viable but “clearly aligned with the national interest.”
Building a Legacy: Someshwar's Commitment to Accessible Housing for All
Someshwar’s efforts in affordable housing go beyond personal career advancement—his work aims to set a precedent for socially responsible investment across the real estate industry.
According to Ms. Himani Patel, Someshwar consistently demonstrates a unique combination of financial discipline, technical capability, and social mission. She observed that his projects are helping to redefine how real estate can balance innovation, sustainability, and accessibility. In her view, his leadership in this space is practical and vital to building more inclusive housing models nationwide.
Photo: Someshwar Devaraja Gowda | LinkedIn
