About Northpond
A Seasoned Investor & Operator
Northpond Partners is a retail-focused real estate investment firm backed by two institutionally supported strategies: a Value-Add Strategy focused on underutilized retail and mixed-use assets with repositioning potential, and a Neighborhood Retail Strategy that targets shopping centers anchored by convenience, necessity, and service-based tenants in high-demand trade areas. We concentrate on supply-constrained markets and reposition properties to appeal to a wide range of tenants, prioritizing flexibility and adaptability to better capture market demand.
The firm is led by founders with both entrepreneurial and institutional experience, and supported by a team with deep expertise across development, asset management, leasing, entitlements, fund management, and finance.
Our Track Record
By The Numbers
*Transactions, Gross Asset Value, and Realizations represent investments made by investment funds affiliated with Northpond Partners, LLC and Shiner Capital Partners, LLC (“SCP”). Gross Asset Value reflects the sale price of realizations, estimated gross market value of current holdings, and unfunded LP commitments as of December 31, 2024. These closed-end discretionary partnerships are made up of institutional and high net worth partners. Legacy investments (“Legacy Portfolio”) were made by SCP Realty Fund I, LP and SCP Realty Fund II, LP, sponsored by SCP, a company founded and currently controlled by Samuel Ankin, William Shiner and Philip Slovitt.
Get To Know Us
Meet Our Team
Sam Ankin
Co-Founder & Managing Principal
Sam Ankin is a co-founder of Northpond Partners, and is primarily responsible for sourcing and structuring new investment opportunities along with the strategic direction of the firm. He also serves as a member of the Investment Committee for all of Northpond’s sponsored investment vehicles. Mr. Ankin has led or supported the identification and analysis of more than 1,500 investment opportunities and through his leadership, has closed on over 75 investments, with a gross asset value in excess of $1.3 Billion across over 4.5 million square feet.
Prior to Northpond., Mr. Ankin was also a founding partner of Shiner Capital Partners, LLC, an entity that sponsored SCP Realty Fund I, LP and SCP Realty Fund II, LP. He also served as Development and Acquisition Manager for Shiner Group, where he was responsible for land and asset acquisitions, as well as coordinating the development of retail, office and mixed-use projects in the Chicagoland area and the Carolinas. At Shiner Group, Mr. Ankin led or supported the development of more than 12 projects consisting of approximately 1,000,000 square feet of commercial space. Before joining Shiner Group, Mr. Ankin worked at LaSalle Bank, most recently in the commercial real estate group.
Mr. Ankin graduated from the Real Estate Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Granger School of Business with Academic Distinction. Mr. Ankin was a member of the ICSC Foundation Board of Directors, the National ICSC Next Generation Leadership Board (past chair), and is a member of the ULI Small Scale Development Product Council. He also sat on the Board of Advisors of the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and is an Executive Board member of The Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation and a Next Generation Board Member of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. A native of the Chicagoland area, he currently resides in suburban Chicago with his wife Erin and their two children.
Taylor Brown
Senior VP of Investments & Acquisitions
Taylor joined Northpond in May 2025. He is responsible for sourcing, executing and overseeing acquisitions of the Value Add Fund.
Previously, he helped lead the principal side of the business for Bridger Properties, an Atlanta-based retail operator and third party service provider. Before Bridger, Taylor spent 5 years with New Market Properties (formerly NYSE:APTS) in Atlanta where he led the acquisition of over $600M of real estate across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Prior to New Market, Taylor spent 4 years with EDENS, in their Washington, DC and Boston offices where he was responsible for the investment analysis of acquisition, disposition, and redevelopment opportunities in the company’s Northeast portfolio.
Taylor attained his Masters in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina Kenan Flagler School of Business with a concentration in Finance and received his undergraduate degree in Real Estate from the University of Georgia. He is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Urban Land Institute.
Taylor is based in Atlanta, GA where he lives with his wife and three sons.
Griffin Gibbons
Analyst
Griffin joined Northpond in December 2024. Prior to Northpond, Griffin was a part of the Finance team at Heitman, where he was responsible for assisting in the portfolio management, financial reporting, underwriting of potential acquisitions, and property valuations of their value-add fund series consisting of multifamily, industrial, and retail investments. His duties also included a variety of Investor Relations and Asset Management functions.
Griffin graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BBA in Real Estate & Urban Land Economics and Finance.
In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf, trying out new restaurants, and cheering on all his favorite Chicago sports teams.
Megan Gilmore
Operations & HR Manager
Megan joined Northpond in April 2021. She previously worked as Office Manager of Tandem Construction, Development, and Architecture, where she oversaw day-to-day office operations, as well as managed aspects of onboarding, accounts payable, property management tasks, and social media management. Prior to Tandem, she was Administrative Assistant with Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum for 3 years, where she provided administrative support to the Director of Operations and the growing team.
Megan graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a BS in Theatre Arts, and has enjoyed being a part of the vibrant Chicago performing arts community since she made the move in 2014.
Michael Grote
Assistant VP of Investments
Michael joined Northpond Partners in May 2023. Previously, he was an Analyst on the Capital Markets team at Shapack Partners, where he led the team’s market research efforts, assisted in the underwriting and valuations of retail and multifamily properties, and helped with the asset management of the portfolio.
Before Shapack Partners, Michael was an Analyst on the FP&A team at Brookfield Properties, leading the forecasting and valuations for their Future Fund portfolio, an Australian sovereign wealth fund consisting of 25 shopping centers across the United States.
Originally from Cincinnati, OH, Michael graduated from Indiana University with a Financial Management degree. He enjoys golfing, spending time with family and friends, and traveling.
Mary Beth Iveljic
VP of Leasing & Tenant Services
Mary Beth joined Northpond Partners in October 2024. She is responsible for overseeing leasing activity and tenant relations at Northpond. Prior to joining Northpond, she worked at Pine Tree as Senior Leasing Manager, where she oversaw leasing of 30 assets totaling 3.7m square feet. Before Pine Tree, she owned and managed Elegant Interiors Home Staging, LLC – a boutique home staging business with a focus on new residential constructions, apartment models, and vacant homes. Prior to Elegant Interiors, she was Vice President at Mid-America Real Estate Group, executing all aspects of a 30-asset portfolio of retail properties located throughout the Chicagoland area.
Mary Beth holds a Master of Arts in Corporate & Multicultural Communication from DePaul University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Elmhurst University. She is a Licensed Real Estate Broker, and an active member of ICSC.
Caterina Jacobs
Senior Analyst
Cat joined Northpond Partners in July 2022 and serves as a Senior Analyst, supporting both acquisitions and asset management within the firm’s Value-Add Fund. She plays a key role in underwriting new investment opportunities, executing business plans, and managing day-to-day asset strategy across the portfolio.
Cat earned her BBA in Finance, Investment & Banking, and Real Estate & Urban Land Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She previously interned with Northpond in the summer of 2021.
Originally from Los Angeles and raised in Laguna Beach, California, Caterina moved to Chicago in 2022 and has loved exploring the city’s neighborhoods. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.
Kirstey Lein
VP of Investments
Kirstey joined Northpond Partners in October 2021. She is responsible for acquisitions and asset management across the portfolio, with a primary focus on value creation within the Value-Add Strategy, where she spends most of her time sourcing deals, executing business plans, driving tenant strategy, and overseeing leasing and redevelopment.
Prior to joining Northpond, Kirstey was a Retail Investment Sales Analyst at JLL, where she focused on complex financial modeling, managed the creation of investment materials for the Chicago retail capital markets team, mentored junior analysts, and led the Summer 2020 Intern Committee.
Earlier in her career, she held roles at Starwood Retail Partners, first as a Leadership Rotation Associate and later as a National Portfolio Leasing Associate. In that role, she structured package leasing deals with national tenants across the portfolio, sourced emerging retail concepts in new markets, and supported relationship management and retention efforts for key accounts.
Kirstey earned her BBA in Real Estate & Urban Land Economics and Marketing from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is an active member of ICSC. Originally from Wisconsin, she now lives in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood and enjoys skiing, playing tennis, spending time with friends and family, and cheering on the Green Bay Packers.
Jessica Lipski, CPA
Analyst
Jessica joined Northpond in October 2023. Previously, Jessica was Senior Assurance Associate at RSM US LLP, joining after she graduated in 2021. Her primary focus on the Real Estate team was property and fair value audits. Her responsibilities included evaluation acquisitions, assisting with fair valuation of properties, and maintaining client relationships and in-charging engagements.
Jessica holds degrees in both Finance and Accounting from Indiana University. She holds an active CPA license and is registered with the State of Illinois. In her free time, Jessica likes to travel, go to concerts, and cheer on the Cubs during baseball season.
Marco Macali
VP of Investments & Acquisitions
Marco joined Northpond Partners in July 2024. He is responsible for all aspects of acquisition execution and investment from origination to close for the firm’s Neighborhood Retail strategy.
Prior to joining Northpond, he worked at Chase Properties as Director of Acquisitions and Dispositions focused on the firm’s shopping center strategy. Before Chase Properties, he was a Manager of Acquisitions & Dispositions at ShopCore Properties responsible for sourcing, underwriting, and execution of acquisition and disposition opportunities of grocery-anchored shopping centers on behalf of Blackstone.
Marco began his career as a financial analyst for Equity Lifestyle Properties, a publicly traded manufactured housing REIT based in Chicago. Marco has been involved in the acquisition and disposition of over $4.1bn of retail shopping centers.
Originally from Youngstown, OH, Marco holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from the Max M. Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University. He is an active member of ICSC. In addition to spending time with family and friends, Marco enjoys trying new restaurants, skiing, and watching classic movies.
Mitch Malone, CPA
Managing Director
Mitch has been part of Northpond since 2019. His key responsibilities include financial reporting, overseeing portfolio performance, managing the annual audit and tax processes, and implementing controls to mitigate risk.
Before Northpond, Mitch was a finance manager at Heitman LLC for over 6 years. There, he oversaw the financial reporting, valuation process, annual audits and fund performance for their value-add, closed-end fund series.
Prior to joining Heitman, worked for NAI Hiffman Asset Management for two years, where he was responsible for the property accounting and reporting for various asset classes including retail, industrial and office.
Mitch graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a BA in Accounting. He is a registered CPA with the State of Illinois.
Joe Mendicino
Transactions Manager
Joe joined Northpond in May 2025. Prior to Northpond, Joe served as Real Estate Manager at CBRE, where he focused on financial reporting, budgeting, and tenant improvement project management. Before that, he was an Asset Manager at GAIN CRE, focusing on leasing strategies, due diligence, and portfolio financials. Joe also held roles at Digital Realty as an Assistant Real Estate Manager and at Brennan Investment Group as an Operations Analyst.
Joe earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University. A Chicago native, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, exploring new restaurants, and cheering on the Cubs and Bears.
Jack Moeller
Analyst
Jack joined Northpond in March 2024. Prior to joining Northpond, Jack worked at Wedgewood Investment Group, a boutique commercial real estate capital advisory firm. There, Jack focused on structuring debt and equity transactions for owners, operators, and developers primarily in the senior housing and multifamily space. Before then he interned with BDO’s Valuation and Capital Market Analysis team with a focus on market research and creating complete appraisal reports.
Jack graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BBA in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics. He enjoys golfing, Chicago sports, and spending time with friends/family.
Michael Nachtsheim, CPA
VP of Investments
Prior to his role at Northpond, Michael was part of the Assurance group at Ernst & Young, where he served clients in the Real Estate, Hospitality, and Construction industries.
A native of the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, Michael holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of Missouri. He is a Licensed CPA (currently inactive) and maintains an active membership in ICSC. Outside of work, Michael enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and engaging in outdoor activities.
Robert Parsons
Property Accounting Manager
Robert joined Northpond in July 2025. Prior to that, he was an Accounting Manager on the Client Accounting team at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), where he serviced industrial asset clients. His responsibilities included financial reporting review, annual audit support, onboarding new properties, CAM reconciliations, and coordinating with overseas accounting teams.
At Northpond, Robert brings his property accounting experience across multiple regional markets to support the firm’s expanding portfolio and accounting operations.
He earned his B.A. in Accounting and Finance from Purdue University Northwest in 2019. Outside of work, Robert enjoys disc golf and pickleball in the summer—and is an unapologetic fan of Magic: The Gathering.
Phil Slovitt
Co-Founder & Managing Principal
Phil’s responsibilities include investment strategy, capital formation, risk management, and portfolio management. He is also a member of the Investment Committee. He was also a founding partner of Shiner Capital Partners, LLC, an entity that sponsored SCP Realty Fund I, LP and SCP Realty Fund II, LP. Mr. Slovitt successfully led Shiner Capital as it made 35 investments and procured project level financing equating to approximately $200 million.
Mr. Slovitt previously worked at Morgan Stanley’s Chicago office in its U.S. Real Estate Investing Group. While at Morgan Stanley, Mr. Slovitt’s responsibilities included the underwriting, due diligence and closing of more than $1 billion in real estate investments on behalf of Morgan Stanley-sponsored funds and separate account clients. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Mr. Slovitt worked for Crow Holdings in Dallas, Texas. During his time at Crow Holdings, he primarily worked on the acquisition and asset management of retail, office and industrial properties totaling more than $350 million in value.
Mr. Slovitt graduated from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University with a BBA in Real Estate Finance. He is actively involved with the Illinois Junior Golf Association and the American Junior Golf Association through their ACE Grant scholarship programs. Mr. Slovitt is a Council Member of the Real Estate Finance and Investment Center at the University of Texas at Austin. He currently resides with his wife Emily and three children in suburban Chicago.
Tara Wilson
Senior Associate
Tara joined Northpond in March 2024. Previously, she was an Associate at Northwood Investors, where she was responsible for overseeing asset management and development activities for a portfolio of retail, office, and multifamily investments across the U.S. with a focus on the West Coast and Southeast.
Prior to joining Northwood Investors, Tara spent two years as a financial analyst in Eastdil Secured’s Chicago office leading the underwriting for investment sales and debt placement across multiple asset types. She also prepared offering memorandums to include in-depth market overviews and detailed financial schedules.
Tara graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BBA in Real Estate & Urban Land Economics and Finance. She enjoys exploring new cities and cheering on the Bears and Cubs home in Chicago.
