STR Innovate 2024 Speakers
more to be Announced
Nelson Zambrano
Founder of Normandy Group
Nelson J. Zambrano has served as an Officer in Special Forces, Military Intelligence and Infantry units. He uses this same approach to investing in Short Term Rentals and Boutique hotels in South Florida and Puerto Rico. He often refers to Puerto Rico as the “Monaco of the US for Corporations,” with its generous incentives for business and investment. It is ground zero for creating Generational Wealth. He completed a successful joint venture with the City of Fort Lauderdale in between a deployment! Later , utilizing his military and business skills, he handled Kidnap & Ransom insurance for Lloyd’s of London. He also a big believer in being “The Man On The Ground” and fully relocated to Puerto Rico in 2023, thus making it easier for him to uncover and a create a “conveyor belt of opportunities” for his investors. Feel free and follow his YouTube Channel is called “Investing in America!” and Podcast on Spotify “Investing in America!”
Kirby Atwell
Founder of Living Off Rentals
After growing up in the south suburbs of Chicago, Kirby served 11 years on active duty in the U.S. military, first attending the United States Military Academy at West Point and then traveling the world as an officer in the Army. During his time in the service, he developed a strong interest in real estate entrepreneurship. He began studying and reading as much as he could on the topic, and he bought his first rental property in 2006.
In 2011, he left the service and earned his MBA with a focus on real estate finance. While attending graduate school, he started his first real estate investment company, rehabbing over 100 properties either to flip or keep as rentals in the Chicago area.
Today, Kirby primarily focuses on investing in high-cash-flowing vacation rental properties. He owns a portfolio of vacation rentals in northern Indiana, where he lives on a 45-acre farm with his wife and young kids. He also helps others who work a full-time job to buy and set up their first high-cash-flowing vacation rental through his signature program called Your First Vacation Rental Investment Blueprint. Ten percent of all profits that he earns are donated to support veterans in need.
Kirby is the host of the Living Off Rentals podcast and YouTube channel, where he and other subject matter experts help equip listeners to achieve financial freedom through rental property investing.
Dan Bourdeau
Founder of Vivala
From Longmeadow, Massachusetts, Dan Bourdeau has carved a niche in the real estate world, blending his background in business operations, hospitality, and technical analysis to quit his 9-5 at Google to become a full time Investor and coach. With 3 years in short-term rentals and one of Colorado’s top Airbnb, he uses his Data Science background to create and manage experiential and unique airbnbs.
Bill Neville
Jeff Welgan
Certified Mortgage Advisor at Blueprint Home Loans
Jeff is an investor financing expert with 20 years experience. He is a Certified Mortgage Advisor with BluPrint Home Loans and his team is a trusted BiggerPockets preferred lender. As the leader of the BluPrint Investor Team, Jeff has built a team of investor financing strategists dedicated to solving problems for real estate investors. They specialize in helping investors build & scale their real estate businesses, and their mission is to break down the barriers to real estate investing and simplify investor financing.
Ditron Corker
Co-Founder of Roam to Rome Spaces
With nine years of military experience under his belt, Ditron made a strategic shift to Chicago, where he pursued an MBA at Loyola. It was during this transformative period that he embarked on his entrepreneurial journey by founding his Airbnb venture. In 2015, he honed his expertise in rental arbitrage and co-hosting, leading him to become a prominent figure in the short-term rental market. Today, Ditron proudly oversees and operates a diverse portfolio of short-term rentals spanning across Illinois, Texas, Michigan, and Mexico.
Gabe Kubanda
Jacquelina Jablonski
Founder of Roofing by Hernandez, I & J Good Rentals and Southwest Housing Providers Group
Omid Tehranirad
As the cohost of the “Find Your Freedom” podcast, Omid interviews entrepreneurs to amplify their abundance mindset to inspire aspiring investors to seek out their dreams. Omid has been featured in numerous podcasts including the Bigger Pockets Rookie podcast.
Omid lives in southern California with his wife of 12 years. He is also a father of three to Cyrus, Kian, and Lucy. He loves to build community and is an advocate for trying new experiences. He also coaches basketball and soccer in his local community.
Speaker Request
Do you have an interest in sharing your time and expertise with the STR Innovate community?
The STR Innovate Conference Team is searching for speakers that are enthusiastic and passionate about short term rental investing.
The event will take place in Chicago, Illinois at the Ravenswood Event Center on March 17-19, 2024.
Requirements + Details
- Presentation must be 45 – 60 minutes in length for our sessions.
- If selected, you will be required to sign a speaker agreement and use the STR Innovate PowerPoint template for your presentation.
- Once you send out your request we will set up a call with you to see if you’re a good fit.
