Paul Estridge has been an entrepreneur for more than 40 years across multiple industries, including development, home building, interconnecting technologies, mortgage lending, parimutuel horse racing and aviation management. But he‘s best known for his home building companies, including Estridge Homes, which have developed over 35 neighborhoods and built nearly 9,000 homes in the Indianapolis market. In total, his companies have developed and financially guaranteed more than $2.4 billion of real estate to date. His most recent business venture is surf-and-turf restaurant Monterey Coastal Cuisine in the Arts & Design District in Carmel.
Hobbies: Aviation/flying. “I‘m a licensed private pilot.”
Toughest challenge: “Surviving the great real estate recession, personal bankruptcy and an incurable lung disease through transplant.”
Indiana love: “The spirit of genuine kindness.”
Reading: “Blue Ocean Strategy,” by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
Larry Gigerich is executive managing director at Ginovus, which provides location modeling, site selection, economic development incentive procurement and compliance management services. Throughout his career, Gigerich has worked on approximately 600 economic development projects resulting in more than $12 billion in capital investment, the creation of more than 100,000 new jobs and the retention of more than 200,000 existing jobs. Before Ginovus, he was senior adviser for economic and workforce development to former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith. And he was instrumental in the launch and leadership of the Indianapolis and Central Indiana Technology Partnership (called TechPoint).
Admires most: Charles Schwab. “Mr. Schwab understands that business is all about finding people who share your values and vision, but also share their individual passion for different things. Most leaders never learn this important lesson in life and business.”
Indiana love: “So many people go about their day without drawing attention to themselves while they serve others. This truly embodies what it means to be a Hoosier in my mind.”
Mina Starsiak Hawk is the co-founder and owner of Two Chicks and a Hammer and retail store Two Chicks District Co. She stars on HGTV shows “Good Bones” and “Good Bones: Risky Business” alongside her mother and business partner Karen Laine, who retired from the business in 2019. Hawk renovates homes in the neighborhoods of Fountain Square, Bates-Hendricks and surrounding areas with the mission of “revitalizing Indianapolis one property at a time.” She completes about 14 a year. The homes are featured on “Good Bones,” which has had six seasons.
Reading: “Sadly, I barely get through my emails.”
Something surprising: “I have been a foster parent twice.”
Worries about: “Raising kind humans. Being a good role model for my kids and teaching them a strong work ethic but also balance in their lives.”
CIVIC CONTRIBUTION: “I was able to donate two horses to our IMPD Mounted Patrol.”
Steve Henke formed Henke Development Group LLC 15 years ago. With partners, he started law firm Coots Henke and Wheeler after earning his law degree in 1978 and practiced for more than 20 years while accumulating properties for future development for the firm and building numerous office buildings in the Carmel area. He developed the Carmel golf course community The Bridgewater Club in the late 1990s. After forming the development group, he helped develop and build Westfield‘s Grand Park Sports Campus and various developments near it, including residential and commercial projects.
Reading: “I spend an hour or more a day reading current events and news.”
Listening to: “Still love The Beach Boys and Jimmy Buffett.”
Hobbies: “I have enjoyed boating and deep-sea fishing for over 35 years throughout Florida, the Bahamas and Mexico. I have always enjoyed snow skiing, boating on [Lake] Wawasee and hunting.”
John Hirschman, now president, CEO and principal of Browning Investments, has been with the commercial real estate company for 17 years. He oversees the strategic direction of all facets of Browning, including commercial real estate development, financing, construction, acquisitions, dispositions and asset management. Recent office projects Browning has been involved in include Aequitas at the Community Justice Campus in Indianapolis, the First Internet Bank headquarters in Fishers and the Infosys Technology and Innovation Hub in Indianapolis. Outside of work, he‘s involved with Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, the Indy Chamber, Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership and the Trinity Episcopal Church Legacy Fund.
Hobby: Fitness, primarily running and cycling. “Over the years, I‘ve come to believe with conviction that mood follows action.”
Worries: complacency and mediocrity
Admires most: His father. “By example, he taught me the value of kindness, humility, loyalty, hard work, attention to detail and a good sense of humor.”
Phil Kenney began working for F.A. Wilhelm—the state‘s largest employer in construction labor—in 1982 while he was still studying civil engineering at Purdue University. Upon graduation in 1985, he started working in Wilhelm‘s small-projects group and later became manager of the Wilhelm Resource Group. In 1995, he was named president of Wilhelm‘s mechanical construction affiliate, Freitag-Weinhardt. Since 2001, he‘s served as president of Wilhelm Construction, whose portfolio includes new and renovation projects for health care, commercial, higher education, life sciences, public works and more.
Favorite part of being a leader: “Development
of future leaders.”
Indiana love: “It‘s a great place to raise a family.”
Advice for young people: “Work hard and ask lots
of questions.”
John Kite became CEO of Kite Realty Group Trust in 2004, when it went public as a real estate investment trust—a type of public company modeled after mutual funds that disperse revenue to investors. Before that, he had been president of Kite Cos. for seven years. He joined the organization as chief financial officer of Kite Development in 1990. He has served as board chairman since December 2008. He oversaw Kite‘s recent merger with Retail Properties of America Inc., a move that made Kite the fifth-largest shopping center REIT in the nation.
Lessons learned: “You never stop learning.”
Advice for a young person: “Have a great attitude.
Be curious. Work hard.”
Admires most: “my children and wife”
Reading: “The Caesars Palace Coup,” by Max Frumes and Sujeet Indap
Tom McGowan served as executive vice president and one of four partners of Kite Cos., later named Kite Realty Group Trust, beginning in 1994. For 10 years, the company experienced rapid growth before McGowan and his partners took it public as a real estate investment trust—a type of public company modeled after mutual funds that disperse revenue to investors. In 2021, the company merged with Retail Properties of America Inc., a move that made Kite the fifth-largest shopping center REIT in the nation. It is now active in 24 states with an enterprise value of more than $8 billion.
Admires most: “I admire my father the most for his impeccable reputation, putting others before himself, and being such
a great dad.”
Advice for a young person: “This is not a sprint, but rather a marathon. Be patient and selective as you chart your career. Hard work equals results.”
Sabbatical topic: “Working with the underserved community and helping develop avenues for the advancement of those less fortunate.”
Guy Olympidis is the founder and CEO of Valparaiso-based Family Express Corp., a convenience store company. He began working in convenience stores at age 21, and he opened his first Family Express store on the west side of Valparaiso on Christmas Day in 1975. Since then, the company has grown to 81 stores in northwestern and central Indiana and employs more than
800 people. He previously served on the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, Valparaiso Community Development Corp., Centier Bank board, Indiana Chamber of Commerce board and the Northwest Indiana Forum.
Ersal Ozdemir founded Keystone Group in 2002, which has since grown to become one of the largest real estate development companies in Indiana. He‘s also majority owner of Indy Sports and Entertainment, which includes Indianapolis‘ professional soccer team, Indy Eleven, which Ozdemir founded. In 2021, Ozdemir purchased the Diamond Chain industrial site in downtown Indianapolis, and in June, confirmed he planned to build a project called Eleven Park on the 18-acre property. The project, which he projects will cost $1 billion, is to include a hotel, office buliding, apartments and retail and will be anchored by a 20,000 seat soccer stadium. Keystone Group recently completed 220 Meridian apartments, which redeveloped a 20-story office building downtown into luxury apartments. Other projects include 3 Mass Condos, on Massachusetts Avenue; Eskenazi Hospital; the mixed-use Sophia Square, in Carmel‘s Arts & Design District; and a renovation of the Indiana State Fair Coliseum.
