INDUSTRY LEADERS TRUST INDUSTRY
We're a nimble team of industry veterans, proven experts, and thoughtful investors. We move diligently and invest with intent.
John Helm
Partner
Prior to founding RET Ventures in 2017, John was a Venture Partner with DN Capital in Munich, Germany. Before that, John ran and successfully exited two venture-backed real estate tech startups, was CFO of Marcus & Millichap, and a consultant at McKinsey & Company. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin, and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. You can find John on his skis or mountain biking around Park City with his family.
Christopher Yip
Partner
Prior to RET, Chris spent twelve years at the global private equity firm TPG, where he led growth investments in tech-enabled companies and partnered closely with CEOs and entrepreneurs. He began his career as a consultant with McKinsey & Company. Chris has an MBA from the Stanford GSB, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar, as well as an AB in Economics and an SM in Computer Science from Harvard University. You can find Chris flying between Park City and San Francisco, trailing the RET team on the snow, or driving anything with four wheels.
Jacob Zornes
Chief Financial Officer
Prior to RET Ventures, Jake spent five years as the director of finance with Peterson Partners, a private equity and venture capital firm in Salt Lake City, UT. Before Peterson, he began his career with UMB Fund Services, a fund administration firm, in Ogden, UT. Jake has an MBA from Weber State University, as well as a BS in Business Administration from Brigham Young University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. Outside of work, Jake spends most of his time with his kids, either cheering for them or coaching youth sports. His wife loves to travel and allows Jake to tag along. During his free time, he plays golf and participates in various outdoor activities.
Aaron Ru
Principal
Aaron Ru is a Principal at RET Ventures and has been with the firm since 2021. Prior to RET Ventures, Aaron worked as an Investment Professional at Naspers Ventures, where he invested in early and growth stage technology companies. Before joining Naspers Ventures, Aaron executed M&A transactions and strategic initiatives at Pinterest and United Talent Agency. He began his career as an investment banker with UBS. Aaron graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Outside of work, Aaron enjoys skiing, traveling, college football and helping his golden retriever find the best swim spots in Park City.
Jameson Hartman
Vice President
Jameson joined the RET team in March 2020 after spending 4 years with Goldman Sachs' Real Estate IB group in New York. Jameson spends most of his time working with energy and construction tech startups and has a particular interest in sustainability. He is a local to Northern Utah, with a B.S. in Finance from Utah State University. Jameson enjoys anything and everything related to the outdoors but more often than not he spends his free time playing soccer with his wife or skiing the slopes of Alta.
Melissa Fagan
Vice President
Melissa joined RET in July 2022. Prior to RET, Melissa worked as an Investment Associate at KSL Capital, where she invested in real estate and private equity companies focused on travel and leisure. Melissa began her career in private equity in Goldman Sachs' Real Estate Principal Investment Area. Melissa holds a B.S.E. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Princeton University. Outside of work, Melissa enjoys traversing most mountains, traveling, and watching the Chargers on Sundays.
Jaymie Fung Bingham
Associate
Jaymie joined the RET team in July 2022 after spending five years at Ensign Peak Advisors as a Private Equity and Venture Capital Associate where she worked with and performed diligence on venture, growth, and buyout funds from around the world. Her passion for venture capital began as an auditor for Ernst and Young, where she worked on clients in both the banking and capital markets and wealth and asset management sectors. Jaymie was born and raised in Utah and graduated with her B.S. and Masters in Accounting from Brigham Young University in 2015. She loves spending time in the kitchen discovering new recipes, hiking with her husband and dog, traveling to countries on her bucket list, and cheering on the Utah Jazz and Seattle Seahawks.
Julia Lambert
Associate
Julia joined RET in January 2023. Prior to RET, Julia worked as an Investment Associate at Carlyle, where she focused on West Coast real estate acquisitions. Before Carlyle, she worked on both acquisitions and asset management at Hanover Real Estate Investors (now Pacific Urban Investors). Julia holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Stanford University and was a four-year member of the varsity sailing team. Outside of work, you can find her skiing, hiking, or enjoying a good read.
James Pearson
Analyst
James joined RET upon completion of his B.S. in Accounting from Utah State University. During university, James worked at Sorenson Impact’s student fund sourcing and executing seed stage impact investments in 5 continents with a team of students. Prior to RET James also interned at Goldman Sachs and a large family office. You can always find James on skis, either at a local resort, a backcountry trail, or behind a ski boat water skiing in a slalom course.
Fred Tuomi
Venture Partner
Mr. Tuomi served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Invitation Homes Inc, the nation’s largest single-family rental company, as well as related predecessor companies from 2013 until his retirement in 2019. Fred was Executive Vice President and President—Property Management for Equity Residential, the nation’s largest multi-family REIT, from 1994 until his retirement in 2013. Throughout his career, he has served on numerous real estate industry boards and executive committees.
Monte Jones
Platform Partner
Monte Jones is Platform Partner at RET Ventures, where he works on mentoring RET's portfolio companies; building out its internal tech stack; and growing the firm's "Affiliates" initiative, connecting real estate owners and operators to RET's cutting-edge portfolio companies. Monte joins the RET team with two decades of real estate technology experience. Most recently, he was Chief Experience Officer at RealPage, where he led several sales and go-to-market teams and integrated new acquisitions into the RealPage organization. Prior to that, he led On-Site.com for six years, as President and previously Director of Sales, driving the company's national expansion and its ultimate acquisition by RealPage. When Monte is not helping technology companies turbocharge their growth, you can find him skiing and fly fishing.
Rosemary Sullivan
Operations Manager
Rosemary joined RET in October 2021 as an Executive Assistant with over 7 years of experience, both personal and executive. She has previously worked at Bain & Co. and was a Personal Assistant for a private $2.2bn net worth family. Rosemary holds a B.S. from the University of New Hampshire and a M.S. from Boston University, both in Tourism & Economic Development.
Lauren Lyda
Administrative Assistant
Lauren is an Administrative Assistant at RET Ventures, and has been working with the firm since October 2022. Lauren graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a BS in Business Management & Marketing. Outside of work, Lauren enjoys spin classes, golfing, traveling and on the side building her teeth whitening business.
Shawn Mahoney
Senior Advisor
In his twenty years as CIO and CTO at GID, Shawn’s responsibilities and expertise encompassed real estate technology, operations, finance and development. Shawn has been active in real estate technology initiatives including NMHC Optech and is a frequent contributor at trade industry events. Previously, Shawn was CIO of AEW Capital Management, Controller of a real estate development and syndication firm, and a financial services industry management consultant. He served on the Board of Trustees and as Finance Committee Chairperson for a Boston area college. Post-retirement from GID Shawn can be found driving his vintage two and three-wheeled vehicles or hiking with his family and dogs.
Jerry Davis
Senior Advisor
Jerry Davis most recently served as President and COO of UDR, a leading multifamily REIT. Over a 30+ year career at UDR, Jerry served in a number of roles, starting as a controller before moving into operations where he served in a variety of roles culminating in COO and President. Earlier in his career, he was also with JH Management as COO and Crestar Bank as a financial analyst. He began his career as a Staff Accountant for Arthur Young & Co. Post-retirement from UDR, Jerry can be found staying involved in the real estate industry in a consulting/advisory role and enjoying time with his family and friends in Arizona.