Board of Advisors

Our Advisory Board is composed of seasoned professionals with decades of expertise across finance, architecture, construction, and public governance. They play a vital role in shaping the strategic direction of Griffin Venture Group, offering insight, guidance, and stewardship rooted in experience.

Just as we approach our business relationships, our board is built on a foundation of competence, trust, and integrity—core values that guide every decision we make

Daniel Stahlschmidt

Daniel Stahlschmidt serves as Managing Director and Head of Equity Trading at Academy Securities, a leading veteran-owned and operated investment bank specializing in capital markets, public finance, asset management, fixed income, and equity trading.

Prior to joining Academy, Daniel led the Midwest Equities Execution Group at UBS and spent nearly seven years as an institutional equity sales trader. His earlier roles include equity sales positions at Oppenheimer & Co. and Jefferies. Before his finance career, Mr. Stahlschmidt served 10 years as a U.S. Navy aviator, flying over 60 combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Mr. Stahlschmidt holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, and is based in Chicago, where he lives with his wife—a fellow Navy veteran—and their three children. He holds FINRA Series 4, 7, 24, 55, and 63 licenses.

John cooke

John Cooke serves as Assistant CEO of the Asset Management Division for Los Angeles County, where he oversees one of the largest public real estate portfolios in the nation. His responsibilities include managing approximately 4,400 county-owned buildings totaling 65 million square feet, 7 million square feet of leased space, and a capital program valued at nearly $6 billion.

Before joining Los Angeles County, Mr. Cooke spent six years as Regional Commissioner for the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) in the Great Lakes Region. He previously held key leadership roles in Cook County Government, including Director of Capital Planning & Policy and Head of Asset Management.

Mr. Cooke holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. He is a licensed real estate broker in the State of Illinois and holds the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation.

kimberly dowdell

Kimberly Dowdell serves as a Principal & Director of Strategic Relationships at HOK, a global architecture, design, engineering, and planning firm with 1,700 professionals across 26 countries and three continents. In this role, she leads initiatives that strengthen the firm’s industry partnerships and drive forward its mission of design excellence and social impact.

Throughout her career, Kimberly has championed architecture as a tool for positive social change—locally, nationally, and globally. Her commitment to equity, leadership, and innovation in the built environment has earned her widespread recognition and leadership roles across the profession.

Mrs. Dowdell is the immediate past president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and serves on the boards of the Chicago Central Area Committee (CCAC), the Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB) and Cornell University’s Board of Trustees. Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University and a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University

tyler quast

Tyler Quast serves as Chief Operating Officer at Blue Star Properties, Inc., a Chicago based full-service commercial real estate company with a dynamic portfolio of office, industrial, retail, restaurant and entertainment assets. As COO, Tyler oversees the company’s acquisition, financing, management, leasing and development efforts.

Mr. Quast has been instrumental in transforming some of Chicago’s most iconic spaces, including the award-winning adaptive reuse of The National (125 S. Clark), the conversion of the former Spiegel Warehouse into a mixed-use industrial complex, and the reinvention of the historic Morton Salt site into a premier event venue. Tyler brings deep industry experience from previous leadership roles at McCaffery Interests and Zifkin Realty & Development, with a strong foundation in retail brokerage, third-party services, and development. He began his career at Hiffman Shaffer Associates and is a graduate of the University of Kansas, where he was a scholarship athlete and four-year letter winner in football. Mr. Quast is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and an active member of ULI, the Realty Club of Chicago, and ICSC.

quintin e. primo iii

Quintin E. Primo III serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Capri Investment Group — a group of affiliated companies providing real estate development and investment management services globally to pension fund and other institutional investors. Active in the real estate industry for more than 30 years, Mr. Primo has challenged conventional wisdom in developing new markets for investment. Under his leadership, Capri became an early investor in US multifamily residential and urban property markets, and is now expanding internationally, with a focus on the high growth markets such as India. In these and other investment programs, his goal has been to achieve the highest risk-adjusted returns for the firm’s institutional clients.

Mr. Primo holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Indiana University Kelly School of Business and received his MBA from the Harvard Business School. He has been featured in national publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, Forbes, The New York Times, Bloomberg Business Week and Black Enterprise, and appears on CNBC. In addition to public company board experience, he has written or co-authored numerous articles and industry white papers and is often recognized for his professional, civic and philanthropic contributions.