Melanie Pennell
Chief Executive Officer
Melanie has been involved in all aspects of real estate development and investment at Palisades Equity Partners including commercial, hotel, mixed-use properties and real estate related businesses situated in U.S. gateways, secondary and resort markets as well as select international markets. She provided her expertise in planning, pre-development, development and repositioning of assets and contributed to various phases of investment strategy including, private placements, joint ventures and financing for a multitude of projects.
She formulated the expansion strategy of the company’s consulting services into international markets, and originated relationships in the US, Europe, China, Central America and the Caribbean with investors, property owners and hotel brands. She was integral to expanding the relationships of the firm in the capital markets with institutions and investment banks, as well as private equity funds and other investment firms. Currently, she oversees the day-to-day business activities of the firm. Prior to her role at Associated Ventures which evolved into Palisades Equity Partners, LLC, Melanie’s real estate career began John Douglas Company, in marketing of commercial and multifamily. She transitioned into development via Site Realty Inc., where she focused on joint venture finance and development of commercial real estate in the United States. Over time, her real estate career evolved to include specialization in hotel assets as well as involvement in other real estate related businesses.
Before she turned her skills to the real estate sector, Melanie was President of Morgan-Niko, Inc., a consulting firm to micro-cap and early-stage companies, as well as the entertainment industry, in development of film and television projects. At Morgan-Niko, Melanie provided business strategy consulting in areas such as product development, channel distribution, market expansion, capitalization and strategic acquisitions for companies in entertainment/sports, technology, automotive and other sector select companies including Car Rental Direct, KD Pools, Xiron Corporation, Flow Matrix, Big Daddy, Emanuel Steward Boxing Gyms, Drive Entertainment and PBC Concepts.
In addition to her executive activities, Ms. Pennell is an accomplished speaker. She has been featured at numerous real estate industry conferences, as a both a subject expert and a panel moderator. She continues to share her expertise at conferences and industry events.
Melanie received her Bachelor’s Degree in History at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Her community leadership roles include Board Member for Pachanga Charities (a charity providing financial assistance families of officers killed in the line of duty), Director-Celebrity Corps, (support organization for at-risk youth) membership and fundraiser for numerous organizations including the Thalians of Cedars Sinai, and John Wayne Cancer Institute
Melanie can be reached via email at the following address: