Welcome to the "Go Big to Give Big" podcast with Randy Molland and Steve Arneson! In this episode, we are talking about diversity in real investing with Veena Jeeti! Veena Jetti is the founding partner of Vive Funds, a commercial real estate firm specializing in conservative investment opportunities. With over a decade of experience and $1B+ in assets, Veena is a dynamic leader in driving corporate strategy and business development. She is also a co-founding partner of Enzo Multifamily and a frequent speaker at conferences and podcasts. Outside of work, Veena is a passionate philanthropist involved in disaster recovery and micro-lending through organizations such as kiva.org. Vive Funds is an investor-centric firm with a focus on the client experience, offering carefully planned projects that meet rigorous metric standards. In this episode, Veena shares her experience as a female leader in the male-dominated real estate industry, including raising capital and building her brand. We also discuss the need for diversity and inclusivity, personal branding, AI technology, risk management, and the importance of real estate for long-term investments. Veena emphasizes the importance of a diversified portfolio and incorporating philanthropy into business deals. She shares her experience of helping people affected by Hurricane Harvey and her passion for giving back to the community.   Join us for an inspiring conversation on how entrepreneurs use their businesses to make an impact and create a better future!   [00:00 – 16:36] The Journey of Diversity in Real Estate ·      Veena started in real estate with single-family properties. ·      For Veena, being a woman in a male-dominated industry has been challenging, and she shares some examples faced during deals. ·      Veena believes in diversity and inclusivity and actively talks about it to bring awareness. ·      Her company is all women and minority-led, with policies that prioritize working with diverse vendors and decision-makers.   [16:36 - 36:18] Real Estate is a Marathon, Not a Sprint ·      Veena discusses why real estate investors need to be more patient and look at a lot more deals to get that one perfect deal. ·      Real estate is cyclical, and it's going to go down and come back up. It's just how it works. ·      Real estate investors need to be more conservative in their underwriting and deal structures. ·      In a down-pressured cycle, real estate investors need to look at different strategies to make deals work.   [36:18 - 47:02] Exercising the "Giving Muscle" ·      Being around people who are more philanthropic can inspire individuals to do more. ·      An abundance mindset is crucial in practicing giving back. ·      The best way to exercise the "giving muscle" is to be in rooms with people who are doing more than you. ·      You should surround yourself with people that are more successful than you at what you want to do better.   [47:02 - 52:09] Quick Questions ·      Brag one about a charity you like: Kiva.org and Water.org ·      What would get you more excited? Donating a $1 million check or spending a week physically helping others: “I think a million-dollar check because it is probably more impactful than what I could do in a week.” ·      If you could give anything, what would it be? Veena would give her daughters the confidence to go out into the world and make a better place than they found it. ·      Who inspires you with their giving? Steve Arneson and Randy Molland ·      What is the first thing that you think of when you hear Go Big to Give Big: Impact investing. Being purposeful in how you are scaling and growing companies ·      In one word, describe the feeling you get when you give: Gratitude ·      Do you believe that money can buy you happiness: For Veena, money is a magnifier. If you are happy without