jana happel - Principal

Jana Happel brings seasoned design skills and experience to each development project. Her business model targets value-added opportunities, whether new construction or rehabilitation of existing properties. Jana leads the entire process, including acquisition, design, construction and final leasing and resale. Her specific market knowledge and design expertise have helped bring double-digit returns to all of her development deals.

Before shifting her focus to residential development in 2014, Jana was a successful designer of both residential and commercial projects as the Principal of Jana Happel Interior Design. She periodically still accepts select design work. Prior to founding her company, she worked as an interior designer at the architectural firms of Robert A.M. Stern and Gerner, Kronick + Valcarcel. Before a career in design, Jana worked in the fashion industry as Director of Operations for St. John and also ran her own fashion company, Florentine Ltd. from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s.

Jana holds a B.S. in Mathematics/Applied Economics from UCLA, an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a B.F.A. in Interior Design from the New York School of Interior Design. She currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and two daughters.