a price-cut, thereby deftly avoiding more adverse presidential tweets. It makes good sense for the head of the Pentagon’s No. 1 weapons supplier to avoid irritating an unpredictable commander-in-chief, especially when he has called for a significant increase in U.S. defense spending, which the whole industry regards as a welcome bonanza after years of Pentagon belt-tightening. Todd Hitt Founder and CEO, Kiddar Capital “We’re a true private equity company with $1.4 billion under management and very little outside capital. Right now $120 million of that is directly at work in U.S. Housing,” is how Hitt describes the alternative asset management firm he started in 2007. The emphasis on built world investing is no coincidence, A native Washingtonian, Hitt is a member of the fam ily behind Hitt Contracting, the construction company founded by his grandparents in 1937. His private equity firm is headquartered in Falls Church, Va. with additional off ices in Houston, Palm Springs and London, giving them a national and global presence in the alternative investing world. Hitt’s assets span real estate, venture, credit, energy and sports. A noted social impact investor who tracks job creation along with financial returns at his firm, he is a frequent commentator on TV news and finance programs where he often calls for immigration and education reforms to counteract the labor shortage, reduce inequality and drive industrial and GDP growth. “We need to put people where the jobs are,” he says, “and jobs where the people are.” Sheila Johnson CEO, Salamander Hotels and Resorts; Co-Founder, WE Capital Sachiko Kuno Founder, Halcyon; Co-Founder, WE Capital Johnson and Kuno, both successful businesswomen
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| M AY | washingtonlife.com
Steve Case Chairman and CEO, Revolution Jean Case Chairman, National Geographic n March, representatives of 125 start-ups in the ecosystem sector from 57 Rust Belt towns and cities met in Washington to discuss funding and the micro-venture capital sector. The meeting was oganized by Revolution, a venture capital investment program started by digital pioneer and co-founder of America Online Steve Case and devoted to innovative and dynamic new companies. In the summer of 2017, Case went on a bus tour of non-coastal states and at each stop handed out $100,000 to one start-up based on its presentation. Jean Case is chairman of the board of trustees of the National Geographic Society with which she has been connected for more than a decade. The couple (net worth $1.34 billion) has joined Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge along with other wealthy entrepreneurs, to donate the bulk of their fortunes to philanthropic causes.
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Jean and Steve Case
in their own right (the former is a cofounder of BET and the latter of Sucampo Pharmaceuticals) launched the female led investment fund WE Capital in 2016 to support women-led companies that make a socia l impact. Kuno a lso co-founded H a lc yon , a s t a r t - up i nc u b a t or i n Georgetown led by CEO Kate Goodall that provides funding, mentorship, free residenc y and a workplace to socia l entrepreneurs working on “scalable and sustainable” ventures. Together, they’ve helped make Wash ing ton one of the leading cities for women in tech in the nation. Matt Kelly CEO , JBG Smith In 2017 JBG Cos, a closely held Washington land lord, merged with Vornado Realty Trust’s vast portfolio of area
off ice buildings and apartments to create the largest developer in the reg ion. Following the merger, the JBG Cos. began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. In addition to Kelly, two other JBG top executives will have key positions in the new compa ny – Rober t Stewa r t i s executive vice-chairman and David Paul, ch ief operat ing of f icer. J BG ha s a n operating portfolio of over 20 million square feet of resident ia l and of f ice properties but is best known for its Crystal City development. Roger Krone Chairman & CEO, Leidos Holdings Inc. In 2014, when Krone was 58, he decided it was time to retire from Boeing after 35 ye a r s i n t h e a e r o s p a c e business. His idea of retirement was to take over Leidos, a government contractor, and
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