Partners
David R. Grieve
Chairman & Founder
David R. Grieve
Chairman and CEO
David is the Founder, Chairman & CEO of A&C Ventures (ACV). Prior to founding ACV in 1992, David was a Senior Vice President at Arroyo & Coates, a commercial real estate firm in San Francisco, where he led retail triple-net sale-leaseback and joint venture efforts. David is also the Chairman of Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG), the parent company of the highest volume Taco Bell franchisee in the world with over 330 restaurants. Along with his responsibilities overseeing DRG and ACV, David produces wine from his Grieve Family Vineyard in Napa Valley and is on a variety of philanthropic boards including Ducks Unlimited and the Wetlands America Trust. David received a Bachelor of Business Administration (Emphasis in Real Estate) from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
SG Ellison
President & CEO
SG Ellison
President & CEO
SG Ellison is the President of A&C Ventures (ACV), the CEO and Franchisee of Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG) and the Founder of First Street Development, a real estate development company serving ACV, DRG and other third party clients. SG, fluent in Spanish, oversees the management and operations of DRG’s portfolio of 330+ Taco Bell and 30 Arby’s locations, as well as ACV’s real estate portfolio comprised primarily of triple-net retail, restaurant, and multifamily assets. SG obtained a BSE in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University and sits on California’s Fast Food Council and the boards of Taco Bell’s FRANMAC Marketing Committee, Arby’s Franchise Association and the Food Service Insurance Group.
Kelly Allred
Chief Financial Officer
Kelly Allred
Chief Financial Officer
Kelly is responsible for all financial aspects of the company, including oversight of the finance, capital raising, accounting, treasury, and risk management functions. Kelly joined A&C Ventures in 2014, bringing over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry. Prior to A&C Ventures, Kelly was the CFO of Peninsula Retail Partners, a commercial real estate development company based in Southern California. His prior experience includes roles as CFO of the Distinguished Companies, Vice President – Treasurer at KB Home and Principal for Bank of America’s National Real Estate. Kelly received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus on Economics from Claremont McKenna College.
Emerson Simon
Chief Investment Officer
Emerson Simon
Chief Investment Officer
Since joining ACV in 2013, Emerson has primarily been involved in acquisition underwriting, capital structuring, and investment management for the firm and all of ACV’s partnerships. Before joining ACV, Emerson spent five years working in corporate finance for a publicly traded technology company in Silicon Valley. Emerson graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Finance and History.
John Hoffman
Chief Growth Officer
John Hoffman
Chief Growth Officer
John joined the ACV team in 2013 to focus on building our restaurant portfolio through his relationships in the investment banking and brokerage community. Prior to ACV, John spent most of his career in a variety of sales and trading roles at Morgan Stanley, Hambrecht & Quist, Lehman Brothers and Lazard Capital. In addition to helping expand our restaurant footprint, John oversees ACV’s capital raising and investor relation functions. John graduated from Stanford University with an BA in Economics and earned an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business.
Jason Stych
General Counsel
Jason Stych
General Counsel
Jason oversees all legal aspects of the company and its partnerships. Prior to joining A & C Ventures, Jason was a partner for over ten years at Kutak Rock LLP in Scottsdale, Arizona. His practice focused on commercial real estate transactions including matters specifically relating to the acquisition, disposition, leasing, financing, and management of commercial real estate throughout the United States. Jason graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance. He also received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Nebraska and, thereafter, went on to receive a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in taxation from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He is a member of the bar in Arizona (active status) and Colorado (inactive status).
Jennifer Blesius
Chief of Staff, Exec. Asst.
Jennifer Blesius
Chief of Staff, Exec. Asst.
Jennifer supports David Grieve with all business and personal entities, including Grieve Family Winery. She is also involved in many aspects of the firm including investor summits, special events and non-profit efforts. Jennifer joined ACV in 2016 following a decade-long career with TPG Capital in San Francisco, where she most recently managed global meetings and logistics for their in-house Fundraising Team. While there, she was also responsible for coordinating the firm’s international conferences and annual events. She is on the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley and co-chairs their annual Fairways Fore Futures Golf Tournament. Jennifer graduated from Illinois State University with a BS in Health Information Management.
Arthur E. Kuller
Senior Controller
Arthur E. Kuller
Senior Controller
Art oversees the treasury, accounting, insurance and property management functions of the firm and its partnerships. His responsibilities include budgeting, cash flow forecasting, tax preparations, financial reporting, and lender management and procedures. Art joined A&C Ventures in 1993. Prior to joining A&C Ventures, Art worked in a variety of industries including retail, education, and technology. Art graduated from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
Robert Brown
SR. VP of Real Estate
Robert Brown
SR. VP of Real Estate
Robert oversees all aspects of the real estate acquisition and evaluation process for A&C Ventures. With over 20+ years of experience in real estate investment, he brings unique knowledge and expertise in the identification, evaluation, underwriting, acquisition, and assembly of an institutional quality portfolio of assets for the company. Robert first joined A&C Ventures in 2003, and then rejoined the company in 2022, in the interim, he was the Chief Investment Officer and Fund Manager for DJM Capital Partners. Before his career in Commercial Real Estate, Robert had a 15-year career as an International Oil & Gas Exploration Geologist with various Atlantic Richfield Companies. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Geology from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas.
Team Members
Tyler Walker
Director, IR and Leasing
Scott Coleman
Associate General Counsel
Taos Poole
Controller
Jack Scherer
Financial Analyst
Karyl Carter
Portfolio Property Manager
Sarah Ramadan
Exec. Asst., Project Coordinator
Elizabeth Akers
Executive Assistant
Conor Orton
Paralegal
Jill Wagoner
Sr. Portfolio Accountant
Megh Tamang
Sr. Accountant
Natalie Curtis
Bookkeeper