Joel H Cowan, Chairman and President
Mr. Cowan began his career in banking and real estate development and investment. He founded the new town of Peachtree City and the first upscale shopping center in the South—Phipps Plaza. Cowan’s international focus is on Central Asia and its neighboring countries including China. He co-founded the Central Eurasia Leadership Academy in Istanbul, sponsored programs aimed at educating young women in Afghanistan and Tajikistan and is active in social impact investing in the region. He is active on boards of the EastWest Institute, International Relief and Development and the Council for a Community of Democracies in Washington. Cowan was formerly a Board Member of Continental Airlines and World Airways.
Vahagen Khodaverdian, Managing Director
Mr. Khodaverdian has extensive experience in retail and the telecommunications industry. He has started and successfully exited several businesses in the food and retail industries. Alongside industry leaders, he has closed several multi-million dollar transactions and has been very active in the financial markets for over a decade. With an international focus on finance and M&A;, Mr. Khodaverdian is keenly aware of fluctuations and risks involved in commodities trading, and stock/bond swaps. Mr. Khodaverdian holds a bachelor of science in business administration from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a concentration in Finance and a certificate in entrepreneurship from the Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business.
Joel Cowan Jr., Managing Director
Joel is passionate about development and especially sustainable development. Specializing in New Urbanism and traditional neighborhood developments. Since 1994, Joel has developed residential, commercial and mixed-use projects in Georgia and Florida. Joel’s skills include developing the vision of projects in relation to absorption, investment and yield goals; developing and managing the marketing, advertising and sales process; and, managing the planning, engineering and construction activities. Joel works closely with contractors and subcontractors to create the desired results for each project. Joel is a member of the Congress of New Urbanism, The Seaside Institute, The Urban Land Institute, the AIA, and the National Town Builders Association.