Angel Brunner, Founder and President, EB5 Capital
Angel Brunner remembers her fight to fund two new Marriott hotels at the San Jose International Airport during the last downturn. Though fully entitled and flagged, the project failed to get financing because of the market’s paralysis at that time. Nevertheless, by working long and hard with the City of San Jose, the hotel industry association and the Department of Commerce, Angel was able to make a case that hotel projects create jobs, and successfully secured EB-5 financing to help develop the first new hotel in 20 years for that submarket of San Jose. Angel credits her ability to complete projects to her training in finance, economics and urban planning, as well as deep experience in effectively building an innovative capital stack. Even so, assuring her development partners that the regulatory framework surrounding foreign capital investment will remain predictable is an ongoing challenge. As an international adventurer, Angel takes an occasional hike of the Great Wall during her regular trips to China, or opts for visits to exciting places like the world’s tallest treehouses in Laos.