Our Team

John MazarakisExecutive Chairman

Mazarakis co-founded Chicago Atlantic Group in April 2019 and has served as our Executive Chairman since our inception. As a proven entrepreneur and operator with successful ventures in real estate, retail, and hospitality. Mr. Mazarakis brings over 20 years of entrepreneurial, operational, and managerial experience. He has built a 30+ restaurant chain with more than 1,200 employees, established a real estate portfolio of over 30 properties, developed over 1 million square feet of commercial real estate, and completed multiple real estate financing transactions, at a cumulative annual growth rate exceeding 25%. He has invested in and served as an advisor to multiple successful startups. Mr. Mazarakis holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Delaware and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Recent Observations
Medical Cannabis in the United States

Anthony CappellChief Executive Officer

Cappell co-founded Chicago Atlantic Group in April 2019 and has served as our Chief Executive Officer since our inception. Prior to founding Chicago Atlantic, Mr. Cappell was a Managing Director and Head of Underwriting at Stonegate Capital, a private credit investment firm focused on lower middle market businesses and emerging brands from July 2016 to October 2018. At Stonegate, he was responsible for credit, underwriting, and the growth strategy of the loan portfolio. Previously, from January 2013 to June 2016, he was a Senior Underwriter at First Midwest Bank and at Gibraltar Business Capital where he worked on a number of specialty finance transactions including technology, software, turnaround/distressed and re-discount loans. He began his career at Wells Fargo Capital Finance focused on a wide array of industries and loan structures from November 2008 to December 2012. Mr. Cappell holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin — Milwaukee and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Recent Observations

Andreas BodmeierCo-President, Chief Investment Officer

Bodmeier co-founded Chicago Atlantic Group in April 2019 and has served as our Co-President and Chief Investment Officer since our inception. From October 2019 until December 2020, Dr. Bodmeier was a Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary in the Immediate Office of the Secretary at the United States Department of Health and Human Services focused on policy evaluation and the Department’s response to COVID-19. From June 2015 until March 2019, Dr. Bodmeier was President of Quantitative Treasury Analytics, LLC, a boutique consulting firm focused on risk management for corporate clients as well as advising on capital structure decisions and investor relations. From May 2017 until March 2019, Dr. Bodmeier was Co-founder, Chief Investment Officer, and Chief Compliance Officer of Kinetik Finance, Inc., an SEC-registered online investment adviser for 401(k) or 403(b) retirement accounts, where he built the firm’s investment methodology and compliance program. Dr. Bodmeier has also served as a consultant for hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, commercial and consumer lenders, and pharmaceutical companies. His academic research at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business focused on capital market anomalies, portfolio allocation, and risk management. Dr. Bodmeier holds a Ph.D. in Finance and MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Dr. Bodmeier received a B.Sc. in Mathematics and a B.Sc. in Physics from Freie University Berlin, Germany, a B.Sc. in Business Economics from University of Hagen, Germany, and a M.Sc. in Statistics from Humboldt University Berlin, Germany.

 

Recent Observations
Tax Benefits for International Investors: The Portfolio Interest Exemption

Peter SackCo-President

Sack has served as our Co-President since July 2021. Peter is a credit investor and portfolio manager with experience investing across the capital structure. Prior to joining Chicago Atlantic, Mr. Sack was a Principal at BC Partners Credit from July 2018 to June 2021, where he sourced and underwrote across the firm’s opportunistic and senior lending strategies in a wide array of industries. Previously, Mr. Sack was an Associate at Atlas Holdings LLC, a private-equity firm focused on supporting distressed manufacturing and distribution companies globally, from July 2012 to June 2016. Mr. Sack holds a BA in East Asian Studies from Yale University, a MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and was a Fulbright Scholar at Sun Yat-sen University China.

David KiteChief Operating Officer

Kite has served as Chicago Atlantic’s Chief Operating Officer since July 2021 and joins with over 20 years of experience in investment management and real estate investments. Mr. Kite began his career as a commodities trader with Commodities Corp from September 1993 to March 1994. Soon after, Mr. Kite founded K&K Capital Management, serving as President from April 1994 to June 2004. After, Mr. Kite became the Managing Partner of Lionheart, a multi-strategy fund of hedge funds from June 2004 to July 2013. Mr. Kite transitioned to real estate as Principal and Chief Operating Officer of Free Market Ventures, a boutique private equity real estate company, where he oversaw for all aspects of the company including deal structure, capital raising, due diligence, acquisitions, asset management and dispositions from July 2013 to July 2021. Mr. Kite holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Phil SilvermanInterim Chief Financial Officer

Phil is Interim Chief Financial Officer of Chicago Atlantic and serves as the Controller of Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Inc., our affiliated mortgage REIT. Phil brings over 10 years of finance and accounting experience to Chicago Atlantic. Prior to joining Chicago Atlantic, Phil spent more than 8 years with BDO, where he most recently was a Senior Manager in the Financial Services and Private Equity group, responsible for end to end execution of audits of investment companies (BDCs/SBIC/PE/VC) and asset managers. Phil holds the CPA designation.

BS (Finance), Indiana University – Kelly School of Business