The POWER 30: Joe Ryan

The POWER 30: Joe Ryan

Joe Ryan’s path to entrepreneurship began with acknowledging what some might consider a weakness.

“I realized at a young age I was not a very good employee,” said Ryan. “I wanted my own deal and to be able to drive decisions to success. At the same time, I wanted to manage my own time and schedule.  That is the culture we built inside of Oppidan.”

Ryan founded Oppidan Investment Company in 1991. Since then it has become a merchant real estate development leader. Over the years, Ryan has helped develop more than $4.9 billion in real estate for more than 150 clients. He has completed more than 580 projects in 41 states equaling more than 29.3 million square feet of space.

But, he says, no particular project stands out as much as the satisfaction of watching the company grow and evolve.

“The greatest project is the development of people and watching the team meld together and become stronger and more aligned,” he said. “From a deal standpoint, in 2023 we secured one of the largest industrial build-to-suit projects in Minnesota. We’re also proud to expand our portfolio into the development of affordable housing.”

As CEO and owner, Ryan creates, communicates and implements Oppidan’s overall direction. Before founding Oppidan, Joe was a shareholding partner of REI, Limited and directed the operations of the Richard Ellis Inc. office in Minneapolis. Joe was also vice president of asset management at St. Paul Properties Inc.

As for the future, Ryan wants Oppidan to maintain a balance between enthusiasm and professionalism.

“We are continuing our discipline while keeping our entrepreneurial spirit,” he said. “This is not an easy task. But it takes great leadership and an exceptional culture, which is exactly what we have.”

View Original Article